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Water-level reduction frequently occurs in deep reservoirs, but its effect on dissolved oxygen concentration is not well understood. In this study we used a well-established water quality model to illustrate effects of water level dynamics on oxygen concentration in Rappbode Reservoir, Germany. We then systematically elucidated the potential of selective withdrawal to control hypoxia under changing water levels. Our results documented a gradual decrease of hypolimnetic oxygen concentration under decreasing water level, and hypoxia occurred when the initial level was lower than 410 m a.s.l (71 m relative to the reservoir bottom). We also suggested that changes of hypoxic region, under increasing hypolimnetic withdrawal discharge, followed a unimodal trajectory with the maximum hypoxic area projected under the discharge between 3 m3/sec and 4 m3/sec. Besides, our results illustrated the extent of hypoxia was most effectively inhibited if the withdrawal strategy was applied at the end of stratification with the outlet elevation at the deepest part of the reservoir. Moreover, hypoxia can be totally avoided under a hybrid elevation withdrawal strategy using surface withdrawal during early and mid stratification, and deep withdrawal at the end of stratification. We further confirmed the decisive role of thermal structure in the formation of hypoxia under water-level reduction and withdrawal strategies. We believe the conclusions from this study can be applied to many deep waters in the temperate zone, and the results should guide stakeholders to mitigate negative impacts of hypoxia on aquatic ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work, which has been carried out in the framework of EEA project BLUE-GREENWAY, is a contribution to the study of the evolution of hypoxia/ anoxia in Aitoliko lagoon, Greece. The study area suffers from anoxia which is a very important environmental problem lately mainly due to anthropogenic activities. Unpublished data from two measurement campaigns (2013–2014, 2023) have been used, and a 3D ocean model (SINMOD) has been configured for the region, that couples hydrodynamics, biochemistry and ecology. The analysis of model results includes monthly, annual and interannual variability of fields of dissolved oxygen, temperature, salinity, density, currents and wind as well as Brunt-Väisala frequency and Richardson number. Main results concerning oxygen are: a) the lagoon shows anoxic behavior at 5–7 m depth with a seasonal dependence, b) the seasonal variability in the upper water column with deeper ventilation during winter when the surface stratification is weaker than that during summer, c) anoxic water is reaching the surface of the lagoon for a short period of time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expansion of transient and permanent coastal benthic anoxia is one of the most severe problems for the coastal ocean globally. We report frequent, hidden hypoxia in the bottom 5 cm of the water column of a coastal site in the central Baltic Sea by continuous high‐resolution profiling of oxygen (O2) directly above the sediment surface. This hypoxia stood in stark contrast to 30‐yr O2 monitoring records at this site that suggest apparent continuous well‐oxygenated conditions. In situ measurements showed highly dynamic conditions in the bottom 30 cm recording frequent gradual and abrupt changes between normoxic (> 63 μmol L−1) and hypoxic (< 63 μmol L−1) conditions that would remain undetectable by conventional bottom water O2 monitoring. The temporal variability of these “hidden” hypoxia is tied to the dynamic current field and to changes in O2 consumption following resuspension events. Our observations suggest that transient benthic hypoxia is much more common than routine monitoring data indicate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sessile benthic organisms like oysters inhabit the intertidal zone, subject to alternating hypoxia and reoxygenation (H/R) episodes during tidal movements, impacting respiratory chain activities and metabolome compositions. We investigated the effects of constant severe hypoxia (90 min at ~ 0% O2) followed by 10 min reoxygenation, and cyclic hypoxia (5 cycles of 15 min at ~ 0% O2 and 10 min reoxygenation) on isolated mitochondria from the gill and the digestive gland of Crassostrea gigas respiring on pyruvate, palmitate, or succinate. Constant hypoxia suppressed oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), particularly during Complex I-linked substrates oxidation. It had no effect on mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) efflux but increased fractional electron leak (FEL). In mitochondria oxidizing Complex I substrates, exposure to cyclic hypoxia prompted a significant drop after the first H/R cycle. In contrast, succinate-driven respiration only showed significant decline after the third to fifth H/R cycle. ROS efflux saw little change during cyclic hypoxia regardless of the oxidized substrate, but Complex I-driven FEL tended to increase with each subsequent H/R cycle. These observations suggest that succinate may serve as a beneficial stress fuel under H/R conditions, aiding in the post-hypoxic recovery of oysters by reducing oxidative stress and facilitating rapid ATP re-synthesis. The impacts of constant and cyclic hypoxia of similar duration on mitochondrial respiration and oxidative lesions in the proteins were comparable indicating that the mitochondrial damage is mostly determined by the lack of oxygen and mitochondrial depolarization. The ROS efflux in the mitochondria of oysters was minimally affected by oxygen fluctuations indicating that tight regulation of ROS production may contribute to robust mitochondrial phenotype of oysters and protect against H/R induced stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The onset of hypoxia is a consequence of the competition between oxygen replenishment, production, and consumption. Dissolved oxygen (DO) levels inside an estuary depend on the balance between physical processes that transport oxygen-rich water into the estuary, including upstream freshwater advection, gravitational circulation, and vertical mixing, and biochemical processes that produce and consume oxygen, such as photosynthesis, respiration, and organic decomposition. We propose a general relationship between the physical and biochemical processes with a Lagrangian perspective to interpolate mean DO concentrations at local and system levels to assess the onset of hypoxia in an estuary. Simple parameters using timescales are proposed for cross-system comparison of hypoxia and anoxia conditions. Our study demonstrates that the hypoxia of an estuary system is determined by the timescales of vertical exchange, freshwater and saltwater transport, and DO consumption. When the vertical exchange timescale is shorter than the residence time in a system, vertical exchange dominates DO replenishment, while shorter residence time enhances advection, which quickly inputs DO-rich water to regulate hypoxia. The interplay between DO consumption and dynamic DO replenishment is the primary determinant of hypoxia in an estuary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dissolved oxygen (DO) is a critical factor in maintaining healthy aquatic ecosystems, including aquaculture ponds. Low DO levels can lead to hypoxia conditions, which are detrimental to fish health and productivity. To deal with this issue, we intend for a smart monitoring system that predicts hypoxia conditions due to low DO levels in aquaculture ponds. The proposed system collects water quality data using Internet of things (IoT) devices and segments it into different categories based on water quality parameters, with a particular focus on low DO levels. By detecting hypoxia conditions early, fish farmers can take corrective measures to prevent fish mortality and improve fish health. To achieve this, our proposed system uses a lightweight Spatially Shared Attention Long Short-Term Memory (SSA-LSTM) model that captures both temporal and spatial dependencies of DO content in water, enabling accurate prediction of hypoxia conditions. Our model outperforms traditional LSTM models and other existing state-of-the-art models, achieving 99.8% accuracy. The proposed system provides a reliable and efficient solution to monitor hypoxia conditions in aquaculture systems and help fish farmers make informed decisions for optimal fish health and productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eutrophication continues in Lake Erie and low oxygen concentration remains a concern in the central basin of the lake. Summertime dissolved oxygen concentrations can be hypoxic (low dissolved oxygen) and anoxic (dissolved oxygen <1 mg l-1) in the hypolimnion. We examined the spatial and temporal patterns of hypoxia in the central basin along a ∼ 26 km west-east station transect in the western portion of the central basin (depth gradient from 11.4 m in the west to 20 m in the east). Water column properties were monitored using moored instruments (dissolved oxygen, temperature, turbidity, Chlorophyll a fluorescence) and instrument profiling during cruises in 2008 and 2009. Hypoxia was examined using a biologically relevant value of 40% dissolved oxygen saturation (i.e. ∼4 mg l-1) and 25% dissolved oxygen saturation (i.e. ∼2.5 mg l-1) as used by government agencies. Our goals were to determine the onset and location of hypoxia, as well as the frequency of hypoxic events. We observed differences in the spatial and temporal patterns between the two years, related potentially to different water levels, stronger winds, and a smaller hypolimnion and lower thermocline depth in 2009. Near-bottom hypoxia occurred in the east at the end of June and extended westward by the end of July 2008 using 40% saturation; in early July to mid-August using 25% saturation. The onset of hypoxia (40% sat) occurred earlier in the west in 2009 but was similar to 2008 using 25% saturation. Hypoxia was not static, rather there were a total of ∼100 events of both levels of hypoxia, which were of different duration, noted across the transect in both years. Both the frequency and duration of hypoxic events (> 1 min) were higher and longer in 2008, perhaps related to water circulation and the resuspension of bottom sediment by synoptic-scale storms, which coincided with low oxygen events. Understanding the spatial and temporal patterns of hypoxia provides insight into their effects on habitat quality as well as biogeochemical processes in benthic and hypolimnetic environments in Lake Erie. