Future Physical and Biogeochemical Ocean Conditions under Climate Change along the British Columbia Continental Margin ...

• Main Authors: Peña, M. Angelica, Fine, Isaac
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: Taylor & Francis 2023
• Subjects: Genetics; FOS Biological sciences; Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified; Ecology; Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified; Inorganic Chemistry; FOS Chemical sciences; Ocean acidification
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.23905708.v1; https://tandf.figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Future_Physical_and_Biogeochemical_Ocean_Conditions_under_Climate_Change_along_the_British_Columbia_Continental_Margin/23905708/1

Climate change impacts coastal ecosystems through large scale changes in temperature, stratification, circulation and ocean acidification. Here, the potential response of the British Columbia continental margin to climate change is investigated using a regional ocean circulation-biogeochemical model to downscale climate change projections from the Canadian regional and global climate models (CanRCM4/CanESM2) under two Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change emission scenarios (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5). Projections of future physical and biogeochemical conditions for the 2041–2070 period are compared to the recent past (1981–2010). We found an overall annual average warming of >1.6°C in sea surface temperature, increase in stratification in the upper layer, and decrease in surface pH of as much as 0.21. Increasing stratification and changing winds have a limited impact on nitrate availability, phytoplankton biomass and primary production, whilst ocean warming increases primary production by up to 30% in most ...