Marx et al. (2026): The Ecological Activity Index tool for mapping potential ecosystem exposure to ocean alkalinity enhancement
Lukas Marx, Jennie E. Rheuban, Daniel C. McCorkle, Christopher S. Murray, Yiming Guo, Zhaohui Aleck Wang, Anna P. M. Michel, Ke Chen, Heather H. Kim and Adam V. Subhas, IN: Communications Sustainability, https://doi.org/10.1038/s44458-026-00123-w
Ocean alkalinity enhancement is being explored to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, but its interactions with marine ecosystems remain uncertain. Robust data-based baseline frameworks are needed to assess where and when ecosystems may be increasingly exposed to ocean alkalinity enhancement. Here the authors present the Ecological Activity Index (EAI) that integrates publicly available datasets on chlorophyll a, zooplankton, and fish larvae abundance, endangered species distributions and commercial fishing activity across the United States Northeast Shelf and Slope. This framework provides a spatially and temporally resolved measure of ecosystem activity and human use.