Changing Ocean Chemistry Threatens Alaskan Crabs

The chemistry of the North Pacific Ocean is changing in ways that pose serious threats to Alaska’s two signature crab species: the red king crab and the snow crab. The culprit is ocean acidification.

This report, produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center and the Seattle Times, is the first of a three-part PBS NewsHour series on the unexpected consequences of climate change called “Coping with Climate Change: Arctic Thaw.”

The video above will air on Monday’s NewsHour. On Tuesday, the NewsHour sails with NOAA to learn how its scientists chart the sea floor, and why their work, and that of the U.S. Coast Guard, are being stretched as the nation’s frigid Arctic water heats up. On Wednesday, we look at the threat to traditional life for Native Inupiat Eskimos in far Northern Alaska.

The video above is also part of a series of special reports by the Seattle Times on climate change, which can be found here.

Read more:

From the Seattle Times special Sea Change series, Part 1: The Pacific’s Perilous Turn

Part 2: Lucrative Crab Industry in Danger

From the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting: A Melting Arctic