Study: Farm runoff feeds dead zone

Soil erosion and runoff from farms along the 2,300-mile-long Mississippi River and its tributaries are feeding the algae that create the "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico, a study compiled by environmental groups shows.

Hypoxia, a lack of oxygen in the water, occurs yearly when a combination of warm weather and nutrients from farming operations, urban runoff and sewage dumped into the Mississippi River cause algae and microscopic organisms in the water to flourish. This year's dead zone is predicted to be the third largest on record, threatening Louisiana's fisheries.

At a gathering of fishermen in Grand Isle this week, crabbers complained that all along the coast they're pulling up pots of dead crabs and fishermen said their catch has little fight left in it. Some shrimpers said they aren't even bothering to take their boats out.
Crabs, eels and other creatures usually found on the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico are swimming on the surface because there is too little oxygen in their usual habitat.

Louisiana's dead zone usually is farther out into the Gulf, but satellite photos show this year's is much closer to shore. The 7,900-square-mile area - about the size of New Jersey - has almost no oxygen.

"Louisiana doesn't contribute a whole lot to the problem," said Matt Rota of the Gulf Restoration Network, one of the study's contributors, "but it ends up being our problem."

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