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Pimenta A, Oczkowski A, McKinney R, Grear J. Geographical and seasonal patterns in the carbonate chemistry of Narragansett Bay, RI. REGIONAL STUDIES IN MARINE SCIENCE 2023; 62:1-14. [PMID: 37854150 PMCID: PMC10581404 DOI: 10.1016/j.rsma.2023.102903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
This study examined geographical and seasonal patterns in carbonate chemistry and will facilitate assessment of acidification conditions and the current state of the seawater carbonate chemistry system in Narragansett Bay. Direct measurements of total alkalinity, dissolved inorganic carbon, dissolved oxygen percent saturation, water temperature, salinity and pressure were performed during monthly sampling cruises carried out over three years. These measurements were used to calculate the following biologically relevant carbonate system parameters: total pH ( p H T ) , the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the gas phase p C O 2 , and the aragonite saturation state Ω A . The information provided by carbonate chemistry analysis allowed for the characterization of acidification events which have the potential to disrupt the species composition and ecological functioning of coastal biological communities and threaten commercially important aquatic life. We found very robust relationships between salinity and total alkalinity R adjusted 2 = 0.82 and between salinity and dissolved inorganic carbon R adjusted 2 = 0.81 that persisted through all regions, seasons, and depth-layers with mixing of coastal waters with freshwater entering in the upper bay being an important driver on alkalinity and dissolved inorganic carbon distributions. We compared the metabolically linked calculated carbonate system parameters with dissolved oxygen (DO) saturation and found high correlation, with DO percent saturation exhibiting robust correlation with the calculated carbonate system parameters total pH ( r = 0.70 ) and with partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the gas phase ( r = - 0.71 ) . Using a statistical model to correct for the confounded effects of time and space that are a common challenge in marine survey design, we found that acidification events occurred in the Northern Region of the bay, primarily during the Summer and Fall, and likely due to a combination of microbial respiration and stratification. These acidification events, especially in the Northern Region, have the potential to adversely impact aquatic life.
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Affiliation(s)
- A.R. Pimenta
- Environmental Protection Agency, Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, Narragansett, RI 02882, United States of America
| | - A. Oczkowski
- Environmental Protection Agency, Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, Narragansett, RI 02882, United States of America
| | | | - J. Grear
- Environmental Protection Agency, Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, Narragansett, RI 02882, United States of America
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2
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Tomasetti SJ, Hallinan BD, Tettelbach ST, Volkenborn N, Doherty OW, Allam B, Gobler CJ. Warming and hypoxia reduce the performance and survival of northern bay scallops (Argopecten irradians irradians) amid a fishery collapse. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:2092-2107. [PMID: 36625070 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Warming temperatures and diminishing dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations are among the most pervasive drivers of global coastal change. While regions of the Northwest Atlantic Ocean are experiencing greater than average warming, the combined effects of thermal and hypoxic stress on marine life in this region are poorly understood. Populations of the northern bay scallop, Argopecten irradians irradians across the northeast United States have experienced severe declines in recent decades. This study used a combination of high-resolution (~1 km) satellite-based temperature records, long-term temperature and DO records, field and laboratory experiments, and high-frequency measures of scallop cardiac activity in an ecosystem setting to quantify decadal summer warming and assess the vulnerability of northern bay scallops to thermal and hypoxic stress across their geographic distribution. From 2003 to 2020, significant summer warming (up to ~0.2°C year-1 ) occurred across most of the bay scallop range. At a New York field site in 2020, all individuals perished during an 8-day estuarine heatwave that coincided with severe diel-cycling hypoxia. Yet at a Massachusetts site with comparable DO levels but lower daily mean temperatures, mortality was not observed. A 96-h laboratory experiment recreating observed daily temperatures of 25 or 29°C, and normoxia or hypoxia (22.2% air saturation), revealed a 120-fold increased likelihood of mortality in the 29°C-hypoxic treatment compared with control conditions, with scallop clearance rates also reduced by 97%. Cardiac activity measurements during a field deployment indicated that low DO and elevated daily temperatures modulate oxygen consumption rates and likely impact aerobic scope. Collectively, these findings suggest that concomitant thermal and hypoxic stress can have detrimental effects on scallop physiology and survival and potentially disrupt entire fisheries. Recovery of hypoxic systems may benefit vulnerable fisheries under continued warming.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brendan D Hallinan
