Declining oxygen in the global ocean and coastal waters

Author:

Denise Breitburg, Lisa A. Levin, Andreas Oschlies, Marilaure Grégoire, Francisco P. Chavez, Daniel J. Conley, Véronique Garçon, Denis Gilbert, Dimitri Gutiérrez, Kirsten Isensee, Gil S. Jacinto, Karin E. Limburg, Ivonne Montes, S. W. A. Naqvi, Grant C. Pitcher, Nancy N. Rabalais, Michael R. Roman, Kenneth A. Rose, Brad A. Seibel, Maciej Telszewski, Moriaki Yasuhara, Jing Zhang

Publication Year:

2018

Citation:

Breitburg, D. et al. "Declining oxygen in the global ocean and coastal waters." Science (2018): Vol. 359, Issue 6371, eaam7240, DOI: 10.1126/science.aam7240.

Description:

As plastic waste pollutes the oceans and fish stocks decline, unseen below the surface another problem grows: deoxygenation. Breitburg et al. review the evidence for the downward trajectory of oxygen levels in increasing areas of the open ocean and coastal waters. Rising nutrient loads coupled with climate change—each resulting from human activities—are changing ocean biogeochemistry and increasing oxygen consumption.

See related content: