What has caused the hypoxic "dead zone" to form off the coast of the Gulf states?
-Poor farming practices increase the sediment load in the Mississippi River, blocking sunlight and thereby inhibiting photosynthesis.
-Fertilizers and pesticides are toxic chemicals. When they run off of fields and into the Mississippi River, they make their way to the Gulf and poison fish and other species.
-The highly turbulent Mississippi River carries so much sand and silt into the Gulf of Mexico during the spring that it chokes marine species.
-Fertilizers flushed from farmers' fields enter the river and promote algae growth, which then competes for oxygen with native fish and other marine species.
-Fertilizers promote the growth of algae. When they die and decompose, oxygen is depleted in the Gulf of Mexico.