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benthic oxygen flux with complex spatiotemporal variations is essential for the global budget of carbon dioxide and the regional security of water quality and ecology, but its dominant driver under different circumstances has yet to be identified. In this study, a parametric scheme of oxygen flux was proposed and validated with aquatic eddy correlation measurements and then coupled with a diagenesis model and a water environment model. The coupled model was applied to a river‐reservoir with significant environmental gradients in hydrodynamics, diagenesis, and hypoxia, which are three factors that competitively drive the variation in benthic oxygen flux. The results indicate that hydrodynamics dominate the flux in the riverine and thalweg areas, diagenesis is the dominant driver of the lacustrine and bank areas, and hypoxia shows dominance only in the hypolimnetic anoxic area. In general, diagenesis is the dominant driver of oxygen flux in river‐reservoirs, followed by hydrodynamics, both of which are more prominent than hypoxia. If the operated reservoir experiences a wet year, the dominance of hydrodynamics tends to increase, while that of diagenesis and hypoxia decreases. The three divers exhibit similar but more stable dominance in riverine systems than in reservoirs, while diagenesis becomes the exclusive driver of oxygen fluxes in lacustrine systems. Plain Language Summary: The consumption of dissolved oxygen in sediments regulates the types of substances released from them. When the oxygen supply to the sediments is insufficient, they release substances with a stronger greenhouse effect (such as methane) and a more significant threat to water quality (such as heavy metals). Flow conditions, sediment features, and water properties collectively drive the variation in sediment oxygen consumption, but their relative importance within complex aquatic environments remains to be investigated. This study quantifies the dominance of these three drivers on sediment oxygen consumption in a river‐reservoir system and then establishes their relationship with spatiotemporal variations in the aquatic environment. Sediment features are the primary drivers of sediment oxygen consumption in the studied river‐reservoir, followed by flow conditions and water properties represented by oxygen concentrations. The results also suggest that the relative dominance of these three drivers in river‐type systems is similar to that in reservoirs, but the dominance of sediment features could further increase in lake‐type systems. This study highlights the variable role of factors driving sediment oxygen consumption, which is critical for quantifying the release of deoxygenation products in complex aquatic ecosystems. Key Points: A practical parametric scheme for determining benthic oxygen fluxes was proposed and validatedRiver‐reservoirs have large environmental gradients in hydrodynamics, sedimentation, and stratificationDiagenesis is the primary driver of benthic oxygen fluxes in river‐reservoirs, followed by hydrodynamics and hypoxia [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the challenge of mitigating climate change and pollution-related hypoxia in coastal communities. Current conservation measures are not effective in addressing deoxygenation, which has negative impacts on marine ecosystems and socio-economic factors. The article proposes that the production of green hydrogen, a by-product of renewable energy sources, can provide new possibilities for artificial ocean reoxygenation to mitigate coastal hypoxia. The authors emphasize the need for interdisciplinary research and policy discussions to explore this potential solution. [Extracted from the article]

The hypothesis that local hypoxia and chlorophyll concentration are spatially tethered to local, sediment-driven nutrient release was examined in a small, nutrient-impacted estuary in the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada. Sediment reactor core samples were taken at 10 locations between 0.25 and 100% of the estuary area in spring and fall (2019) and used to estimate nitrogen and phosphate flux. Sediment organic matter, carbonate, percent nitrogen, percent carbon, δ13C, and δ15N were measured from the reactor core stations. Oxygen was recorded continually using oxygen loggers while chlorophyll and salinity were measured bi-weekly. A hydrodynamic model was used to determine water renewal time at each station. The most severe eutrophication effects were in the upper one-fifth of the estuary. There were strong local relationships between sediment biogeochemistry, hypoxia, and chlorophyll metrics but not with water renewal time. Internal nutrient loading represented 65% and 69% of total N loading, and 98% and 89% of total P loading to the estuary in June and September, respectively. Sediment nitrogen flux was highly predictable from a range of local sediment variables that reflect either nutrient content, or organic carbon enrichment in general. Percent nitrogen and percent carbon were highly correlated but sediment P flux was poorly predicted from sediment parameters examined. The highest correlations were with percent nitrogen and percent carbon. These results indicate that incorporating internal nutrient loading into nutrient monitoring programs is a critical next step to improve predictive capacity for eutrophication endpoints and to mitigate nutrient effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypoxia has long been a symptom of deteriorating ecosystem that threatens the health of estuarine and coastal waters. Episodic hypoxia events and intraseasonal variation of coastal hypoxia have been amply investigated. However, interannual variability of coastal hypoxia has only been assessed in few regions. Bottom hypoxia forms seasonally off the Changjiang River Estuary in the East China Sea mainly due to the large riverine inputs. Large river discharge and its interactions with ambient water combine to contribute to the development of episodic hypoxia events and the intraseasonal migration of bottom hypoxia. However, little is known about the interannual variation of bottom hypoxia in this region. This study used a well‐evaluated, coupled physical–biogeochemical model to explore the long‐term feature of hypoxia in the East China Sea. The bottom water in the hypoxic zone lost oxygen with a rate of −1.2 mmol/m3/year. Bottom hypoxia showed large interannual variations of geographical location, severity, volume expansion, and sustainment. Large Changjiang River discharge was a prerequisite for hypoxia formation and the associated interannual variation. The interannual variations in the direction and strength of shelf wind controlled long‐term distribution of Changjiang diluted water. The delivery of freshwater fundamentally determined the strength of vertical stratification and the rates of biogeochemical cycles, contributing 73% of the interannual variation of bottom hypoxia. Plain Language Summary: Coastal regions with large riverine inputs have long been under the threat of seasonal hypoxia. Ideally, to comprehensively understand the formation and sustainment of seasonal hypoxia has important implications for managing coastal hypoxia and minimizing its detrimental consequences. Long‐term variability of bottom hypoxia in the Long Island Sound, Chesapeake Bay, and northern Gulf of Mexico has been studied. Bottom hypoxia also forms seasonally off the Changjiang River Estuary in the East China Sea due to the large riverine inputs from the Changjiang River. A coupled physical–biogeochemical model is used in this study to advance understandings of the interannual variation. Physical and biogeochemical processes that impact oxygen dynamics are isolated to distinguish the drivers of interannual variation of bottom hypoxia off the Changjiang River Estuary. The findings in this study suggest that the long‐term variation of Changjiang freshwater distribution is the dominant contributor of bottom hypoxia interannual variability over the continental shelf. Key Points: Hypoxia location, severity, size, and sustainment off the Changjiang River Estuary all show large interannual variationsLong‐term variation of shelf wind direction/strength controls interannual variation of buoyant plume distribution and stratificationInterannual variation of freshwater distribution determines the delivery of riverine materials and the subsequent formation of hypoxia [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acidification and hypoxia are universal environmental issues in coastal seas, especially in large river estuaries such as the Pearl River estuary. In July and August of 2015, two legs of a field survey were conducted in the Pearl River plume. Leg 1 was sampled during the influence of upwelling favorable winds, while Leg 2 was during downwelling favorable winds. During both legs, instead of the typically observed dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) consumption and dissolved oxygen (DO) over‐saturation, upwelling‐induced high DIC (>2,000 μmol kg−1), low pH (7.7–7.8) and low DO (140–150 μmol kg−1) values were observed in surface waters at the estuary mouth and the area off Hong Kong. In the bottom waters, hypoxia, acidification (pH 7.6–7.8) and DIC accumulation (DIC addition of ∼100–180 μmol kg−1) were observed. Hypoxia was less severe during Leg 2 compared to Leg 1. The stoichiometry of oxygen depletion to DIC addition was 0.89 for bottom water, suggesting remineralization was dominated by marine sourced organic matter. However, a comparison of data from the two legs showed that the stoichiometry of oxygen consumption to DIC accumulation was significantly higher during Leg 2 (0.73 ± 0.03 for Leg 1 vs. 0.80 ± 0.05 for Leg 2), although N/P ratios were the same (13.54 ± 1.93 for Leg 1 vs. 13.51 ± 2.04 for Leg 2). This phenomenon was attributed mainly to enhanced ventilation (re‐oxygenation) under the influence of the downwelling favorable winds during Leg 2. Although ventilation relieves some hypoxia, it might enhance acidification in bottom waters after a short‐term ventilation event. The enhanced acidification after short‐term ventilation is worthy of further study considering that most hypoxia and acidification are found in shallow coastal seas. Plain Language Summary: Acidification and hypoxia are universal environmental issues in coastal seas. In the summer of 2015, we conducted two survey legs in the Pearl River plume of the northern South China Sea. Legs 1 and 2 were conducted under the influence of upwelling favorable and downwelling favorable winds, respectively. During both legs, upwelling induced subsurface water characterized by high dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), low pH and low dissolved oxygen to the sea surface of the coastal area. In the bottom waters, hypoxia, acidification and DIC accumulation were observed. Hypoxia was less severe during Leg 2 compared to Leg 1. Comparison between the two legs showed that the stoichiometry of oxygen consumption to DIC accumulation was significantly higher during Leg 2, which was attributed mainly to the enhanced ventilation under the influence of the downwelling