The Oxygen in the Ocean

"Dead zones are areas in the oceans that can no longer support life. These “hypoxic” waters have been polluted by chemical fertilizer runoff from crops and lawns. These chemical pollutants cause harmful algae blooms which deprive the oceans of the oxygen and suffocating the species below. There are more than 30 human-caused dead zones around the world in enclosed waters. In the Gulf of Mexico off the Mississippi River delta a huge dead zone appeared in the mid-1970s which at  its largest reached 21,000 square kilometers. In the past two decades, additional reports of dying or depleted areas in coastal seas and estuaries across the globe have emerged."

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

• Manage your lawn or garden with sustainable and organic methods, using native landscaping, which require less water and fertilizer.

• Support organic farming.  Waste runoff from cattle and pig farms is a leading contributor to water pollution. 

• Eat less meat.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

• Visit Gulf Preserve and Oceana.