Linking hypoxia to shrimp catch in the northern Gulf of Mexico

O’Connor, Thomas P.; Whitall, David R.

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2007.01.017

Cited by 52 publications

(28 citation statements)

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“…Based on models, the authors predicted economical losses from catch declines due to acidification for the sector of mollusc fisheries to reach 87-189 million US$. And we know from the demersal brown shrimp (Farfantepenaeus aztecus) fisheries in the northern Gulf of Mexico, that the spatial extent of hypoxic areas is significantly negatively correlated with the fisheries' landings from 1985 to 2004 (Zimmerman and Nance, 2001;Craig et al, 2005;O'Connor and Whitall, 2007). These numbers may give an idea of the potential economic losses that hypoxia may create.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impacts of hypoxia on the structure and processes in pelagic communities (zooplankton, macro-invertebrates and fish)

et al. 2010

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Abstract. Dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration in the water column is an environmental parameter that is crucial for the successful development of many pelagic organisms. Hypoxia tolerance and threshold values are species-and stagespecific and can vary enormously. While some fish species may suffer from oxygen values of less than 3 mL O 2 L −1 through impacted growth, development and behaviour, other organisms such as euphausiids may survive DO levels as low as 0.1 mL O 2 L −1 . A change in the average or the range of DO may have significant impacts on the survival of certain species and hence on the species composition in the ecosystem with consequent changes in trophic pathways and productivity.Evidence for the deleterious effects of oxygen depletion on pelagic species is scarce, particularly in terms of the effect of low oxygen on development, recruitment and patterns of migration and distribution. While planktonic organisms have to cope with variable DOs and exploit adaptive mechanisms, nektonic species may avoid areas of unfavourable DO and develop adapted migration strategies. Planktonic organisms may only be able to escape vertically, above or beneath the Oxygen Minimum Zone (OMZ). In shallow areas only the surface layer can serve as a refuge, but in deep waters many organisms have developed vertical migration strategies to use, pass through and cope with the OMZ.Correspondence to: W. Ekau (wekau@zmt-bremen.de) This paper elucidates the role of DO for different taxa in the pelagic realm and the consequences of low oxygen for foodweb structure and system productivity. We describe processes in two contrasting systems, the semi-enclosed Baltic Sea and the coastal upwelling system of the Benguela Current to demonstrate the consequences of increasing hypoxia on ecosystem functioning and services.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impacts of hypoxia on the structure and processes in pelagic communities (zooplankton, macro-invertebrates and fish)

et al. 2010

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“…There are some services, such as the effects of increased nutrient loading on commercial fish and shellfish productivity, for which uncertainties in the biophysical relationships make it difficult to reliably model changes in the valued attribute. In coastal areas, nitrogen loading has been linked with the spatial extent and intensity of hypoxia, shifting the timing of commercial fishing seasons and altering the size distribution of catches (33,34). Quantifying the effects of nitrogen loading on commercial fishing is difficult because other stressors, such as overfishing and climate change, also affect fish populations (35).…”

Section: Challenges Linking Changes In Water Quality To Changes In Humanmentioning

confidence: 99%

Linking water quality and well-being for improved assessment and valuation of ecosystem services

Keeler¹,

Polasky

Brauman³

et al. 2012

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

397

258

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Despite broad recognition of the value of the goods and services provided by nature, existing tools for assessing and valuing ecosystem services often fall short of the needs and expectations of decision makers. Here we address one of the most important missing components in the current ecosystem services toolbox: a comprehensive and generalizable framework for describing and valuing water quality-related services. Water quality is often misrepresented as a final ecosystem service. We argue that it is actually an important contributor to many different services, from recreation to human health. We present a valuation approach for water quality-related services that is sensitive to different actions that affect water quality, identifies aquatic endpoints where the consequences of changing water quality on human well-being are realized, and recognizes the unique groups of beneficiaries affected by those changes. We describe the multiple biophysical and economic pathways that link actions to changes in water qualityrelated ecosystem goods and services and provide guidance to researchers interested in valuing these changes. Finally, we present a valuation template that integrates biophysical and economic models, links actions to changes in service provision and value estimates, and considers multiple sources of water quality-related ecosystem service values without double counting. O ne of the fundamental challenges of mainstreaming ecosystem services into decision making involves linking ecosystem processes with changes in human well-being (1). This is especially true for water quality-related ecosystem goods and services. Water quality is highly valued by the public, and information on water quality values is increasingly demanded by decision makers. However, there is no generalizable framework for linking changes in water quality to changes in multiple ecosystem goods and services. This is problematic because limiting ecosystem service assessments to those services with direct use value and market prices systematically undervalues ecosystem services and fails to achieve a full accounting of all of the environmental and economic tradeoffs associated with decisions.Valuing water quality changes is particularly challenging relative to other ecosystem goods and services. Changing water quality affects many aspects of human well-being, and benefits and/or costs accrue to different groups of beneficiaries at varying spatial and temporal scales. This complexity contrasts with other ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration, for which emissions are aggregated into a global atmospheric pool. Each unit increase in carbon emissions results in a more or less constant loss in value (i.e., costs associated with climate change). By contrast, each unit improvement in water quality may affect only a local area, the value of which varies widely with spatial context and may have strongly diminishing marginal benefits (e.g., additional reductions in nutrient pollution entering a clean lake generate minimal new benefits, and t...

