The Gulf of Mexico Hypoxic Zone is an area roughly the size of Massachusetts that forms along the Louisiana- Texas coast in the Gulf of Mexico. In this region, nutrients from the Mississippi River enter the ocean and cause large algal blooms. Once these algal blooms die, the decomposition process depletes the ocean waters of dissolved oxygen suffocating fish and sea life. Given the observations you made about waterflows in the United States, why is the Gulf of Mexico particularly susceptible to having a hypoxic zone driven by nutrient pollution?

Hypoxic waters have very low concentrations of dissolved oxygen. They are also called dead zones of…

Answered: The Gulf of Mexico Hypoxic Zone is an…

9th Edition

ISBN:9780134746241

Author:Edward J. Tarbuck, Frederick K. Lutgens, Dennis G. Tasa

Publisher:Edward J. Tarbuck, Frederick K. Lutgens, Dennis G. Tasa

Chapter1: The Study Of Minerals

Section: Chapter Questions

Problem 1LR

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The Gulf of Mexico Hypoxic Zone is an area roughly the size of Massachusetts that forms along the Louisiana- Texas coast in the Gulf of Mexico. In this region, nutrients from the Mississippi River enter the ocean and cause large algal blooms. Once these algal blooms die, the decomposition process depletes the ocean waters of dissolved oxygen suffocating fish and sea life. Given the observations you made about waterflows in the United States, why is the Gulf of Mexico particularly susceptible to having a hypoxic zone driven by nutrient pollution?

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