Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico Essay

THE CHESAPEAKE BAY DEAD ZONES This is an article written by the Daily Press titled "The Chesapeake Bay dead zone this summer worst since 2014". The theme is how marine life can be affected by these dead zones and how we will find a way to fix this issue with the farmers. If we don't find a way to fix how many dead

“Anoxic” means that they have very low concentrations of dissolved oxygen. These dead zones are occurring in many areas along the coasts of major continents and spreading over larger and larger areas of the sea floor. Because only a few organisms can tolerate the lack of oxygen in these areas, they can destroy the habitat in which millions of organisms make their home. This satellite image of the Mississippi Delta shows muddy water flowing into the Gulf of Mexico and how the colors change from muddy brown to light and then dark blue as the water moves further into the gulf and

It is understood that there is not just one problem causing the dead zone in the bay. Two main contributors are the focus. Details are presented on the problems brought to the bay by agriculture, and development. The language is easy to understand and the scientific and environmental message is conveyed in a way that can be followed.

Looking at these figures actually shows a grim picture there is 53,187 people in the county estimated to have

Hypoxia has become a large problem in the Gulf of Mexico, especially along the coast of Louisiana. When there is a large region of water with a low oxygen level it is said to be hypoxic, where as regions with no oxygen are anoxic (Rabalais). The Gulf of Mexico is home to the second largest zone of costal hypoxia in the world, more specifically the continental shelf along the coast of Louisiana (Rabalais). With this change in environment the wildlife inhabiting it have two choices either emigrate or die(Rabalais). Both of those options lead to a wildlife dead zone which in turn leads to a decrease in fishing, shrimping, and crabbing all of which play a major part in south Louisiana’s economy. The best way to reduce hypoxia as well as the size

The main problem this paper intends to discuss regards the Gulf of Mexico dead zone. This dead zone, which for the most part encompasses the water off the coast of Louisiana, becomes depleted in dissolved oxygen. The dead zone is an outcome of nutrient runoff into the Gulf from urban areas, wastewater treatment plants, and from atmospheric deposition, however, the majority comes from fertilizers used in agriculture around the Mississippi River Basin. The increase in nutrients has been affecting the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem by forming difficult conditions in which organisms live. Another consequence that is directly related to the ecosystem damage is the effect on the fishing economy in in the region. In the paper I will address the questions, how has the dead zone specifically caused damage to the ecosystem of the Gulf of Mexico and how has that damage affected the economic productivity of the fisheries? Furthermore, what policy solutions exist to solve the dead zone problem?

Many have described the post-spill Gulf as a gigantic chemical experiment, with as yet unknown effect on its delicate ecosystem. By July 2010, one third of the Gulf’s fishing area—more than 80,000 square miles—had been closed, affecting the livelihood of thousands in coastal Louisiana and Mississippi.

Sediment collected from the riverbank as the river flows downstream is also a problem; it increases the turbidity of the river, and this makes it difficult for plants to receive the necessary sunlight needed for survival. When these plants die, there is less food for fish and other river animals. Bacteria levels also rise in the water, because it can cling to sediment very easily. When there is more sediment, there are more places for the bacteria to collect. (Helsel & Mueller, 2009). All of these problems are occurring as the water is flowing along the river banks, collecting even more sediment, and pollutants as it travels downstream and deposits into the Gulf of Mexico. When all of this sediment, nitrogen and bacteria flow into the Gulf of Mexico, it causes changes in the water there. The increase in the level of nitrogen causes plankton to grow faster. When the plankton decomposes it takes a large amount of oxygen out of the water. The bacteria break down the decomposed plankton, which releases carbon dioxide, taking increasing levels of oxygen out of the water in the Gulf. Eventually the level of oxygen decreases to a point where most living organisms cannot survive. Some animals flee while other plants and animals that cannot leave usually die. This is referred to as the Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico. (Gulf of Mexico; NOAA, 2009). With an expected increase in the size

Earth's oceans are dying. “About 80% of the ocean around the world is polluted with chemicals industrial and residential waste, all of which comes from the land” (“Marine Problems…”).  Pollution is mainly coming from the people. Marine pollution should be stopped because it is the cause of many problems and if something is done about it, people will see an increase in sea life and healthier waters. It makes its way into the ocean and kills marine life. Ocean pollution is affecting the way of fisherman and their everyday lives. It is also very bad on the community because pollution is very bad on tourism. Ocean pollution should be stopped because it is poorly affecting marine life, it is not good for fishermen, and is very bad on tourism.

Except for those who take a look and take the time to discover the causes. One of the many causes of the oceanic dead zones is synthetic fertilizers.

The Gulf Stream is one of the largest and fastest ocean currents on earth covering approximately 10,000 km (The Gulf Stream Explained, n.d). The Gulf Stream originates from a warm water current transported to the Gulf of Mexico by the Southeast Trade Winds (The Gulf Stream Explained, n.d). Once in the Gulf of Mexico this mass of water heats up and fueled by the Westerly Winds it starts to move towards Europe passing along the U.S East coast (The Gulf Stream Explained, n.d). While traveling on its path the Gulf Stream regulates the temperature on the east coast of the U.S and in some parts of Europe. It also contributes to the migration of many species from the Caribbean Sea to the north (The Gulf Stream Explained, n.d).

The Gulf Stream is a warm ocean current that originates at the tip of Florida and travels along the coast of the eastern most United States before crossing through the Atlantic Ocean. This powerful current has a strong northward accelerating current that at a point ends up slitting the direction of the stream into two: a northern stream that crosses to northern Europe and a southern stream that circulates off West Africa. Due to these properties the Gulf Stream has a major affect on the western coast of Europe and the eastern coast of North America.

The e Deepwater Horizon oil spill at the Macondo well began on April 20, 2010, in the Gulf of Mexico on the BP-operated Macondo Prospect. An explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig on 20 April 2010 killed 11 people and caused almost 5 million barrels of oil to flow into the Gulf of Mexico. The spill covered 68,000 square miles of land and sea and triggered a response effort involving the use of nearly 2 million gallons of dispersant chemicals (Pallardy). Considered the largest accidental marine oil spill in history, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DHOS) resulted in widespread environmental and economic damage, the exact nature of which is only beginning to be understood (Shultz 59). This paper will address the causes of this unmitigated ecological disaster and discuss steps that need to be taken to prevent a similar disaster from occurring again.

The oceans of the world seem to be under attack from mankind and nature itself. Global warming is causing the melting of the polar ice causing the level of the oceans to rise. Garbage patches of plastic particles are floating in huge areas with some settling to the ocean floor. Acidification of the ocean water from fertilizer use is causing large so called dead zones where oxygen deprivation kills off plant and aquatic life. Many areas of the ocean have been dumping grounds for garbage, whether sludge like, solid, or chemical in nature. This paper will concentrate on the dead zones of the oceans, their causes, and the possible solutions to this problem.

With the huge impact of the oil spill on marine life and coastal regions, fishing and tourism industries of the places affected in the Gulf Coast severely declined. In the fishing industry, the incident led to an approximate $2.5 billion loss, while tourist industries experienced a loss of a predicted $23 billion (Jarvis, 2010). In addition, the moratorium placed on deep water drilling left 58,000 workers unemployed (ibid).