Noaa Predicts Dead Zone Size Of New Jersey In Gulf Of Mexico...

[DLM84]

The phenomenon is caused by what the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration calls "excessive nutrient pollution"—a surplus of nitrate-heavy fertilizer runoff produced by agricultural operations along the Mississippi River. That runoff bleeds out from farms and ranches across the south into the nation's mightiest—and dirtiest—river, and eventually winds its way into the Gulf.

All those nutrients cause massive algae feeding-frenzies that suck up all of the available oxygen, creating what scientists call "hypoxic" (very low oxygen) and "anoxic" (no oxygen) zones. Dead zones. They occur in oceans all over the place, but the one in that consumes vast swaths of the Gulf of Mexico is especially huge. Here's how huge: this year, NOAA expects that dead zone will be between 7,286 and 8,561 miles wide.

Or, in the NOAA report's words, "That would range from an area the size of Connecticut, Rhode Island and the District of Columbia combined on the low end to the New Jersey on the upper end." That puts this year's aquatic death radius in the running to be the biggest ever—the largest Gulf dead zone on record thus far was the 8,481 square mile behemoth that grew in 2002.

http://www.treehugger.com/corporate-responsibility/dead-zone-size-new-jersey-bloom-gulf-mexico.html

so fellas still think dumping in our streams is not going to hurt any thing?

[Mitch f]

Scary stuff

[gotmuddy]

why is it a factor now and not before?

[jdmidwest]

It will never match the "dead zone" in Washington DC right now...

[Smalliebigs]

yy

[Flysmallie]

I was at the Gulf in Alabama the first part of the month and you still see clumps of oil washing ashore. Don't know if its still coming from the spill or from the numerous rigs just off shore.

[joeD]

The dinosaurs musta been pissed. Ruling the the earth for millions of years. Then, without driving an automobile or using chemicals on their farmfields, they get phased out. Extinct.

Planet is still there though.

[jeb]

http://www.treehugger.com/corporate-responsibility/dead-zone-size-new-jersey-bloom-gulf-mexico.html

so fellas still think dumping in our streams is not going to hurt any thing?

Can you show me where someone here said "dumping in our streams is not going to hurt anything"?

[Al Agnew]

The dinosaurs musta been pissed. Ruling the the earth for millions of years. Then, without driving an automobile or using chemicals on their farmfields, they get phased out. Extinct.

Planet is still there though.

'Course, there was that little matter of the asteroid impact that they didn't deal too well with...and if it had been much bigger, the planet might NOT still be here...

[Al Agnew]

Gotmuddy, it's a factor every year, but the more rain you get in the spring, especially the more rain in the agricultural areas of the Midwest, the more stuff that gets drained off fields and into the river and into the Gulf.

Smalliebigs, I believe the inshore areas aren't as affected by this because of plant growth, wave action, etc. It's more of an offshore phenomenon.