PLANKTON LEVELS IN THE OCEAN ARE SIGNIFICANTLY DEPLETED

A check up of the Earth's planetary health reveals that the lowest rung in the ocean food chain is shrinking. For the past 20 years, (from the early 1980s to present), phytoplankton concentrations have declined by as much as 30 percent in northern oceans. Scientists from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) say warmer ocean temperatures and low winds may be depriving the tiny ocean plants of their necessary nutrients. However, they still do not know if the loss of phytoplankton is a long-term trend or just a temporary climate oscillation.

What is Plankton?

Fish, whales, dolphins, crabs, seabirds, and just about everything else that lives, or makes a living in or off of the oceans, owe their existence to phytoplankton, one-celled plants that live at the ocean surface.

Phytoplankton are at the base of what scientists refer to as oceanic biological productivity, the ability of a water body to support life such as plants, fish, and wildlife. The measure of productivity is the net amount of carbon dioxide taken up by phytoplankton.

The one-celled plants use energy from the sun to convert carbon dioxide and nutrients into complex organic compounds, which form new plant material. This process, known as photosynthesis, is how phytoplankton grow.

Plankton refers to the whole assortment of tiny, often microscopic, living things in the ocean. There are two main types: the tiny plants (“phytoplankton”) and the tiny animals (“zooplankton”). The more plankton in the water, the cloudier or murkier it is - harder to see through. If there is a lot of phytoplankton in the water, it generally takes on a greenish color. Many fish and a few mammals (some whales) survive by eating only plankton. Plankton is the starting point, or “bottom”, of the marine food chain, and the “health” of the whole ocean aquatic life system ultimately depends on “healthy” plankton levels. Herbivorous marine creatures eat the phytoplankton. Carnivores, in turn, eat the herbivores, and so on up the food chain to the top predators like killer whales and sharks.

Are Plankton levels in the ocean currently "healthy" or "normal?"

This is a difficult question to answer just with numbers, since solid, scientific measurements of plankton levels have not been compiled until the last few decades.

The relationship between the phytoplankton and the zooplankton boils down to the fact that the little organisms (zooplankton) eat the little plants (phytoplankton). Some of these little animals are actually newly hatched “larval forms” of bigger fish that will grow up and move down to live in deeper water. The decline in some fish species, such as cod, is a direct result in the decline of their larval forms. A decline in the larval forms is the direct result of a decline in the plankton that the fish larvae eat.

The measurements of zooplankton that have been recorded in the last few decades actually show a significant decrease. A 70% drop in zooplankton levels has been detected in waters off the U.S. West Coast since 1950. How much they might have dropped PREVIOUSLY (before 1950 to the present) from “historical levels” is anybody’s guess.

So why would we assume that phytoplankton levels are “normal” or “healthy?”

The little organisms (zooplankton) not only feed on smaller plankton, their levels also become the “fertilizer” that the phytoplankton require to grow. If zooplankton levels are declining, then phytoplankton levels must logically be dropping as well.

How do scientists currently estimate levels of phytoplankton in the ocean?

One main strategy is to analyze satellite photos. From these photos the chlorophyll levels may be estimated. But, as we have explained, no information about the “numbers” of zooplankton have been definitively established. Plankton growth is described as a “bloom”. For example, in the photo at the left, the large, lighter blue “bloom”, representing hundreds of square miles, was photographed by a NASA satellite. Conclusions about plankton levels can be better drawn by looking at some of the other creatures in the sea, specifically those whose growth and survival depends on the presence of plankton for food. Small filter feeders, like scallops, are growing at slower rates, especially in areas farther from the shorelines. Large filter feeders are in SEVERE trouble, (like the Northern Right Whale). These trend,s and others, indicate the presence of less plankton in the oceans.

If the ocean phytoplankton level are declining, what other consequences would be expected?

Besides the feeding consequences for the whole marine system, decreasing phytoplankton levels would have major implications for the concentrations of oxygen and carbon dioxide, both in the ocean and in the atmosphere of the planet.

Phytoplankton need two things for photosynthesis and thus their survival: energy from the sun and nutrients from the water. Phytoplankton absorb both across their cell walls. In the process of photosynthesis, phytoplankton release oxygen into the water. Half of the world's oxygen is produced via phytoplankton photosynthesis. The other half is produced via photosynthesis on land by trees, shrubs, grasses, and other plants. Their evolution is believed to have been the main favorable attribute of our earth’s atmosphere to support all higher life forms.

Today phytoplankton and terrestrial green plants attempt to maintain a steady balance in the amount of the Earth's atmospheric oxygen, which comprises about 20 percent of the mix of gasses.

Have there been changes in the levels of these important gases?

First, regarding the concentration of oxygen in the water, which is a critical thing for fish, it marine biologists acknowledge that levels are dropping in many places, (like the deeper water in the Gulf of St. Lawrence). Marine biologists believe that the decline in ocean oxygen levels is a key factor impacting the spawning behavior of cod as well as this species’ ability to “recover,” since cod eggs are very sensitive to oxygen levels and the current level seems to be approaching the range where they cannot live and hatch. But, scientists are discovering, the situation be even worse.

