Western Long Island Sound Hypoxia in Summer 2023 Time-Lapse Videos

Check out these time-lapse videos depicting dissolved oxygen levels in western Long Island Sound! These visualizations were developed using dissolved oxygen measurements taken by IEC during weekly #waterquality surveys in summer 2023. Discrete (individual) dissolved oxygen measurement were interpolated using GIS to estimate dissolved oxygen in areas surrounding the discrete measurements.  Dissolved oxygen maps from each weekly survey were then collated into these time-lapse videos. Low dissolved oxygen in water (a condition called Hypoxia) can result in significant adverse effects on marine life and habitat, which need sufficient oxygen to survive and thrive. In Long Island Sound, hypoxia is most prevalent in the peak summer months, particularly in the bottom waters and embayments. High nutrient concentrations impact dissolved oxygen by stimulating algae blooms, which subsequently decay, consuming oxygen in the process. IEC monitors dissolved oxygen, as well as key water quality parameters impacted by and relevant to dissolved oxygen and hypoxia, at 22 stations weekly during the summer (late June-September) and monthly year-round (October-May). Weekly summaries of IEC’s 2023 monitoring are available here.