DEVIL

IN THE DEEP BLUE SEA

INTRODUCTION

Climate change is likely to make existing ocean

dead zones
A new study by Smithsonian found that 94 % of
the world's dead zones are in areas expected
to see a temperature rise of 20C or more by the
end of the century. Back in August, Brian
Palmer looked at what causes dead zones and
how many are out there.
After reviewing the academic literature on “hypoxic zones” in
2012, Robert Diaz, professor emeritus at the Virginia Institute of
Marine Science at the College of William and Mary,
identified 166 reports of dead zones in the country.
A handful of the 166 dead zones have since bounced back
through improved management of sewage and agricultural
runoff, but as fertilizer use and factory farming increase, we are
creating dead zones faster than nature can recover.
 What is the “Dead Zone”?

 In coastal marine environments, “Dead Zones” are regions where oxygen

concentrations are very low. This condition of oxygen deficiency, known as

Hypoxia is caused by an interaction between biological, chemical and

physical factors.

 Hypoxia is a natural phenomenon that occurs periodically in coastal waters

around the world.

 Hypoxia - low levels of dissolved oxygen as the algae decomposes, defined

as dissolved oxygen ≤ 2.0 mg-1

Causes of Hypoxia

 Algal blooms and nutrient loading

 When large amounts of algae die
they sink to bottom
 Decomposition uses up a lot of DO

 Abiotic conditions of body of water

 Depth and shape
 Wind and weather
 Flow strength and direction

 Global Warming
 Temperature increase can decrease
the maximum amount of DO
 Exacerbates the eutrophication
problem
 Where do it occur?
Dead Zones occur around the world in both
fresh and saltwater systems like Lake Erie,
Chesapeake Bay, northern Gulf of Mexico, and
the Baltic Sea. Although Dead Zones occur
naturally in some coastal area, the frequency
and duration of hypoxia is increasing worldwide,
especially in coastal waters adjacent to densely
populated watersheds.
Central Case: The Gulf of Mexico’s “Dead Zone”

The Dead Zone is a region in

the Gulf of Mexico that does not
support marine life in surface
waters.
Approximate location shown
here
Dead zone  Gulf “dead zone” = a region of
water so depleted of oxygen
– That marine organisms are
Dead zone killed or driven away
 Hypoxia = low concentrations
of dissolved oxygen in water
– From fertilizer, fossil fuel
Photo: NASA
emissions, runoff, sewage
How does nitrogen get in the ocean?

Atmosphere Nitrogen is part of the

Factories biogeochemical cycle.

Fertilizers
Human activities like those
Wastewater in the picture cause
treatment nitrogen to enter the water.

For example:
Photo: USGS
agriculture, industry
and water treatment.
Too much nitrogen causes plankton
blooms

 Nitrogen is important to marine life

 Plankton, marine organisms that drift through the
ocean (e.g. fish larvae, diatoms), use this nutrient for
reproduction
 Excess nitrogen from human
activities allows plankton populations
to grow very rapidly, a phenomenon
called a plankton bloom

Plankton

Photo: NOAA
How do plankton blooms lead to dead
zones?

Those organisms that

In hypoxic (low DO) cannot or do not leave
environments, fish and will die off
other mobile organisms Plankton
will leave

When plankton die,

they settle to the
bottom and decompose DO

Bacteria use up oxygen

as they decompose the
plankton
Examples: Gulf of Mexico

http://www.greendiary.com/entry/dead-zone-in-the-gulf-of-mexico/
conclusion

• Dead zones are areas in the ocean where it appears that

phytoplankton productivity has been enhanced, or natural water
flow has been restricted, leading to increasing bottom water anoxia

• Dead zones occur in many areas of the country, particularly along

the East Coast, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Great Lakes. The
second largest dead zone in the world is located in the U.S., in the
northern Gulf of Mexico.

• There are many physical, chemical, and biological factors that

combine to create dead zones, as nutrient pollution from fertilizers
is the primary cause of those zones created by humans. Excess
nutrients that run off land or are piped as wastewater into rivers or
the ocean can stimulate an overgrowth of algae, which then sinks
and decomposes in the water.
 Solutions to the dead zone

– Reduce nitrogen fertilizer use in Midwestern farms

– Apply fertilizer at times which minimize runoff
– Use alternative crops and manage manure better
– Restore wetlands and create artificial ones
– Improve sewage treatment technologies
– Evaluate these approaches
 THANK YOU

FOR ATTENTION