Saanich Inlet Research Articles

Geographic variability in the seasonality of euphausiid diel vertical migrations among three locations in coastal British Columbia, Canada

Abstract Diel vertical migration (DVM) is a behaviour observed across zooplankton taxa in marine and limnetic systems worldwide. DVM influences biogeochemical cycling and carbon drawdown in oceanic systems and alters prey availability for zooplanktivorous species. DVM has been well studied among zooplankton, and many exogenous and endogenous triggers as well as adaptive significances have been hypothesized. However, second-order variability in DVM timing, the deviation of DVM times to respective dawn and dusk times throughout the year, is a less-studied phenomenon that can help identify the factors influencing migration timing as well as demonstrate the changes of DVM behaviours within and across systems. Here, we quantified seasonal trends in second-order variability of DVM timing of euphausiids at Brooks Peninsula, Clayoquot Canyon, and Saanich Inlet near Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, over multiple years using upward-facing moored echosounders. We used generalized additive mixed models to characterize this seasonality. DVM timing relative to civil twilight times showed strong seasonality at all locations, with euphausiids remaining near the surface longer than expected in spring and summer, and shorter than expected in winter. Euphausiids spent less time near the surface at Brooks Peninsula and Clayoquot Canyon than at Saanich Inlet throughout the year. Increased primary productivity in Saanich Inlet, which reduced light penetration and hid euphausiids from visual predators, likely drove this difference. Our findings confirm that proper understanding of DVM behaviours must account for seasonal variability due to context-specific oceanographic and ecological parameters. This is particularly pertinent when attempting to model the biogeochemical or predator–prey interactions influenced by DVM behaviours.

The determination of dimethyl sulfoxide in natural waters using electrochemical reduction

AbstractA highly specific electrochemical reduction method has been developed that enables the trace level measurement of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) concentration in natural waters. Following the sparging of native dimethyl sulfide (DMS) from the sample, DMSO is reduced to DMS using a novel electrochemical workflow that relies upon CuSO4 as a redox mediator. The DMS produced through DMSO reduction is collected, concentrated, and detected using a previously described Purge & Trap‐Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization‐Tandem Mass Spectrometry (P&T‐APCI‐MS/MS) analytical workflow. The method provides a 0.5 pM detection limit for the analysis of DMSO in 10 mL sample volumes, with a demonstrated method precision of 5.4% for the analysis of consecutive 10 nM aqueous standards. The method selectivity for DMSO was evaluated using a range of commonly observed marine organosulfur compounds, none of which were found to interfere with the analysis at a reduction potential of 4 V. Method intercomparison confirmed that the electrochemical reduction provides results that are equivalent (at the 95% confidence level) to an established TiCl3 reduction protocol for the analysis of both freshwater and seawater samples. Relative to established methods of DMSO reduction, the electrochemical method provides excellent selectivity and reproducibility, and offers the potential for automated, high‐throughput analysis. In addition, the new electrochemical method does not require expensive, difficult to procure enzymes or hazardous, corrosive chemical reagents. Depth profile measurements of DMSO, DMS, and dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) for unfiltered seawater samples collected in Saanich Inlet, a coastal fjord in British Columbia, demonstrate the effectiveness of the DMSO reduction method in an oceanographic context.

Network analysis of 16S rRNA sequences suggests microbial keystone taxa contribute to marine N2O cycling

The mechanisms by which large-scale microbial community function emerges from complex ecological interactions between individual taxa and functional groups remain obscure. We leveraged network analyses of 16S rRNA amplicon sequences obtained over a seven-month timeseries in seasonally anoxic Saanich Inlet (Vancouver Island, Canada) to investigate relationships between microbial community structure and water column N2O cycling. Taxa separately broadly into three discrete subnetworks with contrasting environmental distributions. Oxycline subnetworks were structured around keystone aerobic heterotrophs that correlated with nitrification rates and N2O supersaturations, linking N2O production and accumulation to taxa involved in organic matter remineralization. Keystone taxa implicated in anaerobic carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur cycling in anoxic environments clustered together in a low-oxygen subnetwork that correlated positively with nitrification N2O yields and N2O production from denitrification. Close coupling between N2O producers and consumers in the anoxic basin is indicated by strong correlations between the low-oxygen subnetwork, PICRUSt2-predicted nitrous oxide reductase (nosZ) gene abundances, and N2O undersaturation. This study implicates keystone taxa affiliated with common ODZ groups as a potential control on water column N2O cycling and provides a theoretical basis for further investigations into marine microbial interaction networks.