favorable winds. Although ventilation relieves hypoxia, it might enhance acidification after short‐term ventilation. This phenomenon should get more attention as most hypoxia and acidification are observed in shallow coastal areas. Key Points: Coastal upwelling induced acidification accompanied by oxygen consumption in surface water was observed for the first time in the Pearl River estuaryDifferent stoichiometry of oxygen to carbon under influence of upwelling and down‐welling favorable winds were observed [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypoxia (dissolved oxygen < 2 mg l-1) has long been a prevalent feature of the central basin of Lake Erie. Studies of the sublethal impacts of hypoxia on fishes have focused on individual species feeding rates, behavior and spatial distributions over short time periods, but the long-term effects on the fish community and its foodweb are poorly known. Sublethal effects of hypoxia on fish include: interrupting their vertical migration, displacing them from bottom habitats either up into the water column or away from the hypoxic zones, altering predator-prey relationships by segregation or aggregation of predators and their prey, and increasing fishing mortality by concentrating fish at the edge of hypoxic zones. We used the Ecopath with Ecosim foodweb model to investigate the singular and combined effects of nutrient concentration and hypoxia on the foodweb structure in Lake Erie's central basin. Our model tracked predator-prey interactions and population biomass of 33 model groups. We balanced the model in Ecopath and calibrated it against biomass time series data from 1996 up to 2020. Model simulations were run with varied nutrients (from 20 to 220% of the previous nutrient loading target level) and hypoxia (none, average summer value from 1996 to 2017, historical high) as forcing variables on the foodweb. Model results suggested that nutrients had positive, non-linear effects on foodweb biomass, while hypoxia decreased biomass of benthos, benthivorous fishes, and some omnivores, but increased biomass of plankton and planktivorous fishes. Nutrient effects were greater than hypoxia effects on the foodweb. Results of the foodweb model analysis may inform water quality and fisheries management strategies for Lake Erie's central basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitative relationships between nitrogen loading and ecological effects such as hypoxia are critical to developing nitrogen (N) standards for coastal waters, but spatial and temporal variability within estuaries can make the determination of such relationships difficult. Accumulation of molybdenum (Mo) in surface sediments has been proposed as a quantitative indicator of the duration of hypoxia (defined as dissolved oxygen concentrations below 2.8 mg/L) in overlying waters, providing a metric to evaluate the relationship between varying N loads and the occurrence and duration of hypoxic conditions. Nitrogen loads were estimated for seven Rhode Island embayments based on watershed land use and normalized for embayment volume and local residence times (LRT) derived from hydrodynamic modeling. Mo was measured in surface sediments from sampling sites selected within and across the embayments to span the range of N loads. The spatial distribution of sediment Mo within the embayments closely followed that of normalized N loads, and Mo concentrations approximated a second-order relationship with normalized N loads. Sediment Mo concentrations were converted to mean annual duration of hypoxia using a previously derived linear relationship between Mo in surface sediments and annual duration of hypoxia in overlying water, and a quantitative relationship derived between normalized N loads and annual duration of hypoxia. Evaluation of that relationship provides an approach to develop standards for N loading in coastal waters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypoxia in coastal waters and lakes is widely recognized as a detrimental environmental issue, yet we lack a comparable understanding of hypoxia in rivers. We investigated controls on hypoxia using 118 million paired observations of dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration and water temperature in over 125,000 locations in rivers from 93 countries. We found hypoxia (DO < 2 mg L-1 ) in 12.6% of all river sites across 53 countries, but no consistent trend in prevalence since 1950. High-frequency data reveal a 3-h median duration of hypoxic events which are most likely to initiate at night. River attributes were better predictors of riverine hypoxia occurrence than watershed land cover, topography, and climate characteristics. Hypoxia was more likely to occur in warmer, smaller, and lower-gradient rivers, particularly those draining urban or wetland land cover. Our findings suggest that riverine hypoxia and the resulting impacts on ecosystems may be more pervasive than previously assumed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dissolved oxygen is an ecologically critical variable with the prevalence of hypoxia one of the key global anthropogenic issues. A study was carried out to understand the causes of low dissolved oxygen in Brunei Bay, northwest Borneo. Hypoxia was widespread in bottom waters in the monsoonal dry season with dissolved oxygen < 2 mg/L throughout the coastal zone. This was a result of riverine nutrient input primarily from the Padas river driving excess primary production and its subsequent sinking into stratified bottom water where its decomposition consumed oxygen. Despite higher riverine nutrient input in the wet season hypoxia was less extensive due to the combination of turbidity reducing coastal primary production, the intrusion of oxygen-rich water from the South China Sea into offshore bottom layer waters and horizontal flushing increase advection of phytoplankton biomass out of the bay. Future investigation of hypoxia in shallow tropical regions therefore needs to consider the role of monsoonal season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human modification of coastal ecosystems often creates barriers to fish movement. Passive acoustic telemetry was used to quantify movement patterns and habitat use of red drums (Sciaenops ocellatus) within and around a complex of coastal impoundments, and explored how the presence of artificial structures (i.e., bollards and culverts) and a hypoxia-related mortality event impacted fish movement. Results indicated bollards impede the movement of individuals with head widths greater than the mean distance between bollards (~16.0 cm). Red drum home range area and daily distance traveled were related to water dissolved oxygen concentrations; as oxygen levels decreased, fish habitat use area decreased initially. However, continued exposure to hypoxic conditions increased fish cumulative daily distance traveled. When exposed to anoxic waters, fish daily distance traveled and rate of movement were greatly reduced. These findings suggest prolonged exposure to low dissolved oxygen in combination with artificial structures can reduce movement of red drum, increase risk of mortality, and decrease habitat connectivity. Constructing and maintaining (sediment and biofouling removal) larger culvert openings and/or using wider bollard spacing would improve water circulation in impoundments, increase habitat connectivity, and facilitate movement of large sportfish inhabiting Florida's coastal waters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic sources of nutrients cause eutrophication in coastal waters. Narraganset Bay (USA), the largest estuary in New England, has large seasonal zones of hypoxia. In response, management strategies have been implemented to reduce nutrient loadings. In this study, a mechanistic, mass balance fate and transport modeling framework was developed and applied to Narragansett Bay to improve our understanding of the processes governing hypoxia. Discrete and continuous observations were used for model comparison and evaluation. Simulations captured the general trends and patterns in dissolved oxygen (DO) with depth and space. Simulations were unable to capture the wide diurnal range of observed continuous DO and phytoplankton concentrations, potentially suggesting the need for improved understanding of processes at this time scale. Mechanistic modelling scenarios were performed to investigate how different sources of nutrients affect DO. Results suggest tributary sources of nitrogen affected upper layers of DO, while sediment oxygen demand and nutrient fluxes affected deeper waters. This work highlights the importance of understanding and simulating the legacy effects of historic nutrient loading to estuary systems to understand the magnitude and timing of long-term recovery due to reductions in nutrient loadings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persistent hypoxic bottom waters have developed in the Lower St Lawrence Estuary (LSLE) and have impacted fish and benthic species distributions. Minimum dissolved oxygen concentrations decreased from ∼ 125 µ mol L -1 (38 % saturation) in the 1930s to ∼ 65 µ mol L -1 (21 % saturation) in 1984. Minimum dissolved oxygen concentrations remained at hypoxic levels (< 62.5 µ M = 2 mg L -1 or 20 % saturation) between 1984 and 2019, but in 2020, they suddenly decreased to ∼ 35 µ mol L -1. Concurrently, bottom-water temperatures in the LSLE have increased progressively from ∼ 3 ∘ C in the 1930s to nearly 7 ∘ C in 2021. The main driver of deoxygenation and warming in the bottom waters of the Gulf of St Lawrence and St Lawrence Estuary is a change in the circulation pattern in the western North Atlantic, more specifically a decrease in the relative contribution of younger, well-oxygenated and cold Labrador Current Waters to the waters of the Laurentian Channel, a deep valley that extends from the continental shelf edge, through Cabot Strait, the gulf and to the head of the LSLE. Hence, the warmer, oxygen-depleted North Atlantic Central Waters carried by the Gulf Stream now make up nearly 100 % of the waters entering the Laurentian Channel. The areal extent of the hypoxic zone in the LSLE has varied since 1993 when it was first estimated at 1300 km 2. In 2021, it reached 9400 km 2 , extending well into the western Gulf of St Lawrence. Severely hypoxic waters are now also found at the end of the two deep channels that branch out from the Laurentian Channel, namely, the Esquiman Channel and Anticosti Channel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water‐level drawdowns are a management option for improving water quality in shallow, eutrophic lakes, but how much water levels should be reduced and what abiotic and biotic mechanisms can be expected to reduce the adverse effects of eutrophication are unclear.We conducted a study with two experimental pools (10 m wide, 30 m long, and approx. 