This report was inspired by the increasing number of hypoxic zones globally, which have doubled every 10 years over the past five decades, such that there are now over 500 such areas recorded. The authors of this report examined data about ocean areas where oxygen is drastically reducedalong with the social and environmental difficulties that arise with loss in marine life, fisheries, tourism, and decline in human health. The study found that one of the most efficient ways to reduce oxygen depletion was to stem the flow of nutrients from fertilizers, municipal sewage or livestock waste into coastal waters.