St. Lawrence Estuary Research and Observation Plan

St. Lawrence Estuary Research and Observation Plan

St. Lawrence Estuary Research and Observation Plan 1500 1000 Ocean Decade

Lead institution:

Fisheries and Oceans Canada – Canada

The project focuses on the ecosystem health of a major estuarine system of the world – the St. Lawrence Estuary. We propose to determine to what extent the large persistent zones of hypoxic and acidic bottom waters of the St. Lawrence Estuary that have been expanding over the past decades are the result of the ongoing coastal eutrophication. 

The transformation and utilization of nutrients and organic matter in hypoxic zone exert a positive feedback further reducing the oxygen level and lowering pH which is leading to ecosystem degradation. Understanding and quantifying the interactions among deoxygenation, acidification, eutrophication and other environmental drivers (e.g. ocean warming, changes in the hydrological cycle and in large-scale ocean circulation – all associated with climate change) could generate new knowledge on which to base decisions regarding eventual mitigation and adaptation actions to ocean deoxygenation such as regulations of nutrient use and discharge. 

This Project is hosted by the Ocean Decade Programme Global Ocean Oxygen Decade (GOOD) 

Start date: 01/04/2021
End date: 31/03/2026 

Lead Contact: David Lavesque (david.levesque@dfo-mpo.gc.ca)

challenges: Expand the Global Ocean Observing System, Protect and restore ecosystems and biodiversity, Understand and beat marine pollution
ocean_basins: North Atlantic Ocean
type_of_action: Project

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