Renewal of seasonally anoxic Saanich Inlet is temporally and spatially dynamic

Injection of oxygenated water into anoxic basins sets off a cascade of biogeochemical reactions and ecosystem shifts. The dynamic nature of these events can create spatial variability in the resulting water mass that strongly affects subsequent observations. Their irregularity can also make their prediction for experiment planning challenging. Our study focuses on Saanich Inlet, one of the most accessible and well-studied anoxic basins in the world. In the late summer and early fall, dense water can cross the sill into this fjord, in discrete events, bringing oxygen and nitrate to the deep waters of the inlet. We assess the potential strength of these renewal events using density measured at a bottom mooring on the sill. We find that the occurrence and potential strength of renewals is primarily controlled by tidal current speeds, which can be well predicted. However, the intensity of coastal upwelling, which brings dense water into the estuarine system, plays a significant secondary control, reducing predictability. We also demonstrate that renewals do not result in a homogeneous water mass filling the deep inlet. Instead, high frequency measurements from a profiling mooring in the centre of the inlet reveal that different densities intruding over the several-day renewal period create a complex layering of waters containing different proportions of new oxic and old anoxic waters. Finally, we show that not every instance of high density water observed over the sill results in flushing of the deepest waters inside the inlet. We hypothesize that each renewal improves the chance of a subsequent renewal in the same season by reducing the density contrast between waters entering and already inside the inlet. Consideration of the temporal and spatial complexity of these renewal dynamics is necessary to support studies using Saanich Inlet as a natural laboratory for exploring oxygen deficient systems.

An 8-year record of phytoplankton productivity and nutrient distributions from surface waters of Saanich Inlet

Phytoplankton are the base of nearly all marine food webs and mediate the interactions of biotic and abiotic components in marine systems. Understanding the spatial and temporal changes in phytoplankton growth requires comprehensive biological, physical, and chemical information. Long-term datasets are an invaluable tool to study these changes, but they are rare and often include only a small set of measurements. Here, we present biological, physical and chemical oceanographic data measured periodically between March 2010 and November 2017 from the euphotic zone of Saanich Inlet, a temperate fjord on the west coast of British Columbia, Canada. The dataset includes measurements of dissolved macronutrients, total and size-fractionated chlorophyll-a, particulate carbon, nitrogen and biogenic silica, and carbon and nitrate uptake rates. This collection describes phytoplankton dynamics and the distribution of biologically-available macronutrients over time in the upper water column of Saanich Inlet. We establish a baseline for future investigations in Saanich Inlet and provide a data collection protocol that can be applied to similar productive coastal regions.

