April 29, 2016 — Reduction in the amount of oxygen present in oceans is already evident in some parts of the world. But as per a new study, the loss of ocean oxygen would be more prevalent in larger sections of oceans between 2030 and 2040. Currently, climate experts can’t say for sure if the fluctuation in the oxygen level is due to natural causes or it is due to climate change.
Decline in ocean oxygen will leave fish, crabs, squid, sea stars and other marine life to face struggle in breathing. Matthew Long from National Centre for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) was of the view that loss oxygen in the ocean has been considered as one of the serious side effects of warming atmosphere.
Professor Long mentioned, “Since oxygen concentrations in the ocean naturally vary depending on variations in winds and temperature at the surface, it has been challenging to attribute any de-oxygenation to climate change”.
Scientists have explained that warming surface waters absorb less oxygen. The oxygen that is absorbed faces more trouble in travelling deeper into the ocean. The researchers have used the NCAR-based Community Earth System Model in order to study the impact of climate change.