Articles | Volume 20, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-839-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-839-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
24 Feb 2023
Research article |
| 24 Feb 2023
| 24 Feb 2023
Temporal and spatial evolution of bottom-water hypoxia in the St Lawrence estuarine system
Mathilde Jutras
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, McGill University, 3450
University Street, Montreal, QC, H3A OE8, Canada
Université Laval, 1045 av. de la Médecine, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
Alfonso Mucci
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, McGill University, 3450
University Street, Montreal, QC, H3A OE8, Canada
Université du Québec à Montréal, 201 av. du Président-Kennedy, Montréal, QC, H2X 3Y7, Canada
Gwenaëlle Chaillou
Institut des Sciences de la Mer de Rimouski (ISMER) – Université du Québec à Rimouski, 300 Allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, QC, G5L 3A1, Canada
Université Laval, 1045 av. de la Médecine, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
William A. Nesbitt
Department of Oceanography, Dalhousie University, Steele Ocean
Sciences Building, 1355 Oxford St., P.O. Box 15000, Halifax, NS, B3H
4R2, Canada
Douglas W. R. Wallace
Department of Oceanography, Dalhousie University, Steele Ocean
Sciences Building, 1355 Oxford St., P.O. Box 15000, Halifax, NS, B3H
4R2, Canada
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Cited
23 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Régime alimentaire hivernal de la morue franche (Gadus morhua) dans le fjord du Saguenay C. Lapointe et al. https://doi.org/10.7202/1119001ar
- Could artificial reoxygenation revitalize dying coastal seas? C. Slomp et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ae5e96
- Mixing behaviour and sources of Ag, Pd, and other trace elements in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence under winter conditions D. Dang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142935
- Living at depth: ecophysiological condition of Boreomysis arctica in autumn and winter in the St. Lawrence estuary and gulf G. Winkler et al. https://doi.org/10.1093/plankt/fbae022
- Large burial flux of modern organic carbon in the St. Lawrence estuarine system indicates a substantial atmospheric carbon sink Y. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2025.119204
- Predicting historical oxygen deficiency areas in the western Baltic Sea: A multi-model approach S. Piehl et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.118464
- Assessing indirect biodiversity conservation benefits of fisheries closures in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada A. Bryndum-Buchholz et al. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0316754
- More than a century of oceanic hydrography observations reveals profound climate-related changes in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean and its Arctic Gateways J. Coyne et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-1463-2026
- Warming, but not acidification, increases metabolism and reduces growth of redfish (Sebastes fasciatus) in the Gulf of St. Lawrence J. Guitard et al. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2025-0014
- Gulf of St. Lawrence and Estuary Dataset (GOSLED): a 20-year compilation of quality-controlled biogeochemical observations (2003–2023) W. Nesbitt et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-3609-2026
- Transient tracer observations in the Gulf of St. Lawrence reveal shift from younger to older inflow waters L. Gerke et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/os-22-1391-2026
- Macrozoobenthic Diversity along an Oxygen Gradient in the Deep Trough of the Gulf of St. Lawrence (Canada) M. Zettler & F. Pollehne https://doi.org/10.3390/d15070854
- A high-resolution physical–biogeochemical model for marine resource applications in the northwest Atlantic (MOM6-COBALT-NWA12 v1.0) A. Ross et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-6943-2023
- Can green hydrogen production be used to mitigate ocean deoxygenation? A scenario from the Gulf of St. Lawrence D. Wallace et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11027-023-10094-1
- Deep inflow transport and dispersion in the Gulf of St. Lawrence revealed by a tracer release experiment S. Stevens et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01505-5
- Isotopic and molecular analyses of n-alkanes in a temporal study of coastal sediment contributions to organic carbon degradation induced by algal bloom and terrestrial runoff Y. Mirzaei et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.178071
- Otoliths as chemical archives through ontogeny reveal distinct migratory strategies of Atlantic halibut within the Gulf of St. Lawrence C. Gauthier et al. https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsae081
- Proteomic profiling unveils compensatory physiological mechanisms of an annelid living across a natural persistent deoxygenation gradient A. Cuenca et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2025.122654
- Using chlorophyllic organic matter degradation in the deep St. Lawrence Estuary as an indicator of water column remineralization D. Lévesque et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2024.1399961
- How do different baseline food web structures shape coastal ecosystem response patterns to climate change in three bays of Fujian, China? Y. Lin et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2025.1746943
