| Summary: | The changes in carbonate chemistry driven by ocean acidification (OA) are already evident in the Salish Sea. One consequence of this is the decrease in the carbonate ion concentration. Marine calcifiers use aragonite to build their calcium carbonate shells. Along the West Coast of the U.S., this decrease has been shown to enhance the shell dissolution of pteropods, pelagic gastropods with thin fragile aragonite shells, making them particularly vulnerable to OA. However, very little is known about the state of pteropods in the Puget Sound. This study aims to investigate the state of pteropods based on shell dissolution using scanning electron microscope imaging. The aim of this research is to use pteropods as bioindicators of OA, linking the low aragonite waters of the Puget Sound to observed shell dissolution. Pteropods with severe dissolution have been found in chronically undersaturated locations such as Hood Canal, and are widespread throughout the Puget Sound at the end of the upwelling season in the fall and early winter.
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