Why is it important to reduce hypoxic zones?
Direct effects of hypoxia include fish kills, which deplete valuable fisheries and disrupt ecosystems. Mobile animals (e.g., adult fish) can typically survive a hypoxic event by moving to waters with more oxygen. Less mobile or immobile animals, such as mussels or crabs, cannot move to waters with more oxygen and are often killed during hypoxic events. Ultimately, hypoxia causes a severe decrease in the amount of life in hypoxia zones. Hypoxia also affects the ability of young fish or shellfish to find the food and habitat necessary to become adults. As a result, fish and shellfish stocks may be reduced or become less stable because less young reach adulthood. Hypoxia can also affect species that rely on fish for food. Such species might have to leave an area to find the necessary food to survive.
