GulfofMexicoDeadZone

ThereisanissueinvolvingtheGulfofMexicodeadzonesbeing connectedtoexcessiveamountsofrunoffcontainingfertilizer,sewage, andanimalwastegettingintotheMississippiRiverbasin.Thisisa problembecause41percentofcontinentalUnitedStatesdrainsintothe GulfofMexico.AllofthenutrientssuchasNitrogenandphosphorushelp planktonbloomsexpandwhichlet'szooptoplanktonandmicroscopicfish feedontheplankton.Then,alltheirwastegoththebottomoftheocean. Thereatthebottomoftheoceanthedecomposersconsumeallthewaste andalsotheoxygen.Thedecomposersareusingalltheoxygenthrough cellularrespirationwhichwhichleavesnooxygenforotherspeciesasthis processgoeson(NOAA,2012).Allothermarinelifebecomeless abundantordieout.Andtothinkallofthishappensbecausewastessuch asphosphorusandNitrogenhaveanegativeimpactontheecosystemof theGulfofMexico. TheGulfofMexicosfoodchainisverydisruptedwhenthese nutrientsgetintotheGulf.Alltrophiclevelssufferfromthem(OUJS, 2012)Asstatedbeforethenutrientsareconsumedbyplanktonwhich makesthemexpandintomassivebloomsthatMicroscopicfishand zooplanktonfeedonbecauseallthosesecondaryconsumersare consumingmassiveamountsoftheprimaryconsumersthereisalotof waste.Nowcomesthedecomposerjob.Thedecomposershaveto decomposesomuchwastethattheyareusinguplargeamountsof oxygentofinishtheirjobastheyprocessgoesonthedecomposerendup usingmostoftheoxygenupcausingspeciestobecomelessabundantor dieout(DUJS,2012).Youcanseehowthisisportrayedinavideocalled GulfofMexicodeadzone[HD]".Thesedrasticchangescanalsoaffect otherthingsalso.

Wouldtherebeawayforplantstogothroughphotosynthesisif thereisn'tanythingtogivethemthethingstheyneed?No,theywouldnt beableto.Photosynthesisisprocessinwhichplantsintakesunenergy, co2andwaterandproduceoxygenandsugar(Carter,2004).However,if thereisnotCO2totakeintheplantscantdotheirjobcausinghypoxiaor deoxygenatedwater(DUJS,2012).Therewouldbenoco2because thereisn'tmanyanimalstoproduceit.Ifcellularrespirationisalmostthe

oppositeofphotosynthesishowwillthenitrogenandphosphoruseffect thatproduction? TheGulfofMexicosecosystemwouldalsohaveahardtimegoing throughthecellularrespirationprocessbecausetherewouldbenooxygen touse(DUJS,2012).Thecellularrespirationprocessisprettysimple, oxygenandsugargointothecellandoutcomesCO2,waterandATP energy(phelan,2012).Sincethereisalittletonooxygenthereisnoway tocompletethisprocess.Alsoifthereisnocellularrespirationhappening photosynthesiscan'thappenbecausephotosynthesisneedsCO2whichis whatcellularrespirationproduced(Carter,2012).Nowthatthereisnothing theecosystemcandoonthereowntheonlythingthatcanhelpisMother Naturetomakestrongwindsorhurricanestostirupthewaters(NOAA) TheissuewiththeGulfisactuallypreventable.Althougha40 percentreductionintoNitrogenfluxtotheGulfwouldbedifficultitcould helpalleviatethedeadzone(DUUA,2012).WiththedeadZonegone therewillbeanabundanceoffishintheGulf.Allofthispossiblebythe naturalprocessofphotosynthesis,cellularrespiration,andasteadyfood chain.Withastableecosystemfishermenwouldhaveanincreasein productthatcanpositivelyimpacttheireconomybecausetheGulf supplies72percentoftheUSharvestedshrimp66percentoftheoysters and16percentofthecommercialfish(Bruckner,2013).Goodthingscan happenwhentwosimplethings,nitrogenandphosphorus,aretakenoutof theequation.