Temperature effects on oxygen thresholds for hypoxia in marine benthic organisms

Abstract

The effect of warming on the oxygen requirements and the survival of benthic organisms under hypoxia was tested using a meta-analysis of published results of experiments evaluating the effects of temperature on the median lethal time and median lethal concentration of benthic macrofauna under hypoxia. The meta-analysis confirmed that survival times under hypoxia were reduced by on average 74% and that median lethal concentration increased by on average 16% when marine benthic organisms were exposed to warmer temperatures. Warming reduced survival times of marine benthic macrofauna under hypoxia by a median of 3.95±1.67 h °C−1 and increased the oxygen thresholds for hypoxia-driven mortality by a median of 1.02±0.15% saturation °C−1 or 0.07±0.01 mg O2 L−1 °C−1. The corresponding Q10 values averaged 3.01±0.29 for the median survival time and 2.09±0.20 for the median lethal oxygen concentration. Use of these Q10 values predicts that the 4 °C warming expected during the 21st century will lead to survival times 35.6% lower under hypoxia and that the threshold oxygen concentrations for high mortality to occur will increase by, on average, 25.5% if bottom water temperature increased by 4 °C. Hence, ocean warming is expected to increase the vulnerability of benthic macrofauna to reduced oxygen concentrations and expand the area of coastal ecosystems affected by hypoxia.