Ocean acidification is not adequately addressed in current governance frameworks. The Ocean Acidification Alliance has identified the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) as a promising tool within the EU to include this issue. In a recent analysis of the MSFD, the Alliance recommends incorporating ocean acidification parameters into Descriptor 5 (eutrophication) and Descriptor 7 (hydrographical conditions):
Descriptor 5 should include pH and total alkalinity to address coastal acidification.
Descriptor 7 should include the partial pressure of carbon dioxide and dissolved inorganic carbon for more effective monitoring and assessment.
The Ocean Acidification Alliance believes that by integrating these parameters, the MSFD would adopt a more comprehensive approach to climate change, enhancing monitoring efforts and potentially reducing coastal acidification by controlling nutrient and organic matter inputs.
1 Ocean Acidification Alliance, 2024, Addressing Ocean and Coastal Acidification Across the Marine Strategy Framework Directive in Europe
Ocean Acidification in the EU Marine Strategy
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