DEAD ZONE spreads across Gulf of Mexico

[.:.impossible]

'Dead zone' spreads across Gulf of Mexico

HOUSTON, Texas (Reuters) -- A huge "dead zone" of water so devoid of oxygen that sea life cannot live in it has spread across 5,800 square miles of the Gulf of Mexico this summer in what has become an annual occurrence caused by pollution.

The extensive area of uninhabitable water may be contributing indirectly to an unusual spate of shark bites along the Texas coast, experts said.

A scientist at the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium said Tuesday measurements showed the dead zone extended from the mouth of the Mississippi River in southeastern Louisiana 250 miles west to near the Texas border and was closer to shore than usual because winds and currents.

"Fish and swimming crabs escape (from the dead zone)," said Nancy Rabalais, the consortium's chief scientist for hypoxia, or low oxygen, research. "Anything else dies."

In the last 30 years, the dead zone has become an annual summer phenomenon, fed by rising use of nitrate-based fertilizers by farmers in the Mississippi watershed, Rabalais told Reuters.

The nitrates, carried into the gulf's warm summer waters by the river, feed algae blooms that use up oxygen and make the water uninhabitable.

The dead zone's size has varied each year depending on weather conditions, but averages about 5,000 square miles and remains in place until late September or early October.

Virtually nothing is being done to stop the flow of nitrates into the river, meaning the dead zone will reappear every year, Rabalais said.

The dead zone forces fish to seek better water, which may be a reason for the recent shark bites on Texas beaches.

Three people have been bitten by sharks along the upper Texas coast this year -- a high number for a state that has recorded only 18 shark attacks since 1980.

Terry Stelly, an ecosystem biologist with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, said increasing numbers of sharks have been found in recent years in the waters along the Texas-Louisiana border, near the edge of the dead zone.

Along with other factors, "chances are good they (sharks) were looking for higher dissolved oxygen in the water," he said.

Rabalais agreed, saying "The higher number of sharks in shallow waters may very likely be due to the low oxygen being close to the shore at the time of the attacks."

"The available habitat for the sharks is definitely less when the low oxygen is so widespread," she said.

[Johnny E]

That article says one thing and one thing only to me....

We need more research to see if it's really happening or not....oh yeah, and vote for Bush in 04'.

[catesta]

Somebody better pass this article on to Mellencamp, Nelson, Neil Young, and the rest of those guys at Farm Aid.

[BruceH]

DAMN YOU, STEPHEN KING!!!!

[chris olivarez]

Gee can't let anything trivial like an Ocean stand in the way of progress.

[BERIGAN]

That article says one thing and one thing only to me....

We need more research to see if it's really happening or not....oh yeah, and vote for Bush in 04'.

Sure sounds like ALL the blame Is Bush's....

In the last 30 years, the dead zone has become an annual summer phenomenon, fed by rising use of nitrate-based fertilizers by farmers in the Mississippi watershed, Rabalais told Reuters.

The nitrates, carried into the gulf's warm summer waters by the river, feed algae blooms that use up oxygen and make the water uninhabitable

[.:.impossible]

I don't think anyone blames Bush for pollution. They blame him for not discouraging, impeding, or attempting to correct pollution.

You would be surprised to find out how much fecal choliform, e. coli, salmonella, etc. your county-level EPA water quality and groundwater department detects in the creek behind your house. Not interested? Pull up the numbers for your county's water source.

It makes no sense, knowing what we now know about farming technique, to continue allowing certain practices.

Knowledge is useless if we don't use it. How's that for a Yogi-ism?