Ocean deoxygenation in a warming world

Ocean warming and increased stratification of the upper ocean caused by global climate change will likely lead to declines in dissolved O2 in the ocean interior (ocean deoxygenation) with implications for ocean productivity, nutrient cycling, carbon cycling, and marine habitat. Ocean models predict...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAnnual review of marine science Vol. 2; p. 199
Main Authors Keeling, Ralph E, Körtzinger, Arne, Gruber, Nicolas
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.01.2010
Subjects
Ecosystem
Environmental Monitoring
Global Warming
Oceans and Seas
Oxygen - chemistry
Seawater - chemistry
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Summary:Ocean warming and increased stratification of the upper ocean caused by global climate change will likely lead to declines in dissolved O2 in the ocean interior (ocean deoxygenation) with implications for ocean productivity, nutrient cycling, carbon cycling, and marine habitat. Ocean models predict declines of 1 to 7% in the global ocean O2 inventory over the next century, with declines continuing for a thousand years or more into the future. An important consequence may be an expansion in the area and volume of so-called oxygen minimum zones, where O2 levels are too low to support many macrofauna and profound changes in biogeochemical cycling occur. Significant deoxygenation has occurred over the past 50 years in the North Pacific and tropical oceans, suggesting larger changes are looming. The potential for larger O2 declines in the future suggests the need for an improved observing system for tracking ocean 02 changes.
ISSN:1941-1405
DOI:10.1146/annurev.marine.010908.163855