Author(s): Michio Kumagai
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Keywords: global warming; surface waters; vertical circulation; primary production; nutrient transport; benthic ecosystems; hypolimnion; Michio Kumagai
Abstract:
Recent progression of global warming has resulted in the warming of surface waters and reduced vertical circulation in deep lakes and oceans. This has led to a decrease in primary production due to the lack of sufficient nutrient transport to the epilimnion and a significant impact on benthic ecosystems due to the shortage of oxygen supply to the hypolimnion. It has been pointed out that this fact not only has a significant impact on fish stocks, but also has the potential to cause the loss of endemic organisms in various parts of the planet. Since the 1990s, wave pumps have been used for energy utilization in the ocean, nutrient transport in fish farms, and removal of hypoxia. More recently they have also been used to control hurricanes. In the current preliminary experiments in Lake Biwa using hoses of 20 m or 40 m in length and 50 mm in diameter, water was transported upwards or downwards at the rate of about 1 m3 every hour, showing the possibility to help enhance vertical circulation.
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