Final answer:
The solubility of oxygen in water increases as the water temperature decreases, due to decreased thermal energy which allows more gas to remain dissolved.
Step-by-step explanation:
When the temperature of water decreases, the solubility of oxygen in water typically increases. This is because solubility of gases in liquids is inversely related to temperature.
The science behind this phenomenon is that lower temperatures result in less thermal energy that can overcome the attractive forces between the gas and the solvent molecules. Thus, more gas remains dissolved in the liquid at lower temperatures.
Conversely, when the temperature of a water body is raised, perhaps due to industrial processes leading to thermal pollution, the solubility decreases, which can have detrimental effects on aquatic ecosystems and potentially cause large-scale fish kills.