Nitrogenases in Oxygen Minimum Zone Waters

Biological dinitrogen (N2) fixation is the pathway making the large pool of atmospheric N2 available to marine life. Besides direct rate measurements, a common approach to explore the potential for N2 fixation in the ocean is a screening-based targeting the key functional marker gene nifH, coding for a subunit of the nitrogenase reductase. As novel sequencing techniques improved, our understanding of the diversity of marine N2 fixers grew exponentially. However, one aspect of N2 fixation in the ocean is often underexplored, which are the two alternative types of the key enzyme of N2 fixation, the nitrogenase. Altogether there are three isoenzymes, the most common Mo-Fe nitrogenase Nif, the Fe-Fe nitrogenase Anf, and the V-Fe nitrogenase Vnf, which differ regarding their genetic organization, as well as their metal co-enzymes. While Mo is only available in the presence of at least traces of oxygen (O2), V and Fe are available if O2 is absent. Therefore, low O2 and anoxic ocean environments could be an ideal place to explore the diversity of the different isotypes of the nitrogenases. Most phylogenetic studies, however, were only based on the functional marker gene nifH, encoding for a subunit of the Nif nitrogenase, and thus limited in representing the diversity of alternative nitrogenases. Here, we screened metagenomes and -transcriptomes from O2 minimum zones off Peru, from the Bay of Bengal, and the anoxic Saanich Inlet to explore the diversity of genes involved in N2 fixation. We identified genes related to all three nitrogenases, and a generally increased diversity as compared to our previous nifH based on studies from OMZ waters. While we could not confirm gene expression of alternative nitrogenases from our transcriptomic, we detected diazotrophs harboring the genetic potential for alternative nitrogenases. We suggest that alternative nitrogenases may not be used under conditions present in those waters, however, depending on trace metal availability they may become active under future ocean deoxygenation.

The UNAM-droplet freezing assay: An evaluation of the ice nucleating capacity of the sea-surface microlayer and surface mixed layer in tropical and subpolar waters (edited by Dr. Michel Grutter)

Ice nucleating particles (INPs) in the atmosphere are necessary to generate ice crystals in mixed-phase clouds, a crucial component for precipitation development. The sources and composition of INPs are varied: from mineral dust derived from continental erosion to bioaerosols resulting from bubble bursting at the ocean surface. The performance of a home-built droplet freezing assay (DFA) device for quantifying the ice nucleating abilities of water samples via immersion freezing has been validated against both published results and analyses of samples from sea surface microlayer (SML) and bulk surface water (BSW) from the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) and Saanich Inlet, off Vancouver Island (VI), Canada. Even in the absence of phytoplankton blooms, all the samples contained INPs at moderate concentrations, ranging from 6.0 × 101 to 1.1 × 105 L–1 water. The freezing temperatures (i.e., T50, the temperature at which 50% of the droplets freeze) of the samples decreased in order of VI SML > GoM BSW > GoM SML, indicating that the higher-latitude coastal waters have a greater potential to initiate cloud formation and precipitation

Paired U and Mo isotope evidence for pervasive anoxia in the Cryogenian early interglacial ocean

The delayed diversification of early animals until the middle Ediacaran Period, despite their likely origin in the Cryogenian Period or earlier, has been attributed to low levels of dissolved O2 in global seawater. To provide more robust constraints on the extent of global-ocean oxygenation during the mid-Cryogenian Period, we analyzed paired U (δ238U) and Mo (δ98Mo) isotope compositions of organic-rich shale in the basal Datangpo Formation from two separate drillcores in South China. This unit yielded an average δ238U of −0.39 ± 0.23‰ (2SD; relative to standard CRM145), which is significantly lower than the average δ238U (+0.02 ± 0.12‰) of euxinic sediments of the modern restricted Black Sea and well below a modeled δ238U of +0.2‰ for modern unrestricted euxinic facies (e.g., Saanich Inlet). The U/Al ratios of our samples indicate that ~ 40% of U was derived from detrital materials (δ238Udetrital = ~−0.3‰), suggesting that the δ238U of authigenic U is even lower than the measured bulk-sample values. Taking into consideration the 0.4–0.8‰ enrichment of 238U in euxinic sediments relative to seawater, the δ238U values of the Datangpo shales correspond to contemporaneous seawater δ238U of −1.20‰ to −0.73‰. Owing to mass balance considerations, these low seawater δ238U values are indicative of widespread development of anoxia in the Cryogenian interglacial ocean (~658–654 Ma). These shales yield mostly low δ98Mo values (+0.56 ± 0.46‰), although the youngest samples have values as high as +1.21 ± 0.23‰ (relative to NIST SRM 3134 = +0.25‰), all of which are significantly lower than modern seawater δ98Mo (+2.34 ± 0.10‰). The Datangpo shales either directly record the global seawater δ98Mo signature or provide a minimum estimate thereof (in the event of local influences). The consistently low δ98Mo values of the Datangpo shales thus confirm widespread anoxia in the Cryogenian interglacial ocean. These findings based on paired δ238U-δ98Mo analyses thus provide key information regarding global-ocean redox conditions during the interval immediately preceding the rise of macroscopic and morphologically complex animals

