| Title | Novel method to predict hypoxia in shallow, complex archipelagoes |
| Download | Download (whole publication) |
| Author | Virtanen, E; Norkko, A; Viitasalo, M |
| Source | Program and abstracts: 2017 GeoHab Conference, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada; by Todd, B J; Brown, C J; Lacharité, M; Gazzola, V; McCormack, E; Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 8295, 2017 p. 118,
https://doi.org/10.4095/305939 (Open Access) |
| Links | GeoHab 2017
|
| Year | 2017 |
| Publisher | Natural Resources Canada |
| Meeting | 2017 GeoHab: Marine Geological and Biological Habitat Mapping; Dartmouth, NS; CA; May 1-4, 2017 |
| Document | open file |
| Lang. | English |
| Media | on-line; digital |
| Related | This publication is contained in Todd, B J; Brown, C J;
Lacharité, M; Gazzola, V; McCormack, E; (2017). Program and abstracts: 2017 GeoHab Conference, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 8295 |
| File format | pdf |
| Subjects | marine geology; surficial geology/geomorphology; environmental geology; geophysics; engineering geology; mapping techniques; oceanography; marine environments; coastal studies; conservation; marine
organisms; marine ecology; resource management; biological communities; environmental studies; ecosystems; benthos; oxygen; seafloor topography; modelling; geological mapping; geological mapping techniques; biology; habitat mapping; habitat
conservation; habitat management; mitigation |
| Program | Offshore Geoscience, Ocean Management Geoscience |
| Released | 2017 09 26 |
| Abstract | Hypoxia is a common phenomenon in marine areas characterized by strong water stratification and high organic production. These conditions are common in archipelagoes and estuaries around the world,
especially in semi-enclosed marine areas, such as the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea.
In complex archipelagoes, restricted water exchange is one of the main reasons for hypoxia. We tested if hypoxia can be predicted through a
limited number of simple topographical features in the marine landscape. We modelled the potential for hypoxic bottoms and hypoxic-prone areas in the northern Baltic Sea, in a complex Finnish archipelago. Hypoxia was largely explained by enclosed
topography and limited wave-force.
The modelling results show that large part of the variation of oxygen can be predicted without any knowledge of oceanographic parameters, temperature development, nutrient loading, biological communities, or
biogeochemical processes in the sediment. Our model was validated with benthos samples with good results, matching with areas with poor bottom-fauna diversity. Our approach shows that areas prone to hypoxia can be identified by using simple
topographic information. The method can also be used to assess where hypoxia is naturally occurring and where it is human-induced, and the potential for occurring in the future if environment resulting in hypoxia changes. Information can be used for
deciding where eutrophication mitigation actions should be placed in a cost-effective way. |
| GEOSCAN ID | 305939 |
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