Coastal ocean acidification: The other eutrophication problem

Wallace, Ryan B.; Baumann, Hannes; Grear, Jason S.; Aller, Robert C.; Gobler, Christopher J.

doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2014.05.027

Cited by 446 publications

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“…Median rates of oxygen decline are more severe in a 30 km band near the coast than in the open ocean ([100 km from the coast) (Gilbert et al 2010) which also exerts a range of negative effects on marine coastal ecosystems (Diaz and Rosenberg 2008). Microbial degradation of organic matter generated by coastal eutrophication also amplifies acidification (Wallace et al 2014). As with many coastal waters of the world's ocean, the bottom layers of the St. Lawrence Estuary have shown declining oxygen concentrations (Gilbert et al 2005) and concurrent rising acidification (Mucci et al 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydrological and biological processes modulate carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus flux from the St. Lawrence River to its estuary (Quebec, Canada)

et al. 2017

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Increased flux of carbon and nutrients from human activities in river basins were linked to acidification and deepwater hypoxia in estuaries and coastal areas worldwide. Annual loads (1995)(1996)(1997)(1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011) of suspended particulate matter (SPM), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) were assessed at the Lake Ontario inlet of the St. Lawrence River (SLR) (7110 m 3 s -1 ) and its estuarine outlet at Québec City (12,090 m 3 s -1 ). Internal loads from the Ottawa River (1950 m 3 s -1 ), seventeen other tributaries, urban wastewaters, atmospheric deposition and erosion were also estimated. Erosion (65% of SPM, 29% of TP), inflow from Lake Ontario (42% of DOC, 47% of TN) and Ottawa River (28% of DOC) contributed important flux to the estuary. Loads from other tributaries (20 and 27% of TN and TP at Quebec City) largely exceeded municipal sources (6% of exported TN and TP) and require future remediation. Aquatic plants fixed 277,000 t of C, 49,000 t of N and 7000 t of P (May-Sept.), delaying the nutrient flux to the estuary and turning the SLR into a nutrient sink over summers of lowest discharge. Degradation of exported organic C could consume 5.4-7.1 million t O 2 year -1 in the estuary whereas SLR flux of N and P represent 31-47% and 7-14% of total annual estuarine flux, respectively. Carbon and Nitrogen flux from freshwaters partly explain the decline in pH and oxygen concentrations in deep estuarine waters thus highlighting the need to reduce diffuse sources of nutrients in the entire watershed.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydrological and biological processes modulate carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus flux from the St. Lawrence River to its estuary (Quebec, Canada)

et al. 2017

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“…Acidification and low oxygen conditions are inextricably linked via the process of respiration and therefore display highly similar dynamics in ocean ecosystems [7][8][9][10][11]. In temperate coastal zones, both conditions appear during warmer months when respiration rates are maximal and thermal stratification is most likely.…”

Section: Ecosystem Occurrence Of Low Oxygen and Acidificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This process also occurs in regions that experience low oxygen conditions, but at a greatly accelerated rate. The same nutrient-enhanced respiration of organic matter that creates hypoxic and OMZ in the ocean also produces high levels of CO 2 that reacts in a manner identical to the atmospheric CO 2 and thus similarly creates low pH and low carbonate ion availability [7][8][9][10]. The issue of coastal acidification is increasingly recognized, because seasonal levels of pCO 2 , pH and calcium carbonate saturation in many coastal zones ( pH , 7.7 T , pCO 2 .…”

Section: Ecosystem Occurrence Of Low Oxygen and Acidificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The issue of coastal acidification is increasingly recognized, because seasonal levels of pCO 2 , pH and calcium carbonate saturation in many coastal zones ( pH , 7.7 T , pCO 2 . 1000 matm, V aragonite , 1 [9][10][11]) already exceed (i) the predicted extremes in the future open ocean [5] and (ii) the levels known to reduce the growth and survival of early-life stage bivalves [12] and fish [13].…”

Section: Ecosystem Occurrence Of Low Oxygen and Acidificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Hypoxia and acidification in ocean ecosystems: coupled dynamics and effects on marine life

