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 and Andreas J. Andersson
Additional contact information
Ariel K. Pezner: University of California San Diego
Travis A. Courtney: University of California San Diego
Hannah C. Barkley: NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center
Wen-Chen Chou: National Taiwan Ocean University
Hui-Chuan Chu: National Taiwan Ocean University
Samantha M. Clements: University of California San Diego
Tyler Cyronak: Georgia Southern University
Michael D. DeGrandpre: University of Montana
Samuel A. H. Kekuewa: University of California San Diego
David I. Kline: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Yi-Bei Liang: National Sun Yat-sen University
Todd R. Martz: University of California San Diego
Satoshi Mitarai: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology
Heather N. Page: University of California San Diego
Max S. Rintoul: University of California San Diego
Jennifer E. Smith: University of California San Diego
Keryea Soong: National Sun Yat-sen University
Yuichiro Takeshita: Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
Martin Tresguerres: University of California San Diego
Yi Wei: National Sun Yat-sen University
Kimberly K. Yates: St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
Andreas J. Andersson: University of California San Diego

Nature Climate Change, 2023, vol. 13, issue 4, 403-409

Abstract: 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.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41558-023-01619-2

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