O2 Depletion (IMAGE)

Arizona State University

O2 Depletion

Caption

Adding nutrients to the ocean causes increased production of organic matter such as phytoplankton. When these die, they sink to the bottom as "marine snow" and decompose, consuming oxygen in the process. This is thought to be primarily responsible for large-scale oxygen loss in ancient oceans, leading to mass extinctions in the marine environment. The modern ocean exhibits similar symptoms.

Credit

Natalie Renier, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

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