Dead zones are areas of low dissolved-oxygen concentrations caused by climate change that play a major role in the ocean ecosystem and global climate balance because they are a source of greenhouse gases and sinks for nitrogen, robbing many ocean life forms of this critical nutrient.
Scientists have observed that the zones – found off the coasts of Oregon, Chile, Namibia and elsewhere – are expanding and will directly affect productivity of marine fisheries and seabed ecosystems due to habitat and nutrient loss.
Despite the magnitude of these effects, very little is known about the metabolism of the zones’ microbial communities and how they respond to environmental changes.
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