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Published byHugh Martin Modified over 9 years ago
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Beyond Science into Policy: Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi River By: Colten Nswonger, Michaela Kempf, Cassie Ambuehl, Rébecca Ada Ondo, Shuai Wang, and Bethany Asmus
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The Summary Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia is the lack of oxygen in the water At 2.0 mg per liter, aquatic life is disturbed 1.0 mg per liter = death How does it occur? High Nitrogen Levels Starting in the 1950s Fertilizer application, watershed, and land-use change Channelization and coastal wetland loss Over population of phytoplankton Flux of poorly oxygenated water from offshore Organic carbon load Climate Change
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Risk Assessment and policy used to accomplish goals Goals: Reducing the hypoxia 30% by 2015 Costal Goal: Hypoxia zone to less than 5000km 2* Within basin goal: Restore and protect waters of the 31 states and tribal lands* Quality-of-life goal: Improve communities and economic conditions* Education: Informing the researchers, public, and government * = Action plan
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Policy Development
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What are the Risks if we don’t act? Lower biodiversity in the Gulf Increase harmful bacteria that thrive in the “dead zone” Harmful to Human health
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Differing View points Fertilizer Institute Council for Agriculture Science and Technology Illinois Council for Food and Agricultural Research “Can’t be from the Fertilizer”
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What happens Next??
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