Mercury methylation by metabolically versatile and cosmopolitan marine bacteria

Microbes transform aqueous mercury (Hg) into methylmercury (MeHg), a potent neurotoxin that accumulates in terrestrial and marine food webs, with potential impacts on human health. This process requires the gene pair hgcAB, which encodes for proteins that actuate Hg methylation, and has been well described for anoxic environments. However, recent studies report potential MeHg formation in suboxic seawater, although the microorganisms involved remain poorly understood. In this study, we conducted large-scale multi-omic analyses to search for putative microbial Hg methylators along defined redox gradients in Saanich Inlet, British Columbia, a model natural ecosystem with previously measured Hg and MeHg concentration profiles. Analysis of gene expression profiles along the redoxcline identified several putative Hg methylating microbial groups, including Calditrichaeota, SAR324 and Marinimicrobia, with the last the most active based on hgc transcription levels. Marinimicrobia hgc genes were identified from multiple publicly available marine metagenomes, consistent with a potential key role in marine Hg methylation. Computational homology modelling predicts that Marinimicrobia HgcAB proteins contain the highly conserved amino acid sites and folding structures required for functional Hg methylation. Furthermore, a number of terminal oxidases from aerobic respiratory chains were associated with several putative novel Hg methylators. Our findings thus reveal potential novel marine Hg-methylating microorganisms with a greater oxygen tolerance and broader habitat range than previously recognized.

Comparison of mesozooplankton production estimates from Saanich Inlet (British Columbia, Canada) using the chitobiase and biomass size spectra approaches

Zooplankton production estimates are necessary to understand the availability and transfer of energy to higher trophic levels in marine food webs. Methods have been developed to quantify zooplankton production; however, they are difficult to compare as they focus on single species, groups, stages, or size classes of zooplankton. We compared 2 methods for estimating crustacean production: the chitobiase method (based on a crustacean moulting enzyme), and 3 empirical growth rate models (Huntley-Lopez, Hirst-Lampitt, and Hirst-Bunker) applied to optically resolved mesozooplankton normalized biomass size spectra (NBSS). Mesozooplankton net samples were collected between March and August of 2010 and 2011 in Saanich Inlet (British Columbia, Canada) and analyzed in the laboratory using microscopy and a bench-top laser optical particle counter (lab-LOPC). Microscope and lab-LOPC estimates of abundance and biomass were in close agreement. Crustacean production estimates were highest using Huntley-Lopez (0.20-185.3 mg C m-3 d-1), followed by Hirst-Bunker (0 .01-18.3 mg C m-3 d-1), chitobiase (0.05-15.6 mg C m-3 d-1), and Hirst-Lampitt (0.03-14.3 mg C m-3 d-1). Hirst-Lampitt-, Hirst-Bunker-, and chitobiase-based estimates of crustacean production and trophic transfer efficiency (TTE) yielded similar patterns/magnitude, while the Huntley-Lopez model was more variable. Estimates showed stronger agreement in 2011 than in 2010, attributed to the shift from El Niño to La Niña conditions. We highlight similarities/differences associated with these techniques and suggest that Hirst-Bunker estimates of production and TTE are most consistent with chitobiase-based values.

