Rivers are a dominant source of sediment entering the ocean. The sediment can be trapped in frontal zones and other oceanographic features, leading to high concentrations. Because of this and other processes, the transport of sediment in river-influenced environments often occurs near the seafloor, rather than the surface.
This study analyzed changes in phytoplankton and zooplankton on the Newfoundland and Scotian shelves from 1962 to 2003 in relation to changes in oceanography. Three categories of phytoplankton (color, diatoms, dinoflagellates) increased in abundance in the 1990s, and these increases generally persisted into 2001–2003. This is believed to be a ...
This study analyzed thermohaline dynamics of the Gulf of Maine based on data published in 1968. It describes six water masses: Maine Surface Water, Maine Intermediate Water, and Maine Bottom Water as interior water masses; and Scotian Shelf Water, Slope Water, and Georges Bank Water as exterior water masses. ...
Heat waves, coastal flooding, and river flooding will pose a growing challenge to the region’s environmental, social, and economic systems. This will increase the vulnerability of the region’s residents, especially its most disadvantaged populations. Infrastructure will be increasingly compromised by climate-related hazards, including sea level rise, coastal flooding, and intense ...
Vegetative growth and production of gametes by kelp from the North Sea (Germany) increased under ocean acidification conditions. (Laboratory study)
Unlike most marine invertebrates, the common slipper shell broods its embryos in capsules. This study found that the capsules do not protect the embryos from ocean acidification. When brooded under ocean acidification conditions, larvae had shells that were 6 percent shorter, and the percentage of larvae with abnormalities was 1.5- ...
This study investigated the response of metamorphosing larvae of a tubeworm species (Hydroides elegans) to two climate change stressors—ocean acidification (pH 7.6) and low oxygen (hypoxia)—and to both combined. (Laboratory study)
Juvenile Atlantic cod exposed to ocean acidification conditions for 55 days had reduced weight gain, growth rate, and condition. Growth trajectories of those living in medium and high acidification levels were 2.5 and 7.5 times lower than that of those in the low acidification level. The findings suggest that Atlantic ...
