Why it is in news?

A latest study published in journal ‘Science’

• The study said that in the past 50 years, the amount of water in the open ocean with zero oxygen has gone up more than fourfold and in coastal water bodies, including estuaries and seas
• And low-oxygen sites have increased more than 10-fold since 1950
• Scientists expect oxygen to continue dropping even outside these zones as Earth warms up

Impact on humans:

• According to the study, the situation can cause serious damage to marine life, affect livelihoods of millions of people and trigger the release of dangerous greenhouse gases like nitrous oxide
• The danger due to low oxygen in oceans is manifold
• As per the study, even small oxygen declines can stunt growth in animals, hinder reproduction and lead to disease or even death

Precautionary measure:

• To keep low oxygen in check, the scientists said the world needs to take on the issue from three angles—address the causes, nutrient pollution and climate change

THE HINDU