Low oxygen levels off coast raise concerns
‘Dead zones’ can kill marine life, harming seaside economies
By Associated Press
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PORTLAND — Low oxygen levels measured off the coast of Oregon and Washington are raising concerns of large “dead zones” that could decimate crabs and bottom-dwelling fish within them.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said last week that researchers have detected unseasonably low oxygen levels in a large area off the Pacific Coast, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported.
Year after year of low oxygen levels beginning in the early 2000s led researchers to determine that Oregon now has a “hypoxia season” — just as it has a fire season — and this year’s hypoxia season has arrived far earlier than usual.