b. May 31st, 2011
c. Female Fish Develop "Testes" in Gulf Dead Zone <-- Link to article.
d. Chapter 21: Water Pollution
e. Studies have shown that dead zones in the Gulf of Mexico is causing sexual deformities in the fist population. A dead zone is when agricultural and other kinds of waste runoff and spark rapid growth of algae and microbes in nearby bodies of water. These microbes taken in alot of oxygen and create areas of hypoxia in which fish can not survive, which is why they are called "dead zones." One species of fish in the Gulf have been severely impacted by this. The female Atlantic croaker fish have been seen to have developed male testes-like organs instead of normal ovaries. Just 10-weeks in hypoxic waters can cause this serious mutation. Currently, the dead zone in the Gulf is the size of Connecticut, which means that many fish species can be affected by this. The female Atlantic croaker fish have found to have decreased amounts of aromatase, which is a key chemical found in the brain that regulates the amount of estrogen produced. This deformity explains the decline of hatching rates in fish exposed to dead zones.
f. I think this is a serious problem, because this fish species could rapidly decline because they're will not be a sufficient amount of females that are capable of reproducing. This could drastically change the ecosystems of many other populations of fish and other aquatic animals. Also, studies haven't been done to see if any other species are effected by the dead zones in a similar way that the Atlantic croaker fish are. I think it is important to watch the amount of fertilizers that people are putting on their crops, and making sure that people are cleaning up their wastes and disposing of waste properly. The people that live along the Mississippi River where the runoff is found should be aware of this issue to understand the impact of their actions.
g. Hypoxia-oxygen deficiency.
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