Discovering the 'dead zone' in the Atlantic Ocean

The German and Canadian expert team first discovered the "dead zone" in the Atlantic Ocean, where life cannot exist because there is no dissolved oxygen in the water.

"Dead zone" in the Atlantic Ocean

The biologist group points out that regions with low levels of saturated oxygen exist in the Atlantic, some with an area of ​​about 260 square kilometers. They move continuously and seasonally.

For example, a whirlpool in the ocean is viewed from space.(Photo: NASA Earth Observatory)

Here, nutrients are food for algae to grow and they are swallowed by microorganisms in turn. This activity generates waste, but is also eaten by other bacteria. This process consumes a lot of oxygen and gradually forms areas without oxygen. Sea animals or fish will only have two choices, move to survive, or stay and die.

According to RT, dead zones often appear in shallow water and there is not much disturbance. Meanwhile, the characteristics in the Atlantic are quite different, the explanation of scientists is needed.

Dead zones are " camouflaged " by whirlpools , which can swirl continuously for months. These structures form a barrier around the core, where the process of depleting oxygen occurs. The expert team feared the existence of a dead zone in the Atlantic Ocean could affect the life of land-based people, especially in Cabo Verde.

"The fast rotation speed of the whirlpool makes it more difficult to exchange oxygen across the boundary between the rotating water and the ocean. Moreover, this process creates a very shallow layer above the useful vortex. for the development of plants, " said Johannes Karstensen of the University of Bremen, Germany.

Areas of oxygen depletion exist in nature and have been discovered along the densely populated coastal areas, off the east and south coasts of the US, the Baltic Sea. However, this is the first time the dead zone has been observed in the ocean.