In June 2026, NOAA’s Ocean Acidification Program (OAP) will launch two major research expeditions. These missions will cover the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United States to monitor changes in water chemistry and their impacts on marine life.
The East Coast mission, ECOA-4, will kick off first in early June and span 50 days. The vessel will travel from Florida all the way to Canadian waters. The West Coast expedition, WCOA 2026, will depart from San Diego and spend a month surveying the coastline up to Washington state.
Large-scale voyages like these are conducted approximately every four years. They provide the most accurate chemical, biological, and physical oceanographic data, which serve as the foundation for monitoring and modeling efforts.
“The data from these cruises are a vital pillar of NOAA’s entire ocean acidification observation system,” notes OAP Acting Director Dwight Gledhill.
A predicted El Niño event makes these missions particularly timely. Warmer conditions may shift species ranges and impact fisheries, and the expeditions will help researchers understand how these changes affect acidification and ecosystems.
Both coastlines are already facing the consequences of acidification for fisheries and aquaculture. The collected data will help refine models and forecasts, including the combined effects of hypoxia and warming.
Along the Atlantic, sea scallop fishermen are collaborating with scientists to develop adaptation strategies. On the Pacific coast, the data will support the J-SCOPE system and research into Dungeness crabs, krill, and oysters.
