The Hypoxic Zone in the Gulf of Mexico Draft#1
This discussion topic submitted by Adam Esham (
alesha00@hotmail.com) at 7:51 pm on 3/25/01. Additions were last made on Saturday, May 4, 2002.
The hypoxic condition in the Gulf of Mexico is very alarming. I will discuss this condition that is off the coast of Louisiana. Their are many factors that have led to the hypoxic condition in the Gulf every summer. This hypoxic zone kills many marine animals that can not escape. This hypoxic water is caused by an overgrowth of algal bloom, and when they fall to the bottom of the ocean bacteria decompose them and use up all the oxygen. Also, a layer of freshwater over the saltwater prevents oxygen from diffusing into the deeper water. This hypoxic condition is serious enough to the economy and the nation that the national government has gotten involved and proposed some ideas of how to combat the problem.
I.What is an hypoxic zone? A. What can cause these zones?
B. Why is this condition important to study?
II.The Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone
A. How big is it and how does it fluctuate?
B. What are the conditions that have caused this zone?
III.The Timing of the zone
A. Why does it happen in the summer?
B. The "natural" experiments that have occured
IV.What organisms are affected by this hypoxic conditions and what organisms thrive?
A. What causes them to be killed?
V.How this has affected the national and local economies
A. Fisheries and ecological groups involvment
B. Why are the fisherman worried?
VI.Future plans
A. Reduce nitrogen on farms
B. Increase wetland areas along rivers to "soak" up excess nitrogen
Works Cited
Beardsley, T. (1997) "Death in the Deep." Scientific American, Nov. 17-20.
Malakoff, D. (1998) "Death by Suffocation in the Gulf of Mexico." Science 281,
190-192.
Sen Gupta, B., Turner, R., Rabalais, N. (1996) "Seasonal oxygen depletion in continental-shelf waters of Louisiana: Historical record of benthic foraminifers." Geology 24, 227-230.
web sources:
http://www.fishingnj.org/artedzn.htm "A 'Dead Zone' grows in the Gulf of Mexico"
http://www.tulane.edu/~bfleury/envirobio/enviroweb/DeadZone.htm "The Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone and Red Tides"
http://www.cop.noaa.gov/deadzone.html "Gulf of Mexico 'Dead Zone'"
http://www.enn.com/enn-news-archive/2000/02/0219200/streams_10166.asp
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It is 8:16:06 PM on Friday, May 9, 2008. Last Update: Saturday, May 4, 2002