The view of the ocean since the middle of the 20th century had been one of hope and prosperity for feeding the growing human population. Many believed it to be an inexhaustible pool of food and resources, and so efforts to create newer, more efficient methods of obtaining these resources had sprung into action. Somewhere along that time and now that image changed to a giant trashcan for people to dispose of their sewage, chemicals, and garbage. Two consequences of this transition, mercury contamination and dead zones, have come to threaten the ocean’s ecosystems, which directly affects us.
Mercury and lead contamination in the ocean is a widespread problem that is affecting organisms throughout the world. Humans play a big role in mercury …show more content…
Although this can occur naturally, the greatest cause is manmade. Dead zones are usually created by farmers in the spring preparing for crop season. The fertilizers they use on farms are washed into rivers where they are carried and deposited into the ocean. As a result of this increase in nutrients, algae flourishes until it dies and sinks to the bottom. As decomposition occurs, oxygen is used up to create an area of low oxygen [2]. Dead zones life are the equivalent of biological deserts because there is little to no life [2]. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) estimates that the dead zone costs U.S. seafood and tourism industries $82 million each year [3]. Another issue with dead zones is the impact it has on food supply. The Gulf of Mexico alone provides 40 percent of the nation’s seafood, and the second largest dead zone in the world resides there [3]. So what can be done? The Nature Conservancy is working to slow, and even reduce dead zones in the Gulf by managing nutrients more efficiently in farm fields and by restoring wetlands and riparian systems to capture nutrients and reduce runoff through its Mississippi River Program [4]. Individuals can help by raising awareness to Congress to pass legislature to prevent it, such as the RESTORE Act and the Farm Bill
Mercury and lead contamination in the ocean is a widespread problem that is affecting organisms throughout the world. Humans play a big role in mercury …show more content…
Although this can occur naturally, the greatest cause is manmade. Dead zones are usually created by farmers in the spring preparing for crop season. The fertilizers they use on farms are washed into rivers where they are carried and deposited into the ocean. As a result of this increase in nutrients, algae flourishes until it dies and sinks to the bottom. As decomposition occurs, oxygen is used up to create an area of low oxygen [2]. Dead zones life are the equivalent of biological deserts because there is little to no life [2]. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) estimates that the dead zone costs U.S. seafood and tourism industries $82 million each year [3]. Another issue with dead zones is the impact it has on food supply. The Gulf of Mexico alone provides 40 percent of the nation’s seafood, and the second largest dead zone in the world resides there [3]. So what can be done? The Nature Conservancy is working to slow, and even reduce dead zones in the Gulf by managing nutrients more efficiently in farm fields and by restoring wetlands and riparian systems to capture nutrients and reduce runoff through its Mississippi River Program [4]. Individuals can help by raising awareness to Congress to pass legislature to prevent it, such as the RESTORE Act and the Farm Bill