Warming oceans choke fish as habitats get less ‘breathable’

The ability of marine animals to thrive in ocean water off the West Coast from Mexico to Canada may depend on how “breathable” the water is, new research shows.

The cool, nutrient-rich water of the California Current supports a variety of marine life, including invisible phytoplankton, economically important salmon, rockfish, and Dungeness crab, and majestic orcas.

For the study in Science Advances, researchers used recent understanding of water breathability and historical data to explain population cycles of the northern anchovy. The findings for this key species could apply to other species in the current.

“If you’re worried about marine life off