Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico

Due to continuous pollution along the Mississippi River basin and the Gulf of Mexico, environmental groups in nine states have petitioned the federal government to set and enforce pollution standards.
The setting up of pollution standards has become imperative because the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico till date has spread to around 8,000 square miles and is the second largest. The petitioners feel that if drastic measures are not taken to control pollution levels dead zone will continue to grow. The petitioners are all from states bordering the Mississippi River — Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

Dead zone is an area where there is no marine life because the oxygen levels which support marine life in this water is too low. This is because, every year nitrogen and phosphorus pollution flows into the gulf from the Mississippi River, much of it from fertilizers, soil erosion, animal wastes, and sewage. The size of the dead zone fluctuates seasonally, as it is exacerbated by farming practices. It is also affected by weather events such as flooding and hurricanes.

The need to protect the Gulf of Mexico from pollution arises as it is a major source for the seafood industry. The Gulf supplies 72% of U.S. harvested shrimp, 66% of harvested oysters, and 16% of commercial fish. Consequently, if the dead zone continues or increases, fishermen and coastal state economies will be greatly impacted.