Increasing hypoxia on global coral reefs under ocean warming

Ariel K. Pezner; Travis A. Courtney; Hannah C. Barkley; Wen Chen Chou; Hui Chuan Chu; Samantha M. Clements; Tyler Cyronak; Michael D. DeGrandpre; Samuel A.H. Kekuewa; David I. Kline; Yi Bei Liang; Todd R. Martz; Satoshi Mitarai; Heather N. Page; Max S. Rintoul; Jennifer E. Smith; Keryea Soong; Yuichiro Takeshita; Martin Tresguerres; Yi Wei; Kimberly K. Yates; Andreas J. Andersson

doi:10.1038/s41558-023-01619-2

Increasing hypoxia on global coral reefs under ocean warming

Ariel K. Pezner, Travis A. Courtney, Hannah C. Barkley, Wen Chen Chou, Hui Chuan Chu, Samantha M. Clements, Tyler Cyronak, Michael D. DeGrandpre, Samuel A.H. Kekuewa, David I. Kline, Yi Bei Liang, Todd R. Martz, Satoshi Mitarai, Heather N. Page, Max S. Rintoul, Jennifer E. Smith, Keryea Soong, Yuichiro Takeshita, Martin Tresguerres, Yi WeiKimberly K. Yates, Andreas J. Andersson

Biology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

32 Scopus citations

Abstract

Ocean deoxygenation is predicted to threaten marine ecosystems globally. However, current and future oxygen concentrations and the occurrence of hypoxic events on coral reefs remain underexplored. Here, using autonomous sensor data to explore oxygen variability and hypoxia exposure at 32 representative reef sites, we reveal that hypoxia is already pervasive on many reefs. Eighty-four percent of reefs experienced weak to moderate (≤153 µmol O₂ kg⁻¹ to ≤92 µmol O₂ kg⁻¹) hypoxia and 13% experienced severe (≤61 µmol O₂ kg⁻¹) hypoxia. Under different climate change scenarios based on four Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs), we show that projected ocean warming and deoxygenation will increase the duration, intensity and severity of hypoxia, with more than 94% and 31% of reefs experiencing weak to moderate and severe hypoxia, respectively, by 2100 under SSP5-8.5. This projected oxygen loss could have negative consequences for coral reef taxa due to the key role of oxygen in organism functioning and fitness.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	403-409
Number of pages	7
Journal	Nature Climate Change
Volume	13
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-023-01619-2
State	Published - Apr 2023

Scopus Subject Areas

Environmental Science (miscellaneous)
Social Sciences (miscellaneous)

UN SDGs

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10.1038/s41558-023-01619-2

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Pezner, A. K., Courtney, T. A., Barkley, H. C., Chou, W. C., Chu, H. C., Clements, S. M., Cyronak, T., DeGrandpre, M. D., Kekuewa, S. A. H., Kline, D. I., Liang, Y. B., Martz, T. R., Mitarai, S., Page, H. N., Rintoul, M. S., Smith, J. E., Soong, K., Takeshita, Y., Tresguerres, M., ... Andersson, A. J. (2023). Increasing hypoxia on global coral reefs under ocean warming. Nature Climate Change, 13(4), 403-409. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-023-01619-2

@article{55c715b6cb8944ef9bf48782175494a5,

title = "Increasing hypoxia on global coral reefs under ocean warming",

abstract = "Ocean deoxygenation is predicted to threaten marine ecosystems globally. However, current and future oxygen concentrations and the occurrence of hypoxic events on coral reefs remain underexplored. Here, using autonomous sensor data to explore oxygen variability and hypoxia exposure at 32 representative reef sites, we reveal that hypoxia is already pervasive on many reefs. Eighty-four percent of reefs experienced weak to moderate (≤153 µmol O2 kg−1 to ≤92 µmol O2 kg−1) hypoxia and 13% experienced severe (≤61 µmol O2 kg−1) hypoxia. Under different climate change scenarios based on four Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs), we show that projected ocean warming and deoxygenation will increase the duration, intensity and severity of hypoxia, with more than 94% and 31% of reefs experiencing weak to moderate and severe hypoxia, respectively, by 2100 under SSP5-8.5. This projected oxygen loss could have negative consequences for coral reef taxa due to the key role of oxygen in organism functioning and fitness.",

