1/17/2023 0 Comments The dead zoneMore relevant is the next time dead zone was used in print according to the OED. Life is usually sparse, perhaps even desert-like, on the ocean bottom at these depths, and although the Atlantic has a low oxygen zone, it is far from Bermuda. He also had no explanation for what he saw from the bathysphere's porthole the paucity of life was not due to the lack of oxygen. I have no idea of the significance of this dead zone” (Beebe 1934). It says the phrase was first used in 1934 by William Beebe in his description of what he saw from his bathysphere as he followed the seafloor descending off Bermuda: “visible life ceased, and we drifted over a wide expanse of desert, with no fish or plumes or living coral. The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has an answer for when “dead zone” appeared in print, but it is right for the wrong reason. “Dead zone” is not common in the scientific literature (more on that below), and instead scientists use “hypoxia,” usually defined by freshwater ecologists as dissolved oxygen levels < 2 mg L −1 and by oceanographers as < 63 μmol kg −1. After satisfying my curiosity, I realized the backstory of the term may hold lessons about using colorful language in scientific writing. I thought I should know the answer because it is in the title of a book I have just finished (Kirchman in press). This note is about where and how “dead zone” was first used. Oxygen-poor waters are invariably called “dead zones” by news outlets targeting the general public. The number and size of low-oxygen waters have been increasing worldwide, with disturbing implications for fisheries, aquatic productivity and diversity, and human health (Breitburg et al. The loss of dissolved oxygen from lakes, rivers, and the oceans is another problem that has unfortunately grabbed headlines and made the nightly news, for good reasons. The reasons were climate change and the realization that the oceans are too important in soaking up excess heat and carbon dioxide to ignore. He said that oceanographers once had the luxury of no one caring about their work, but that was unfortunately no longer the case. Years ago, Dick Barber began a seminar at my institution with a dramatic touch.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |