Gulf of Mexico 'dead zone' to grow dramatically due to federal biofuel mandate
A new study says efforts to shrink the massive, oxygen-depleted dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico will be stifled if the U.S. continues to increase its biofuel production.
By Bryan NelsonWed, Sep 16 2009 at 9:47 PM EST
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DEAD ZONE: Nutrient-rich sendiment flowing out of the Mississippi River and into the Gulf of Mexico can be seen from space. (Photo: AP News/NASA) Every year copious amounts of fertilizer and nutrient-rich sentiment dump into the Gulf of Mexico from the mouth of the Mississippi River, feeding massive algae blooms so large that they starve the ocean of oxygen. These oxygen-depleted waters, which last year grew to the size of Massachusetts, form a vast "dead zone" completely devoid of all marine life.
Now a new study, published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, says the problem stands to get far worse if the U.S. follows through on its current federally-mandated efforts to increase annual biofuel production to 36 billion gallons by 2022.
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The federal mandate, which was passed by Congress in 2007 in an effort to reduce America's reliance on foreign oil, set targets for the U.S. to blend 36 billion gallons of biofuels a year into the U.S. fuel supply, up from the 11.1 billion gallons projected to be blended this year. That would increase biofuels' share of the liquid-fuel mix to roughly 16% from 5%, based on U.S. Energy Information Administration fuel-demand projections.
That may be good for releasing America's reliance on oil, but an increase in biofuel production that large would also mean more fertilizers washing off farm fields throughout the Mississippi River basin, which could be devastating to both the Gulf's marine ecosystems and its fishing and shrimping industry.
The most intense hypoxia levels (areas which are low in oxygen) are usually between 30 to 60 feet below the surface. Fish in this area can be "stressed", meaning they can die of suffocation or, at the very least, move to other areas, which adversely affects fishermen in the dead zone region.
The zone is already 17-21 percent larger than it was in 1985 when it was first measured, and the five largest Gulf dead zones on record have occurred since 2001, with the largest measuring at a sprawling 8,894 square miles. "The growth of these dead zones is an ecological time bomb," said ecologist Donald Scavia, a professor at the U. of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment.
The Mississippi is the largest river in the United States, draining 40 percent of the land area of the country. It also accounts for almost 90 percent of the freshwater runoff into the Gulf of Mexico. It's no wonder that any increase in biofuel production along the river's basin, which is America's farm belt, stands to have a profound impact on the size of the dead zone, which is already one of the two largest such zones in the world.
Government officials had hoped to reduce fertilizer runoff and shrink the zone to the size of Delaware by 2015, but that would be virtually impossible if biofuel production is increased as currently projected. Unfortunately it'll probably have to be one or the other.
The good news is that dead zones are reversible. One such example comes from the Black Sea dead zone, which was itself once the largest in the world. It mostly disappeared between 1991 and 2001, after fertilizers became too costly to use following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Fishing has again become a major economic activity in the region.
For more information:
- More on biofuels: See our biofuel explainer video hosted by Chuck Leavell.
- More on the dead zone: Check out our interactive graphic.
And watch this short documentary video about the impact of the dead zone on the Gulf's local fishing and shrimping industry:
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Comments
Ian E
10/12/2010 23:19 PM
It's my understanding that these hypoxic dead zones are created from the death and consequential biodegradation of the algae, not just there presence. If we harvest the algae, it seems to me it would circumvent that and actually improve the oxygen content and therefor the overall ecosystem. This seems like a win win.
Tkip
05/21/2010 02:09 AM
Once again, reading about these sorts of man made natural disasters just drives home the point that with nearly 7 billion humans consuming and polluting and stripping every resource out there to sustain us, who actually thinks this is going to end on a good note for humanity?
Brett
06/01/2010 11:44 AM
not all 7 billion people are polluting this world, think of Africa, or South America. You exaggerate.
David
11/30/2010 16:21 PM
Africa and South America have little or no enviromental regulations what so ever. south america is burning down the rainforest and the enviroment and africa is becoming a desert due to capitalistic farming. If you relly want to know whats happening in the world I suggest you take a world geography class at your local university.
