Texas A&M researchers find Hurricane Harvey caused 'dangerous' increases of acidity in Galveston Bay

Texas A&M University researchers, studying the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, uncovered alarming evidence of increased acidity in Galveston Bay, posing a significant threat to the bay's oyster reefs.

“The main cause of the unprecedented acidification that occurred after Hurricane Harvey was the excessive amount of rainfall and runoff that entered Galveston Bay,” the researchers wrote, according to Texas A&M Today. 

“To help manage large-scale flooding in the Houston area, the city released large volumes of water from reservoirs for more than two months after Harvey," they added. "These releases extended the time during which stormwater entered Galveston Bay and increased its acidity.”

The research team included Kathryn Shamberger, a chemical oceanographer and an associate professor at Texas A&M.

This study reveals that the bay's water was two to four times more acidic than normal for a span of three weeks following the storm. The heightened acidity can have devastating consequences for marine life and coastal ecosystems. 

Galveston Bay, one of the largest bays in the United States, serves as a crucial habitat for diverse marine ecosystems with its extensive oyster reefs responsible for approximately 9% of the nation's oyster harvest. The increased acidity had corrosive effects on oyster shells within the estuary, hampering the recovery of oyster reefs damaged by the hurricane.

The researchers' findings shed light on the impact of extreme rainfall and stormwater runoff on ocean acidification, highlighting the urgent need to address the consequences of climate change on coastal areas.

“Acidification can harm many forms of marine life,” the researchers wrote. “It is especially dangerous for animals that build their shells and skeletons out of calcium carbonate, such as oysters and corals. As seawater becomes more acidic, it makes these structures harder to build and easier to erode. 

"Oysters fuse together as they grow, creating large rocklike underwater reefs that protect shorelines from wave erosion," they added. "These reefs provide habitat for other creatures, such as barnacles, anemones and mussels, which, in turn, serve as food sources for many fish species.”

Although this study specifically focuses on the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in Galveston Bay, the researchers emphasize the likelihood of similar acidification events occurring in other coastal areas affected by tropical cyclones.

They examined the 10 wettest tropical cyclones in the United States since 1900 and discovered that nine of them caused substantial rainfall and flooding in bays or estuaries with diverse ecosystems. The increasing frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones, due to climate change, raise concerns about the escalating threat of storm-induced acidification to coastal ecosystems. 

The study underscores the urgent need for comprehensive measures to address the issue and protect vital marine habitats.