2016

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There is increasing recognition that low dissolved oxygen (DO) and low pH conditions co-occur in many coastal and open ocean environments. Within temperate ecosystems, these conditions not only develop seasonally as temperatures rise and metabolic rates accelerate, but can also display strong diurnal variability, especially in shallow systems where photosynthetic rates ameliorate hypoxia and acidification by day. Despite the widespread, global co-occurrence of low pH and low DO and the likelihood that these conditions may negatively impact marine life, very few studies have actually assessed the extent to which the combination of both stressors elicits additive, synergistic or antagonistic effects in marine organisms. We review the evidence from published factorial experiments that used static and/or fluctuating pH and DO levels to examine different traits (e.g. survival, growth, metabolism), life stages and species across a broad taxonomic spectrum. Additive negative effects of combined low pH and low DO appear to be most common; however, synergistic negative effects have also been observed. Neither the occurrence nor the strength of these synergistic impacts is currently predictable, and therefore, the true threat of concurrent acidification and hypoxia to marine food webs and fisheries is still not fully understood. Addressing this knowledge gap will require an expansion of multi-stressor approaches in experimental and field studies, and the development of a predictive framework. In consideration of marine policy, we note that DO criteria in coastal waters have been developed without consideration of concurrent pH levels. Given the persistence of concurrent low pH-low DO conditions in estuaries and the increased mortality experienced by fish and bivalves under concurrent acidification and hypoxia compared with hypoxia alone, we conclude that such DO criteria may leave coastal fisheries more vulnerable to population reductions than previously anticipated.

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“…Combustion products can also acidify estuarine waters directly and some (e.g., NOx) also drive acidification by stimulating eutrophication. Indeed, eutrophication is a common cause of acidification in estuaries: nutrient enrichment stimulates the production of algal dissolved organic carbon (DOC), which fuels microbial respiration in anoxic bottom waters, generating high levels of CO 2 (Cai et al 2011;Melzner et al 2013;Wallace et al 2014). Sunda and Cai (2012) surmised that eutrophication of the Chesapeake Bay will generate CO 2 release and acidification of bottom waters.…”

Section: Coastal Zone Acidificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Twenty-first century climate change and submerged aquatic vegetation in a temperate estuary: the case of Chesapeake Bay

Arnold

Zimmerman

Engelhardt

et al. 2017

Ecosyst Health Sustain

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Introduction: The Chesapeake Bay was once renowned for expansive meadows of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV). However, only 10% of the original meadows survive. Future restoration efforts will be complicated by accelerating climate change, including physiological stressors such as a predicted mean temperature increase of 2-6°C and a 50-160% increase in CO 2 concentrations. Outcomes: As the Chesapeake Bay begins to exhibit characteristics of a subtropical estuary, summer heat waves will become more frequent and severe. Warming alone would eventually eliminate eelgrass (Zostera marina) from the region. It will favor native heat-tolerant species such as widgeon grass (Ruppia maritima) while facilitating colonization by non-native seagrasses (e.g., Halodule spp.). Intensifying human activity will also fuel coastal zone acidification and the resulting high CO 2 /low pH conditions may benefit SAV via a "CO 2 fertilization effect." Discussion: Acidification is known to offset the effects of thermal stress and may have similar effects in estuaries, assuming water clarity is sufficient to support CO 2 -stimulated photosynthesis and plants are not overgrown by epiphytes. However, coastal zone acidification is variable, driven mostly by local biological processes that may or may not always counterbalance the effects of regional warming. This precarious equipoise between two forcesthermal stress and acidification -will be critically important because it may ultimately determine the fate of cool-water plants such as Zostera marina in the Chesapeake Bay. Conclusion: The combined impacts of warming, coastal zone acidification, water clarity, and overgrowth of competing algae will determine the fate of SAV communities in rapidly changing temperate estuaries.

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Coastal ocean acidification: The other eutrophication problem

Cited by 446 publications

References 80 publications

Hydrological and biological processes modulate carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus flux from the St. Lawrence River to its estuary (Quebec, Canada)

Hydrological and biological processes modulate carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus flux from the St. Lawrence River to its estuary (Quebec, Canada)

Hypoxia and acidification in ocean ecosystems: coupled dynamics and effects on marine life

Twenty-first century climate change and submerged aquatic vegetation in a temperate estuary: the case of Chesapeake Bay

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