author = "Pezner, {Ariel K.} and Courtney, {Travis A.} and Barkley, {Hannah C.} and Chou, {Wen Chen} and Chu, {Hui Chuan} and Clements, {Samantha M.} and Tyler Cyronak and DeGrandpre, {Michael D.} and Kekuewa, {Samuel A.H.} and Kline, {David I.} and Liang, {Yi Bei} and Martz, {Todd R.} and Satoshi Mitarai and Page, {Heather N.} and Rintoul, {Max S.} and Smith, {Jennifer E.} and Keryea Soong and Yuichiro Takeshita and Martin Tresguerres and Yi Wei and Yates, {Kimberly K.} and Andersson, {Andreas J.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.",

year = "2023",

month = apr,

doi = "10.1038/s41558-023-01619-2",

language = "English",

volume = "13",

pages = "403--409",

journal = "Nature Climate Change",

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Pezner, AK, Courtney, TA, Barkley, HC, Chou, WC, Chu, HC, Clements, SM, Cyronak, T, DeGrandpre, MD, Kekuewa, SAH, Kline, DI, Liang, YB, Martz, TR, Mitarai, S, Page, HN, Rintoul, MS, Smith, JE, Soong, K, Takeshita, Y, Tresguerres, M, Wei, Y, Yates, KK & Andersson, AJ 2023, 'Increasing hypoxia on global coral reefs under ocean warming', Nature Climate Change, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 403-409. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-023-01619-2

TY - JOUR

T1 - Increasing hypoxia on global coral reefs under ocean warming

AU - Pezner, Ariel K.

AU - Courtney, Travis A.

AU - Barkley, Hannah C.

AU - Chou, Wen Chen

AU - Chu, Hui Chuan

AU - Clements, Samantha M.

AU - Cyronak, Tyler

AU - DeGrandpre, Michael D.

AU - Kekuewa, Samuel A.H.

AU - Kline, David I.

AU - Liang, Yi Bei

AU - Martz, Todd R.

AU - Mitarai, Satoshi

AU - Page, Heather N.

AU - Rintoul, Max S.

AU - Smith, Jennifer E.

AU - Soong, Keryea

AU - Takeshita, Yuichiro

AU - Tresguerres, Martin

AU - Wei, Yi

AU - Yates, Kimberly K.

AU - Andersson, Andreas J.

PY - 2023/4

Y1 - 2023/4

N2 - Ocean deoxygenation is predicted to threaten marine ecosystems globally. However, current and future oxygen concentrations and the occurrence of hypoxic events on coral reefs remain underexplored. Here, using autonomous sensor data to explore oxygen variability and hypoxia exposure at 32 representative reef sites, we reveal that hypoxia is already pervasive on many reefs. Eighty-four percent of reefs experienced weak to moderate (≤153 µmol O2 kg−1 to ≤92 µmol O2 kg−1) hypoxia and 13% experienced severe (≤61 µmol O2 kg−1) hypoxia. Under different climate change scenarios based on four Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs), we show that projected ocean warming and deoxygenation will increase the duration, intensity and severity of hypoxia, with more than 94% and 31% of reefs experiencing weak to moderate and severe hypoxia, respectively, by 2100 under SSP5-8.5. This projected oxygen loss could have negative consequences for coral reef taxa due to the key role of oxygen in organism functioning and fitness.

AB - Ocean deoxygenation is predicted to threaten marine ecosystems globally. However, current and future oxygen concentrations and the occurrence of hypoxic events on coral reefs remain underexplored. Here, using autonomous sensor data to explore oxygen variability and hypoxia exposure at 32 representative reef sites, we reveal that hypoxia is already pervasive on many reefs. Eighty-four percent of reefs experienced weak to moderate (≤153 µmol O2 kg−1 to ≤92 µmol O2 kg−1) hypoxia and 13% experienced severe (≤61 µmol O2 kg−1) hypoxia. Under different climate change scenarios based on four Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs), we show that projected ocean warming and deoxygenation will increase the duration, intensity and severity of hypoxia, with more than 94% and 31% of reefs experiencing weak to moderate and severe hypoxia, respectively, by 2100 under SSP5-8.5. This projected oxygen loss could have negative consequences for coral reef taxa due to the key role of oxygen in organism functioning and fitness.

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U2 - 10.1038/s41558-023-01619-2

DO - 10.1038/s41558-023-01619-2

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85150260406

SN - 1758-678X

VL - 13

SP - 403

EP - 409

JO - Nature Climate Change

JF - Nature Climate Change

IS - 4

ER -

Increasing hypoxia on global coral reefs under ocean warming

Abstract

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UN SDGs

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