A huge flood in the Fraser River valley, British Columbia, near the Pleistocene Termination

Near the Pleistocene Termination, a glacier-dammed lake in central British Columbia suddenly drained to the south along the Fraser River valley. Floodwater travelled 330 km down the valley to Hope, British Columbia, and from there to the west into the Salish Sea near Vancouver. The flood was caused by the failure of an ice dam formed by the terminus of glaciers flowing from the central Coast Mountains across the British Columbia Interior Plateau. The ice dam impounded several hundred cubic kilometres of water to a maximum elevation of about 810 m asl (above sea level); at its maximum, the lake at the ice dam was over 250 m deep. Geomorphic and sedimentary evidence for the flood includes streamlined boulder-strewn bars, gravel dune fields, and terraces sloping up Fraser and lowermost Thompson valleys, opposite the present direction of river flow. The gravel bars and flood terraces are underlain by sheets of massive to poorly sorted gravel containing large boulders and rip-up clasts of silt and till. Shortly after the flood, a landslide near the northern margin of the former glacier dam impounded water to an elevation of about 550 m asl. This lake emptied due to overflow and incision of the landslide dam. The outburst flood from glacial Lake Fraser and the subsequent draining of the landslide-dammed lake deeply incised the older sediment fill in Fraser Valley and transported much of this sediment into the proto-Salish Sea west of Vancouver, British Columbia and Bellingham, Washington. TCN ages on flood-transported boulders at three localities along the flood path agree with radiocarbon ages on inferred flood layers in ODP cores collected from Saanich Inlet, a fiord on southern Vancouver Island, 80 km south-southwest of Vancouver.

Temporal and Vertical Oxygen Gradients Modulate Nitrous Oxide Production in a Seasonally Anoxic Fjord: Saanich Inlet, British Columbia

AbstractNitrous oxide (N2O) is a strong greenhouse gas and an ozone depleting agent. In marine environments, N2O is produced biologically via ammonium oxidation, nitrite, and nitrate reduction. The relative importance of these principle production pathways is strongly influenced by oxygen availability. We conducted 15N tracer experiments of N2O production in parallel with measurements of N2O concentration and natural abundance isotopes/isotopomers in Saanich Inlet, a seasonally anoxic fjord, to investigate how temporal and vertical oxygen gradients regulate N2O production pathways and rates. In April, June, and August 2018, the depth of the oxic‐anoxic interface (dissolved oxygen = 2.5 μmol L−1 isoline) progressively deepened from 110 to 160 m. Within the oxygenated and suboxic water column, N2O supersaturation coincided with peak ammonium oxidation activity. Conditions in the anoxic deep water were potentially favorable to N2O production from nitrate and nitrite reduction, but N2O undersaturation was observed indicating that N2O consumption exceeded rates of production. In October, tidal mixing introduced oxygenated water from outside the inlet, displacing the suboxic and anoxic deep water. This oxygenation event stimulated N2O production from ammonium oxidation and increased water column N2O supersaturation while inhibiting nitrate and nitrite reduction to N2O. Results from 15N tracer incubation experiments and natural abundance isotopomer measurements both implicated ammonium oxidation as the dominant N2O production pathway in Saanich Inlet, fueled by high ammonium fluxes (0.6–3.5 nmol m−2 s−1) from the anoxic depths. Partial denitrification contributed little to water column N2O production because of low availability of nitrate and nitrite.

Benthic fluxes of oxygen and heat from a seasonally hypoxic region of Saanich Inlet fjord observed by eddy covariance

Benthic habitats within fjords are predominantly insulated from the high energy physical dynamics of open coastlines. As a result, fjords may have atypical mass and heat transfer rates at the seafloor. This study presents aquatic eddy covariance (EC) measurements made continuously from late May 2013 through December 2013, in Saanich Inlet fjord, British Columbia, to assess areal-averaged benthic fluxes of dissolved oxygen and heat, and their relationships to bottom boundary layer dynamics and water properties. The measurements were achieved by the connection of a system of underwater EC sensors to Ocean Network Canada's Victoria Experimental Network Under the Sea (VENUS) observatory that has a primary seafloor node located near the 100-m isobath in Patricia Bay off the eastern shore of Saanich Inlet. Current velocities and turbulence (characterized by turbulent kinetic energy and dissipation rate estimates) were observed to be generally low with the weakest dynamics in autumn during periods of heightened hypoxia. EC fluxes that represented turbulent eddy transport in balance with the seafloor source/sink were derived through conditional criteria that excluded measurements occurring when the bottom boundary layer was not sufficiently turbulent or when transient shifts in bottom water properties were observed. The accepted fluxes of oxygen (−1.6 ± 1.2 mmol m−2 d−1) and heat (0.27 ± 0.57 W m−2) showed only modest variations within the observed 7-month period in Saanich Inlet. Broader implications of these fluxes are that: 1) seafloor oxygen uptake rates are too limited to drive annual expansions and intensification of the site's overlying seasonal hypoxic zone, and 2) heat transferred to the seabed in summer is only slowly dissipated back to the water column during other times of the year.

