ScienceAugust 19, 2026
hypoxic
hy-POK-sik
Definition
Characterized by an abnormally low level of oxygen in a given environment, specifically referring to water in this context.
Etymology
Derived from the Greek 'hypo-' (under or deficient) and 'oxys' (sharp or acidic, used in chemistry to denote oxygen). It entered scientific English in the late 19th century.
In the news
The article uses the term to describe water conditions that result when large algal blooms die and decompose, depleting the surrounding water of oxygen.
The rainforest is not the lungs of the Earth — the ocean is. Microscopic phytoplankton drifting in the sunlit top layer of the sea produce roughly half of all the oxygen on the planet, more than every tree and forest combined
Read the full article ↗ScienceBlog.com