2.5 m water depth) in a before‐after‐control‐impact design to examine whether water‐level drawdowns could influence surface water quality and bottom‐water conditions, as well as how physicochemical and biological variables contributed to improvements. In the experiment, we fertilised the pools to increase productivity and induce hypoxia, and then reduced water levels four times in increments of 0.5 m.Our experiment using high‐frequency sensors showed that water‐level drawdowns could decrease cyanobacterial blooms and alleviate hypoxia relatively quickly by changing physicochemical conditions. Water‐level reductions quickly increased bottom light illuminance, increased bottom‐water temperatures, and weakened stratification. The result was a dramatic increase in bottom‐water dissolved oxygen concentrations.Water‐level drawdowns also decreased the relative fluorescence of chlorophyll and phycocyanin, probably because of a decrease of internal nutrient loadings from sediment. Total nitrogen and NH4‐N concentrations in the water column decreased after water‐level reductions, and NH4‐N and PO4‐P concentrations in sediment pore waters were reduced in the water‐level treatment.Periphyton biomass did not change after the water‐level drawdowns. Water‐level manipulations increased the abundance of cyclopoids and calanoids but not large cladocerans. These biological processes responded slowly to water‐level drawdowns and are unlikely to have contributed to water quality improvement.Overall, the size of the water‐level reduction required to start changing water quality was 0.5–1.0 m. Our results suggested that a temporary reduction in water‐level of 20%–40% of the depth might help to suppress cyanobacterial blooms and hypoxia in shallow lakes, reservoirs, and agricultural ponds. Such water‐level management may help resolve conflicting demands for water and may be incorporated into management plans for flood control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Unexplained physiological events (PE), possibly related to hypoxia and hyperventilation, are a concern for some air forces. Physiological monitoring could aid research into PEs, with measurement of arterial oxygen saturation (Spo2) often suggested despite potential limitations in its use. Given similar physiological responses to hypoxia and hyperventilation, the present study characterized the cardiovascular and respiratory responses to each. METHODS: T en healthy subjects were exposed to 55 mins of normobaric hypoxia simulating altitudes of 0, 8000, and 12,000 ft (0, 2438, and 3658 m) while breathing normally and voluntarily hyperventilating (doubling minute ventilation). Respiratory gas analysis and spirometry measured end-tidal gases (PET o2 and PET co2) and minute ventilation. Spo2 was assessed using finger pulse oximetry. Mean arterial, systolic, and diastolic blood pressure were measured noninvasively. Cognitive impairment was assessed using the Stroop test. RESULTS: Voluntary hyperventilation resulted in a doubling of minute ventilation and lowered PET co2, while altitude had no effect on these. PET o2 and Spo2 declined with increasing altitude. However, despite a significant drop in PET o2 of 15.2 mmHg from 8000 to 12,000 ft, Spo2 was similar when hyperventilating (94.7 ± 2.3% vs. 93.4 ± 4.3%, respectively). The only cardiovascular response was an increase in heart rate while hyperventilating. Altitude had no effect on cognitive impairment, but hyperventilation did. DISCUSSION: For many cardiovascular and respiratory variables, there is minimal difference in responses to hypoxia and hyperventilation, making these challenging to differentiate. Spo2 is not a reliable marker of environmental hypoxia in the presence of hyperventilation and should not be used as such without additional monitoring of minute ventilation and end-tidal gases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last 10 years, the Minjiang River, which is the longest river in the Fujian Province in Southeast China, has been facing a downward trend of dissolved oxygen (DO) and a frequent occurrence of hypoxia. In this study, the development of the continuous and short-term presence of low DO was investigated by using the water age concept and average DO consumption concept based on a three-dimensional Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code in the Minjiang River. The results revealed that the spatial distribution of DO was affected by temperature, runoff, pollution emission, tidal advection, and hypoxic water discharge from the reservoir bottom. The continuous low DO in the water of the North Channel occurred frequently when the enough pollutants were aerobically decomposed faster than the rate of oxygen reaeration during the high temperature and low river discharge period. In addition, the water age and reaeration time decreased with a rapid increase in the water flow from the Shuikou dam when the reservoir capacity was released via drainage. The results of this study provide scientific insights on the mechanism involved in the occurrence of hypoxia and suggest countermeasures for addressing hypoxic problems in estuaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) comprises nearly half of the riverine organic carbon flux into oceans. Although riverine DOC is involved in numerous important ecosystem functions, excessive labile DOC inputs from rivers may contribute to hypoxia in coastal systems. Furthermore, many aspects of the contribution of riverine DOC to hypoxia are unknown. The natural carbon stable isotope ratio (δ13C) in organic matter can be used to identify sources of organic carbon in coastal oceans. In this study, we analyzed the concentrations and δ13C values of DOC in the bottom layer of the northern Ariake Sea, Japan, in which hypoxic water develops during summer. Additionally, we compared the δ13C values of DOC at the beginning and end of an incubation experiment to determine the contribution of riverine DOC decomposition to hypoxia. The results of this study indicate that the bottom DOC concentration is influenced by both phytoplankton and river water, with the former likely having a stronger impact in the northwestern Ariake Sea in summer. Nevertheless, we also found major contributions (~ 49.7%) of DOC decomposition to total organic carbon decomposition at some stations. The initial δ13C value of DOC ranged from − 24.0 to − 22.2‰, and the DOC δ13C increased (from + 0.3 to + 0.8‰) in three of the five incubation bottles after incubation. This might be caused by selective decomposition of 13C-depleted organic matter. The decomposed DOC in those bottles must be mainly derived from terrestrial sources. This result implies that riverine DOC decomposition contributes to hypoxia formation in the bottom layer of the northern Ariake Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal lakes and estuaries are considered economic drivers for coastal communities by delivering invaluable economic and ecosystem services. The coastal ecosystems are facing recurrent hypoxia events (dissolved oxygen; DO < 2.0 mg L−1) and are emerging as a major threat to ecosystem structure and functioning. The Ashtamudi Lake, (area = 56 km2), is one of the Ramsar sites in the State of Kerala and located on the SW coast of India. The waterways are extensively used for backwater tourism and for fishery activities. This paper discusses the spatio-temporal variation of water quality attributes with emphasis on hypoxia during non-monsoon and monsoon seasons. The extent of hypoxia on fishery diversity was discussed. The Southern Zone, adjacent to the urban area, shows the hypoxic condition with higher concentration of BOD, NO3-N, and NH4-N. The hypoxic condition is largely limited to the Southern Zone in both seasons. The occurrence of low DO in the lake is highly related to salinity and organic load in the lake system. The tracking of pollution sources in the lake system was also done through identification of pollution potential zones and found that catchments adjacent to Southern and Western Zones (urban regions) are the major source of pollution. The study suggests that hypoxia is chiefly attributed to anthropogenic interventions in the form of discharge of wastes into the lake causing overloading of nutrients and organic effluents, decrease in the freshwater supply, the absence of proper freshwater mixing or dilution, and effluent discharge from nearby urban centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relevance of the work is related to the need to develop methods for determining individual opportunities to minimize the harmful effects of ionizing radiation. Experiments were conducted to search for informative indicators of the structure of mast cells to predict the individual effectiveness of the radioprotective effect of hypoxia. A study was performed on white male rats. In 81 animals, before the main experiment, a hypoxic sample was carried out once, by placing the rats in a gas mixture containing 8% oxygen and 92% nitrogen (GGS-8). In each of these rats, a biopsy of the skin of the auricle was performed immediately before the test and at the time of its completion. In the biopsies, the content of various forms of mast cells detected by the method of metachromasia with toluidine blue was determined. After a week, all animals of the main group (81 rats) were exposed to total γ-irradiation at a dose of 11 Gy under the protection of GGS-8. Rats in the control group (63 rats) were irradiated in the same dose in the air. The life expectancy after the exposure was assessed. The radioprotective effect of the gas hypoxic mixture was confirmed, which is expressed in an increase in the average life expectancy of irradiated rats by 2.2 times. A weak relationship between individual quantitative characteristics of mast cells and the life expectancy of irradiated animals is shown. A formal expression of the equation of regression of the number of mast cells on the life expectancy of animals irradiated under the protection of hypoxia has been created. On the basis of regression analysis, groups of animals in which the highest radioprotective effect of hypoxia was manifested were revealed. The minimum life expectancy after irradiation is characteristic of rats with extreme values of the mast cell reactivity index, and all surviving cases are noted in rats with average values of the indicator. Among them there was not a single animal with an intestinal form of death. This indicates the possibility of predicting the radioprotective effect of hypoxia based on an assessment of the functional activity of mast cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A three‐dimensional unstructured‐grid hydrodynamic and water quality model (Semi‐implicit Cross‐scale Hydroscience Intergrated System Model‐Integrated Compartment Model) is applied successfully for Chesapeake Bay. The model is validated with observations of salinity, chlorophyll‐a, dissolved