Sedimentary host phases of mercury (Hg) and implications for use of Hg as a volcanic proxy

Mercury (Hg) concentration enrichments have become a widely used proxy for volcanic inputs to sediments, especially for investigation of ancient large igneous province (LIP) eruptions. Its application for this purpose requires normalization to an element representing the dominant host phase of Hg–generally total organic carbon (TOC) for the organic fraction, but occasionally total sulfur (TS) or aluminum (Al) for the sulfide or clay fractions, respectively. Hg studies generally assume an organic matter host, but recent work has demonstrated that sulfide or clay fraction host phases are not uncommon, making it essential to determine formation-specific Hg host phases. Here, we investigate Hg concentrations and their relationships to TOC, TS, and Al in four modern marine settings (Black Sea, Japan Sea, Saanich Inlet, and Peru Margin) and six ancient marine formations (from Lower Cambrian to Lower Jurassic). Multiple regression analysis (MRA) shows that the organic fraction is the dominant host of Hg in all of the modern marine sediments examined here, as well as in many ancient marine units, although in some of the latter Hg resides primarily in the sulfide fraction (i.e., lower Cambrian and Upper Ordovician units) or partly in the clay mineral fraction (Middle Permian) of the sediment. A sulfide host phase is more likely in strongly euxinic depositional facies, as reflected in high TS concentrations (>1.0%) and TS/TOC ratios (>∼0.35). This study thus demonstrates the importance of determining Hg host phases in sediments prior to normalization and use of Hg as a volcanic proxy.

Redox classification and calibration of redox thresholds in sedimentary systems

Existing redox classifications and the calibrations of elemental proxies to modern environmental redox scales are in need of re-evaluation. Here, we review environmental redox classifications, commonly used elemental redox proxies, and their intercalibration, and we propose a novel approach to improve the calibration of such proxies, using datasets from the modern Black Sea, Saanich Inlet, and California Margin as examples. Our approach is based on recognition of compound covariation patterns among pairs of elemental redox proxies within a redox framework based on three key thresholds: (1) the Re4+/Re3− couple near the suboxidized/subreduced boundary of the suboxic zone, (2) the U6+/U4+ couple in the middle of the subreduced zone, and (3) the SO42−/H2S couple at the suboxic/euxinic boundary. Within this framework, it is possible to determine the relative timing of onset and the degree of enrichment of other elemental redox proxies. Our analysis demonstrates that, even though some elements exhibit limited enrichment within the suboxic zone, the bulk of authigenic enrichment of the redox-sensitive elements considered in this study occurs within the euxinic zone. One important finding of our study is that the threshold value associated with a given elemental proxy can vary considerably between depositional systems. For this reason, it is inadvisable to transfer published threshold values (i.e., from earlier paleoredox studies) to completely different formations, and redox proxies must be internally calibrated for each individual paleodepositional system under investigation.

An hypoxia-tolerant flatfish: consequences of sustained stress on the slender sole Lyopsetta exilis (Pleuronectidae) in the context of a changing ocean.

