Oxygen-Deficient Water Mass 1m Thick Spreads in Jaranman and Hansanman, Gyeongnam... Aquaculture Farms on Alert

National Institute of Fisheries Science Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Saeyan] In some coastal waters of Gyeongnam, a 'low-oxygen water mass (hypoxic water mass)' is spreading, raising alarms for the management of aquaculture farms.

According to the National Institute of Fisheries Science on the 4th, an investigation conducted on the 2nd and 3rd found a low-oxygen water mass about 1 meter thick in the bottom layers of the waters of Jaranman and Hansanman in Gyeongnam.

The dissolved oxygen concentration in the bottom layer of Jaranman waters ranged from 0.23 to 4.61 mg/L, and in the bottom layer of Hansanman waters, it ranged from 0.69 to 7.23 mg/L.

The low-oxygen water mass occurs when the dissolved oxygen concentration in seawater drops below 3 mg/L, causing respiratory distress in aquatic organisms and, in severe cases, death.

An official from the Fisheries Science Institute stated, "Due to the rise in temperature caused by the heatwave, the area affected by the low-oxygen water mass is expected to expand," and advised, "In suspended aquaculture farms (shellfish, sea squirts, sea cucumbers), shorten the length of the suspension ropes, and in fish farms, avoid dense stocking and reduce feed amounts."

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