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Southampton, New York, USA
| | | | - Nils Volkenborn
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | | | - Bassem Allam
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Christopher J Gobler
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Southampton, New York, USA
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Wallace RB, Gobler CJ. The role of algal blooms and community respiration in controlling the temporal and spatial dynamics of hypoxia and acidification in eutrophic estuaries. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2021; 172:112908. [PMID: 34526266 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
While hypoxia and acidification can be common occurrences in eutrophic coastal zones, the precise, coupled temporal and spatial dynamics of these conditions are poorly described. Here, continuous measurements of water column pH, pCO2, carbonate chemistry, and dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations were made from spring through fall across two, temperate eutrophic estuaries, western Long Island Sound (LIS) and Jamaica Bay, NY, USA. Vertical dynamics were resolved using an underway towing profiler and an automated stationary profiling unit. During the study, high rates of respiration in surface and bottom waters (> -0.2 mg O2 L-1 h-1) yielded strongly negative rates of net ecosystem metabolism during the summer (-4 to -8 g O2 m-2 d-1). Ephemeral surface algal blooms caused brief periods (< one week) of basification and supersaturation of DO that were succeeded by longer periods of acidification and hypoxia. In deeper regions, hypoxia (< 2 mg L-1 DO) and acidic water (pH < 7; total scale; pCO2 levels >2000 μatm) that persisted continuously for >40 days in both estuaries was often overlain by water with higher DO and pH. Diurnal vertical profiles demonstrated that oxic surface waters saturated with respect to calcium carbonate and DO during the day transitioned to unsaturated and hypoxic at night. Evidence is presented that, beyond respiration, nitrification in surface water promoted by sewage discharge and oxidation processes in sediments also contribute to acidification in these estuaries. Collectively, this study demonstrates the pervasive, persistent, and dynamic nature of hypoxia and acidification in eutrophic estuaries are likely to shape marine food webs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan B Wallace
- Department of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY 11530, United States of America; School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Southampton, NY 11968, United States of America.
| | - Christopher J Gobler
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Southampton, NY 11968, United States of America.
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4
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Rheuban JE, Gassett PR, McCorkle DC, Hunt CW, Liebman M, Bastidas C, O'Brien-Clayton K, Pimenta AR, Silva E, Vlahos P, Woosley RJ, Ries J, Liberti CM, Grear J, Salisbury J, Brady DC, Guay K, LaVigne M, Strong AL, Stancioff E, Turner E. Synoptic assessment of coastal total alkalinity through community science. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS : ERL [WEB SITE] 2021. [PMID: 35069797 DOI: 10.4211/hs.4364cffedc7e49d49255eef5f8e83148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Comprehensive sampling of the carbonate system in estuaries and coastal waters can be difficult and expensive because of the complex and heterogeneous nature of near-shore environments. We show that sample collection by community science programs is a viable strategy for expanding estuarine carbonate system monitoring and prioritizing regions for more targeted assessment. 'Shell Day' was a single-day regional water monitoring event coordinating coastal carbonate chemistry observations by 59 community science programs and seven research institutions in the northeastern United States, in which 410 total alkalinity (TA) samples from 86 stations were collected. Field replicates collected at both low and high tides had a mean standard deviation between replicates of 3.6 ± 0.3 μmol kg-1 (σ mean ± SE, n = 145) or 0.20 ± 0.02%. This level of precision demonstrates that with adequate protocols for sample collection, handling, storage, and analysis, community science programs are able to collect TA samples leading to high-quality analyses and data. Despite correlations between salinity, temperature, and TA observed at multiple spatial scales, empirical predictions of TA had relatively high root mean square error >48 μmol kg-1. Additionally, ten stations displayed tidal variability in TA that was not likely driven by low TA freshwater inputs. As such, TA cannot be predicted accurately from salinity using a single relationship across the northeastern US region, though predictions may be viable at more localized scales where consistent freshwater and seawater endmembers can be defined. There was a high degree of geographic heterogeneity in both mean and tidal variability in TA, and this single-day snapshot sampling identified three patterns driving variation in TA, with certain locations exhibiting increased risk of acidification. The success of Shell Day implies that similar community science based events could be conducted in other regions to not only expand understanding of the coastal carbonate system, but also provide a way to inventory monitoring assets, build partnerships with stakeholders, and expand education and outreach to a broader constituency.
