The Gulf of Mexico 'Dead Zone'

Dead zones are low-oxygen, or

hypoxic, areas in the worlds oceans and
lakes. Because most organisms need oxygen
live, few organisms can survive in hypoxic
conditions. That is why these areas are
called dead zones.

to

There are many Dead zones which

can be found globally. The largest dead
zone in our world is The Gulf of
Mexico.The Gulf of Mexico dead zone is an
area of hypoxic 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.
How does it occur?
Dead zones occur
because of a process called
eutrophication, which happens when
a body of water gets too many
nutrients, such as phosphorus and
nitrogen. At normal levels, these
nutrients feed the growth of an
organism called cyanobacteria, or
blue-green algae. With too many
nutrients, however, cyanobacteria
grows out of control, which can be harmful.
The dead zone occurs naturally, but human activity is making it much worse by
allowing tributaries to become overfilled with some nutrients while those tributaries lack
in other key nutrients.Human activities are the main cause of these excess nutrients
being washed into the ocean. For this reason, dead zones are often located near
inhabited coastlines.
What are the effects?
There are many negatively effects that caused by a dead zone. One of it was a
loss of habitat for organisms living in the hypoxic area. If the dead zone is large enough,
the organisms that are forced to move out of it might place extra strain on the

surrounding, healthier ecosystems. Secondly, dead zones can lead to loss of

biodiversity because they cause a sort of un-natural selection, and kill off organisms
that cannot get out of the area before it becomes hypoxic. Another major problem
associated with dead zones is the loss of income to the industries, factories, which lead
to our finance dependent on the ecosystem. Fishing and crabbing industries suffer
greatly when the coastal waters are hypoxic.

How can we solve the problems?

We can solve the dead zone problem by simply discontinue the use of synthetic
fertilizers because they are the clear source of nitrogen and phosphorous, which are the
leading cause of hypoxia. 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. And last but now least, careful
industrial practices such as limiting the discharge of nutrients, organic matter, and
chemicals from manufacturing facilities.
As developing countries become more industrialized, it is likely that they too will
begin overusing fertilizer, creating more aquatic dead zones in ecosystems that are
currently healthy. It is not too late to reverse the effects of dead zones, but action needs
to be taken soon before the problem spreads.
Works Cited:

The Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone. (n.d.). Retrieved September 4, 2015.

Dead Zones: Introduction. (n.d.). Retrieved September 4, 2015.
Northern Gulf of Mexico Hypoxic Zone | Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia, Mississippi Basin | US EPA. (n.d.). Retrieved
September 4, 2015.
Biggest dead zone ever coming to the Gulf of Mexico. (2013, June 24). Retrieved September 4, 2015.