Coastal acidification in southeastern U.S. estuaries and coastal waters is influenced by biological activity, runoff from the land, and increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Acidification can negatively impact coastal resources such as shellfish, finfish, and coral reefs, and the communities that rely on them. Organismal responses for species located in the U.S. Southeast document large negative impacts of acidification, especially in larval stages. For example, the toxicity of pesticides increases under acidified conditions and the combination of acidification and low oxygen has profoundly negative influences on genes regulating oxygen consumption. In corals, the rate of calcification decreases with acidification and processes such as wound recovery, reproduction, and recruitment are negatively impacted. Minimizing the changes in global ocean chemistry will ultimately depend on the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, but adaptation to these changes and mitigation of the local stressors that exacerbate global acidification can be addressed locally. The evolution of our knowledge of acidification, from basic understanding of the problem to the emergence of applied research and monitoring, has been facilitated by the development of regional Coastal Acidification Networks (CANs) across the United States. This synthesis is a product of the Southeast Coastal and Ocean Acidification Network (SOCAN). SOCAN was established to better understand acidification in the coastal waters of the U.S. Southeast and to foster communication among scientists, resource managers, businesses, and governments

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Ocean science education and ocean literacy are overarching components of all Ocean Decade challenges. Educating the next generation of ocean scientists will help achieve Ocean Decade objectives, while increasing public ocean literacy will motivate citizens to engage in the ocean science enterprise. During the UN Ocean Decade, a coordinated flow of information among scientists, educators, policy makers, business leaders, and the public will help guide research priorities in addition to enhancing citizens' ocean literacy. Ocean literacy is about more than the acquisition of ocean science knowledge. It also relates to critical needs for citizens to become responsible in sustainably using the ocean and its resources. Society must gain scientific understanding of the ocean's responses to pressures and make management decisions that are fundamental for sustainable development of its resources. U.S. ocean science education, outreach, and communication initiatives have been greatly expanded since 2002 due to the work of the National Science Foundation-funded, national Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE; now the Consortium for Ocean Science Exploration and Engagement) network. The infrastructure established by COSEE is well-poised to take on the establishment of a network of networks to forge U.S. leadership in robust international collaborations in support of Ocean Decade objectives.

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