oxygen, nutrients, and phytoplankton productions from the year 1991 to 1995 for the mainstem and some major tributaries, based on multiple model skill scores. Model experiments are conducted to test the importance of having (1) an accurate representation of bathymetry to correctly predict hypoxia and other processes and (2) a high‐resolution model grid for tributaries to correctly simulate water quality variables. Comparison with the model experiment results with bathymetry smoothing indicates that bathymetry smoothing, as commonly used for many systems, changes the stratification and lateral circulation pattern, resulting in more salt intrusion into shallow water regions, and an increase in the freshwater age. Consequently, a model with bathymetry smoothing can lead to an unrealistic prediction of the distribution of hypoxia and phytoplankton production. Local grid refinement shows significant improvement of model simulations on local stratification and water quality variables. Overall, the use of high‐resolution unstructured grid model leads to a faithful representation of the complex geometry, and thus a seamless cross‐scale capability for simulating water quality processes in the Bay including tributaries and tidal creeks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal marine settings are important in terms of geochemical cycles and biological productivity. Climate change is predicted to affect coastal environment via hypoxia and Submarine Groundwater Discharge (SGD). Appropriate proxies could help to better understand oxygenation history and the role of SGD in regulating hypoxia. This would also benefit prediction of potential outcomes of future environmental changes. The sensitivity of benthic foraminiferal shell chemistry to environmental conditions opens the possibility to use them as proxies of coastal hypoxia and SGD. We report here that the average Mn/Ca ratios in tests of living benthic foraminiferal shells in the Changjiang River Estuary (CJE) is 2.3 times higher during hypoxia periods than under well-mixed conditions. In addition, Ba/Ca ratios in living benthic foraminiferal shells co-varied well with radon-inferred SGD signals. Fluctuations of Mn/Ca and Ba/Ca ratios in tests of a single foraminiferal shell along successive chambers corresponds well with seasonal-scale variations of hypoxia and SGD. We suggest that Mn/Ca and Ba/Ca ratios within intra-tests of benthic foraminifer can provide a reliable proxy for past hypoxia and SGD trends. • This work investigated proxies to record hypoxia and SGD on shells of same foraminiferal chambers. • Synchronous tendency of Mn/Ca and Ba/Ca ratios in tests of a single foraminiferal shell along successive chambers reflects seasonal-scale variations of hypoxia and SGD. • This work will provide a novel proxy for reconstructing the contribution of SGD to hypoxia over a long-term history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal hypoxia threatens estuarine nursery habitat for juvenile demersal fishes worldwide, and is expected to intensify with climate change. This study examines the physiological tolerances of hypoxia in two ecologically and economically important flatfish species that co-occur in a highly eutrophic estuary and biodiversity hotspot on California's central coast, the Elkhorn Slough. Juveniles of English sole (Parophrys vetulus) occur less frequently in areas of the slough where dissolved oxygen (DO) ≤ 4.0 mg/L O 2 compared to speckled sanddabs (Citharichthys stigmaeus), suggesting that English sole may be more sensitive to hypoxia. We exposed both species to an ecologically relevant, acute six-hour exposure to six DO levels ranging from ambient to severely hypoxic: 8.0, 6.0, 4.0, 3.0, 2.0, and 1.5 mg/L O 2 and measured known physiological and biochemical indicators of hypoxia stress. As DO declined, metabolic rate and aerobic scope decreased for English sole, while anaerobic activity (measured by L-lactate) and ventilation rate increased for both species. Biochemical responses to hypoxia were observed only at very low DO levels (≤ 4.0 mg/L O 2), indicating that both species appear to have a higher tolerance for relatively short-term hypoxia than other teleost fishes. Speckled sanddabs increased ventilation rate and anaerobic activity at higher DO levels than English sole, suggesting that earlier onset of compensatory mechanisms may contribute to the greater relative hypoxia tolerance in sanddabs. Examining the link between physiological and ecological thresholds for hypoxia tolerance will help determine suitable nursery habitat areas and management targets for estuarine restoration, and aid in predictions of fishery success under eutrophication and climate change. • English sole and speckled sanddabs display high tolerance for short-term hypoxia. • Speckled sanddabs may demonstrate greater hypoxia tolerance than English sole. • English sole display greater interindividual variation in response to hypoxia. • Metabolic rate and aerobic scope decline with decreasing dissolved oxygen. • Anaerobic activity and ventilation rate increase with decreasing dissolved oxygen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite their role in modulating the marine ecosystem, variability and drivers of low‐oxygen events in the offshore northern Benguela Upwelling System (BenUS) have been rarely investigated due to the events' episodicity which is difficult to resolve using shipboard measurements. We address this issue using 4 months of high‐resolution glider data collected between February and June 2018, 100 km offshore at 18°S. We find that oxygen (O2) concentrations in the offshore northern Benguela are determined by the subsurface alternation of low‐oxygen Angola‐derived water and oxygenated water from the south at 100–500 m depth. We observe intermittent hypoxia (O2 < 60 μmol kg−1) which occurs on average for ∼30% of the 4 months deployment and is driven by the time‐varying subsurface pulses of Angola‐derived tropical water. Hypoxic events are rather persistent at depths of 300–450 m, while they are more sporadic and have weekly duration at shallower depths (100–300 m). We find extreme values of hypoxia, with O2 minima of 16 μmol kg−1, associated with an anticyclonic eddy spinning from the undercurrent flowing on the BenUS shelf and showing no surface signature. Fine‐scale patchiness and water mass mixing are associated with cross‐frontal stirring by a large anticyclone recirculating tropical water into the northern BenUS. The dominance of physical drivers and their high variability on short time scales reveal a dynamic coupling between Angola and Benguela, calling for long‐term and high‐resolution measurements and studies focusing on future changes of both tropical O2 minima and lateral fluxes in this region. Plain Language Summary: The ocean region located along the south‐western African coast, known as the Benguela Upwelling System, hosts an important fishery for human sustainment. We studied variability and drivers of recurrent low O2 events that characterize this region and that can impact the local ecosystem and affect fisheries yields. We used 4 months of data collected ∼100 km from the coast, spanning from the ocean surface to 1,000 m depth. We found that O2 concentrations damaging for fish occurred mostly between ∼70 and 550 m of depth, for about 30% of the time. Such low O2 concentrations lasted for about 1 week each time, and were brought into the Benguela region by deep fluxes of low‐oxygen water from the northern Angola latitudes. Rotating flow structures of a typical diameter of between 20 and 200 km, known as ocean eddies, were found to strongly impact O2 concentrations in the region by either transporting very low O2 water or by stirring and mixing water masses with different O2 levels. The variability in O2 concentrations found by this study likely affects the local ecosystem and further studies will be needed to better understand its seasonality and future trends in the context of climate change. Key Points: Alternating subsurface physical fluxes of Angola‐ and Benguela‐derived waters drive mesopelagic oxygen (O2) variability in the offshore BenguelaHypoxic events (O2 < 60 μmol) are intermittent and are associated with weekly pulses of tropical water in the upper mesopelagicMesoscale eddies further modulate the O2 field and are associated with severe hypoxia, fine‐scale O2 patchiness and water mass mixing [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dissolved oxygen (DO) is a critically important ecological variable, and the prevalence of marine hypoxia is expected to increase due to the combined effects of ocean warming and eutrophication. Thermal stress can co‐occur with hypoxia, especially in tropical systems, and can exacerbate its effects. We examine the physical processes that are important in regulating hypoxia and temperature inversions in Bahía Almirante, a semi‐enclosed tropical embayment on the Caribbean coast of Panama. A 10‐yr record of observations at 7 locations within Bahía Almirante reveals seasonal temperature inversions and hypoxia at depth that often co‐occur. These features are more severe and persistent in the back bay, though they occur throughout Bahía Almirante. DO reductions correspond to periods with high freshwater input, including direct precipitation, resulting in strong salinity stratification that isolates bottom waters, allowing biological oxygen demand to draw down DO. Evidence indicates that lateral advection can contribute to reoxygenation events, and the relationship between near bottom DO and bottom salinities in the mid bay and back bay is consistent with deep‐water renewal as the mechanism for bottom water ventilation. These hypoxia and temperature inversion events impact the biological communities of Bahía Almirante, and the physical dynamics that regulate these coincident and persistent stressors for marine organisms are likely present in other shallow, tropical estuaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypoxia and blue tide are the most significant environmental issues in Tokyo Bay as they have been damaging fisheries for a long time. Although studies on modeling these two associated phenomena have been conducted for decades, the scarcity of relevant observational datasets has greatly hindered the progress, and no study has successfully reproduced the entire processes of blue tide or predicted the time and place of its outbreak. To address the problems from limited data, this study proposed a relatively conventional benthic flux model and developed a novel method that converts the total organic carbon content into the fluxes of sediment oxygen consumption and sulfide release to represent the spatial differences in benthic fluxes. A pelagic sulfur model with only three key chemical reactions of blue tide that includes the disproportionation of elemental sulfur was proposed. The method significantly improved the results of