The world’s oceans have lost more than two percent of their oxygen since 1960, with potentially devastating consequences for sea plants and animals, marine scientists said Wednesday. In those five and a half decades, parts of the oceans devoid of oxygen, called anoxic waters, have quadrupled, said a study in the science journal Nature. And the production and flow of nitrous oxide, a powerful greenhouse gas, “will probably have increased,” it said. Oceans cover nearly three-quarters of the Earth’s surface, provide about half of the oxygen we breathe and feed billions of people every year.

Oceans have lost 2 percent of oxygen, says study. (2017, February 23). Manila Bulletin, p. B8.