Widespread deoxygenation of temperate lakes

Stephen F. Jane, Gretchen J. A. Hansen, Benjamin M. Kraemer, Peter R. Leavitt, Joshua L. Mincer, Rebecca L. North, Rachel M. Pilla, Jonathan T. Stetler, Craig E. Williamson, R. Iestyn Woolway, Lauri Arvola, Sudeep Chandra, Curtis L. DeGasperi, Laura Diemer, Julita Dunalska, Oxana Erina, Giovanna Flaim, Hans-Peter Grossart, K. David Hambright, Catherine Hein, Josef Hejzlar, Lorraine L. Janus, Jean-Philippe Jenny, John R. Jones, Lesley B. Knoll, Barbara Leoni, Eleanor Mackay, Shin-Ichiro S. Matsuzaki, Chris McBride, Dörthe C. Müller-Navarra, Andrew M. Paterson, Don Pierson, Michela Rogora, James A. Rusak, Steven Sadro, Emilie Saulnier-Talbot, Martin Schmid, Ruben Sommaruga, Wim Thiery, Piet Verburg, Kathleen C. Weathers, Gesa A. Weyhenmeyer, Kiyoko Yokota and Kevin C. Rose ()
Additional contact information
Stephen F. Jane: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Gretchen J. A. Hansen: University of Minnesota
Benjamin M. Kraemer: IGB Leibniz Institute for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries
Peter R. Leavitt: University of Regina
Joshua L. Mincer: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rebecca L. North: University of Missouri
Rachel M. Pilla: Miami University
Jonathan T. Stetler: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Craig E. Williamson: Miami University
R. Iestyn Woolway: Dundalk Institute of Technology
Lauri Arvola: University of Helsinki
Sudeep Chandra: University of Nevada
Curtis L. DeGasperi: King County Water and Land Resources Division
Laura Diemer: FB Environmental Associates
Julita Dunalska: University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn
Oxana Erina: Lomonosov Moscow State University
Giovanna Flaim: Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach
Hans-Peter Grossart: Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries
K. David Hambright: The University of Oklahoma
Catherine Hein: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Josef Hejzlar: Biology Centre CAS
Lorraine L. Janus: Bureau of Water Supply, New York City Department of Environmental Protection
Jean-Philippe Jenny: Université Savoie Mont Blanc
John R. Jones: University of Missouri
Lesley B. Knoll: University of Minnesota
Barbara Leoni: University of Milan-Bicocca
Eleanor Mackay: UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Shin-Ichiro S. Matsuzaki: National Institute for Environmental Studies
Chris McBride: Environmental Research Institute
Dörthe C. Müller-Navarra: University of Hamburg
Andrew M. Paterson: Dorset Environmental Science Centre
Don Pierson: Uppsala University
Michela Rogora: CNR Water Research Institute (IRSA)
James A. Rusak: Dorset Environmental Science Centre
Steven Sadro: University of California
Emilie Saulnier-Talbot: Université Laval
Martin Schmid: Surface Waters – Research and Management
Ruben Sommaruga: University of Innsbruck
Wim Thiery: Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Department of Hydrology and Hydraulic Engineering
Piet Verburg: National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd (NIWA), Hillcrest
Kathleen C. Weathers: Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook
Gesa A. Weyhenmeyer: Uppsala University
Kiyoko Yokota: State University of New York College at Oneonta (SUNY Oneonta), Oneonta
Kevin C. Rose: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Nature, 2021, vol. 594, issue 7861, 66-70

Abstract: Abstract The concentration of dissolved oxygen in aquatic systems helps to regulate biodiversity1,2, nutrient biogeochemistry3, greenhouse gas emissions4, and the quality of drinking water5. The long-term declines in dissolved oxygen concentrations in coastal and ocean waters have been linked to climate warming and human activity6,7, but little is known about the changes in dissolved oxygen concentrations in lakes. Although the solubility of dissolved oxygen decreases with increasing water temperatures, long-term lake trajectories are difficult to predict. Oxygen losses in warming lakes may be amplified by enhanced decomposition and stronger thermal stratification8,9 or oxygen may increase as a result of enhanced primary production10. Here we analyse a combined total of 45,148 dissolved oxygen and temperature profiles and calculate trends for 393 temperate lakes that span 1941 to 2017. We find that a decline in dissolved oxygen is widespread in surface and deep-water habitats. The decline in surface waters is primarily associated with reduced solubility under warmer water temperatures, although dissolved oxygen in surface waters increased in a subset of highly productive warming lakes, probably owing to increasing production of phytoplankton. By contrast, the decline in deep waters is associated with stronger thermal stratification and loss of water clarity, but not with changes in gas solubility. Our results suggest that climate change and declining water clarity have altered the physical and chemical environment of lakes. Declines in dissolved oxygen in freshwater are 2.75 to 9.3 times greater than observed in the world’s oceans6,7 and could threaten essential lake ecosystem services2,3,5,11.

Date: 2021
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03550-y Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:nature:v:594:y:2021:i:7861:d:10.1038_s41586-021-03550-y

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/

DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03550-y

Access Statistics for this article

Nature is currently edited by Magdalena Skipper

More articles in Nature from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().