Dead Zones

January 24, 2011

by Raif Killips

I was just reading an article over at www.delmarvanow.com about the effects of oxygen depleted regions in the world’s oceans. A scientific study has established that while hypoxic zones, as they are known, are naturally occurring phenomena they are expanding further through continued increases in ocean temperatures. These expanses of water support less life and compress the regions of water available to many marine organisms.

These dead zones as they are known to anglers, are pushing bill fish, amongst others, into shallower higher oxygenated water and thereby exposing them to over fishing by commercial enterprise.

The study, composed of scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, and The Billfish Foundation suggests if stocks are not to crash, fishery management strategies must be adapted to account for the influence of the dead zones.