Oxygen is a fundamental requirement of life, and the loss of oxygen in water, referred to as aquatic deoxygenation, is a threat to life at all levels. In fact, researchers describe how ongoing deoxygenation presents a major threat to the stability of the planet as a whole.
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    Previous research has identified a suite of global scale processes, referred to as Planetary Boundaries, that regulate the overall habitability and stability of the planet.

    Across all aquatic ecosystems, from streams and rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and ponds to estuaries, coasts, and the open ocean, dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations have rapidly and substantially declined in recent decades.

    Aquatic habitats with low oxygen levels are commonly referred to as “dead zones” because of their loss of life, which threatens ecosystem services like fishing, aquaculture, tourism, and cultural practices.

    Deoxygenation can also induce aquatic ecosystems to transition to alternative and undesirable states, characterized by harmful algal blooms and widespread anoxia, or lack of oxygen.

    “We are approaching critical thresholds of aquatic deoxygenation that will ultimately affect several other Planetary Boundaries,” said Rose, "DO regulates the role of marine and freshwater in modulating Earth’s climate.

    “Aquatic deoxygenation trends represent a clear warning and call to action that should inspire changes to slow or even mitigate this Planetary Boundary,” said Curt Breneman, Ph.D., Dean of Rensselaer’s School of Science.

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