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Temporal And Spatial Variability Of Carbonate Chemistry In A Tillamook Bay Tributary: Tracing Acidification From The River To The Bay, Abigail Ernest-Beck

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Coastal acidification from rising atmospheric carbon dioxide can be exacerbated by local factors such as land inputs of inorganic carbon and nutrients. In Tillamook Bay, OR, the possibility of local factors enhancing acidification and impacting oyster aquaculture in the bay is a concern due to extensive agriculture in the watershed. The US EPA has been monitoring water conditions in Tillamook Bay tributaries since the summer of 2016, and preliminary findings showed increased dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) downstream of agricultural areas. To determine the causes of elevated DIC, changes attributed to land-based inputs must be distinguished from natural temporal variability and …