Project Complete
Principal investigator
Philippe Tortell, University of British Columbia
Co-PIs
Roberta Hamme, Rachid Sumalia, Debby Ioanson
Call
Cycle II, co-funded by Ocean Networks Canada
This proposed network will examine current trends, future trajectories and potential impacts of oceanic oxygen loss. The research team will synthesize observations from the Pacific, Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, to analyze the trends, patterns, and drivers of deoxygenation. The team will collaborate with Ocean Networks Canada to develop and implement improved calibration and quality control of underwater oxygen sensors, enabling better integration of autonomous O2 measurements with ship-board observations. The team will also undertake field studies to quantify the impacts of deoxygenation on oceanic emissions of greenhouse gases, including methane and nitrous oxide. The work will support the development of improved numerical models to inform future projections of ocean deoxygenation, with a particular focus on low O2 waters of the Subarctic Pacific Ocean. Data and model outputs will be used to quantify potential economic impacts of deoxygenation on BC salmon aquaculture, and groundfish distributions along Canada’s Pacific and Atlantic coasts.
