Dead Zone News

Industrial agriculture feeds billions of people and created the modern world. But the nitrogen and phosphorus it’s fertilized with is putting the biosphere, and humanity, at risk.

On today’s episode we feature a conversation with iconic Canadian scientist, author, television presenter, and activist David Suzuki. Listen here:   Suzuki is a biologist by training and a former…

Vast swaths of the world’s oceans are turning into “dead zones” as global warming and pollution strips them of oxygen, threatening marine life on a massive scale, a new study…

Last week, scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced the largest-ever recorded low-oxygen "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico. At 22,730 square kilometers (8,776 square miles)…

Two scientists are calling on researchers, NGOs, and governments to begin studying the impact of burning forests and peatlands in Indonesia on the already-threatened marine ecosystems of Southeast Asia. Every…

From massive hotel development through the agriculture industry, humans are destroying the second largest barrier reef in the world: the Mesoamerican Reef. Although global climate change and its effects on…

Corn growing in Colombia. Photo by: Rhett A. Butler. In general, industrial agriculture beats organic farming in yields, according to a comprehensive new study in Nature. The study adds new…

Evidence that jellyfish are taking over the oceans is currently lacking, according to a new study published in Bioscience. Complied by a number of marine experts, the study found that…

A new report finds that the oceans are facing a mass extinction. One day many of the world's marine species may only be found in aquariums, if at all, such…

Flooding in the Midwest is likely to cause the largest-ever dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico, reports the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA-supported scientists from three universities…

Prosperity without Growth: Economics for a Finite Planet challenges us to imaging a world where growth and unmitigated consumption do not equal development. In fact, as clearly described throughout, countries…

A dead zone off the coast of West Africa is reducing the amount of available habitat for Atlantic tuna and billfish species, reports the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in…

Tiny marine algae, known as phytoplankton, are the backbone of the marine food chain, yet a new study in Nature has found that this backbone is disintegrating. Researchers discovered that…

A new image by NASA reveals the extent of the world's marine dead zones, which a study in 2008 found were doubling every decade. At that time 415 dead zones…

'Dead zones' in the ocean are called such for a reason. Every year agricultural run-off, especially fertilizer, floods the oceans with an abundance of nutrients leading to algae blooms, i.e.…

A ‘monoculture of jellyfish’ threatens the oceans as we know them. It could be a plot of a (bad) science-fiction film: a man-made disaster creates spawns of millions upon millions…

Climate change, ocean acidification may doom jumbo squid Climate change may stop jumbo squid invasion mongabay.com December 15, 2008

U.S. needs environmental standards for biofuels U.S. needs environmental standards for biofuels mongabay.com October 2, 2008

This year has been full of bad news regarding marine ecosystems: one-third of coral species threatened with extinction, dead-zones spread to 415 sites, half of U.S. reefs in fair or…

Marine dead zones spread exponentially, doubling every decade since 1960 Marine 'dead zones' double every decade Jeremy Hance, mongabay.com August 14, 2008 The number of marine dead zones have doubled…

U.S. dead zones may reach record levels this summer U.S. dead zones may reach record levels this summer mongabay.com July 15, 2008 "Dead zones" in the Gulf of Mexico and…

Nitrogen pollution harming ecosystems and contributing to global warming Nitrogen pollution harming ecosystems and contributing to global warming mongabay.com May 15, 2008 Nitrogen pollution of the world's oceans is harming…

Global warming to worsen ocean dead zones, hurt fisheries Global warming to worsen ocean dead zones, hurt fisheries mongabay.com May 1, 2008 Warming oceans will worsen oxygen-deficient or hypoxic dead…

Ocean dead zones have nearly quadrupled since 1994 Ocean dead zones have nearly quadrupled since 1994 Coastal ecosystems threatened worldwide by nutrient-rich runoff Jeremy Hance, mongabay.com April 3, 2008 Coastal…

Corn ethanol is worsening the Gulf dead zone Corn ethanol is worsening the Gulf dead zone mongabay.com March 10, 2008 Proposed legislation that will expand corn-ethanol production in the United…

Why are oceans at risk from global warming? Why are oceans at risk from global warming? mongabay.com February 17, 2008 Climate change is putting the world's oceans at risk by…

U.S. biofuels policy drives deforestation in Indonesia, the Amazon U.S. biofuels policy drives deforestation in Indonesia, the Amazon Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com January 17, 2008 U.S. incentives for biofuel production…

Cellulosic ethanol production could fight Gulf Dead Zone, help fisheries Cellulosic ethanol production could fight Gulf Dead Zone, help fisheries Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com January 16, 2008 Feedstocks for cellulosic…

Oregon dead zone event over, but cause still unknown Oregon dead zone event over, but cause still unknown mongabay.com October 30, 2006 The hypoxic dead zone off the coast of…

'Dead Zone' causing wave of death off Oregon coast 'Dead Zone' causing wave of death off Oregon coast Oregon State University August 10, 2006 The most severe low-oxygen ocean conditions…