This loss of oxygen in the ocean is significant enough to affect the planetary cycling of elements such as nitrogen and phosphorous which are, “essential for life on Earth,” Dr. Laffoley said.
Hypoxia
Low Oxygen Levels Impact Marine Invertebrates
With rising global temperatures already lowering marine oxygen levels – to the point of producing and exacerbating coastal ‘dead zones’ – this could become a serious problem.
Many marine invertebrates – just like other animals with functional and complex eyes – depend on vision for survival. It helps them find prey, avoid predators, and locate shelter.
Dead-Zones on US West Coast Now Normal
Scientists say West Coast waters now have a hypoxia season, or dead-zone season, just like the wildfire season. Hypoxia is a condition in which the ocean water close to the seafloor has such low levels of dissolved oxygen that the… Read More ›
Less Hypoxia along Gulf Coast–But…
“As discussed in the press release, there still remains a need to reduce the nutrient load entering the Gulf of Mexico and the smaller observed size was likely a result of storm and wind conditions and are not necessarily an indication of a long-term decrease in hypoxia area,” said Keeley Belva, a spokeswoman for the National Ocean Service.
Hypoxia Threatens Oregon’s Shores
Once rare, Oregon now has a regular hypoxia season — low-oxygen episodes in near-shore ocean waters — analogous to the wildfire threat that visits the state’s forests every year, scientists say. “It’s been much more prevalent over the past… Read More ›
Acidification and Hypoxia Science Panel Releases Report
Though the tide can’t be totally turned back, the report, “Major Findings, Recommendations, and Actions,” found ways to blunt the environmental and economic impact now.
Climate Change “Whittling Away” at Marine Diversity
“Overall, we found there’s a decrease in species diversity and abundance irrespective of what ecosystem we are looking at. These are broad scale impacts, made worse when you combine the effect of warming with acidification.
Hypoxia Workshop Slated for July 29 in Sacramento
SACRAMENTO, Calif. ‐‐ Much of the carbon dioxide released from the burning of gasoline, natural gas, and other fossil fuels dissolves in seawater, making the earth’s ocean increasingly corrosive. The profound chemical changes – called “acidification” – plus the linked… Read More ›
The Trifecta of Ocean Hypoxia: Agriculture, Human Waste, Increased CO2
“When you can’t breathe, nothing else matters,” once a tagline of the American Lung Association, today it might easily describe what is happening in many areas of the ocean. Hypoxia, the lack of oxygen in our estuaries, coastal and deep… Read More ›
Elkhorn Slough Study Links Ag Runoff to Hypoxia
Santa Cruz >> Nutrient loading in the ground and surface waters has long been a problem in the Monterey Bay, which is surrounded by major agricultural land and urban areas. Chemical fertilizers spill into streams and the sea, threatening marine… Read More ›
Neptune 911! 