Oceans Are Running Out of Oxygen And Sharks, Tuna and Other Large Fish May Soon Be Extinct
Climate change is affecting wildlife everywhere. The loss of oxygen from the ocean because of climate change can have ‘dire effects’ on sea life, fisheries and coastal communities, a global conservation body said.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said that around 700 sites had been identified globally with low oxygen levels these were only 45 in 1960s.
Meanwhile, the volume of anoxic waters which are the areas totally devoid of oxygen have quadrupled.
The study revealed that the ocean absorbs around a quarter of all fossil fuel emissions. However as the global energy demands grow it is feared that the world's seas will eventually reach saturation point.
By 2100, Oceans might lose 3.0-4.0 per cent of their oxygen globally.
The upper 1,000 meters will be affected the most, that is the richest part of the ocean for biodiversity. IUCN acting director Grethel Aguilar said, "With this report, the scale of damage climate change is wreaking upon the ocean comes into stark focus. As the warming ocean loses oxygen, the delicate balance of marine life is thrown into disarray."
Species such as tuna, marlin and sharks are more sensitive to low oxygen levels due to their large size and energy demands.
IUCN said, "Impacts here will ultimately ripple out and affect hundreds of millions of people.”
The study revealed that human activity is threatening up to one million species with extinction.
Ocean temperatures are already warm and sea life is already battling over fishing and plastic pollution.
The World Meteorological Organization this week said that due to man-made emissions growth, the ocean is now 26 per cent more acidic than before the Industrial Revolution.
Dan Laffoley, a senior marine science adviser at the IUCN said, "Ocean oxygen depletion is menacing marine ecosystems already under stress from ocean warming and acidification. To stop the worrying expansion of oxygen-poor areas, we need to decisively curb greenhouse gas emissions as well as nutrient pollution from agriculture and other sources."
These findings are alarming and steps need to be taken on a global level to ensure that ocean life does not suffer more.