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Henry Jackson/Associated Press
Jerry Peckumn stands in a combine on his farm outside of Jefferson, Iowa. Peckumn grows
thousands of acres of corn because he needs to make a profit, but says he is worried about
the impact his farming has on the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico. (AP)
Jerry Peckumn stands in a combine on his farm outside of Jefferson, Iowa. Peckumn grows
thousands of acres of corn because he needs to make a profit, but says he is worried about
the impact his farming has on the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico. (AP)
Gulf of Mexico “Dead Zone” Reaches Size of Massachusetts
June 11, 2008 2:30 PM
by
Rachel Balik
The “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico has been growing over the years; this summer it will be the largest such area on record.
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Scientists have been mapping a so-called “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico since 1985; this year, researchers predict that the area will grow to 10,084 square miles, the largest it has ever been and the biggest area of its kind ever measured.
The dead zone is a result of nutrients, such as nitrogen, increasing algae growth in the water. When the algae dies, it depletes oxygen in the water faster than it can be drawn from the surface. When this happens, sea life dies from suffocation. “The prediction of a large hypoxic zone this summer is because the nitrate loading this May, a critical month influencing the size, was exceptionally high," researcher R. Eugene Turner explained.
Scientists have been tracking the area for some time, and it has been increasing over the years. Researchers speculate that increased agricultural production, and specifically, corn production for ethanol, is contributing to the area’s growth. They have advised the government to act to prevent the problem from getting worse.
The dead zone is a result of nutrients, such as nitrogen, increasing algae growth in the water. When the algae dies, it depletes oxygen in the water faster than it can be drawn from the surface. When this happens, sea life dies from suffocation. “The prediction of a large hypoxic zone this summer is because the nitrate loading this May, a critical month influencing the size, was exceptionally high," researcher R. Eugene Turner explained.
Scientists have been tracking the area for some time, and it has been increasing over the years. Researchers speculate that increased agricultural production, and specifically, corn production for ethanol, is contributing to the area’s growth. They have advised the government to act to prevent the problem from getting worse.
Headline Link: ‘"Dead Zone" in Gulf could be Largest on Record’
The surface area of the dead zone reached a peak in 2002; however, researchers predict that this summer, the region will be the largest measured dead zone on record. Scientists predict this surge based on the amount of nitrogen that will be dumped into the Gulf from the Mississippi River; the nitrogen levels have gone up 37 percent since last year. The only hope is that a storm will come and reduce the nitrogen but, “If no strong storms appear, then this year’s dead zone is predicted to be 17-21 percent larger than previously measured, and to stretch into Texas continental shelf waters,” said researchers.
Source: MSNBC
Background: The growing dead zone
Concerns about the growing size of the dead zone mount each year. In 2006, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric reported that the dead zone would reach its largest surface during that summer. At the time, researchers from LSU predicted, “this summer's "Dead Zone” will be 6,700 square miles, an area the half the size of the state of Maryland.” NOAA also published a detailed report on hypoxia in the Gulf in 2000. Assessment of the problem began in 1997, with NOAA urging the government to take action in 1998.
Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The “dead zone” has increased in size almost every year since scientists began studying it in 1985. One exception to the trend occurred in 2005: a reduced amount of nutrients seeped from the Mississippi River into the Gulf and researchers reported that the area would be “considerably smaller than usual this year—about the size of Rhode Island, rather than larger than Jamaica.”
Source: Louisiana Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
Opinion and Analysis: Causes of the growth
Simon Donner of the University of British Columbia and Chris Kucharik of the University of Wisconsin published a study suggesting that the U.S government’s production of corn-based ethanol will cause the Gulf of Mexico’s “dead zone” to increase even further. Donner called the expansion of corn production a “disaster” and asserted, “The U.S. energy policy will make it virtually impossible to solve the problem of the Dead Zone.”
Source: University of British Columbia
A study published in the American Institute of Hydrology in 2006 found that “in the case of the Mississippi River Basin increased nutrient loads linked to agricultural production has contributed to the hypoxic (low oxygen) zone along the Louisiana Gulf coast.” The study was aimed at both discovering how nitrogen could be reduced and determining how to alter agricultural production that it could be prevented from doing further environmental harm.
Source: Agricultural Research Service
Reference: Research institutions
The Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium is a coastal laboratory for schools in the state, and the source of a great deal of "dead zone" research.
Source: Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium
Scientists at Louisiana State University have also conducted much of the research.
Source: Louisiana State University
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