Understanding, Forecasting And Communicating The Linkages Between Hypoxia And Ocean

Acidification In Oregon's Coastal Ocean Francis Chan1, Kristen Milligan1, Jack Barth2

1Department of Zoology, Oregon State University2College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University

Oschlies et al. GBC 2008

% oxygen change

Feely et al. Oceanography 2009

Changes in aragonite solubility

The Problem from 35,000 feet: Hypoxia and Ocean Acidification are Leading Pathways of Ecosystem Changes

pCO

2 (μ

atm

) DO

(ml l-1)

hypoxia

Locally, Oregon’s coastal ocean is facing these changes today…and they are closely connected

ocean acidification

SH-70 mooring

1. Where and when are hypoxia and OA most strongly coupled?

[Are there hot spots (and refuges) where this multi-stressor problem is most strongly (weakly) felt?]

Why do we ask this?1-biologically, OA and hypoxia stress can be interactive

Pierce and Barth(in prep)

DO (umol kg-1)

Arag

onite

Sol

ubili

ty

2- we already see a mosaic-like pattern of hypoxia stress

3- hypoxia and OA stress are not perfectly coupled (*especially in the territorial sea)

GLODAP NE Pacific

2. What forcings drive the variation in hypoxia-OA coupling?

[What will we face in the future, and how fast will these changes came?]

Why do we ask this?1- Bigger and faster changes in the coastal ocean (?)

2- Nearshore hypoxia sensitive to changes in open ocean oxygen content and upwelling wind forcing (both climate sensitive features)

Dore et al. 2008

Pierce et al. 2012

observed

Modeled (w/wind and sourcewater)

ca. 20 umol kg-1 DIC increase

A Central OR OA-Hypoxia Observing Array

Coast-Wide Synergies NOAA National OA Plan

Some Outreach Challenges:

•Ocean acidification is causing dead zones

•OA is a remote tropical island problem

•OA and hypoxia will wipe out any benefits of reserves

•www.Ilovecarbondioxide.com

Where do we want to get to collectively

•Enhance Oregon as a model system for OA-hypoxia research (OA-hypoxia Townhalls)

•Inform the public with the best available science (and messaging in the most effective way)

•Inform policy with the best available science