PORTLAND, Maine - The University of Southern Maine is hosting a day-long conference about the impact of ocean acidification on the state's coastal waters.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration describes ocean acidification as a change to the chemistry of the ocean over an extended period of time due mostly to uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Some environmentalists refer to it as the "evil twin'' of global warming.
Wednesday's conference is scheduled to run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Hannaford Hall in the Abromson Center.
Speakers will include Libby Jewett, director of NOAA's Ocean Acidification Program. There will also be a discussion of the impact of ocean acidification on commercially important marine species such as shellfish.
Organizers say at least 100 researchers, legislators and residents plan to attend.