Pacific'Dead Zone'Said to Exceed Fears

[WhiteTara]

http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2006Aug11/0,4670,PacificDeadZone,00.html

PORTLAND, Ore. — Scientists say the oxygen-starved"dead zone"along the Pacific Coast that is causing massive crab and fish die-offs is worse than initially thought.

Scientists say weather, not pollution, appears to be the culprit, and no relief is in sight. However, some say there is no immediate sign yet of long-term damage to the crab fishery.

Oregon State University scientists looking for weather changes that could reverse the situation aren't finding them, and they say levels of dissolved oxygen critical to marine life are the lowest since the first dead zone was identified in 2002. It has returned every year.

Strong upwelling winds pushed a low-oxygen pool of deep water toward shore, suffocating marine life, said Jane Lubchenco, a professor of marine biology at OSU.

She said wind changes could help push that water farther out but current forecasts predict the opposite.

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Global climate changes need to be dealt with now, not the future.

[lakeguy]

1. if this was caused by global climate change then i would say

that it WAS caused by pollution...the greenhouse gas kind.

"Scientists say weather, not pollution, appears to be the culprit"

[WhiteTara]

4. the ocean absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere

in efforts to try and balance the Earth's equilibrium.

[truth2power]

2. Is this the same as red tide? Can someone tell me? eom

[Mendocino]

3. Red tide is the result of protozoa.

Certain protozoa, under certain conditions produce enough
toxins that result in red tide.  

Simply put, dead zones are large masses of oxygen depleted
water in which animals move out of or die. The dead zones
generally are the result of over-fertile waters that bloom
into massive algae beds. The algae eventually die, sink into
the depths and break down. When organic materials decompose,
they consume oxygen. Thus the water becomes oxygen poor.

Dead zones have also appeared in the Gulf of Mexico and Lake
Erie. The watersheds of both the Gulf and Erie are largely
agricultural, with excessive levels of fertilizers, organics
and silt flowing into them. They are also shallow and warm,
which adds to the problem.