Seasonal nearshore ocean acidification and deoxygenation in the Southern California Bight

The California Current System experiences seasonal ocean acidification and hypoxia (OAH) owing to wind-driven upwelling, but little is known about the intensity, frequency, and depth distribution of OAH in the shallow nearshore environment. Here we present observations of OAH and dissolved inorganic carbon and nutrient parameters based on monthly transects from March 2017 to September 2018 extending from the surf zone to the similar to 40 m depth contour in La Jolla, California. Biologically concerning OAH conditions were observed at depths as shallow as 10 m and as close as 700 m to the shoreline. Below 20 m depth, 8% of observations were undersaturated with respect to aragonite, 28% of observations had a pH(T) less than 7.85, and 19% of observations were below the sublethal oxygen threshold of 157 mu mol kg(-1). These observations raise important questions about the impacts of OAH on coastal organisms and ecosystems and how future intensified upwelling may exacerbate these conditions.

Automated summary

Observations in La Jolla, California reveal the occurrence of ocean acidification and hypoxia (OAH) in the shallow nearshore environment, with significant impacts on coastal organisms and ecosystems. The effects are particularly pronounced at depths below 20 meters.