The Floods’ Lingering Effects: New Study Shows Gulf “Dead Zone” One of the Largest on Record
The Gulf “dead zone” threatens seafood production, recreation and marine life.
Extremely heavy rains and melting snows washed massive amounts of nutrients—particularly nitrogen and phosphorus—from lawns, sewage treatment plants, farm land and other sources along the Mississippi River into the Gulf of Mexico. Once in the Gulf, these nutrients, which are required for plant and crop growth, trigger algae blooms that choke off oxygen in water and make it difficult, if not impossible, for marine life to survive.
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