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Panel To Tackle Ocean's Falling pH

Marine scientists and representatives from the state gathered along the waterfront in Portland on Friday to announce a sixteen member panel, chosen to tackle what they say is a growing problem for shellfish producers: ocean acidification. 
"Ocean scientists estimate that the acidity of the ocean has increased 30% in the last century", says Maine Conservation Alliance program manager, Beth Ahearn.
The main culprits for the seas' falling pH, says Ahearn, are carbon pollution from fossil fuels, and nitrogen from fertilizer and sewage which contribute to algae blooms. The resulting carbonic acid from such pollution cuts away the growing shells of young mollusks, such as clams. With a multimillion dollar seafood industry at risk, Ahearn says Maine can't afford to do nothing.
"This commission will bring together shellfishery representatives, scientists, and lawmakers, to better understand the problem and to determine how to address it." says Ahearn.
The Maine Ocean Acidification Commission includes Democratic Senator Chris Johnson of Somerville who serves as Senate chair of the Legislature’s Marine Resources Committee, and Republican Representative Wayne Parry of Arundel, a lobsterman who also serves on the Marine Resources Committee. Other panel members represent the state, academia, and the shellfish industry.
Similar legislation is also in the federal pipeline. Last month Democratic Congresswoman Chellie Pingree introduced a bill that would require federal officials to study the effect of ocean acidification on coastal communities in Maine and around the country.
While another state-commissioned study group exists in Washington state, it's the first of its kind along the East Coast, authorized by the Maine legislature in April.