Which area of the ocean has the highest concentration of dissolved oxygen and where is the highest concentration of oxygen in the ocean why?
On the surface of the ocean, the maximum amount of oxygen is at that place and at that time when the water is less salty and colder. At the bottom of the ocean, there is a maximum of oxygen above active ridges during their activation.
Extensive measurements have shown that the highest oxygen concentrations are found at high latitudes, where the ocean is cold, especially well-mixed and ventilated. Oxygen content is highest at the surface for two main reasons; this is where oxygen dissolves into the ocean from the atmosphere, and the surface water is where oxygen is produced by phytoplankton through photosynthesis. Thus, even small decreases in dissolved oxygen can significantly impact marine animals. The concentration of dissolved oxygen in ocean water is typically between 7 and 8 milligrams per liter (mg/L). At 300 to 700 meters, the water's oxygen content stabilizes at its lowest level, forming a microxic (less than 0.1 milliliter per liter) zone. Extensive measurements have shown that the highest oxygen concentrations are found at high latitudes, where the ocean is cold, especially well-mixed and ventilated. The mid-latitudes, by contrast, especially on the western coasts of the continents, are characterized by marked oxygen-deficient zones.Oxygen dissolves easily in cold water; this is why the (colder) deep ocean has higher oxygen content than the (warmer) water in the oxygen minimum zone. As heat from the atmosphere is transferred into the ocean, warming near-surface waters lose the ability to hold high concentrations of oxygen. When a lake stratifies, there are two distinct layers: a warm, less dense surface layer and a cold, denser bottom layer. The surface layer receives oxygen at the surface through wind diffusion. This allows the surface layer to be oxygen-rich and able to support aquatic life. Deep ocean waters hold far less oxygen than surface waters because they haven't been in contact with air for centuries. And in many places, decomposing organic matter raining down from the surface uses up what little oxygen remains. These natural deep-water “oxygen minimum zones” cover great swaths of ocean interior.
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