Gulf 'Dead Zone' This Year Predicted To Be Largest In History

[onehandle]

Source: AP

NEW ORLEANS -- Scientists predict this year's "dead zone" of low-oxygen water in the northern Gulf of Mexico will be the largest in history – about the size of Lake Erie – because of more runoff from the flooded Mississippi River valley.

Each year when the nutrient-rich freshwater from the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers pours into the Gulf, it spawns massive algae blooms. In turn, the algae consume the oxygen in the Gulf, creating the low oxygen conditions. Fish, shrimp and many other species must escape the dead zone or face dying.

Federal and university scientists predict this year's zone will be between 8,500 square miles and about 9,400 square miles. The actual size of the dead zone will be measured over the summer. The largest recorded dead zone was found in 2002 when 8,400 square miles of the Gulf was found to lacking sufficient oxygen for most marine life.

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Scientists said the large dead zone will complicate the Gulf's recovery from last year's massive oil spill. After the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded on April 20, 2010, an out-of-control well owned by BP PLC. spewed about 206 million gallons of oil – 19 times more than the Exxon Valdez spilled. "This is an additional stressor," Rabalais said. "It's our chronic stressor

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/14/gulf-dead-zone-predicted-largest-in-history_n_877188.html

[defendandprotect]

1. kr

[nebenaube]

2. that falls under the 'no shit' Sherlock! category. n/t

[CarmanK]

3. This is only the beginning according to scientists on site!

During the coverage of the deep water horizon oil spill, there were lots of stories about the time frame for the recovery and the clean up of the oil itself. One of the local scientists told the audience that the impacted wet lands would look really good for a couple of years, the fish etc.. will go fine, but within 3 to 5 years, the wetland will die and support for fish etcc... will be lost. So therefore, there is a lot worse to come for the area, and of course the southern states aren't going to pay attention, because that would mean they would have to take care of people rather than their corporate lords and big oil.At least, if Obama, is a one termer "bite my tongue", he won't have to be around for this national disaster repeat.