Articles | Volume 22, issue 12
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-3103-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-3103-2025
Research article
 | 
01 Jul 2025
Research article |  | 01 Jul 2025

Amplified bottom water acidification rates on the Bering Sea shelf from 1970–2022

Darren J. Pilcher, Jessica N. Cross, Natalie Monacci, Linquan Mu, Kelly A. Kearney, Albert J. Hermann, and Wei Cheng

Data sets

High-resolution ocean and atmosphere pCO2 time-series measurements from mooring M2_164W_57N in the Bering Sea (NCEI Accession 0157599) Jessica N. Cross et al. https://doi.org/10.3334/cdiac/otg.tsm_m2_164w_57n

Model output supporting the publication "Amplified bottom water acidification rates on the Bering Sea shelf from 1970–2022" (Version v1) D. Pilcher et al. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15741406

Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), total alkalinity and other hydrographic and chemical variables collected from discrete samples and profile observations during the R/V Thomas G. Thompson cruise TN249-10 (EXPOCODE 325020100509) in the Bering Sea from 2010 J. N. Cross et al. https://doi.org/10.25921/kjhg-2n93

Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), total alkalinity and other hydrographic and chemical variables collected from discrete samples and profile observations during the NOAA Ship Miller Freeman cruise MF0904 (EXPOCODE 31FN20090924) in the Bering Sea from 2009 J. N. Cross et al. https://doi.org/10.25921/14tb-zk16

Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), total alkalinity and other hydrographic and chemical variables collected from discrete samples and profile observations during the R/V Knorr cruise KN195 (EXPOCODE 316N20090614) in Bering Sea from 2009-06-14 to 2009-07-30 J. N. Cross et al. https://doi.org/10.25921/sqkj-f093

Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), total alkalinity and other hydrographic and chemical variables collected from discrete samples and profile observations during the USCGC Healy cruise HLY0902 (EXPOCODE 33HQ20090403) in the Bering Sea from 2009-04-03 to 20 J. N. Cross et al. https://doi.org/10.25921/f6g1-3d67

Surface underway measurements of partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2), sea surface temperature, sea surface salinity and other parameters from Autonomous Surface Vehicle (ASV) Saildrone 1033 (EXPOCODE 32DB20190514) in the North Pacific Ocean, Bering J. N. Cross et al. https://doi.org/10.25921/fdbj-6k06

Surface underway measurements of partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2), sea surface temperature, sea surface salinity and other parameters from Autonomous Surface Vehicle (ASV) Saildrone 1034 (EXPOCODE 32DB20190514) in the North Pacific Ocean, Bering J. N. Cross et al. https://doi.org/10.25921/tpv6-sk21

Surface underway measurements of partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2), sea surface temperature, sea surface salinity and other parameters from Autonomous Surface Vehicle (ASV) Saildrone 1020 (EXPOCODE 32DB20180630) in the North Pacific Ocean, Bering J. N. Cross et al. https://doi.org/10.25921/kaj6-vc23

Surface underway measurements of partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2), sea surface temperature, sea surface salinity and other parameters from Autonomous Surface Vehicle (ASV) Saildrone 1021 (EXPOCODE 32DB20180630) in the North Pacific Ocean, Bering J. N. Cross et al. https://doi.org/10.25921/wkrh-a319

Surface underway measurements of partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2), sea surface temperature, sea surface salinity and other parameters from Autonomous Surface Vehicle (ASV) Saildrone 1002 (EXPOCODE 32DB20170716) in the North Pacific Ocean, Bering J. N. Cross et al. https://doi.org/10.25921/w59k-4b77

Surface underway measurements of partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2), sea surface temperature, sea surface salinity and other parameters from Autonomous Surface Vehicle (ASV) Saildrone 1003 (EXPOCODE 32DB20170717) in the North Pacific Ocean, Bering J. N. Cross et al. https://doi.org/10.25921/gkr5-cb26

Surface underway measurements of partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2), sea surface temperature, sea surface salinity and other parameters from Autonomous Surface Vehicle (ASV) Saildrone 1033 (EXPOCODE 32DB20210808) in the North Pacific Ocean, Bering J. N. Cross et al. https://doi.org/10.25921/mnf2-ze24

Surface underway measurements of partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2), sea surface temperature, sea surface salinity and other parameters from Autonomous Surface Vehicle (ASV) Saildrone 1034 (EXPOCODE 32DB20210808-2) in the North Pacific Ocean, Berin J. N. Cross et al. https://doi.org/10.25921/2srd-e610

Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), total alkalinity and other hydrographic and chemical variables collected from discrete samples and profile observations during the USCGC Healy HLY0802; BEST '08 Spring cruise (EXPOCODE 33HQ20080329) in the Bering Sea from J. T. Mathis et al. https://doi.org/10.3334/cdiac/otg.best08spr_33hq20080329

Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), total alkalinity and other hydrographic and chemical variables collected from discrete samples and profile observations during the USCGC Healy HLY0803; BEST '08 Summer cruise (EXPOCODE 33HQ20080703) in the Bering Sea from J. T. Mathis et al. https://doi.org/10.25921/px3e-rb18

Model code and software

beringnpz/roms-bering-sea: K20P19 (2022.09.08) Kelly Kearney https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7062782

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Short summary
The Bering Sea shelf is a highly productive marine ecosystem that is vulnerable to ocean acidification. We use a computational model to simulate the carbon cycle and acidification rates from 1970–2022. The results suggest that bottom water acidification rates are more than twice as great as surface rates. Bottom waters are also naturally more acidic. Thus these waters will pass key thresholds known to negatively impact marine organisms, such as red king crab, much sooner than surface waters.
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