In 2008, Dead Zones Are Deadlier

by Sheril R. Kirshenbaum     Department: Health & Life Sciences

Remember the dead zones?  Basically exactly what they sound like:  Disgusting vast areas of the ocean depleted of oxygen and devoid of fish, shrimp, and marine life.

They're getting worse.  And even if you're not into the green lifestyle, dead zones can have an enormous impact on socioeconomics and human health.

A study released last week by scientists from Louisiana State University (LSU) and the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium estimated that this year's dead zone would be more than 10,000 sq. mi., roughly the size of Massachusetts. But that prediction was made before massive floods hit the Midwest: with the flow of the Mississippi at dangerous levels, and with rains sweeping fertilizer off drowned farms, the dead zone could grow even bigger. The Louisiana fishing industry, the second largest in the nation, is already hurting, with shrimp catches falling in the dead zone's wake. The U.S. is not alone in grappling with this aquatic byproduct. As modern, chemically intensive agricultural practices spread around the globe, so does hypoxia; a 2004 U.N. report documents nearly 150 dead zones globally. But none compare to the black hole in the Gulf of Mexico. "This year would be the largest since we've started keeping records," says R. Eugene Turner, a zoologist with LSU who led the modeling effort. "It's definitely getting worse."

Translation:  Rivers and coastal areas should not be used as a dumping ground for fertilizers, hog waste, and all sorts of toxic sludge. 

Tags: dead zones, Mississippi, ocean

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