Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Spreading Dead Zones and Consequences for Marine Ecosystems

2008; American Association for the Advancement of Science; Volume: 321; Issue: 5891 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1126/science.1156401

1095-9203

Robert J. Díaz, Rutger Rosenberg,

Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology

Dead zones in the coastal oceans have spread exponentially since the 1960s and have serious consequences for ecosystem functioning. The formation of dead zones has been exacerbated by the increase in primary production and consequent worldwide coastal eutrophication fueled by riverine runoff of fertilizers and the burning of fossil fuels. Enhanced primary production results in an accumulation of particulate organic matter, which encourages microbial activity and the consumption of dissolved oxygen in bottom waters. Dead zones have now been reported from more than 400 systems, affecting a total area of more than 245,000 square kilometers, and are probably a key stressor on marine ecosystems.