dissolved oxygen in bottom water, as seen by the root mean square error decreasing by 15.9% and 18.9% in two simulations with largely different forcings. The sulfur model also accurately predicted the outbreaks of blue tides in each simulation, which is significant to the stakeholders as it facilitates the forecast of blue tides in Tokyo Bay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In shallow estuaries, fluctuations in bottom dissolved oxygen (DO) at diel (24 h) timescales are commonly attributed to cycles of net production and respiration. However, bottom DO can also be modulated by physical processes, such as tides and wind, that vary at or near diel timescales. Here, we examine processes affecting spatiotemporal variations in diel-cycling DO in Escambia Bay, a shallow estuary along the Gulf of Mexico. We collected continuous water quality measurements in the upper and middle reaches of the Bay following relatively high (> 850 m3 s−1) and low (< 175 m3 s−1) springtime freshwater discharge. Variations in diel-cycling amplitude over time were estimated using the continuous wavelet transform, and correlations between DO and biophysical processes at diel timescales were examined using wavelet coherence. Our results reveal that freshwater discharge modulated inter-annual variations in the spatial extent and duration of summertime hypoxia through its effect on vertical density stratification. In the absence of strong stratification (> 15 kg m−3), vertical mixing by tropic tides and sea breeze enhanced diel fluctuations in deeper areas near the channel, while in shallower areas the largest fluctuations were associated with irradiance. Our findings suggest that processes affecting diel-cycling DO in the bottom layer can vary over a relatively short spatial extent less than 2 km and with relatively small changes in bottom elevation of 1 m or less. Implications for water quality monitoring were illustrated by subsampling DO timeseries, which demonstrates how low-frequency measurements may misrepresent water quality in estuaries where diel-cycling DO is common. In these systems, adequate assessment of hypoxia and its aquatic life impacts requires continuous measurements that capture the variation in DO at diel timescales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxygen availability is decreasing in many lakes and reservoirs worldwide, raising the urgency for understanding how anoxia (low oxygen) affects coupled biogeochemical cycling, which has major implications for water quality, food webs, and ecosystem functioning. Although the increasing magnitude and prevalence of anoxia has been documented in freshwaters globally, the challenges of disentangling oxygen and temperature responses have hindered assessment of the effects of anoxia on carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus concentrations, stoichiometry (chemical ratios), and retention in freshwaters. The consequences of anoxia are likely severe and may be irreversible, necessitating ecosystem‐scale experimental investigation of decreasing freshwater oxygen availability. To address this gap, we devised and conducted REDOX (the Reservoir Ecosystem Dynamic Oxygenation eXperiment), an unprecedented, 7‐year experiment in which we manipulated and modeled bottom‐water (hypolimnetic) oxygen availability at the whole‐ecosystem scale in a eutrophic reservoir. Seven years of data reveal that anoxia significantly increased hypolimnetic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus concentrations and altered elemental stoichiometry by factors of 2–5× relative to oxic periods. Importantly, prolonged summer anoxia increased nitrogen export from the reservoir by six‐fold and changed the reservoir from a net sink to a net source of phosphorus and organic carbon downstream. While low oxygen in freshwaters is thought of as a response to land use and climate change, results from REDOX demonstrate that low oxygen can also be a driver of major changes to freshwater biogeochemical cycling, which may serve as an intensifying feedback that increases anoxia in downstream waterbodies. Consequently, as climate and land use change continue to increase the prevalence of anoxia in lakes and reservoirs globally, it is likely that anoxia will have major effects on freshwater carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus budgets as well as water quality and ecosystem functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The decline of endangered freshwater pearl mussel (FPM, Margaritifera margaritifera) has been attributed to juvenile mortality caused by low concentrations of dissolved oxygen in the stream substrate resulting from fine sediments (siltation) that impede water exchange in the interstitial microhabitat of juveniles.If low oxygen concentration causes recruitment failure of FPMs, knowledge on the oxygen tolerance of juvenile FPMs is essential for the conservation of the species, as it will justify conservation efforts improving water exchange in the bottom gravel. However, the tolerance of low oxygen of FPM juveniles has not been directly studied.Juvenile FPMs (9–11 months old) were exposed in individual chambers equipped with optical oxygen measurement spots to different levels of dissolved oxygen at 19 °C and their viability was monitored for 10 days to assess the acute oxygen tolerance of juvenile FPMs. Oxygen concentration ranged between 8.8 and 6.2 mg L−1 in the high oxygen treatment (control), 5.0–0.4 mg L−1 in the medium treatment, and 1.3–0.04 mg L−1 in the low oxygen treatment (near‐anoxic conditions).Viability of juvenile FPMs depended on the concentration of available dissolved oxygen, such that all juveniles exposed to near‐anoxic conditions were classified as non‐viable, whereas all mussels exposed to high and medium concentrations were viable at the end of the 10 day experiment. Juveniles differed in their ability to tolerate near‐anoxic conditions, so that some individuals survived only 1 day and others survived up to 9 days.This study provides the first direct experimental evidence on the oxygen sensitivity of FPM juveniles and suggests that >10‐day events of very low dissolved oxygen at summer temperatures are fatal to juvenile FPMs, supporting the view that actions preventing low oxygen episodes in the substrate are essential for recruitment, and conservation, of FPMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Located in the northern South China Sea, the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) is one of the most important estuaries in China and is surrounded by several megacities. Hypoxia mainly occurs in the bottom waters of the PRE during summer and is more prominent near the Humen outlet and the subestuary outside Modaomen and Jitimen. A well-validated three-dimensional (3-D) coupled physical-biogeochemical model was used to explore the changes in dissolved oxygen (DO) dynamics and hypoxic conditions in the PRE over an intra-annual cycle and elucidate the processes controlling the generation, development, and dissipation of hypoxia. In summer, oxygen consumption due to the high-intensity sediment oxygen demand (SOD) intensified by large inputs of riverine particulate organic carbon (POC) exceeded the DO supplemented by vertical diffusion (largely inhibited by strong fresh water–induced stratification), thus leading to a significant decrease in DO in the bottom waters; in other seasons, these DO source and sink terms were nearly balanced so that the bottom DO concentrations were maintained at higher levels. Moreover, the lag analysis shows that there is an approximately 2-month lag between riverine POC and SOD. By comparison, the low-oxygen area near Humen has a controlling mechanism distinct from that of the subestuary outside Modaomen and Jitimen. Specifically, the timely and sufficient oxygen supplement brought by vertical diffusion can replenish the bottom DO consumed by SOD in this region, and the formation and development of low-oxygen conditions (DO ≤ 4 mg L−1) is mainly affected by riverine low-oxygen inflows. In summary, our study clarified that the terrestrial organic pollutant input and low-oxygen water from the upper reaches have an important impact on the DO in different areas of the PRE, especially the low-oxygen area near Humen, which is controlled by the water quality of the upper reaches. This conclusion is of great significance for regional environmental management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep coastal inlets are sites of high sedimentation and organic carbon deposition that account for 11 % of the world's organic carbon burial. Australasia's mid- to high-latitude regions have many such systems. It is important to understand the role of climate forcings in influencing hypoxia and organic matter cycling in these systems, but many such systems, especially in Australasia, remain poorly described. We analysed a decade of in situ water quality data from Macquarie Harbour, Tasmania, a deep coastal inlet with more than 180 000 t of organic carbon loading per annum. Monthly dissolved oxygen, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, dissolved organic carbon, and dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentrations were significantly affected by rainfall patterns. Increased rainfall was correlated to higher organic carbon and nitrogen loading, lower oxygen concentrations in deep basins, and greater oxygen concentrations in surface waters. Most notably, the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) significantly influenced oxygen distribution in the system. High river flow (associated with low SAM index values) impedes deep water renewal as the primary mechanism driving basin water hypoxia. Climate forecasting predicts increased winter rainfall and decreased summer rainfall, which may further exacerbate hypoxia in this system. Currently, Macquarie Harbour's basins experience frequent (up to 36 % of the time) and prolonged (up to 2 years) oxygen-poor conditions that may promote greenhouse gas (CH 4 , N 2 O) production altering the processing of organic matter entering the system. The increased winter rainfall predicted for the area will likely promote the increased spread and duration of hypoxia in the basins. Further understanding of these systems and how they respond to climate change will improve our estimates of future organic matter cycling (burial vs. export). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Reservoir oxygen supply mode is regulated by thermodynamics and hydrodynamics. • Longitudinal oxygen supplies greatly impact hypoxia evolutions in reservoirs. • The regulation of outflow elevation in cascade reservoirs can alleviate hypoxia. • Runoff increase under climate change could ease the current worsening hypoxia. Hypoxia in stratified waters greatly threatens aquatic ecology and societal development owing to enhanced nutrient discharge and increasing global temperature. Current research predominantly alleviates hypoxia by reducing dissolved oxygen (DO) consumption or conducting hypolimnetic oxygenation, yet their implementation has encountered bottlenecks. Therefore, this study explores the potential of increasing the inherent DO supplies in stratified reservoirs to mitigate hypoxia. High-frequency in situ observations and massive modeling experiments are integrated to discern the DO supply mode and the dominant driver of DO evolution. Results indicate that periodic thermodynamic conditions determine the DO supply relationships between oxygen sources (inflow carriage, reaeration, and photosynthesis) for different water layers. Thermal stratification causes the hypolimnion to rely mostly on the inflow for DO supply, leading to a fragile budget prone to hypoxia. However, episodic hydrodynamic events (turnover, wind stir, density current, and flood) can promote DO supply and inhibit hypoxia. Temperature and DO regimes are primarily driven by outflow conditions, followed by inflow and meteorology conditions. Furthermore, hypolimnetic hypoxia can be regulated by altering inflow volume, outflow volume, and outlet elevation. These findings highlight the importance of longitudinal solute exchange in DO evolution in stratified reservoirs, providing a basis for alleviating hypoxia through cascade reservoir operations. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have shown an increase in otolith Mn caused by exposure to hypoxic water masses. The mechanism leading to the increases in otolith Mn is still unclear, but might possibly be due to the larger amount of available Mn left in the water column under hypoxia. Thus, this study aimed to examine the relationship between hypoxia, water Mn and otolith Mn through marbled flounder (Pseudopleuronectes yokohamae, Günther) captured from Tokyo Bay and reared under different water Mn at laboratory. Otoliths from the Bay showed a higher (Mn/Ca)otolith than outside, together with a seasonal trend of high (Mn/Ca)otolith at the start of translucent zones (which form in the summer), supporting the occurrence of summer hypoxia in Tokyo Bay. Nonetheless, juveniles reared under control (Mn 0.50 μmol l−1), middle (Mn 6.94 μmol l−1) and high (Mn 10.4 μmol l−1) treatments of water Mn concentrations showed a disproportional smaller increase in (Mn/Ca)otolith. Comparing the laboratory experiment with the field data, (Mn/Ca)water under hypoxia in Tokyo Bay could reach a low level similar to control treatment, yet (Mn/Ca)otolith of the Bay showed a higher value than the high treatment. These results revealed an elevated (Mn/Ca)otolith towards hypoxia, but also suggested that changes in water Mn might not be directly recorded by otolith Mn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low bottom water dissolved oxygen conditions (hypoxia) occur almost every summer in the northern Gulf of Mexico due to a combination of nutrient loadings and water column stratification. Several statistical and mechanistic models have been used to forecast the midsummer hypoxic area, based on spring nitrogen loading from major rivers. However, sub-seasonal forecasts are needed to fully characterize the dynamics of hypoxia over the summer season, which is important for informing fisheries and ecosystem management. Here, we present an approach to forecasting hypoxic conditions at a daily resolution through Bayesian mechanistic modeling that allows for rigorous uncertainty quantification. Within this framework, we develop and test different representations and projections of hydrometeorological model inputs. We find that May precipitation over the Mississippi River basin is a key predictor of summer discharge and loading that substantially improves forecast performance. Accounting for spring wind conditions also improves forecast performance, though to a lesser extent. The proposed approach generates forecasts for two different sections of the Louisiana–Texas shelf (east and west), and it explains about 50 % of the variability in the total hypoxic area when tested against historical observations (1985–2016). Results also show how forecast uncertainties build over the summer season, with longer lead times from the nominal forecast release date of 1 June, due to increasing stochasticity in riverine and meteorological inputs. Consequently, the portion of overall forecast variance associated with uncertainties in data inputs increases from 26 % to 41 % from June–July to August–September, respectively. Overall, the study demonstrates a unique approach to assessing and reducing uncertainties in temporally resolved hypoxia forecasting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore how anomalously strong winter storms, superposed with managed nitrogen reduction, impacted the 2010 and 2018 spring blooms in the Narragansett Bay (41.62° N, 71.35° W). Anomalously strong winter storms preceding spring of 2010 and 2018 increased annual nutrient inputs above the long-term average annual values for the year, causing a large phytoplankton bloom in spring 2010 and a massive winter-spring bloom in 2018. Flooding from the stronger storm in 2010 caused a smaller increase in primary productivity than the smaller storms prior to spring 2018, probably due to increased flushing rates during the 2010 storm. Neither storm enhanced hypoxia the following summer. During both summers, hypoxia was typical of minimal-hypoxia years, indicating that managed nitrogen reduction which is strongest during summer, remained adequate even in the aftermath of organic inputs from large storms during the colder months. Additionally, some commercially fished species appeared to increase after the storm events. Storm nutrient impacts on commercial species suggest that increasing nitrogen inputs from treatment facilities in colder months might enhance Bay fisheries for squid and hard clam without diminishing summer water quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Localized hypoxia can reduce available habitat, restrict movement and limit the abundance of aquatic invertebrates. Although cultural eutrophication, coupled with the effects of climate change, is likely to increase the frequency and extent of hypoxia in aquatic ecosystems, little is known about how oxygen gradients in small reservoirs influence spatial distribution and abundance of aquatic invertebrates. The present study evaluated the effects of environmental and biological attributes on seasonal and spatial variation of macroinvertebrates and explored how hypoxic conditions influenced littoral, benthic and pelagic macroinvertebrate communities in Lake Alvin, South Dakota. Data on reservoir conditions, in conjunction with macroinvertebrate sampling from May to October 2009–2011, were applied in an information theoretic approach to evaluate factors affecting invertebrate abundance. Hypoxic conditions were present from May to September in the lacustrine zone impacting 10%–39% of the water column. Benthic invertebrates were typically absent from the lacustrine zone during periods of severe hypoxia and were most abundant in the shallow, well‐oxygenated riverine zone. Littoral invertebrates were negatively related to the per cent of the hypoxic water column, suggesting fish, confined to shallow waters by hypoxia, may be consuming a larger portion of littoral invertebrates in their diets. Cladocera and Copepoda densities were influenced primarily by water depth and monthly precipitation. The larger size of Daphnia found in the hypoxic‐prone transitional and lacustrine zones suggested low oxygen concentrations may provide a refuge from fish predation. The results of the present study demonstrated spatial variations in near‐bottom oxygen concentrations were important predictors of macroinvertebrate and zooplankton abundance and size structure in Lake Alvin and that macroinvertebrates, particularly benthic and littoral invertebrates, could benefit from measures taken to reduce summer hypoxia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypoxia can affect water-atmosphere methane flux by controlling the production and consumption processes of methane in coastal areas. Seasonal methane concentration and fluxes were quantified to evaluate the effects of seasonal hypoxia in Dangdong Bay (Gyeongsangnamdo, Jinhae Bay, South Korea). Sedimentwater methane flux increased more than 300 times during hypoxia (normoxia and hypoxia each 6, 1900 µmol m-2 d-1), and water-atmospheric methane flux and bottom methane concentration increased about 2, 10 times (normoxia and hypoxia each 190, 420 µmol m-2 d-1; normoxia and hypoxia each 22, 230 nM). Shoaling of anaerobic decomposition of organic matter in the sediments during the hypoxia (August) was confirmed by the change of the depth at which the maximum hydrogen sulfide concentration was detected. Shoaling shortens the distance between the water column and methanogenesis section to facilitate the inflow of organic matter, which can lead to an increase in methane production. In addition, since the transport distance of the generated methane to the water column is shortened, consumption of methane will be reduced. The combination of increased production and reduced consumption could increase sediment-aqueous methane flux and dissolved methane, which is thought to result in an increase in water-atmospheric methane flux. We could not observe the emission of methane accumulated during the hypoxia due to stratification, so it is possible that the estimated methane flux to the atmosphere was underestimated. In this study, the increase in methane flux in the coastal area due to hypoxia was confirmed, and the necessity of future methane production studies according to oxygen conditions in various coastal areas was demonstratedshown in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During recent years, mass mortalities of cultured scallops became more frequent in Peruvian bays. One of the main drivers related to these mortalities was hypoxic events. This study was designed to understand the hypoxia phenomenon in these bays and to assess how the Peruvian scallop, Argopecten purpuratus, can cope with reduced oxygen levels in seawater based on individual size. First, we analyzed the relationships between dissolved oxygen saturation and other environmental parameters (the Coastal El Niño Index, temperature, salinity and pH) in bottom seawater, the frequency and intensity of hypoxic events in two main culture areas (Sechura and Paracas Bays), and their relationship with scallop mass mortalities. Then, we performed experiments with two size groups of A. purpuratus (31 and 80 mm shell height; seed and commercial size, respectively) to assess their respective survival time under severe hypoxia (1% oxygen saturation) at 16°C and a salinity of 35. Finally, the results of the field records and the experimental data are used to suggest ways to improve scallop cultivation along the