{"title":"Can green hydrogen production be used to mitigate ocean deoxygenation? A scenario from the Gulf of St. Lawrence","authors":"","doi":"10.1007/s11027-023-10094-1","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Abstract</h3> <p>Ocean deoxygenation and expansion and intensification of hypoxia in the ocean are a major, growing threat to marine ecosystems. Measures currently used to protect marine biodiversity (e.g., marine protected areas) are ineffective in countering this threat. Here, we highlight the example of the Gulf of St. Lawrence in eastern Canada, where oxygen loss is not only due to eutrophication (which can be mitigated by nutrient controls) but also is a consequence of ocean circulation change and warming. Climate-related loss of oxygen will be an increasingly widespread source of risk to marine biodiversity over this century. Again using the Gulf of St. Lawrence as an example, we show that production of oxygen by the green hydrogen industry can be comparable to the loss rate of dissolved oxygen on large spatial scales, offering new possibilities for mitigation. However, this mitigation approach has rarely been considered for marine environments to date. Given confluence of increasing risk to marine ecosystems from oxygen loss and rapid emergence, worldwide, of industrial sources of pure oxygen, which are likely to be located in coastal regions, we believe this option will be proposed increasingly in coming years, including by the private sector. We argue that it is urgent for ocean scientists, engineers, and policymakers to recognize and address this emerging potential. A coordinated research effort should be established immediately in order to harness the potential of the green hydrogen industry to mitigate major impacts of climate change on marine biodiversity, and avoid any unintended negative consequences.</p>","PeriodicalId":54387,"journal":{"name":"Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change","volume":"54 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5000,"publicationDate":"2023-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change","FirstCategoryId":"93","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11027-023-10094-1","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Ocean deoxygenation and expansion and intensification of hypoxia in the ocean are a major, growing threat to marine ecosystems. Measures currently used to protect marine biodiversity (e.g., marine protected areas) are ineffective in countering this threat. Here, we highlight the example of the Gulf of St. Lawrence in eastern Canada, where oxygen loss is not only due to eutrophication (which can be mitigated by nutrient controls) but also is a consequence of ocean circulation change and warming. Climate-related loss of oxygen will be an increasingly widespread source of risk to marine biodiversity over this century. Again using the Gulf of St. Lawrence as an example, we show that production of oxygen by the green hydrogen industry can be comparable to the loss rate of dissolved oxygen on large spatial scales, offering new possibilities for mitigation. However, this mitigation approach has rarely been considered for marine environments to date. Given confluence of increasing risk to marine ecosystems from oxygen loss and rapid emergence, worldwide, of industrial sources of pure oxygen, which are likely to be located in coastal regions, we believe this option will be proposed increasingly in coming years, including by the private sector. We argue that it is urgent for ocean scientists, engineers, and policymakers to recognize and address this emerging potential. A coordinated research effort should be established immediately in order to harness the potential of the green hydrogen industry to mitigate major impacts of climate change on marine biodiversity, and avoid any unintended negative consequences.
期刊介绍:
The Earth''s biosphere is being transformed by various anthropogenic activities. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change addresses a wide range of environment, economic and energy topics and timely issues including global climate change, stratospheric ozone depletion, acid deposition, eutrophication of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, species extinction and loss of biological diversity, deforestation and forest degradation, desertification, soil resource degradation, land-use change, sea level rise, destruction of coastal zones, depletion of fresh water and marine fisheries, loss of wetlands and riparian zones and hazardous waste management.
Response options to mitigate these threats or to adapt to changing environs are needed to ensure a sustainable biosphere for all forms of life. To that end, Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change provides a forum to encourage the conceptualization, critical examination and debate regarding response options. The aim of this journal is to provide a forum to review, analyze and stimulate the development, testing and implementation of mitigation and adaptation strategies at regional, national and global scales. One of the primary goals of this journal is to contribute to real-time policy analysis and development as national and international policies and agreements are discussed and promulgated.