Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone

What is the main source of nutrients entering the Gulf of Mexico?

• Wastewater from cities

• Excess fertilizer runoff

• Livestock manure

• Rainfall and drought

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NGSS.MS-LS2-1

What is the impact of dead zones on the fishing industry?

• Increase in fish population

• Decrease in fish habitat

• Improvement in water quality

• Expansion of fishing regions

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NGSS.MS-LS2-4

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Which of the following observations would indicate that runoff from terrestrial environments is reaching the ocean?

• Accelerated growth of algae.

• Increase in primary consumers.

• Decrease in toxic chemicals.

• Lower levels of carbon dioxide.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-4

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The map shows how rivers feed into the Gulf of Mexico.   Which of the following human activities will most likely introduce chemicals, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, into the Gulf of Mexico?

• Farming near the Missouri River

• Sport fishing on the Arkansas River

• Camping on the Mississippi River

• Logging near the Ohio River

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NGSS.MS-ESS3-4

NGSS.MS-LS2-5

Some areas of an ocean are known as dead zones. These zones form when excess organic material decomposes. This increased decomposition uses up the oxygen from the water.   Which human activity is most affected by the increasing number of dead zones in the ocean?

• Commercial fishing, because fish cannot survive without oxygen

• Offshore oil drilling, because water in dead zones is toxic

• Commercial shipping, because dead zones change the course of ocean currents

• Sand mining, because oxygen is not available to form the sands on ocean beaches

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NGSS.MS-LS2-4

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

Which of these human activities is most likely to cause the excessive growth of phytoplankton
in the world’s oceans?

• The use of chemical fertilizers that are carried by runoff into rivers

• The logging of old-growth forests, which results in erosion

• The spraying of chemical herbicides that reduce carbon dioxide in the air

• The mining of fossil fuels, which requires digging underground tunnels

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NGSS.MS-LS2-4

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Chemicals used on crops to control insects affect ocean ecosystems when they –

• are washed into oceans, adding harmful substances.

• alter the climate and change ocean temperature.

• are made by using the salt found in ocean water.

• make rain water more acidic, destroying coral reefs.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-5

The largest dead zone is found in?

• Stamford

• New Jersey

• Gulf of Mexico

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NGSS.MS-LS2-4

NGSS.MS-ESS3-4

NGSS.MS-LS2-5

Excess nutrients (nitrates) in water can come from

• swimming

• farming

• fishing

What is the primary cause of the Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone?

• Excess fertilizer runoff

• Oil spills

• Industrial waste

• Natural ocean currents

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

NGSS.MS-ESS3-4