Ocean Oxygen Loss Pushes Earth Toward Unsafe Space, Researchers Warn
Underwater Oxygen Loss Threatens Earth's Stability, Researchers Warn
Our new review highlights how rapid oxygen loss in oceans and freshwater systems is driving Earth into an unsafe state. We argue that aquatic deoxygenation interacts critically with all nine Planetary Boundaries, threatening climate stability and biodiversity. This work urges scientists and policymakers to recognize these interconnected risks and integrate oxygen levels into global environmental frameworks to prevent irreversible damage.
The health and stability of our planet depends on the health and stability of aquatic ecosystems, which need oxygen to function normally.
- flockonus
Oxigen is ALSO, and perhaps in vast quantities produced at the bottom of the ocean, by lumps of metal that react with sea water (aka Dark Oxygen). Interestingly, there are now massive marine harvesting operations targeting that very ore.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-discove...
- toddmorey
Have we ever as a species successfully changed our behavior on a scale needed to address something like climate change and underwater oxygen loss?
What would be the closest “we’ve got to change or perish” moment we’ve successfully navigated?
- sixtyj
As the link is university press release, here is study mentioned: https://aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ln...
- sixtyj
Oxygen loss already happens, see news about dead fish.
Issue here is that becomes more common and underwater oxygen loss is approaching an “unsafe space” with impacts likely irreversible within human lifetimes, some of which could persist for centuries.
Coastal “dead zones”, impact of fish food etc.
- hrldcpr
"Irreversible on human timescales" is a nice succinct wording; I think I usually end up discussing that concept in a less clear / more roundabout way.