Overview

• Researchers collected rare in-storm samples near Hurricane Bud’s eye at peak intensity in 2018, yielding unprecedented chemical and biological data.
• Turbulent winds forced deep, cold, nutrient-rich waters upward, triggering vast phytoplankton blooms visible by satellite.
• The same mixing process lifted expanding oxygen minimum zones toward the surface, creating low-oxygen conditions that stress marine life.
• Genetic analyses of DNA and RNA from post-storm samples showed rapid shifts in microbial communities adapting to changing oxygen regimes.
• As warming oceans expand OMZs, these dual effects of tropical cyclones are crucial for predicting their influence on marine ecosystems and carbon cycling.