TAG: Dead zones

Oceanic Dead Zones


Though ocean dead zones often occur naturally, they can also be triggered by human activity. These zones are identified by the reduced levels of oxygen in the water, commonly referred to as hypoxia. There are many factors that combine to create dead zones, but nutrient pollution is the primary cause of those zones created by humans. Excess nutrients that run off land or are piped as wastewater into rivers and coasts can stimulate an overgrowth of algae, which then sinks and decomposes in the water. The decomposition process consumes oxygen and depletes the supply available to healthy marine life. Fifty… read more