{"id":4367,"date":"2024-09-23T08:51:30","date_gmt":"2024-09-23T12:51:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/hooklinescience\/?p=4367"},"modified":"2024-09-23T11:56:56","modified_gmt":"2024-09-23T15:56:56","slug":"are-low-oxygen-waters-affecting-fish-calls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/hooklinescience\/are-low-oxygen-waters-affecting-fish-calls\/","title":{"rendered":"Are low-oxygen waters affecting fish calls?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n
Silence reveals clues about estuarine water quality. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Research Need<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nutrient pollution can degrade water quality and lead to hypoxia \u2014 when oxygen levels drop too low to support aquatic life. Prolonged periods of hypoxia negatively impact fish growth and reproduction, often with severe consequences for both recreational and commercial fisheries. Estuaries in North Carolina regularly experience hypoxia during the summer months, which can lead to fish kills and alter where fish and crabs live and gather. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many marine organisms become stressed when oxygen levels fall below 5 milligrams of oxygen per liter of water, and lethal effects occur at levels under 2 milligrams per liter. For fish, this lethal limit is like breathing on Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen, making survival extremely challenging. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To address this, state managers have implemented plans to reduce hypoxic events through nutrient pollution control and water quality monitoring. North Carolina has defined hypoxia as oxygen levels below 4 milligrams per liter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But how exactly do low oxygen conditions affect fish reproduction and movement? Will fish return to an area after oxygen levels are restored to normal? <\/p>\n\n\n\n