If the phytoplankton in the oceans are becoming depleted, and their CO2-O2 gas exchanging ability decreases, a rising level of CO2, and declining level of O2, will change in the atmosphere. In fact, this exactly what has happened, and it has been very well documented. Rising CO2 levels are generally accepted to be the cause of “global warming.” Whether you believe this change is man-made or simply a cyclical occurrence, the change is happening nonetheless.

Most people “know” this “warming” fact. But most do not know that the steady upward trend in carbon dioxide levels in the air started centuries before the invention of the internal combustion engine.

According to one 2002 study by NASA and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists, phytoplankton concentrations have declined by as much as 30 percent in northern oceans since the early 1980s. Above, a world map compares satellite data collected during the summer between 1979 and 1986 and 1997 to 2000. The map reflects changes in phytoplankton concentrations over the last 20 years in the open ocean. Deep blues show the greatest loss of phytoplankton. Yellow represents almost no change. Browns, reds, and oranges show phytoplankton increases. Black indicates that no data is available.

Physiological Implications:

The human species is dependent on a consistent oxygen supply. If bioavailable oxygen levels decline, health is impacted in a significant way. Every cell, weather “static” in organs or “free-flowing” in the blood stream, depends on oxygen for energy. If deprived of oxygen, the cells die and, if enough die, the body deteriorates and eventually ceases all of its metabolic functions. Here are some comments about oxygen’s importance from experts in their respective fields of endeavor:

Oxygen plays a vital role in proper metabolic functions, blood circulation, the assimilation of nutrients, digestion and the elimination of cellular and metabolic wastes. Sufficient oxygen helps the body in its ability to rebuild itself and maintain a strong and healthy immune system. You know how important water, vitamins, minerals and enzymes are to your health and vitality. Although you can actually exist without food for about 40 days, and water for about seven days, without oxygen, life ceases to exist in only minutes.

ASO® is the premiere stabilized oxygen supplement.

The chemical components in ASO® are distilled water, sodium chloride (from sea salt), bioavailable oxygen and essential and trace minerals. Other liquid-stabilized oxygen supplements bond their “active” oxygen to salt molecules forming oxychlorine or oxyhalogen compounds, which drive up the pH of these supplements to levels that could be dangerous to the skin as well as delicate membranes in the oral cavity if taken improperly.

ASO® is the most well-researched oxygen dietary supplement available today.

ASO® has been the subject of more than two dozen independent research studies at laboratories and at universities all over the world. Athletes, scientists, educators and health professionals and practitioners have testified to its safety and efficacy over and over again.

I believe ASO®, because of its inherent “energy factor” potential may just be the “Rosetta Stone” that unblocks the pathogenic mechanisms of disease in general and provides the knowledge for proper disease prevention management. ASO® Activated Oxygen is not simply an important nutrient supplement but a dynamic energy molecule. ASO® has an extremely high ORP (Oxidation Reduction Potential) of 950 mV. That means ASO® possesses energy that can be transferred to the surrounding environment, potentiating the bioenergetic processes and correcting or reversing underlying cellular dysfunctions. In other words, ASO® works like a bright new cellular battery. Menicos A. Spartalis, M.D., Vascular Surgeon

On behalf of the World Team, I want to personally thank you for your assistance in one of the greatest sporting endeavors ever undertaken. As you probably already know, of the 15 members that participated…11 are going to Sydney! That is an incredible rate of success…you (ASO®) are an important part of that successful team.” U.S. Olympic Sprint Swimming Team

“It is the researcher's opinion that ASO® results in greater metabolic efficiency which may correlate to significant energy reductions thus prolonging and enhancing the quality of an individual's life. Further, ASO®, used in conjunction with mineral supplements, may be an excellent therapeutic tool for treating physiological disorders including chronic fatigue syndrome, immune deficiency disorders and several chronic pain related disorders.” James D. Aker, Ph.D., M.S., P.A., P.P.A.,

“In short, in both measurable parameters and subjective observations, the test subjects in the group treated with the oxygen supplement (ASO®) experienced the following to a greater degree than the control group: Greater stamina and endurance, Reduced muscle fatigue, More energy, Less “out of breath”, Greater feeling of strength, Felt that the product helped them perform better.”

‘Effect of stabilized oxygen consumed with water on blood and urine markers of oxidative stress and blood oxygen saturation during extended military mountaineering training at moderate altitude.’ Eldon W. Askew, Ph.D. Department Chair, School of Nutrition, University of Utah, Donald E. Roberts, Ph.D., James E. Reading, M.A., Jeffrey M. Pfeiffer, M.S., Lt. Lance Orr, MC, USNR.

These statements have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This information is provided for informational purposes. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or medical condition. Always consult with a professional medical practitioner before taking any dietary supplement, especially if pregnant, nursing, taking prescription medications or under a doctor’s medical care. You may not experience the same results when taking ASO® as stated by the testimonials and comments quoted in this literature. Nothing is expressed or implied that you will experience the same results.

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