Ecology
Hypoxia
Abnormally low oxygen levels in water or tissues. In aquatic ecosystems, hypoxic conditions stress or kill organisms that require oxygen.
Biological Context
Hypoxia in water bodies often results from eutrophication—excessive nutrients fuel algal blooms, and decomposition of dead algae consumes oxygen. The Gulf of Mexico 'dead zone' is a hypoxic area caused by nutrient runoff from the Mississippi River basin.