The Economic Impact of Dead Zones
By: Eric Rogowski
Dead zones are areas of ocean near the mouth of a river that are affected by high amounts of pollutants and algae. It is nearly impossible for fish and other aquatic life to survive in these dead zones. The pollutants come from farms, sewage treatment plants, industry, and other polluters further up the river, then flow down the river to the mouth. The pollutants give the perfect environment for algae to grow. The algae will then multiply indefinitely, die, then the dead algae bodies will fall to the bottom of the ocean. The decomposition of all the algae will consume all the oxygen in the water, making the area uninhabitable or a dead zone. This can spell disaster for not only the fish and environment, but also fishing, tourism, and local communities.
In the gulf of mexico alone, over $82 billion dollars are spent yearly dealing with dead zones. This is to contain and help wildlife and local industry. Nearly forty percent of all seafood comes in the U.S. comes from the gulf of mexico. The dead zones are threatening fisherman farther out into the waters, while driving fish prices up higher. Shrimp prices in 2014, a year with the dead zones being larger than normal, were $17 per a pound. That’s up from $10 only a year earlier. Also, the tourism industry, which support 600,000 jobs and is estimated to be worth $9 billion annually is threatened by dead fish and algae washing up on the beaches. Bills have been put forth for the U.S. government to take greater action, however none have passed through.
Shrimp prices in the last 20 years
Works cited
"Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone | The Nature Conservancy." Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone | The
Nature Conservancy. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2017.
"Ocean Dead Zones (--)." Environmentalproblems5 - Ocean Dead Zones (--). N.p., n.d.
Web. 03 Apr. 2017.
"Shrimp Monthly Price - US cents per pound." Shrimp - Monthly Price - Commodity
- Price Charts, Data, and News - IndexMundi. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2017.
"We need your help!" 2015 Gulf of Mexico dead zone 'above average' N.p., n.d. Web.
03 Apr. 2017.
This was a super interesting and important topic that I don't think is talked about nearly enough. While environmental expenses may be costly, I think that they will pay of in the long run in the form of jobs, increased goods (fish, shrimp), and help preserve and protect our natural resources. The increase in demand for goods like fish and tourist sites will cycle money back into the economy and lead to economic growth. Devoting time and money to help lessen the detrimental effects of dead zones is only one example of how we can continue to improve our environment.
ReplyDeleteWhile leaning about this topic in APES, it's sad to see how little people and the government are doing to help our planet. Maybe, once people realize that these environmental affects also have economical disadvantages, they will look to help more. In terms of jobs, people will have less to fish because everything is dying and if they are working, it will cost more because they will need to boat out further into the ocean/sea to reach unpolluted waters. Dead zones affect not only the environment, but the health and economy of humans.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting topic as it looks at some of the human impacts on the economy though these dead zones. The location of many of the zones are no surprise as they all are by large cities that are on oceans and rivers. Looking particularly at the Gulf of Mexico region in the United States, the deadzone was probably caused by BP oil spill in 2010 but that severely dropped the amount of tourism to that region in the following years. Profits decreased, unemployment increased and caused lots of concern among people who live and work down there. Although tourism has rebounded in recent years, the impact of this dead zone has been noticed in this region that relies on the Gulf of Mexico to support its local economy.
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting topic. I have never heard of dead spots in the ocean. It's upsetting that the government does little to help the environment especially about this problem because it effects pretty much everyone in the world. It's crazy how much dead zones can effect the prices of seafood which in return changes the demand since seafood has to be sold at a higher price.
ReplyDeleteFascinating how these dead spots create such problems for economies and the environment, and yet we never hear of them. You would think that such a large impact on the workforce, quality and quantity of ocean products would be recognized, but apparently that isn't enough for the United States government to care and pass a bill(s) to solve this problem.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very important topic that hasn't gotten enough attention. Many of the dead zones were caused because of humans, for example by oil spills. It is important to take care of the ocean. Many people could go unemployed if the entire ocean is a dead zone, there would be no need for fishermen and other jobs any more. This would have a bad impact on different economies in the word, especially those who export a lot of seafood. Great topic!