- The coupled oxygen and carbon dynamics in the subsurface waters of the Gulf and Lower St. Lawrence Estuary and implications for artificial oxygenation W. Nesbitt et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-2179-2025
- Les systèmes aquatiques en manque d’oxygène C. Guéguen et al. https://doi.org/10.7202/1116181ar
- Growth plasticity linked to partial migration in Atlantic halibut C. Gauthier et al. https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsaf132
23 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Régime alimentaire hivernal de la morue franche (Gadus morhua) dans le fjord du Saguenay C. Lapointe et al. https://doi.org/10.7202/1119001ar
- Could artificial reoxygenation revitalize dying coastal seas? C. Slomp et al. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ae5e96
- Mixing behaviour and sources of Ag, Pd, and other trace elements in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence under winter conditions D. Dang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142935
- Living at depth: ecophysiological condition of Boreomysis arctica in autumn and winter in the St. Lawrence estuary and gulf G. Winkler et al. https://doi.org/10.1093/plankt/fbae022
- Large burial flux of modern organic carbon in the St. Lawrence estuarine system indicates a substantial atmospheric carbon sink Y. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2025.119204
- Predicting historical oxygen deficiency areas in the western Baltic Sea: A multi-model approach S. Piehl et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.118464
- Assessing indirect biodiversity conservation benefits of fisheries closures in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada A. Bryndum-Buchholz et al. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0316754
- More than a century of oceanic hydrography observations reveals profound climate-related changes in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean and its Arctic Gateways J. Coyne et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-1463-2026
- Warming, but not acidification, increases metabolism and reduces growth of redfish (Sebastes fasciatus) in the Gulf of St. Lawrence J. Guitard et al. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2025-0014
- Gulf of St. Lawrence and Estuary Dataset (GOSLED): a 20-year compilation of quality-controlled biogeochemical observations (2003–2023) W. Nesbitt et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-3609-2026
- Transient tracer observations in the Gulf of St. Lawrence reveal shift from younger to older inflow waters L. Gerke et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/os-22-1391-2026
- Macrozoobenthic Diversity along an Oxygen Gradient in the Deep Trough of the Gulf of St. Lawrence (Canada) M. Zettler & F. Pollehne https://doi.org/10.3390/d15070854
- A high-resolution physical–biogeochemical model for marine resource applications in the northwest Atlantic (MOM6-COBALT-NWA12 v1.0) A. Ross et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-6943-2023
- Can green hydrogen production be used to mitigate ocean deoxygenation? A scenario from the Gulf of St. Lawrence D. Wallace et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11027-023-10094-1
- Deep inflow transport and dispersion in the Gulf of St. Lawrence revealed by a tracer release experiment S. Stevens et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01505-5
- Isotopic and molecular analyses of n-alkanes in a temporal study of coastal sediment contributions to organic carbon degradation induced by algal bloom and terrestrial runoff Y. Mirzaei et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.178071
- Otoliths as chemical archives through ontogeny reveal distinct migratory strategies of Atlantic halibut within the Gulf of St. Lawrence C. Gauthier et al. https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsae081
- Proteomic profiling unveils compensatory physiological mechanisms of an annelid living across a natural persistent deoxygenation gradient A. Cuenca et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2025.122654
- Using chlorophyllic organic matter degradation in the deep St. Lawrence Estuary as an indicator of water column remineralization D. Lévesque et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2024.1399961
- How do different baseline food web structures shape coastal ecosystem response patterns to climate change in three bays of Fujian, China? Y. Lin et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2025.1746943
- The coupled oxygen and carbon dynamics in the subsurface waters of the Gulf and Lower St. Lawrence Estuary and implications for artificial oxygenation W. Nesbitt et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-2179-2025
- Les systèmes aquatiques en manque d’oxygène C. Guéguen et al. https://doi.org/10.7202/1116181ar
- Growth plasticity linked to partial migration in Atlantic halibut C. Gauthier et al. https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsaf132
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 03 Aug 2026
Short summary
The deep waters of the lower St Lawrence Estuary and gulf have, in the last decades, experienced a strong decline in their oxygen concentration. Below 65 µmol L-1, the waters are said to be hypoxic, with dire consequences for marine life. We show that the extent of the hypoxic zone shows a seven-fold increase in the last 20 years, reaching 9400 km2 in 2021. After a stable period at ~ 65 µmol L⁻¹ from 1984 to 2019, the oxygen level also suddenly decreased to ~ 35 µmol L-1 in 2020.
The deep waters of the lower St Lawrence Estuary and gulf have, in the last decades, experienced...
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