Deoxygenation as an underestimated threat to tropical ecosystems

Though the impacts of deoxygenation have been well-studied in temperate regions, relatively few studies have explored changing oxygen dynamics and their impacts in the tropics. Evidence from cold water habitats illustrates how persistent and acute deoxygenation can decrease marine biodiversity, alter ecosystem dynamics, and potentially lead to ecosystem collapse. However, lessons learned from these well-studied regions may not translate to tropical habitats, including coral reefs, seagrass beds, and mangroves, and how they respond to deoxygenation. Inherent differences between temperate and tropical habitats, including warmer waters that have negative impacts on species living at the edge of their thermal threshold, indicate that responses to deoxygenation in the tropics could fundamentally differ from those in higher-latitude systems. In this workshop, we are convening experts in deoxygenation from around the world to explore thresholds of organismal tolerances to deoxygenation in the tropics. 

 

9:10 - 9:40Ocean deoxygenation: The big picture and small time scales
Prof. Denise Breitburg, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, USA
9:40 - 10:10Unlocking the vulnerability of reef-forming corals to deoxygenation 
Prof. David Suggett, KAUST
10:10 - 10:40Coffee break
10:40 - 11:10Unraveling deoxygenation in nearshore areas in Southeast Asia and environs
Prof. Gil Jacinto, University of the Philippines
11:10 - 11:40Patterns of coral reef resilience to ocean deoxygenation
Prof. Andrew Altieri, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, USA
11:40 - 12:10Differential susceptibility of coral reefs to deoxygenation events 
Prof. Maggie Johnson, KAUST

 

Event Quick Information

Date
14 Feb, 2023
Time
09:00 AM - 12:10 PM
Venue
Building 20, rehearsal room (room 2011)