ReplyDeleteIt was very interesting to see all of the de-oxygenated areas on the map you provided and to read out all of the amounts of dead spots in the ocean. I was surprised on how many dead spots there are and that the government is doing nothing to help. It's upsetting the bills have been passed through the legislation, but have never actually become legal bills. I wish that the government could see some of the statistics to see the greater impact it has.
ReplyDeleteDead zones can be very preventable. We have a lot of resources that can be use to help the dead zones. We can also help by cleaning beaches and use safer things that go in the ocean.
ReplyDeleteBefore I read this article I had no idea Dead Zones were causing such a big problem for the environment and in turn hurting our economy. I knew that our oceans were suffering heavily from the increased pollution over the years, however I had no clue that certain areas of the oceans were becoming unlivable for any sort of life. I realize now that pollution is taking a huge impact on our environment but is also affecting the economy.
ReplyDeleteI remember learning about this dead zone topic in my environment science class year, however, I never really realized the economic impact it has compared to the environmental impact. The map was a great visual for showing how many areas are affected, and I never realized there was that much. The statistic about how much shrimp prices have jumped in the last year was interesting . I love to eat shrimp, my family and I usually like to cook shrimp during the summer for dinner. Normally we buy it buy the pound and it’s not that pricey, but I remember the last time we bought some, my parents couldn’t believe how expensive it had become. I’m sure that my family isn’t the only ones suffering. Restaurants that serve shrimp must be hurting too because of the spike in price.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the fact that some action needs to take place to prevent anymore of these dead zones. Seeing that more and more factories are being created, this will create more pollution that goes into our bodies of water. Simple things like recycling and reducing the amount of water we use can help resolve some problems. If our same habits continue we are not going to have the clear beaches and large bodies of water that we love.
ReplyDeleteWhile I was aware of the oceans pollution epidemic, I was not aware of the "dead zones" in the coastal regions where algae is a major problem. More so now these dead zones are increasing, and with that comes the increase in price. We buy a lot of seafood, and having the pollution in the water is not only bad for the ocean, but bad for our pockets. Fish is relatively expensive, and shrimp has begun to be as well, and it could be said that the pollution in our waters is what is racking the price up, with less fish left. So yes, it is true that we must take action in fixing the situation and go about it in a manor that will preserve fish and our dollars from being spent so greatly, but also focusing on cleaning our waters for the long term. Otherwise, fish prices will increase, the economy will lose out, and less fish will be available/alive.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised I don't hear about this issue more often, considering how many problems it's causing for both the environment and the economy. Many people don't realize the negative effects that large-scale pollution can have on the economy, which is why it's important that we emphasize things like this. Making environmentally friendly changes can be expensive, but they really will make a difference in the long run: Preventing this pollution can increase the supply of fish, shrimp, and other seafood that's so vital to many restaurants, not to mention the tourism industry that depends on thriving aquatic areas. It's a bit irritating that the US government doesn't see this as important enough to focus on, especially since it's affecting food, jobs, and in turn, the economy.
ReplyDeleteClimate change and pollution of our oceans (like oil spills) are the focal points of most environmentalists, however, dead zones are just as important when dealing with wildlife for both their well being, our consumption, or even tourism as you stated. Many people don't understand the negative externalities of pollution, in terms of our atmosphere or these dead zones. I think it's important that preventive solutions are found, not only to lower prices of seafood, but also for this sector of the economy. Possible solutions could create more jobs and maybe even help the economy. By focusing on the environment we can increase the demand and supply of seafood. But this all has to start with actions taken by the government.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a very interesting topic, I have never heard of dead zones before reading this. It is important to stop this pollution because it can cause many negative externalities. For example people who live in these places could not be getting a great supply of fish because the fisherman would have to travel far out to get the fish. As well as the fisherman would be negatively affected.
ReplyDeleteAddressing this problem is incredibly important. These dead zones wreak billions of dollars in damage every year. For example, sometimes they create toxic algae blooms, destroy fish habitats, and cost tourism. To address this problem companies and farmers up stream must be held accountable as their industrial and farming methods created runoff that is destroying these areas. We should also improve our technology so that it's more efficient and pollutes less.
ReplyDelete