Zeke
05/03/2010 13:34 PM
The real problem is corn ethanol, as intensive corn cultivation requires very large quantities of nitrogen fertilizer compared to other crops. The dramatic growth of the Dead Zone is the true legacy of political careerists and pseudo-environmentalists like Al Gore and now Al Franken.
RP
05/23/2010 21:47 PM
Run electric cars on solar electricity. Put more goods on trains instead of trucks. Grow soybeans instead of corn.
N2dweb
03/02/2010 20:08 PM
Wonder if it is possible to build a pipeline to take a good portion of the Mississippi to a deep part of the Gulf of Mexico. The fresh water would then better mix with the saltwater. This would prevent the salt water on the bottom to be starved of oxygen. Fresh water is lighter than saltwater so it would mix quicker and thus reduce the dead zone effect.
I am not a scientist or economist - so not sure what the cost benefit/risk would be.
But it is certainly a man made issue that has.... More
Mikel
04/17/2010 17:17 PM
Rather than finding a way to move the water to an area that is contaminated...why not resolve the problem before it hits the streams? There are new and great ways to control and filter the water that falls in our yards and runs off with fertilizers and all. What if each home could create there own little eco system filter to keep harmful materials from reaching the Gulf of Mexico into the dead zone. There are ways!
sally
02/27/2010 15:02 PM
if the ocean is dying what are we doing to sovle it
Guest
12/01/2009 15:45 PM
K-E-A-L-O-H-A
a lot of kealoha in our day
we're spreadin a lot of kealoha around the world
Anonymous
09/19/2009 03:08 AM
Enter your comments here Lets Do Inform Ourselves currently there is enough global food production to feed our nearing seven billion people, so the bio fuel is an effort to thwart off fossil fuel usage. The increased production could certainly have effects on the Gulf dead zone, as all human activity has impact. The answer is in alternative energy and its time to do our parts to ensure longevity. If everyone took the position that we as adults are here taking care of mother earth for our.... More
J
09/19/2009 00:04 AM
we live in a finite earth that can only produce finite life and is limited by its resources the problem is people around 7 billion of them. nature left to its own devices finds balance. We do not we take more and more every day so we can fight each other over whats left and continue this unnatural cycle. What we need to do is cull our numbers. if deer and other game animals are considered a threat to environment what the frik frak are we humans doing to it. what just cause some fictitious.... More
Anonymous
09/18/2009 10:17 AM
What a shame to hear more unjustifiable slander against biofuels. the US is one of the largest corn and soy exporters in the world. Less than 10% of billions of bushels of each is used for biofuels. There will never be a shortage of food for the sake of biofuels especially when less than 2% of the us fuel consumption is biofuel. I would like to see more constructive articles here....
Anonymous
09/18/2009 10:06 AM
soybased biodiesel does not contribute to fertilizer runoff. very few, if any, farmers fertilize a soybean crop. it burns cleaner and actually prolongs the life of the diesel engine due to its cleansing action. it is good stuff.
Anonymous
09/18/2009 04:03 AM
"feeding massive algae blooms so large that they starve the ocean of oxygen" - someone should find a profitable way to harvest them for bio-fuel ...
JOhn
09/18/2009 01:26 AM
Biofuels are no good. What it does is takes food away from people and into cars. We'd rather drive than feed everyone? Makes no sense, and especially with the dead zone in the Gulf. There are better ways.
Anonymous
09/18/2009 10:11 AM
INFORM yourselves. We all know now that that the food vs fuel debate was created by GMA or BIG FOOD to justify increasing thier profits. Two facts you need to know:
1. No corn or soy has ever been grown exlusively for biofuels. These are commodities that are sold to anyone willing to buy them whether it is the food industry, biodiegradable products like corn/soy based utensils, paints, plasics, glue, ink or biofuels.
2. Since soy beans are 12% oil, the rest of the bean is meal.... More
Wendy Jones
09/17/2009 14:57 PM
Seems like the lessons learned from the Dead Sea dead zone should be incorporated into the Gulf of Mexico as soon as the Obama administration solves the health care debaucle.
Anonymous
09/17/2009 11:22 AM
yes, farming can cause this bloom but why does this target biofuel farming and I also would ask why the term biofuel? Algae farms are biofuel but they wouldn't be a problem. This looks to me like it was 100% backed by the oil industry trying to say 'look, biofuel is going to destroy the Gulf' because it eats into their profits.
