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A committed fourfold increase in ocean oxygen loss

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  • Andreas Oschlies

    (GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel
    Kiel University)

Abstract

Less than a quarter of ocean deoxygenation that will ultimately be caused by historical CO2 emissions is already realized, according to millennial-scale model simulations that assume zero CO2 emissions from year 2021 onwards. About 80% of the committed oxygen loss occurs below 2000 m depth, where a more sluggish overturning circulation will increase water residence times and accumulation of respiratory oxygen demand. According to the model results, the deep ocean will thereby lose more than 10% of its pre-industrial oxygen content even if CO2 emissions and thus global warming were stopped today. In the surface layer, however, the ongoing deoxygenation will largely stop once CO2 emissions are stopped. Accounting for the joint effects of committed oxygen loss and ocean warming, metabolic viability representative for marine animals declines by up to 25% over large regions of the deep ocean, posing an unavoidable escalation of anthropogenic pressure on deep-ocean ecosystems.

Suggested Citation

  • Andreas Oschlies, 2021. "A committed fourfold increase in ocean oxygen loss," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-8, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:12:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-021-22584-4
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22584-4
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    Cited by:

    1. Vanessa I. Stenvers & Helena Hauss & Till Bayer & Charlotte Havermans & Ute Hentschel & Lara Schmittmann & Andrew K. Sweetman & Henk-Jan T. Hoving, 2023. "Experimental mining plumes and ocean warming trigger stress in a deep pelagic jellyfish," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-14, December.
    2. Helene A. L. Hollitzer & Lavinia Patara & Jens Terhaar & Andreas Oschlies, 2024. "Competing effects of wind and buoyancy forcing on ocean oxygen trends in recent decades," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-14, December.
    3. Changyu Li & Jianping Huang & Xiaoyue Liu & Lei Ding & Yongli He & Yongkun Xie, 2024. "The ocean losing its breath under the heatwaves," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    4. Kathrin Busch & Beate M. Slaby & Wolfgang Bach & Antje Boetius & Ina Clefsen & Ana Colaço & Marie Creemers & Javier Cristobo & Luisa Federwisch & Andre Franke & Asimenia Gavriilidou & Andrea Hethke & , 2022. "Biodiversity, environmental drivers, and sustainability of the global deep-sea sponge microbiome," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-16, December.

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