Slender sole Lyopsetta exilis is an abundant groundfish on the continental shelf and inner waters of British Columbia, Canada, where it reaches a maximum standard length of 44 cm. Benthic image surveys coupled with oxygen measurements in Saanich Inlet document a dense population in bottom conditions near anoxia (0.03 ml l−1 oxygen) where diel migrating zooplankton intersect the bottom; we confirm this species is a planktivore, which limits its depth range to the base of the migration layer. In a comparison with slender sole from a nearby well‐oxygenated habitat, several probable effects of living in severe hypoxia emerge: both sexes are significantly smaller in Saanich and the sex ratio is male‐skewed. Otoliths from the Saanich fish were difficult to read due to many checks, but both sexes were smaller at age with the largest female (20 cm) from the hypoxia zone registering 17 years. Hypoxia appears to have a direct consequence on growth despite good food supply in this productive basin. Hyperventilation, a low metabolic rate and a very low critical oxygen tension help this fish regulate oxygen uptake in severely hypoxic conditions; it will be particularly resilient as the incidence of hypoxia increases on the continental shelf. Data from small‐mesh bottom‐trawl surveys over four decades reveal an increase in mean annual catch per unit effort in southern regions of the province, including the outer shelf and the Strait of Georgia. The California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI) ichthyoplankton database records a general decline in fish larvae on the Oregon–California shelf since 1990, but slender sole larvae are increasing there, as they are in the Strait of Georgia. We project that the slender sole will gain relative benefits in the future warming, deoxygenated northeast Pacific Ocean.

A Mg(OH)2 coprecipitation method for determining chromium speciation and isotopic composition in seawater

AbstractChromium (Cr) stable isotopes have emerged as a powerful tool for tracking environmental redox transformations. This is because Cr isotopes are fractionated during redox reactions between Cr(III) and Cr(VI). In order to fully exploit the information recorded within Cr isotope compositions, we must be able to track changes in Cr speciation throughout the environment and, in particular, the changes in speciation between input to the ocean and eventual deposition in sediments. We must also be able to access the isotope compositions of each Cr species, rather than only total dissolved Cr. We have thus developed a magnesium hydroxide coprecipitation method that meets these objectives. This method achieves complete recovery and has a typical precision on concentration measurements of ±8% (1σ). It was tested using seawater collected from Saanich Inlet, a persistently anoxic fjord on the Pacific coast of Canada. Chromium speciation profiles and proof‐of‐concept isotope ratio measurements on selected samples indicate that isotopically lighter Cr(III) can be isolated from coexisting isotopically heavier Cr(VI), effectively resolving species‐specific Cr isotope compositions. While the oxygenated surface waters of Saanich Inlet follow the generally observed correlation between seawater Cr concentration and its isotopic composition, seawater from anoxic depths diverges from this array, indicating that different processes are responsible for setting the isotope composition of these deeper waters. Broader application of Mg(OH)2 coprecipitation has strong potential to yield new insights into the fractionation of Cr isotopes in the oceans and the pathways that ultimately set the Cr isotopic composition of marine sediments and sedimentary archives.

Time-series CH4 measurements from Saanich Inlet, BC, a seasonally anoxic fjord

We present 7 years of water column methane (CH4) measurements from Saanich Inlet, a seasonally anoxic fjord in British Columbia, Canada. Our time-series observations show that CH4 concentrations and sea-air fluxes vary significantly over seasonal cycles, driven primarily by changes in O2-availability throughout the water column. Methane concentrations were always supersaturated in near-surface waters (mean 1160 ± 590% saturation at 10 m depth) and remained high between 10 and 85 m depth. We observed a persistent mid-depth CH4 minimum between 85 and 110 m associated with a turbidity maximum near the base of the oxycline. CH4 accumulated steadily below 150 m depth from the onset of anoxia until the subsequent annual renewal, with maximum bottom water values indicative of sedimentary sources. Beyond the strong seasonal cycle in CH4 concentrations, we also observed significant inter-annual variability. Most notably, the moderate 2009–2010 El Niño resulted in a weak deep basin renewal, and anomalously high CH4 concentrations in both the deep basin and upper 85 m. Over the time-series, we observed statistically significant shoaling of the hypoxic boundary, associated with declining CH4 concentrations in the upper water column (10–85 m depth). Our results provide insight into the potential effects of expanding hypoxia on CH4 cycling in coastal waters.

