San Diego, CA – A team of federal and university scientists has launched a month-long research expedition along the U.S. West Coast to study ocean acidification and the potential effects of a developing El Niño on marine ecosystems.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the seventh West Coast Ocean Acidification (WCOA 2026) mission departed Tuesday from San Diego aboard the University of Alaska Fairbanks research vessel R/V Sikuliaq. The expedition will travel north to Washington as part of NOAA’s long-term effort to monitor changing ocean conditions and their effects on marine resources.
The approximately 30-day cruise will collect ocean chemistry, biology, and physics data while scientists measure phytoplankton, zooplankton, and environmental DNA to better understand marine biodiversity.
Researchers said the timing of the mission is especially significant because conditions are building toward a potential El Niño, which can bring warmer ocean temperatures, alter upwelling patterns, and affect fisheries and coastal ecosystems. NOAA noted sea surface temperatures could rise by 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) or more above average if forecasts hold.
The project is led by researchers from the University of Washington’s Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies and NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL).
Officials said data collected during the mission will improve ocean forecasting models and support fisheries management, including monitoring conditions that affect commercially important species such as Dungeness crab, oysters, clams, and krill.
The cruise is scheduled to conclude July 16, with scientists expected to use the findings to strengthen long-term monitoring of changing ocean conditions across the West Coast.
