![]() ![]() The largest dead zone in the United States – about 6,500 square miles – is in the Gulf of Mexico and occurs every summer as a result of nutrient pollution from the Mississippi River Basin. The lack of oxygen makes it impossible for aquatic life to survive. When the algae eventually dies, the oxygen in the water is consumed. The overgrowth of algae consumes oxygen and blocks sunlight from underwater plants. ![]() Dead zones are generally caused by significant nutrient pollution, and are primarily a problem for bays, lakes and coastal waters since they receive excess nutrients from upstream sources.Įxcess nitrogen and phosphorus cause an overgrowth of algae in a short period of time, also called algae blooms. Dead zones are areas of water bodies where aquatic life cannot survive because of low oxygen levels.
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