Commercial Fish “En-danger”

Commercial Fish “En-danger”

Oxygen is a necessity for almost all life on our planet. When humans don't get enough we can get headaches, or feel weak and winded, or can't think straight, but when fish lack oxygen it isn't just their bodies that get effected but their survival as a species becomes endangered. Right now the oxygen levels in certain areas of the ocean are dropping causing the sea life that lives there to abandon it and go deeper into the ocean, but this isn't possible for all marine life. Aside from the fish in lakes, that have absolutely no where to go, certain fish are being forced out into areas of the ocean that can't sustain them. This makes it impossible for them to stay away from the areas they once populated so they travel back, staying at the edge of the hypoxic zones. These waters are still deprived of oxygen and this is causing fish to become stunted, and in some cases not be able to reproduce effectively, causing their numbers to become lower. It also means, for the fish we harvest, that fishermen are having to catch more fish to meet their quotas because they aren't big enough and don't weigh enough, which also lowers their numbers. Another effect of low oxygen levels is the fishes ability to swim. Studies have show that fish with less oxygen swim slower, and have lower reaction times. This makes them easy prey for the predators whose food chain they are on, again lowering numbers. The trend here is obvious and we are going to see commercial fish species become endangered, or worse completely die off, unless the awareness about these issues, among others, is raised and dealt with.