Earth is entering a critical "risk state" due to the rapid decline of oxygen levels in the oceans and other water basins. According to a new study by scientists from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, the consequences of this process could be irreversible on the scale of human civilization.
The problem is not an isolated phenomenon, but a global threat affecting the planet's fundamental mechanisms. Erika Ferre, the lead author of the study, emphasizes that the health of our world is directly linked to the stability of aquatic ecosystems, which require oxygen for their normal functioning.
Main Causes of Oxygen Deficit
According to researchers, the process is driven by a combination of human activity and climate change:
- Global climate warming;
- Water pollution with excess nutrients;
- Disruption of ventilation processes in deep water layers.
The Effect on Biodiversity
The lack of oxygen disrupts critical biological and chemical processes that regulate Earth's climate. All forms of aquatic life are under direct threat—from microscopic organisms to large predators like fish and sharks. Even marine mammals that breathe air at the surface are vulnerable, as changes in the oxygen regime disrupt food chains and transform their natural habitats.
The publication in the specialized journal Limnology and Oceanography is a call to the scientific community and political leaders to take urgent measures before the ecological balance is permanently disrupted.