Rivers are rapidly warming, losing oxygen; aquatic life at risk, study finds

A Penn State-led study shows that of nearly 800 rivers, warming occurred in 87% and oxygen loss occurred in 70% .

The study also projects that within the next 70 years , river systems, especially in the American South , are likely to experience periods with such low levels of oxygen that the rivers could “induce acute death” for certain species of fish.

Urban rivers demonstrated the most rapid warming, whereas agricultural rivers experienced the slowest warming but fastest deoxygenation.