It May Soon Be Too Late to Save the Seas [View all]

[IDemo]

What happens if marine life in the oceans can't pull in enough oxygen from the oceans to live? We may be about to find out.

A startling new study led by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (the federal research arm of the National Science Foundation) published Wednesday found a disturbing trend – a warming planet could overwhelm natural variability and start to significantly affect oxygen levels in the oceans in just 10-15 years.

The study confirmed what scientists have long observed - that climate change is causing a drop in the amount of oxygen dissolved in oceans in some parts of the world. But the study's central conclusion is what is so alarming - the effects of this drop in the amount of oxygen all marine life require will start to become evident in just 15 years or so. At some point, the drop in the ocean's oxygen levels will leave marine life struggling to breathe.

Climate scientists have predicted for some time that the planet's rapidly warming climate (2014 and 2015 were the hottest years in civilized history and 2016 may eclipse the record as well) would start to affect oxygen levels in the oceans.

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-04-27/it-may-soon-be-too-late-to-save-the-seas