Acidification, hypoxia, and algal blooms: Barriers to current and future ecosystem restoration and climate change resilience in Jamaica Bay
Christopher J. Gobler, Stony Brook University
Bivalves (oysters and mussels) were historically a significant component of Jamaica Bay, a unit of Gateway National Recreation Area. Due to their important role in providing ecosystem filtration, habitat, and even storm surge protection, there is increasing interest in restoring bivalves to the Bay, thus enhancing climate change resiliency. However, there are several important questions to address that may improve habitat restoration efforts. What are the precise temporal (onset, peak, demise, diurnal) and spatial (horizontal, vertical) dynamics of acidification and hypoxia in Jamaica Bay? Are there refuges that may facilitate targeted regions for restoration? What are the responses of keystone marine organisms to these conditions? Are some targets for restoration more resilient than others when faced with these stressors? To what extent are these conditions linked to nutrient loading and algal populations? To what extent will these conditions worsen due to climate change?
The purpose of this study is to address these questions by quantifying the temporal and spatial dynamics of hypoxia, acidification, calcium carbonate saturation state, and bivalve growth in the Bay. Hypoxia and acidification have strong negative effects on multiple forms of marine life including fish and are particularly harmful to the bivalves that are important for building resilience and ecosystem restoration in Jamaica Bay. While dissolved oxygen has been measured discretely in this estuary, accurate measurements of pCO2 and carbonate chemistry are not available. Moreover, the final scale temporal and spatial dynamics of hypoxia and acidification are unknown. As such, estuarine restoration efforts are proceeding without knowledge of the actual extent of hypoxia and acidification in Jamaica Bay and without regard for the sensitivities of marine life to these critical markers of water quality. Compounding this problem further, in the coming decades, climate change will likely intensify hypoxia and acidification in Jamaica Bay.
Beyond assessing the temporal and spatial dynamics of hypoxia, acidification, calcium carbonate saturation state in Jamaica Bay, this project will examine the vulnerabilities of the bivalves that may be targeted for restoration in Jamaica Bay to these conditions and will link the existing conditions to dominant primary producers and nutrient loading in this system. Collectively, these findings will significantly improve outcomes of future ecosystem restoration efforts in this ecosystem. This project will further identify the regions of Jamaica Bay likely to be most and least resilient to future climate change intensified hypoxia, acidification, and warming.
This project is one of many post-Hurricane Sandy supported studies that are being conducted in association with the Jamaica Bay Science and Resilience Institute – studies aimed at understanding resilience in urban ecosystems in the face of catastrophic events such as Hurricane Sandy.
Funding: Department of Interior, National Park Service
Project Period: November 2014 – October 2016
