Environmental t News Dead zones might masculinize fish
“What’s so interesting about this paper is that the researchers are targeting a mechanism whereby hyquatic dead zones, infamous less of whether they are genetically poxia might interact directly with worldwide for suffocating male or female, Wu explains. Then, at the reproductive system,” says Ann fish, may also be transform23–25 d, ovaries continue to develop Cheek, an environmental endocriing female fish into males, accordin about half the fish, whereas tesnologist at the University of Texas, ing to research published in this ticles replace the ovaries in the other Dallas. It wouldn’t be surprising if issue of ES&T (pp 3118 –3122). The half. A specific ratio of testosterone to fish reacted to hypoxia by generally study not only has dire implications estradiol is required to choreograph suppressing their reproductive sysfor fish populations: It also hints tem in order to save their limited that hypoxic conditions—water energy for maintenance and locontaining