I.

INTRODUCTION

Oceanic Dead Zones Continue to Spread

Should we be worried about the dead zone?

How has been excessive nutrient pollution from human activities affected by the dead

zones? Hypoxic zones are areas in the ocean of such low oxygen

concentration that animal life suffocates and dies, and as a result are sometimes called

"dead zones." One of the largest dead zones forms in the Gulf of Mexico every spring.

Each spring as farmers fertilize their lands preparing for crop season, rain washes

fertilizer off the land and into streams and rivers.

In March 2004, when the recently established UN Environment Program published its

First Global Environment Outlook Year Book (GEO Year Book 2003), it reported 146

Dead zones in the world's oceans where marine life could not be supported due to

Depleted oxygen levels. Some of these were as small as a square kilometer, but the

Largest dead zone covered 70,000 square kilometers. A 2008 study counted 405 dead

zones worldwide. This research will prove that human

waste activities can effect oceans and it will cause Dean Zones , and it is urgent to

research this topic to learn the character of this effect and the importance of protecting

our oceans .
II. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

History of the Gulf of Mexico "Dead" Zone, by Martin B. Farley, University of North

Carolina at Pembroke. This student activity engages students in analysis of the last

1000 years of the Gulf of Mexico hypoxia zone (informally "dead" zone) by using relative

abundance of low-oxygen tolerant benthic foraminifera. In this example of

environmental micropaleontology, students evaluate whether the "dead" zone has

existed in its current form for many centuries or has become more intense in the time of

increased anthropogenic input of organics (i.e., fertilizer).

The study of dead zones will know the nutrient enrichment in aquatic habitats can result

in hypoxic or anoxic (no oxygen) . The research goal is designed to help students

improve the awareness of excessive nutrient pollution from human activities affected by

the dead zones.

III.PRESENTATION OF THE RESEARCH TOPIC

The Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone

Created by Monica Bruckner, Montana State University

What is the Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone?

The Gulf of Mexico dead zone is an area of hypoxic (link to USGS definition) (less than

2 ppm dissolved oxygen) waters at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Its area varies in

size, but can cover up to 6,000-7,000 square miles. The zone occurs between the inner

and mid-continental shelf in the northern Gulf of Mexico, beginning at the Mississippi

River delta and extending westward to the upper Texas coast.

The largest dead zone ever recorded in the Gulf of Mexico was reported by National

Geographic News in August 2017: New Jersey-Size Dead Zone Is Largest Ever in Gulf

of Mexico

Where Are the Dead Zones?

Dead zones can be found worldwide. The Gulf of Mexico dead zone is one of the

largest in the world. Marine dead zones can be found in the Baltic Sea, Black Sea, off

the coast of Oregon, and in the Chesapeake Bay. Dead zones may also be found in

lakes, such as Lake Erie.

What Causes the Dead Zone?

The dead zone is caused by nutrient enrichment from the Mississippi River, particularly

nitrogen and phosphorous. Watersheds within the Mississippi River Basin drain much of

the United States, from Montana to Pennsylvania and extending southward along the

Mississippi River. Most of the nitrogen input comes from major farming states in the

Mississippi River Valley, including Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri,

Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Nitrogen and phosphorous enter the
river through upstream runoff of fertilizers, soil erosion, animal wastes, and sewage. In a

natural system, these nutrients aren't significant factors in algae growth because they

are depleted in the soil by plants. However, with anthropogenically increased nitrogen

and phosphorus input, algae growth is no longer limited. Consequently, algal blooms

develop, the food chain is altered, and dissolved oxygen in the area is depleted. The

size of the dead zone fluctuates seasonally, as it is exacerbated by farming practices. It

is also affected by weather events such as flooding and hurricanes.

What Are the Effects?

Nutrient overloading and algal blooms lead to eutrophication, which has been shown to

reduce benthic (link to definition) biomass and biodiversity. Hypoxic water supports

fewer organisms and has been linked to massive fish kills in the Black Sea and Gulf of

Mexico. The Gulf of Mexico is a major source area for the seafood industry. The Gulf

supplies 72% of U.S. harvested shrimp, 66% of harvested oysters, and 16% of

Commercial fish (Potash and Phosphate Institutes of the U.S. and Canada, 1999).

Consequently, if the hypoxic zone continues or worsens, fishermen and coastal state

economies will be greatly impacted.

What Can be Done to Remediate the Problem?

The key to minimizing the Gulf dead zone is to address it at the source. Solutions

include:

Using fewer fertilizers and adjusting the timing of fertilizer applications to limit runoff of

excess nutrients from farmland

Control of animal wastes so that they are not allowed to enter into waterways

Monitoring of septic systems and sewage treatment facilities to reduce discharge of

nutrients to surface water and groundwater

Careful industrial practices such as limiting the discharge of nutrients, organic matter,
and chemicals from manufacturing facilities

These solutions are relatively simple to implement and would significantly reduce the

input of nitrogen and phosphorus to the Gulf of Mexico. A similar approach has been

used successfully in the Great Lakes' recovery from eutrophication.

The government is also funding efforts to restore wetlands along the Gulf coast to

naturally filter the water before it enters the Gulf.

APPENDIX
The Dead Zone

Figure 1: Major Rivers of the Mississippi River Watershed

Extent of Hypoxic Conditions in the Gulf of Mexico

Mississippi River Watershed

DEAD CORALS
FILTILIZER RUNOFF
OIL SPILL

DEAD FISH
IV.BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. https://www.google.com/search?q=dead+zone+in+mexico&source=lnms&t
bm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj2-
eLYoaLjAhXMFogKHZkoCtcQ_AUIECgB&biw=1366&bih=657#imgrc=dCr3f
G3e3OUzbM:
2. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dead%20zone
3. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/deadzone.html
4. https://www.epa.gov/nutrientpollution/effects-dead-zones-and-harmful-
algal-blooms
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_zone_(ecology)
6. https://serc.carleton.edu/microbelife/topics/deadzone/general.html
DEAD ZONE
(No oxygen, No life)