Research that demonstrates low oxygen levels in the depths of Saanich Inlet might seem like concerning news; after all, marine life needs oxygen to survive. But on a planet facing climate change, this is also good news: without oxygen, the benthic organisms on the seafloor can't decompose, thus reducing the amount of carbon that cycles back to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, a powerful greenhouse gas.
Figure 1. Saanich Inlet is a 274 metre deep glacially carved fjord separated from the Salish Sea by a shallow sill that restricts water inflow, making it naturally low in oxygen.
Coastal fjords are known hot spots for organic carbon burial, storing 11...
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