Destruction and reinstatement of coastal hypoxia in the South China Sea off the Pearl River estuary

We examined the evolution of intermittent hypoxia off the Pearl River estuary based on three cruise legs conducted in July 2018: one during severe hypoxic conditions before the passage of a typhoon and two post-typhoon legs showing destruction of the hypoxia and its reinstatement. The lowest ever recorded regional dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration of 3.5 mu mol kg(-1) (similar to 0.1 mg L-1) was observed in bottom waters during leg 1, with an similar to 660 km(2) area experiencing hypoxic conditions (DO < 63 mu mol kg(-1)). Hypoxia was completely destroyed by the typhoon passage but was quickly restored similar to 6 d later, resulting primarily from high biochemical oxygen consumption in bottom waters that averaged 14.6 +/- 4.8 mu mol O-2 kg(-1) d(-1). The shoreward intrusion of offshore subsurface waters contributed to an additional 8.6 +/- 1.7% of oxygen loss during the reinstatement of hypoxia. Freshwater inputs suppressed wind-driven turbulent mixing, stabilizing the water column and facilitating the hypoxia formation. The rapid reinstatement of summer hypoxia has a shorter timescale than the water residence time, which is however comparable with that of its initial disturbance from frequent tropical cyclones that occur throughout the wet season. This has important implications for better understanding the intermittent nature of hypoxia and predicting coastal hypoxia in a changing climate.

Automated summary

Intermittent hypoxia in the Pearl River estuary is influenced by factors such as typhoons and biochemical processes, leading to destruction and rapid restoration of hypoxic conditions. Freshwater inputs suppress hypoxia formation, and the reinstatement of hypoxia is influenced by offshore subsurface water intrusion. This study highlights the importance of understanding hypoxia intermittency in coastal areas under changing climate conditions.