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“…Policymakers developed hypoxia reduction goals because of ecological, economic, and commercial fisheries impacts (7)(8)(9)(10). However, the goals remain elusive after >30 y of research and monitoring (3,11) and >15 y of assessment and goal-setting (5,(12)(13)(14)(15)(16).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Ensemble modeling informs hypoxia management in the northern Gulf of Mexico

Scavia

Bertani

Obenour

et al. 2017

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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A large region of low-dissolved-oxygen bottom waters (hypoxia) forms nearly every summer in the northern Gulf of Mexico because of nutrient inputs from the Mississippi River Basin and water column stratification. Policymakers developed goals to reduce the area of hypoxic extent because of its ecological, economic, and commercial fisheries impacts. However, the goals remain elusive after 30 y of research and monitoring and 15 y of goal-setting and assessment because there has been little change in river nitrogen concentrations. An intergovernmental Task Force recently extended to 2035 the deadline for achieving the goal of a 5,000-km 2 5-y average hypoxic zone and set an interim load target of a 20% reduction of the spring nitrogen loading from the Mississippi River by 2025 as part of their adaptive management process. The Task Force has asked modelers to reassess the loading reduction required to achieve the 2035 goal and to determine the effect of the 20% interim load reduction. Here, we address both questions using a probabilistic ensemble of four substantially different hypoxia models. Our results indicate that, under typical weather conditions, a 59% reduction in Mississippi River nitrogen load is required to reduce hypoxic area to 5,000 km 2 . The interim goal of a 20% load reduction is expected to produce an 18% reduction in hypoxic area over the long term. However, due to substantial interannual variability, a 25% load reduction is required before there is 95% certainty of observing any hypoxic area reduction between consecutive 5-y assessment periods.ensemble modeling | hypoxia | Gulf of Mexico | nitrogen-loading targets A large region of low-dissolved-oxygen (DO) bottom waters (hypoxia; DO < 2 mg·L −1 ) has formed nearly every summer in the Gulf of Mexico for at least the last three decades (1-3). Hypoxia forms because of respiration of organic matter in bottom waters and a vertically stratified water column restricting reaeration (4-6). Both factors are related to the outflow of freshwater and nutrients from the Mississippi River Basin, which typically peaks in March through May. Nutrients stimulate phytoplankton production, much of which settles in early summer, and bottom water DO (BWDO) is consumed during its decomposition. River outflows create a fresher, warmer surface layer above a colder, saltier bottom layer, limiting the vertical diffusion of DO (2).Policymakers developed hypoxia reduction goals because of ecological, economic, and commercial fisheries impacts (7-10). However, the goals remain elusive after >30 y of research and monitoring (3, 11) and >15 y of assessment and goal-setting (5, 12-16). A Gulf Task Force recently agreed to retain the 5-y moving average goal of a 5,000-km 2 hypoxic zone, but extended the deadline from 2015 to 2035 (17). The timeframe was reset because the 2015 hypoxic zone was 16,760 km 2 and the most recent 5-y average was 14,024 km 2 -greater than the long-term average of 13,751 km 2 (1). Missing the goal was not unexpected because the 5-y average load of late sp...

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Linking hypoxia to shrimp catch in the northern Gulf of Mexico

Cited by 52 publications

References 5 publications

Impacts of hypoxia on the structure and processes in pelagic communities (zooplankton, macro-invertebrates and fish)

Impacts of hypoxia on the structure and processes in pelagic communities (zooplankton, macro-invertebrates and fish)

Linking water quality and well-being for improved assessment and valuation of ecosystem services

Ensemble modeling informs hypoxia management in the northern Gulf of Mexico

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