The Dead Zone of the Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico has seen better days. We all know about the huge oil spill caused by the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling rig on April 20, 2010. It took them 3 months to finally cap the spout, but by then, the damage was done. This is, to date, the worst oil spill we have ever experienced.

But to add insult to injury, the Gulf of Mexico has had plenty of other “problems” over the years. One of the biggest is the fact that a “dead zone” exists in the Gulf of Mexico…and it’s growing. Now, you’re probably wondering, “What is a dead zone?” A dead zone is any area in the water where the oxygen supply has been depleted. When this happens, the water is said to be hypoxic. If there is not enough oxygen, plant life (such as algae) cannot grow. If there is no algae in the area, then much of the marine life has nothing to eat. This marine life will starve or if it can, it will flee the area and try to find a better place to live.

Water loses oxygen when it contains too much nitrogen and phosphorus. The reason the Gulf of Mexico is so susceptible to this problem is because of the Mississippi River. The mouth of the Mississippi opens into the gulf, and boy, is that a big mouth!

Beginning in Minnesota, the Mighty Mississippi flows into the Gulf of Mexico, carrying with it all the byproducts of agriculture. All the chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides used on the farmland along the Mississippi seep into the soil surrounding the river and begin their journey south.

Artificial chemicals used in agriculture have extremely high nitrogen and phosphorus content. In fact, these chemicals contain more nitrogen and phosphorous than crops could ever use, so all the excess is absorbed into the soil, eventually making its way into streams, streams, rivers, and lakes… ending up in some way be connected to the Mississippi River!

Unfortunately, the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico has only grown over time and shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. The men and women who live off the sea have no control over this problem and just have to deal with it. Obviously marine life has nothing to say! And now, on top of everything else, there’s also the devastating effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill to deal with!

We are killing our planet! That’s all about it! The gross misuse and overuse of chemicals in agriculture is causing dead zones where marine life cannot live. Our thirst for energy lends itself to unsafe circumstances and overlooked precautions when it comes to oil drilling. We need to be held accountable, all of us, not just the people who make their living in the Gulf of Mexico and the marine life trying to make a home there.