Dead zones are low or zero oxygen areas in the world’s oceans where marine animal suffocate and die due to lack of oxygen. There are many ‘dead zones’ in the oceans of the world.
What’s causing these dead zones?
Decline in ocean oxygen is one of the most serious effects of human activities on Earth’s environment.
Human activities like fossil fuel burning, plastic pollution, use of fertilizers and sewage has contributed to the creation of these dead zones.
Scientists reviewed the evidence on low-oxygen zones collected around the world and found that these dead zones have quadrupled in size since 1950. While the number of very low oxygen sites near coasts have increased tenfold since ‘50s
It’s a much bigger problem than most people recognize
Scientists have warned that our oceans will continue to lose oxygen at a rapid pace. Most of the sea creatures cannot survive in these zones and this trend would lead to mass extinction in the long run.
As the oceans get warmer, marine life need more oxygen to survive. It will not only affect the marine ecosystem, but also the livelihoods of millions of people who depend on the sea. There are about 500 million people who depend on food from the ocean.
