Gulf of Mexico to Possibly Experience Largest Dead Zone in History
- 5 years ago
Gulf of Mexico to Possibly Experience
Largest Dead Zone in History A dead zone is a scientific term used to describe an area
of water with low oxygen that is unable to support life. According to scientists at Louisiana State University,
a dead zone the size of New Jersey could appear in
the Gulf of Mexico this coming July. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration also released a prediction report,
anticipating a zone of 7,829 square miles. The predicted zone would be over 2,000 square
miles larger than the five-year average of the area. Dead zones were first noticed in the Gulf of Mexico
in the 1970s and have been increasing in size since. Scientists believe the dead zone is caused by
runoff from the Mississippi River, as pollutants from
thousands of acres of farmland empty into the river. The runoff contains dissolved nitrogen and phosphorus
which overstimulate the growth of phytoplankton
and cause all the oxygen in the water to be used. Although preventative measure can be taken by
farmers to ease the contamination, marine ecologist
Nancy Rabalais doesn’t believe there is an easy fix. Nancy Rabalais, via CNN
Largest Dead Zone in History A dead zone is a scientific term used to describe an area
of water with low oxygen that is unable to support life. According to scientists at Louisiana State University,
a dead zone the size of New Jersey could appear in
the Gulf of Mexico this coming July. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration also released a prediction report,
anticipating a zone of 7,829 square miles. The predicted zone would be over 2,000 square
miles larger than the five-year average of the area. Dead zones were first noticed in the Gulf of Mexico
in the 1970s and have been increasing in size since. Scientists believe the dead zone is caused by
runoff from the Mississippi River, as pollutants from
thousands of acres of farmland empty into the river. The runoff contains dissolved nitrogen and phosphorus
which overstimulate the growth of phytoplankton
and cause all the oxygen in the water to be used. Although preventative measure can be taken by
farmers to ease the contamination, marine ecologist
Nancy Rabalais doesn’t believe there is an easy fix. Nancy Rabalais, via CNN