On July 13th, center postdoc Yassir Eddebar gave a virtual lecture as a part of Birch Aquarium’s Jeffery B. Graham Virtual Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series.
With a focus on his work in the tropical Pacific, Yassir explained what causes oxygen minimum zones (OMZs), how they are likely to change in response to climate change, and their potential to impact marine ecosystems and fisheries as our climate warms.
OMZs are regions where dissolved oxygen [O2] levels are naturally low due to poor ventilation and microbial respiration (the conversion of organic carbon to carbon dioxide by tiny bacteria) at depth.