Growing dead zone
The Mighty Mississippi may be the lifeblood of Midwest agriculture, but for the sea animals living beyond the delta, it might as well be a cyanide bubble bath. Just off Louisiana's coast lies the world's second largest dead zone, an oxygen-depleted area of the ocean where marine life cannot well... live. A report by the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium expects the dead zone to grow to its largest size since 1985 -- the first year it was recorded. Erosion, fertilizers and the discharge from sewage treatment plants are the main culprits cited by the group of researchers. The nitrogen from these sources creates excess algae, which apparently gobbles up obscene amounts of oxygen and leaves none for the shrimp and crustaceans. If predictions hold true, the dead zone will reach 8,543 square miles.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
12-20-2007 @ 8:09AM
Jessica said...
this is so disturbing that the only feeling i get is one of just utter horror. it's such a huge problem that it feels as if all of the extra precautions one puts into being as eco-nice as possible is all in vain. what do we do? what can we do? i am sick to death of hearing how this can be done to our world and all for some jerk off to be able to buy yet another pollution-streaming personal jet or 747. THEY ARE BUT A FEW BUT WE ARE PLENTY MORE THAN THEM.
please someone tell me, what can we do?
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