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Affiliation(s)
- J E Rheuban
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods Hole, MA 02543, United States of America
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole Sea Grant, Woods Hole, MA 02543, United States of America
| | - P R Gassett
- University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, United States of America
- Maine Sea Grant, Orono, ME 04469, United States of America
- Equally contributing first author
| | - D C McCorkle
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Department of Geology and Geophysics, Woods Hole, MA 02543, United States of America
| | - C W Hunt
- University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, United States of America
| | - M Liebman
- US Environmental Protection Agency Region 1, Boston, MA 02109, United States of America
| | - C Bastidas
- MIT Sea Grant, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States of America
| | - K O'Brien-Clayton
- Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Hartford, CT 06106, United States of America
| | - A R Pimenta
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, Narragansett, RI 02882, United States of America
| | - E Silva
- Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems (NERACOOS), Portsmouth, NH 03801, United States of America
| | - P Vlahos
- University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, United States of America
| | - R J Woosley
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Center for Global Change Science, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States of America
| | - J Ries
- Northeastern University, Marine Science Center, Department of Marine & Environmental Science, Nahant, MA 01908, United States of America
| | - C M Liberti
- University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, United States of America
| | - J Grear
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, Narragansett, RI 02882, United States of America
| | - J Salisbury
- University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, United States of America
| | - D C Brady
- University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, United States of America
| | - K Guay
- Bowdoin College, Department of Earth and Oceanographic Science, Brunswick, ME 04011, United States of America
| | - M LaVigne
- Bowdoin College, Department of Earth and Oceanographic Science, Brunswick, ME 04011, United States of America
| | - A L Strong
- Hamilton College, Environmental Studies Program, Clinton, NY 13323, United States of America
| | - E Stancioff
- Maine Sea Grant, Orono, ME 04469, United States of America
- University of Maine Cooperative Extension Office, Waldoboro, ME 04572, United States of America
| | - E Turner
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Silver Spring, MD 20910, United States of America, Retired
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5
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Rheuban JE, Gassett PR, McCorkle DC, Hunt CW, Liebman M, Bastidas C, O’Brien-Clayton K, Pimenta AR, Silva E, Vlahos P, Woosley RJ, Ries J, Liberti CM, Grear J, Salisbury J, Brady DC, Guay K, LaVigne M, Strong AL, Stancioff E, Turner E. Synoptic assessment of coastal total alkalinity through community science. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS : ERL [WEB SITE] 2021; 16:1-14. [PMID: 35069797 PMCID: PMC8780830 DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/abcb39] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Comprehensive sampling of the carbonate system in estuaries and coastal waters can be difficult and expensive because of the complex and heterogeneous nature of near-shore environments. We show that sample collection by community science programs is a viable strategy for expanding estuarine carbonate system monitoring and prioritizing regions for more targeted assessment. 'Shell Day' was a single-day regional water monitoring event coordinating coastal carbonate chemistry observations by 59 community science programs and seven research institutions in the northeastern United States, in which 410 total alkalinity (TA) samples from 86 stations were collected. Field replicates collected at both low and high tides had a mean standard deviation between replicates of 3.6 ± 0.3 μmol kg-1 (σ mean ± SE, n = 145) or 0.20 ± 0.02%. This level of precision demonstrates that with adequate protocols for sample collection, handling, storage, and analysis, community science programs are able to collect TA samples leading to high-quality analyses and data. Despite correlations between salinity, temperature, and TA observed at multiple spatial scales, empirical predictions of TA had relatively high root mean square error >48 μmol kg-1. Additionally, ten stations displayed tidal variability in TA that was not likely driven by low TA freshwater inputs. As such, TA cannot be predicted accurately from salinity using a single relationship across the northeastern US region, though predictions may be viable at more localized scales where consistent freshwater and seawater endmembers can be defined. There was a high degree of geographic heterogeneity in both mean and tidal variability in TA, and this single-day snapshot sampling identified three patterns driving variation in TA, with certain locations exhibiting increased risk of acidification. The success of Shell Day implies that similar community science based events could be conducted in other regions to not only expand understanding of the coastal carbonate system, but also provide a way to inventory monitoring assets, build partnerships with stakeholders, and expand education and outreach to a broader constituency.
