Dead Zones

[kreeden]

They aren't new , but they are becoming more common , and larger .

A Dead Zone is an area of ocean there doesn't have enough oxygen to support life .

" Dead zones are caused by the explosive growth of tiny aquatic plants called phytoplankton. When the phytoplankton die, they are decomposed by bacteria. Massive numbers of bacteria use up the oxygen in the water. Any animals that can swim out of the low-oxygen water--like many fish--do so. Others--some fish, many crabs, and others--suffocate because they can't get enough oxygen to live. "

Scary stuff . Even if you aren't a fish , we depend upon the oceans for mush of our food . Here are a couple of links ...

http://ltc.smm.org/buzz/blog/dead_zone_off_oregon_beaches

This year for the first time, the effect of the low-oxygen zone is also being seen in coastal waters off Washington, researchers at OSU and the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary indicate.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-07/osu-mz072606.php

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Marine-039-Dead-Zone-039-Off-Oregon-Is-Spreading-31314.shtml

and a worldwide look

http://disc.gsfc.nasa.gov/oceancolor...ad_zones.shtml

 

[CaptainXeroid]

From the NASA article "...The apparent cause of the creeping dead zones is agriculture, specifically fertilizer. While fertilizer is necessary to foster bumper agricultural crops, it also runs off the fields into the streams and rivers of a watershed. When the fertilizer reaches the ocean, it just becomes more nutrients for the phytoplankton, so they do what they do best: they grow and multiply. Which leads to more organic matter reaching the bottom, more bacterial respiration, and more anoxic bottom water..."

Perhaps these studies will lead to more envrionmentally safe fertilizers much like air quality lead to emission controls and cleaner burning engines in automobiles.

 

[kreeden]

Yes , but the one off the west coast of America is a little different . The largest river in the area is the Frazer , which does have a Dead Zone , but isn't yet connected to the Zone to the south . They blame that on too much cold water from the melting ice of the Arctic .