Do First - Dead Zones

Last updated 11 months ago

9 questions

land.

For thousands of years, people have lived on coasts. making a living by shipping goods or by fishing. Today, fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico provide jobs for thousands of people and food for millions more. Although humans and other organisms depend on the ocean, human activities can harm marine ecosystems. Scientists have been tracking dead zones in the ocean for several decades. Dead zones are large bodies of water that are unsuitable for living organisms. They hypothesize that these zones are a result of human activities on land.

A large zone in the Gulf of Mexico forms every year when runoff from spring and summer rain in the Midwest drains into the Mississippi River. The runoff contains nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizer, animal waste, and sewage from farms and cities. This nutrient-rich water flows into the gulf. Algae feed on excess nutrients and multiply rapidly, creating an algal bloom.

 Humans have been making a ___________ for thousands of years through ____________ and _____________  goods.

From begging to end, drag the options on the right order of the formation of the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico

Rain drains into the Mississippi River
Algae eat the nutrients contained in the water
The runoff flows into the gulf
Summer/Spring rain
Algae multiplies and creates an algal bloom

Some simple changes in human activity can help prevent dead zones. People upstream from the Gulf can decrease the use of fertilizer and apply it at times when it is less likely to be carried away by runoff. Picking up or containing animal waste can help, too. Also, people can modernize and improve septic and sewage systems. How do we know these steps would work? Using them has already restored life to dead zones in the Great Lakes!

Do First - Dead Zones

From begging to end, drag the options on the right order of the formation of the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico

What are three solutions to reducing dead zones?