Ocean '' loses its breath ''

Climate change leads to a devastating phenomenon in oceans that jeopardizes the life of marine animals. The number of 'dead zones' in the ocean has increased lately. In these regions, marine animals suffocate and die.

According to a recent study, '' dead zones '' have grown up to four times in the last 50 years. Mail Online notes that regions will not cease to appear as temperatures on Earth continue to rise.

The study was conducted by GO2NE (Global Ocean Oxygen Network), a group set up by the United Nations in 2016. "The low oxygen level reduces the existence of areas that can be inhabited by animals that depend on oxygen," said Dr. Denise Breitburg of at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Washington DC

"Exposure to low oxygen reduces the growth of marine life and favors mortality. To stop this trend, we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and discharges into coastal waters, "he adds.

As fish begin to avoid these regions, habitable areas are becoming less numerous, which are more vulnerable to predators and fishermen. But the problem is much bigger than the one of "dead zones," says the author. Even a low drop in oxygen levels can lead to cessation of reproduction, the emergence of diseases and the death of marine animals.

The phenomenon also causes the elimination of hazardous chemicals such as nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas 300 times stronger than carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide. Although some animals survive in '' dead zones '', biodiversity per total falls.

source:descopera.ro