The Zone Die-It

Gulf dead zone likely to be more gigantic than ever 3

The dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico may be vaster than ever this year, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists predicted Tuesday. Thanks in large part to recent Midwest flooding, the oxygen-starved zone -- caused when fertilizer runoff from upstream ag spurs growth of algae that suck oxygen as they decompose -- could measure 8,800 square miles, or about the size of New Jersey. The current dead-zone record holder is the 2002 zone, which was 8,481 square miles. The Gulf zone gets its "dead" moniker because it cannot support most marine life, and thus poses a great threat to the second-largest fishing industry in the country and the nation's biggest single source of shrimp and oysters -- not to mention general fishy happiness.

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  1. Chris McMasters's avatar

    Chris McMasters Posted 10:35 am
    15 Jul 2008

    Who needs fish anyway, cows eat CORN...Maybe we should start drilling for oil and natural gas off of the coast. We could get lucky and strike oxygen. Then, it will fertilize the water and all the yummy fishies will come back to get their third eyes from other toxic wastes...

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  2. Jason D Scorse's avatar

    Jason D Scorse Posted 12:08 pm
    15 Jul 2008

    End farm subsidies.....Exhibit A: The ever-growing Dead Zone

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  3. freakdreads Posted 4:31 am
    16 Jul 2008

    whyThis growing dead zone is one of sicking strength that seems to whisper sweet nothings to the general public. I live in New York off of lake erie and barely a sole(walking feet) i know, has even heard of the dead zone. FOOD FOOD FOOD, may we fill our mouths with the fertilizer we considerably do not think about, hey it gives us bigger fruit. completely unnatural fruit and veggies, let us get as big as we can, its really okay to kill things we dont have to see every day, can we as a society get any more pathetic in a sidestep instead of a forward step. let us all grow our own fruits and veggie, livestock is not needed, then we could all share growing secrets and work as a united society instead of an independent individual. Look to our lands for the anwser, not in the sea,  stop polluting the unseen and a healthier and happier world will grow.

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