Peruvian coast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A three-dimensional coupled hydrodynamic–biogeochemical model with N, P, Si cycles and multiple phytoplankton and zooplankton functional groups was developed and applied to the Gulf of Mexico to study bottom dissolved oxygen dynamics. A 15-year hindcast was achieved covering the period of 2006-2020. Extensive model validation against in situ data demonstrates that the model is capable of reproducing vertical distributions of dissolved oxygen (DO), frequency distributions of hypoxia thickness, spatial distributions of bottom DO concentration and interannual variations of hypoxic area. The impacts of river plume and along-shore currents on bottom DO dynamics were examined based on multiyear bottom DO climatology, the corresponding long-term trends, and interannual variability. Model results suggest that mechanisms of bottom hypoxia developments are different between the west and east Louisiana–Texas Shelf waters. The mid-Atchafalaya nearshore (10–20 m) region firstly suffers from hypoxia in May, followed by the west-Mississippi nearshore region in June. Hypoxic waters expand in the following months and eventually merge in August. Sediment oxygen consumption (SOC) and water stratification (measured by potential energy anomaly, PEA) are two main factors modulating the variability of bottom DO concentration. Generalized Boosted Regression Models provide analysis of the relative importance of PEA and SOC. The analysis indicates that SOC is the main regulator in nearshore regions, and water stratification outcompetes the sedimentary biochemical processes in the offshore (20–50 m) regions. A strong quadratic relationship was found between hypoxic volume and hypoxic area, which suggests that the volume mostly results from the low DO in bottom water and can be potentially estimated based on the hypoxic area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypoxia has occurred intermittently in the Baltic Sea since the establishment of brackish‐water conditions at ∼8,000 years B.P., principally as recurrent hypoxic events during the Holocene Thermal Maximum (HTM) and the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA). Sedimentary phosphorus release has been implicated as a key driver of these events, but previous paleoenvironmental reconstructions have lacked the sampling resolution to investigate feedbacks in past iron‐phosphorus cycling on short timescales. Here we employ Laser Ablation (LA)‐ICP‐MS scanning of sediment cores to generate ultra‐high resolution geochemical records of past hypoxic events. We show that in‐phase multidecadal oscillations in hypoxia intensity and iron‐phosphorus cycling occurred throughout these events. Using a box model, we demonstrate that such oscillations were likely driven by instabilities in the dynamics of iron‐phosphorus cycling under preindustrial phosphorus loads, and modulated by external climate forcing. Oscillatory behavior could complicate the recovery from hypoxia during future trajectories of external loading reductions. Plain Language Summary: Hypoxia in the coastal ocean is expanding worldwide, and inputs of nutrients from waste water and agriculture are mainly to blame. Nutrients feed plankton blooms, which then consume oxygen as they decay. Because much of this decay takes place at the seafloor, sediments play an important role in deoxygenation, and in the recycling of nutrients in coastal regions. It is known that the amount of iron oxides in sediments has a strong effect on nutrient recycling during algal decay. Iron oxide‐rich sediments in healthy oxygen‐rich areas can trap phosphorus, a key nutrient element from decaying algae. In contrast, iron oxide‐poor sediments in deoxygenated areas release phosphorus back to the water to fuel more algal growth. Our study shows that changes in the distribution of iron oxides between deep and shallow areas of the Baltic Sea led to self‐sustaining variability (oscillations) in oxygen stress on decadal timescales during past intervals in the Sea's 8000‐year history. We use a model to demonstrate that under certain conditions of climate and nutrient pressure, such variability may occur naturally, and therefore may influence the future recovery of the Baltic Sea from its present nutrient‐rich state. Key Points: Past hypoxic intervals in the Baltic Sea were characterized by multidecadal oscillations in oxygen stressRegularly paced internal oscillations caused by feedbacks in coupled iron‐phosphorus dynamicsExternal loading of phosphorus and climate forcing dictate the amplitude of internal oscillatory behavior [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted hydrographic observations throughout the year to investigate seasonal variations of the hypoxic water mass distribution in the Upper Gulf of Thailand (UGoT). Hypoxic water masses were observed from June to November, with half of the UGoT occupied by hypoxic water in September. A hypoxic water mass appeared in the northeastern part of the UGoT in June and August, and moved westward over time. Low-salinity surface water moved from east to west as the rotational direction of surface circulation shifted with the reversal of monsoon winds. Westward movement of low-salinity water causes strong stratification in the northwestern part of the UGoT, leading to severe hypoxia. Numerical experiments showed high dissolved oxygen consumption rates around and offshore of river mouths, where hypoxic water is generated. This finding suggests that hypoxic water masses are transported to the south by physical processes. We examined how flooding affects hypoxic water mass formation. The volume of hypoxia in a flood year was approximately 2.5 times greater than in a normal year. In addition, hypoxia occurred in the dry season and extensive hypoxia was observed in the year after flooding. These results suggest that the hypoxic water mass persists for a long time after flooding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigated the mechanism of eutrophication and hypoxia in the upper Gulf of Thailand from August 2014 to June 2015 based on field observation data, box model analysis, and the unscaled trophic status index (UNTRIX). Fresh water residence time derived from a simple box model was long (38.61 days) during the transition period between the southwest to northeast monsoon in September 2014. In contrast, fresh water residence time was short (2.63 days) during the late northeast monsoon in February 2015. Long residence time was related to the development of widespread strong hypoxia in near-bottom waters in over half of the gulf during the transition between the southwest and the northeast monsoon, when river discharge was also very large. UNTRIX is used to assess water trophic levels, and is based on water qualities including concentrations of chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), dissolved oxygen (DO), dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), and dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP). Hypertrophic and eutrophic conditions were observed at river mouths; their seasonal eutrophication was related to river discharge and circulation. Nutrients were mainly increased by river discharge. Water column stratification and long residence time were required for the development of severe hypoxia in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal hypoxia is a major environmental problem of increasing severity. A global 40-year observational gridded climate data record and 21st century forecasts from the Community Earth System Model under RCP 8.5 forcing are analyzed for long-term linear trends with a focus on warming-related pressures on coastal oxygen conditions. The forecasted median trends along the global coast are 0.32 °C, -1.6 mmol m-3, and -1.2 mmol m-3 per decade for sea-surface temperature (SST), surface oxygen capacity, and vertical-minimum oxygen concentration, respectively. These trends point to more rapid deterioration in coastal conditions than experienced over the last four decades; the forecasted median coastal trends for SST and oxygen capacity are 48% and 18% faster than the corresponding observed rates. Median rates for the coast and documented hypoxic areas are higher than in the global ocean. Warming and oxygen declines tend to be fastest at high latitudes, one region where new hypoxic areas may emerge as oxygen conditions deteriorate. Over 19% of the coast has extremely rapid forecasted change upwards of 0.60 °C per decade warming and -3.0 mmol m-3 per decade oxygen change. There is considerable pressure on current hypoxic areas since future oxygen declines of any magnitude will make hypoxia more severe. The coastal forecasts can inform coastal environmental management strategies to protect future water quality and ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excess nutrients transported by the Mississippi River (MR) contribute to hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. Nutrient balances are key drivers to river nutrient loads and represent inputs (fertilizer, manure, deposition, wastewater, N‐fixation, and weathering) minus outputs (nutrient uptake and removal in harvest, and N emissions). Here, we quantified annual changes in nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) river loads and nutrient balances at the MR Outlet and documented that the river load response to watershed nutrient balances shifted between 1975 and 2017. Annual nutrient balances and river loads were positively correlated between 1975 and 1985, but after, a disconnect between both the N and P balances and river loads emerged, and the subsequent river load patterns were different for N versus P. We evaluated the relative impacts of legacy nutrients and other latent factors, for which data were not available, on river nutrient load trends. Our analysis showed that in the case of N, latent factors were potentially just as important in explaining changes in river nutrient loads over time as N balances, and in the case of P, they were even more important. We hypothesized that these factors included implementation of best management practices, changes in watershed buffering capacity, the effects of tile drainage, or increased precipitation. Our analytical approach shows promise for the investigation of drivers of water quality trends that are not well‐represented in typical national scale geospatial datasets. Key Points: Some positive water quality results were documented, but there is still room for improvementThe water quality improvements may be the result of successful implementation of long‐term nutrient management efforts in the BasinBoth N and P limit the development of hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico, but factors that influence the river loads are different, so management will have to address each nutrient separately [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]