Climate change expands far beyond the threat of melting polar ice. Life in the ocean is also in danger. A new study published in the scientific journal Nature found that the oxygen content in the oceans has declined by more than 2% in the period between 1960 and 2010.

Scientists have long warned about the potentially fatal effects of lower oxygen levels in the oceans on marine flora and fauna, and the impacts on the human body. The studies were conducted in the Helmholtz Center "GEOMAR" - ocean research in Kiel, Germany.

Using information on oxygen, temperature, and other factors related to the oceans, they estimated the total loss of oxygen. "We were able to document the distribution of oxygen and its changes for the whole of the ocean for the first time. These figures are essential to improve forecasts of the ocean of the future", says Schmidtko.

In some parts of the world, was a much steeper decline in the oxygen level over the past five decades - for example, in the North Pacific ocean, which was lost the greatest amount of oxygen. The highest percentage was lost in the Arctic ocean. "Oxygen loss in the ocean can have far-reaching consequences of the uneven distribution. For fisheries and coastal countries, this process can have negative consequences," says Stramma.

The study showed that the reduction in sea ice has led to greater growth of plankton, increasing the decomposition of plankton. Decay reduces the oxygen levels even more. Fish can't thrive there - a dangerous threat to ecosystems and the economy. The authors ended their report on a pessimistic note, writing that " we can expect far-reaching consequences for marine ecosystems and fisheries."
sections: Society