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Affiliation(s)
- J E Rheuban
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods Hole, MA 02543, United States of America
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole Sea Grant, Woods Hole, MA 02543, United States of America
| | - P R Gassett
- University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, United States of America
- Maine Sea Grant, Orono, ME 04469, United States of America
- Equally contributing first author
| | - D C McCorkle
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Department of Geology and Geophysics, Woods Hole, MA 02543, United States of America
| | - C W Hunt
- University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, United States of America
| | - M Liebman
- US Environmental Protection Agency Region 1, Boston, MA 02109, United States of America
| | - C Bastidas
- MIT Sea Grant, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States of America
| | - K O’Brien-Clayton
- Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Hartford, CT 06106, United States of America
| | - A R Pimenta
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, Narragansett, RI 02882, United States of America
| | - E Silva
- Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems (NERACOOS), Portsmouth, NH 03801, United States of America
| | - P Vlahos
- University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, United States of America
| | - R J Woosley
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Center for Global Change Science, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States of America
| | - J Ries
- Northeastern University, Marine Science Center, Department of Marine & Environmental Science, Nahant, MA 01908, United States of America
| | - C M Liberti
- University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, United States of America
| | - J Grear
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, Narragansett, RI 02882, United States of America
| | - J Salisbury
- University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, United States of America
| | - D C Brady
- University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, United States of America
| | - K Guay
- Bowdoin College, Department of Earth and Oceanographic Science, Brunswick, ME 04011, United States of America
| | - M LaVigne
- Bowdoin College, Department of Earth and Oceanographic Science, Brunswick, ME 04011, United States of America
| | - A L Strong
- Hamilton College, Environmental Studies Program, Clinton, NY 13323, United States of America
| | - E Stancioff
- Maine Sea Grant, Orono, ME 04469, United States of America
- University of Maine Cooperative Extension Office, Waldoboro, ME 04572, United States of America
| | - E Turner
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Silver Spring, MD 20910, United States of America, Retired
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Robinson SB, Oczkowski A, McManus MC, Chintala M, Ayvazian S. Growth Rates for Quahogs (Mercenaria mercenaria) in a Reduced Nitrogen Environment in Narragansett Bay, RI. Northeast Nat (Steuben) 2020. [DOI: 10.1656/045.027.0313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sandra B. Robinson
- US Environmental Protection Agency, CEMM, ACESD, 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, RI 02882
| | - Autumn Oczkowski
- US Environmental Protection Agency, CEMM, ACESD, 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, RI 02882
| | - M. Conor McManus
- Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Division of Marine Fisheries, Jamestown, RI 02835
| | - Marnita Chintala
- US Environmental Protection Agency, CEMM, ACESD, 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, RI 02882
| | - Suzanne Ayvazian
- US Environmental Protection Agency, CEMM, ACESD, 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, RI 02882
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Grear J, Pimenta A, Booth H, Horowitz DB, Mendoza W, Liebman M. In situ recovery of bivalve shell characteristics after temporary exposure to elevated pCO 2. LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY 2020; 65:2337-2351. [PMID: 34121771 PMCID: PMC8193772 DOI: 10.1002/lno.11456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Ocean uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2) is causing changes in carbonate chemistry that affect calcification in marine organisms. In coastal areas, this CO2-enriched seawater mixes with waters affected by seasonal degradation of organic material loaded externally from watersheds or produced as a response to nutrient enrichment. As a result, coastal bivalves often experience strong seasonal changes in carbonate chemistry. In some cases, these changes may resemble those experienced by aquacultured bivalves during translocation activities. We mimicked these changes by exposing juvenile hard clams (500 μm, Mercenaria mercenaria) to pCO2 in laboratory upwellers at levels resembling those already reported for northeastern US estuaries (mean upweller pCO2 = 773, 1274, and 1838 μatm) and then transplanting to three grow-out sites along an expected nutrient gradient in Narragansett Bay, RI (154 bags of 100 clams). Prior to the field grow-out, clams exposed to elevated pCO2 exhibited larger shells but lower dry weight per unit volume (dw/V). However, percent increase in dw/V was highest for this group during the 27-day field grow-out, suggesting that individuals with low dw/V after the laboratory treatment accelerated accumulation of dw/V when they were transferred to the bay. Treatments also appeared to affect shell mineral structure and condition of digestive diverticula. Although treatment effects diminished during the field grow-out, clams that were pre-exposed for several weeks to high pCO2 would likely have been temporarily vulnerable to predation or other factors that interact with shell integrity. This would be expected to reduce population recovery from short-term exposures to high pCO2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Grear
- Atlantic Ecology Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Narragansett, RI 02882
| | - Adam Pimenta
- Atlantic Ecology Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Narragansett, RI 02882
| | - Harriet Booth
- Atlantic Ecology Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Narragansett, RI 02882
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, US Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, TN
| | | | - Wilson Mendoza
- Atlantic Ecology Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Narragansett, RI 02882
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, US Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, TN
| | - Matthew Liebman
- EPA Region 1, US Environmental Protection Agency, Boston, MA
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