2026-07-16 カリフォルニア大学サンディエゴ校(UCSD)

A diagram showing some of the key interactions that exist between aquatic deoxygenation and the other planetary boundaries, including primary and secondary drivers and effects. Here, emphasis is placed on interactions that occur in the marine environment, however, similar interactions are also known to take place in freshwater systems. Credit: dataMares
<関連情報>
- https://today.ucsd.edu/story/underwater-oxygen-loss-threatens-earths-stability-researchers-warn
- https://aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/lno.70434
水生生物の脱酸素化と他の地球規模の限界との間の豊富な相互作用とフィードバックは、広範囲にわたる影響を伴う「危険な」レベルの酸素損失を示唆している Abundant interactions and feedbacks between aquatic deoxygenation and the other planetary boundaries suggest “unsafe” levels of oxygen loss with far-reaching impacts
Erica M. Ferrer, Yassir A. Eddebbar, Shailja Gangrade, Lillian R. McCormick, Ariel K. Pezner, De’Marcus Robinson, Véronique Garçon, Kevin C. Rose, Lisa A. Levin
Limnology and Oceanography Published: 30 June 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/lno.70434
Abstract
Oxygen is critical for nearly all life on Earth, including aquatic species that breathe dissolved oxygen in both freshwater and marine systems. The rapid, global, and anthropogenic loss of dissolved oxygen known as “aquatic deoxygenation” threatens life in these environments, the human communities that depend on them, and Earth system stability long-term. Recognizing the important and increasingly widespread effects of aquatic deoxygenation, scientists have proposed that it be added to the planetary boundary framework, which is designed to capture the wider envelope of Earth-system conditions that support a “safe operating space for humanity.” Here, we argue that the planetary boundary framework should include maintenance of Earth’s aquatic ecosystems and thus dissolved oxygen conditions. We synthesize important, in some cases poorly understood, interactions and feedbacks that exist between deoxygenation and all nine of the established planetary boundaries. We find that aquatic deoxygenation interacts with and extensively modulates other boundary processes, including climate change, nutrient loading, biodiversity loss, and aerosol loading. Subsequently, we identify and describe four indicators that can be used to assess the status of aquatic deoxygenation and eventually define a global boundary for it within the framework. Given these interactions and current rates of oxygen loss, we argue that aquatic deoxygenation is approaching an “unsafe space,” with Earth-system impacts that are likely to be irreversible in our lifetimes. We discuss the wider societal significance of this research, including applications to the framework, future analyses, policy-making, and management.

