Oceanic oxygen loss could destabilize ecosystems, scientists warn

Scientists warn that dissolved oxygen in global oceans is falling rapidly due to warming, nutrient pollution, and algal blooms, threatening marine life across the food chain and possibly affecting climate regulation. Researchers from UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography say this aquatic deoxygenation should be added to the Planetary Boundaries framework to reflect its global importance, and note that recovery could take centuries without coordinated emissions cuts and nutrient controls.