Kohlenwasserstoff-Leckagen am Meeresboden: Eine ökologische Herausforderung und international-rechtliche Verantwortung

Ocean acidification and the progressive depletion of dissolved oxygen in deep ocean layers are recognized as critical threats to the stability of marine ecosystems and the global biosphere. The ocean plays a fundamental role in maintaining the planet’s climatic and biogeochemical balance, and the degradation of its chemical and physical properties produces transboundary ecological and socio-economic consequences. This study proposes and analyses a hypothesis regarding the potential contribution of chronic hydrocarbon leakage associated with offshore drilling activities and the degradation of active and abandoned subsea wells to the formation of localized zones of reduced pH and oxygen deficiency. Under conditions of mechanical, chemical, and tectonic erosion, elements of drilling infrastructure may lose structural integrity, leading to the prolonged release of petroleum-derived compounds into the marine environment. Released hydrocarbons become entrained in coastal and deep-ocean current systems and undergo oxidation driven by dissolved oxygen present in seawater. This process is accompanied by the formation of carbon dioxide, which, through interaction with seawater, promotes the generation of carbonic acid and localized reductions in pH. In parallel, the consumption of dissolved oxygen may intensify hypoxic conditions, particularly in regions characterized by restricted water exchange and weakened circulation. This study introduces a transport-based hypothesis linking offshore hydrocarbon leakage to delayed and spatially displaced zones of acidification and hypoxia, extending beyond immediate drilling areas and, in some cases, across national maritime jurisdictions. It is therefore suggested that the spatial distribution of such chemically degraded zones may not coincide with sites of direct extraction but instead align with pathways of water mass transport, where oxidation products accumulate over time. As a well promising science field, the integration of hydrodynamic modelling of ocean currents, spatial analysis of subsea well distribution, and chemical profiling of pH and dissolved oxygen parameters is proposed to identify potential correlations between chronic leakage zones and focal areas of localized marine chemical degradation. This work is positioned as a conceptual and politico-legal framework intended to inform future empirical research and to support the development of international regulatory initiatives in the field of marine environmental protection.