Global reductions in seafloor biomass in response to climate change
Seafloor organisms are vital for healthy marine ecosystems, contributing to elemental cycling, benthic remineralization, and ultimately sequestration of carbon. Deep-sea life is primarily reliant on the export flux of particulate organic carbon from the surface ocean for food, but most ocean biogeoc...
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12480 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24382828 http://ecite.utas.edu.au/96093 |
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ftunivtasecite:oai:ecite.utas.edu.au:96093 2023-05-15T17:41:37+02:00 Global reductions in seafloor biomass in response to climate change Jones, DOB Yool, A Wei, C Henson, SA Ruhl, HA Watson, RA Gehlen, M 2013 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12480 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24382828 http://ecite.utas.edu.au/96093 en eng Blackwell Publishing Ltd http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12480 Jones, DOB and Yool, A and Wei, C and Henson, SA and Ruhl, HA and Watson, RA and Gehlen, M, Global reductions in seafloor biomass in response to climate change, Global Change Biology, 20, (6) pp. 1861-1872. ISSN 1354-1013 (2013) [Refereed Article] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24382828 http://ecite.utas.edu.au/96093 Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences Fisheries Sciences Aquatic Ecosystem Studies and Stock Assessment Refereed Article PeerReviewed 2013 ftunivtasecite https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12480 2019-12-13T21:58:23Z Seafloor organisms are vital for healthy marine ecosystems, contributing to elemental cycling, benthic remineralization, and ultimately sequestration of carbon. Deep-sea life is primarily reliant on the export flux of particulate organic carbon from the surface ocean for food, but most ocean biogeochemistry models predict global decreases in export flux resulting from 21st century anthropogenically induced warming. Here we show that decadal-to-century scale changes in carbon export associated with climate change lead to an estimated 5.2% decrease in future (20912100) global open ocean benthic biomass under RCP8.5 (reduction of 5.2 Mt C) compared with contemporary conditions (20062015). Our projections use multi-model mean export flux estimates from eight fully coupled earth system models, which contributed to the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5, that have been forced by high and low representative concentration pathways (RCP8.5 and 4.5, respectively). These export flux estimates are used in conjunction with published empirical relationships to predict changes in benthic biomass. The polar oceans and some upwelling areas may experience increases in benthic biomass, but most other regions show decreases, with up to 38% reductions in parts of the northeast Atlantic. Our analysis projects a future ocean with smaller sized infaunal benthos, potentially reducing energy transfer rates though benthic multicellular food webs. More than 80% of potential deep-water biodiversity hotspots known around the world, including canyons, seamounts, and cold-water coral reefs, are projected to experience negative changes in biomass. These major reductions in biomass may lead to widespread change in benthic ecosystems and the functions and services they provide. Article in Journal/Newspaper Northeast Atlantic eCite UTAS (University of Tasmania) Global Change Biology 20 6 1861 1872 |
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Open Polar |
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eCite UTAS (University of Tasmania) |
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ftunivtasecite |
language |
English |
topic |
Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences Fisheries Sciences Aquatic Ecosystem Studies and Stock Assessment |
spellingShingle |
Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences Fisheries Sciences Aquatic Ecosystem Studies and Stock Assessment Jones, DOB Yool, A Wei, C Henson, SA Ruhl, HA Watson, RA Gehlen, M Global reductions in seafloor biomass in response to climate change |
topic_facet |
Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences Fisheries Sciences Aquatic Ecosystem Studies and Stock Assessment |
description |
Seafloor organisms are vital for healthy marine ecosystems, contributing to elemental cycling, benthic remineralization, and ultimately sequestration of carbon. Deep-sea life is primarily reliant on the export flux of particulate organic carbon from the surface ocean for food, but most ocean biogeochemistry models predict global decreases in export flux resulting from 21st century anthropogenically induced warming. Here we show that decadal-to-century scale changes in carbon export associated with climate change lead to an estimated 5.2% decrease in future (20912100) global open ocean benthic biomass under RCP8.5 (reduction of 5.2 Mt C) compared with contemporary conditions (20062015). Our projections use multi-model mean export flux estimates from eight fully coupled earth system models, which contributed to the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5, that have been forced by high and low representative concentration pathways (RCP8.5 and 4.5, respectively). These export flux estimates are used in conjunction with published empirical relationships to predict changes in benthic biomass. The polar oceans and some upwelling areas may experience increases in benthic biomass, but most other regions show decreases, with up to 38% reductions in parts of the northeast Atlantic. Our analysis projects a future ocean with smaller sized infaunal benthos, potentially reducing energy transfer rates though benthic multicellular food webs. More than 80% of potential deep-water biodiversity hotspots known around the world, including canyons, seamounts, and cold-water coral reefs, are projected to experience negative changes in biomass. These major reductions in biomass may lead to widespread change in benthic ecosystems and the functions and services they provide. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Jones, DOB Yool, A Wei, C Henson, SA Ruhl, HA Watson, RA Gehlen, M |
author_facet |
Jones, DOB Yool, A Wei, C Henson, SA Ruhl, HA Watson, RA Gehlen, M |
author_sort |
Jones, DOB |
title |
Global reductions in seafloor biomass in response to climate change |
title_short |
Global reductions in seafloor biomass in response to climate change |
title_full |
Global reductions in seafloor biomass in response to climate change |
title_fullStr |
Global reductions in seafloor biomass in response to climate change |
title_full_unstemmed |
Global reductions in seafloor biomass in response to climate change |
title_sort |
global reductions in seafloor biomass in response to climate change |
publisher |
Blackwell Publishing Ltd |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12480 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24382828 http://ecite.utas.edu.au/96093 |
genre |
Northeast Atlantic |
genre_facet |
Northeast Atlantic |
op_relation |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12480 Jones, DOB and Yool, A and Wei, C and Henson, SA and Ruhl, HA and Watson, RA and Gehlen, M, Global reductions in seafloor biomass in response to climate change, Global Change Biology, 20, (6) pp. 1861-1872. ISSN 1354-1013 (2013) [Refereed Article] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24382828 http://ecite.utas.edu.au/96093 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12480 |
container_title |
Global Change Biology |
container_volume |
20 |
container_issue |
6 |
container_start_page |
1861 |
op_container_end_page |
1872 |
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1766143268902404096 |