Problem
A. What patterns do you see in the distribution of dead zones around the world?
B. Is there an association between the locations of dead zones and the human footprint? If so, describe the relationship.
C. If more data on dead zones in the southern hemisphere is collected, how do you think the distribution of dead zones in this area will change?
D. The scientists that constructed this map write, "The key to reducing dead zones will be to keep fertilizers on land and out of the sea." Describe how this could be achieved?
E. If global climate change increases freshwater runoff flowing into major rivers, would you expect the dead zone areas of the continental coastlines to increase or decrease? Explain.
F. How would you expect marine fisheries to be impacted by the increase in the number and distribution of dead zones?
G. This paper is a review, which gathered information on 400 dead zones from 42 scientific journals spanning 50 years. What role do you think review papers play in science? Why do you think they are important? Has this map been updated since 2008?
H. Read the caption for the image below. What is a harmful algal bloom? Why should we care?