A rapid decline in dissolved oxygen levels in the world's water bodies and oceans threatens irreversible ecological consequences that will last for centuries, according to infohub.kz.
An international research team led by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, has warned of critical deoxygenation of Earth's hydrosphere. The findings of a comprehensive review were published in the journal Limnology and Oceanography.
The scientists analyzed how declining oxygen levels in oceans, rivers, and lakes affect the planet's stability. The authors call for dissolved oxygen to be officially added to the list of 'planetary boundaries' — key ecological processes that regulate Earth's stability. The main drivers of oxygen loss are global warming and nutrient pollution in water bodies.
Lead author Erica Ferrer from the University of California, Santa Barbara, emphasized that oxygen deficiency disrupts climate mechanisms and destroys food chains from plankton to marine mammals. The study also involved scientists Lisa Levin and Yassir Eddebbar from Scripps Institution, Véronique Garçon from the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, and Kevin Rose from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. According to the authors, preventing oxygen loss should become a priority of global environmental policy.