Week 12 Science in the News_Dead Zone

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2 Week 12 Science in the News: Dead Zone Dead or Hypoxic Zones Formation Dead zones, also known as hypoxic zones, are regions in oceans or large lakes with low oxygen levels (hypoxia), wherein oxygen concentration falls under 2 milliliters of oxygen per liter. This condition is adverse to oceanic lifestyles, causing adjustments in behavior or death. These zones form due to excessive supplements (primarily nitrogen and phosphorus) entering the water, often from fertilizers, wastewater, and burning fossil fuels (Rabalais et al., 2018). These nutrients fuel algae blooms, and when these algae die, their deterioration consumes oxygen, creating hypoxic conditions. Eutrophication, the increase in chemical nutrients, is a crucial factor leading to these dead zones. Hypoxic Zone in the Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico's dead zone, one of the most significant and persistent globally, forms primarily due to nutrient runoff. Heavy rains and melting snow wash significant nutrients, especially nitrogen and phosphorus, from various sources along the Mississippi River into the Gulf. These nutrients, essential for plant and crop growth, lead to algae blooms (Tarr, 2019). When these algae die, bacteria decompose them, requiring oxygen, which results in an oxygen deficit. Consequently, this creates a dead zone where marine life cannot exist. The Gulf of Mexico's dead zone has been expanding, indicating a growing environmental concern. Hypoxic Areas off Long Island, New York Long Island Sound has been progressively affected by hypoxia and eutrophication, with nitrogen over-burden being a major contributing factor. This hypoxia comes from supplement stacking from fertilizers utilized in lawns and other vegetation. Hypoxic conditions have been frequently recorded in Long Island Sounds, where dissolved oxygen levels are less than 3 milligrams per liter. The area and duration of these hypoxic conditions have shifted over the years, appearing to be a trend of fluctuation rather than a consistent increment or diminish (Elizabeth, 2021). These hypoxic areas pose a critical threat to the neighborhood marine ecosystem, influencing the region's well-being and diversity of marine life.

3 References Rabalais, N. N., Turner, R. E., & Wiseman Jr, W. J. (2002). Gulf of Mexico hypoxia, aka "The dead zone". Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 33(1), 235-263. https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.33.010802.150513 Elizabeth Tanzi (2021). The Biggest Threat to Long Island Sound—And How to Fix It | MA in Climate and Society. (2021, September 3). Columbia.edu. https://climatesociety.ei.columbia.edu/news/biggest-threat-long-island-sound-and-how-fix- it#:~:text=The%20waters%20surrounding%20Long%20Island,one%20of%20the%20main %20drivers Tarr, K. (2019, April 23). The Gulf of Mexico dead zone: What causes it, and what could fix it - Planet Forward. Planet Forward. https://planetforward.org/story/gulf-mexico-dead-zone/

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