The response of aquatic ecosystems to the interactive effects of stratospheric ozone depletion, UV radiation, and climate change
Citation:
Neale, P., C. Williamson, A. Banaszak, D. Haeder, S. Hylander, R. Ossola, K. Rose, S. Wangberg, AND R. Zepp. The response of aquatic ecosystems to the interactive effects of stratospheric ozone depletion, UV radiation, and climate change. PHOTOCHEMICAL AND PHOTOBIOLOGICAL SCIENCES. Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, Uk, 22(5):1093-1127, (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43630-023-00370-z
Impact/Purpose:
This assessment was conducted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Environmental Effects Assessment Panel (EEAP). The EEAP is one of three Panels informing the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on the interactive effects of changes in stratospheric ozone and climate at the Earth’s surface on human health and the environment. This article draws on the international expertise of the Environmental Effects Assessment Panel (EEAP) of the United Nations Environment Programme, which is committed to contributing to many of the Sustainable Development Goals for safeguarding the future of the planet. The current update is based primarily on scientific advances that have accumulated over the past four years. Variations in stratospheric ozone and changes in the aquatic environment by climate change and human activity are modifying exposure of aquatic ecosystems to UV radiation. These shifts in exposure have impacts on distributions of species, biogeochemical cycles, and services provided by aquatic ecosystems. The purpose of this Quadrennial Assessment is to assess the latest knowledge on the multi-faceted interactions between the effects of UV irradiation and of climate change, and of other anthropogenic activities, and how these conditions are changing aquatic ecosystems. Climate change results in variations in the depth of mixing, thickness of ice cover, the duration of ice-free conditions and inputs of dissolved organic matter, all of which can either increase or decrease exposure to UV radiation. Anthropogenic activities regulated in part by the US EPA release oil, UV filters in suncreens, and microplastics into the aquatic environment that are then modified by UV radiation, frequently amplifying adverse effects on aquatic organisms and their environments. The impacts of these changes in combination with factors such as warming and ocean acidification are considered for aquatic micro-organisms, macroalgae, plants, and animals (floating, swimming, and attached). Minimizing the disruptive consequences of these effects on critical services provided by the world's rivers, lakes and oceans (freshwater supply, recreation, transport and food security) will not only require continued adherence to the Montreal Protocol but also a wider inclusion of solar UV radiation and its effects in studies and/or models of aquatic ecosystems under conditions of the future global climate.
Description:
Variations in stratospheric ozone and changes in the aquatic environment by climate change and human activity are modifying the exposure of aquatic ecosystems to UV radiation. These shifts in exposure have consequences for the distributions of species, biogeochemical cycles, and services provided by aquatic ecosystems. This Quadrennial Assessment presents the latest knowledge on the multi-faceted interactions between the effects of UV irradiation and climate change, and other anthropogenic activities, and how these conditions are changing aquatic ecosystems. Climate change results in variations in the depth of mixing, thickness of ice cover, the duration of ice-free conditions and inputs of dissolved organic matter, all of which can either increase or decrease exposure to UV radiation. Anthropogenic activities release oil, UV filters in suncreens, and microplastics into the aquatic environment that are then modified by UV radiation, frequently amplifying adverse effects on aquatic organisms and their environments. The impacts of these changes in combination with factors such as warming and ocean acidification are considered for aquatic micro-organisms, macroalgae, plants, and animals (floating, swimming, and attached). Minimizing the disruptive consequences of these effects on critical services provided by the world’s rivers, lakes and oceans (freshwater supply, recreation, transport and food security) will not only require continued adherence to the Montreal Protocol but also a wider inclusion of solar UV radiation and its effects in studies and/or models of aquatic ecosystems under conditions of the future global climate.
URLs/Downloads:
DOI: The response of aquatic ecosystems to the interactive effects of stratospheric ozone depletion, UV radiation, and climate change