The secondary effect of climate change on seawater oxygen levels has only recently gained attention, but the consequences could be substantial. The decline of oxygen concentrations in seawater is alarming. The average ocean oxygen concentration is expected to decline over the next century by up to 7%, leading to a large increase in the extent of hypoxic water bodies in the ocean interior. Hypoxia is the condition in which dissolved oxygen is below the level necessary to sustain most animal life. Declining oxygen concentrations have already been observed in several locations, most notably in the North Pacific and the tropics. There is also strong evidence for a global increase in the frequency, extent, intensity and duration of coastal hypoxia linked to global warming and eutrophication.
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