Scientists warn that the world’s rivers are running out of oxygen
Key takeaways
- Climate change is steadily stripping oxygen from rivers around the world, according to a new study published May 15 in Science Advances.
- Kun Shi of the Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology (NIGLAS) at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
- Rivers Losing a Vital Ingredient for Life
Why this matters: new research or scientific developments with potential real-world impact.
Climate change is steadily stripping oxygen from rivers around the world, according to a new study published May 15 in Science Advances. Researchers found that this long-term oxygen decline is happening across most river systems, with tropical rivers emerging as the most vulnerable. The findings point to an urgent need for strategies aimed at slowing oxygen loss in freshwater ecosystems.
The study was led by Prof. Kun Shi of the Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology (NIGLAS) at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Dr. Qi Guan served as the first author, and the project also involved a researcher from Tongji University.
Rivers Losing a Vital Ingredient for Life