Disassembly of an epibenthic assemblage in a sustained severely hypoxic event in a northeast Pacific basin

Abstract As global ocean deoxygenation proceeds and the frequency of extreme low-oxygen (hypoxic) events increases, seafloor ecosystems will inevitably be affected. Our study examines how benthic community responses scale with the severity and spatial extent of hypoxia. Saanich Inlet is a natural model system for testing the effects of hypoxic conditions that determine the benthic megafaunal community structure during annual deoxygenation and reoxygenation. In 2016, an anomalously severe and widespread hypoxic event occurred in the fjord after a decade of oxygen decline at a rate of 0.07 mL L −1 y −1 as measured by a cabled seafloor observatory. We use a living ecological time-series generated from remotely operated vehicle surveys to assess how the benthic megafaunal community disassembled in response to this extreme hypoxic event. Three benthic surveys at similar times in 2013 and 2016 reveal large increases in the area of seafloor bathed in anoxic and hypoxic waters in the latter year. Both bottom oxygen and species depth distributions shoaled from 2013 to 2016, accompanied by a 56% overall decline in megafauna. The abundant habitat-forming pennatulacean octocoral, Halipteris willemoesi , decreased in abundance by 92.3% from fall 2013 to fall 2016, and pandalid shrimp disappeared from the community. Hypoxia-tolerant species experienced milder losses, and two new species occurred in 2016 – one a predator on the coral. Co-occurrence analyses revealed loss of significant community segregation from 2013 to 2016, and a re-mix of pairwise species co-occurrences in the latter year. The loss of oxygenated habitat compressed species into narrower depth ranges and led to disassembly probably through niche space constriction, while decimation of some populations eliminated key community associations. Community fragmentation and disruption of interactions is a possible outcome for many marine benthic ecosystems as marine hypoxia intensifies.

Sampling and Processing Methods Impact Microbial Community Structure and Potential Activity in a Seasonally Anoxic Fjord: Saanich Inlet, British Columbia

The Scientific Committee on Oceanographic Research (SCOR) Working Group 144 Microbial Community Responses to Ocean Deoxygenation workshop held in Vancouver, B.C on July 2014 had the primary objective of initiating a process to standardize operating procedures for compatible process rate and multi-omic (DNA, RNA, protein and metabolite) data collection in marine oxygen minimum zones (OMZs) and other oxygen depleted waters. Workshop attendees participated in practical sampling and experimental activities in Saanich Inlet, British Columbia, a seasonally anoxic fjord. Experiments were designed to compare and cross-calibrate in situ versus bottle sampling methods to determine effects on microbial community structure and potential activity when using different filter combinations, filtration methods and sample volumes. Resulting biomass was preserved for small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU or 16S rRNA) and SSU rRNA gene (rDNA) amplicon sequencing followed by downstream statistical and visual analyses. Results from these analyses showed that significant community shifts occurred between in situ versus on ship processed samples. For example, Bacteroidetes, Alphaproteobacteria and Opisthokonta associated with on-ship filtration onto 0.4 µm filters increased 5-fold compared to on-ship in-line 0.22 µm filters or 0.4 µm filters processed and preserved in situ. In contrast, Planctomycetes associated with 0.4 µm in situ filters increased 5-fold compared to on-ship filtration onto 0.4 µm filters and on-ship in-line 0.22 µm filters. In addition, candidate divisions and Chloroflexi were primarily recovered when filtered onto 0.4 µm filters in situ. Results based on rRNA:rDNA ratios for microbial indicator groups revealed previously unrecognized roles of candidate divisions, Desulfarculales, and Desulfuromandales in sulfur cycling, carbon fixation and fermentation within anoxic basin waters. Taken together, filter size and in situ versus on-ship filtration had the largest impact on recovery of microbial groups with the potential to influence downstream metabolic reconstruction and process rate measurements. These observations highlight the need for establishing standardized and reproducible techniques that facilitate cross-scale comparisons and more accurately assess in situ activities of microbial communities.