The Effects of Dead
Zones
6
Loss of Biodiversity
It is after all a dead zone, almost all life cannot live with the levels of oxygen present in a dead zone. This leads to a much less diverse environment. All the plants die from lack of oxygen, the fish swim away and everything forced to stay dies slowly or becomes ill leaving the area bare (Learn About).
Human Impact
Humans are the direct cause of algal blooms but we also feel the impact directly. The Gulf of Mexico supplies The United States with 72% of our harvested shrimp and 66% of our harvested oyster (The Gulf). Both species cannot leave the dead zone and die or become diseased and can no longer be fished. No one wants to see vast areas of empty ocean so the areas affected by the dead zone lose a majority of their tourism when experiencing a dead zone.
http://mit.whoi.edu/cms/images/oceanus/LowOxygen_700_203516.jpeg
http://sites.imsa.edu/acronym/files/2013/09/Algae-carpets-a-beach-in-016.jpg