How does Minnesota affect the ocean?

www.google.com/maps

Minnesota is roughly 1,500 miles from the Gulf of Mexico; how could we possibly effect the ocean here? 

http://serc.carleton.edu/microbelife/topics/deadzone/index.html

What is this? 

Well this is the Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone. A dead zone is an oxygen-depleted area of water, and the largest area of a dead zone happens to be along the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico. 

What caused this?

This dead zone was created by an excess amount of nitrogen and phosphorus that pour out of the Mississippi River. Most of the nitrogen comes from midwestern farming states, such as Minnesota, when the runoff of fertilizers and sewage run off into the Mississippi River. These huge amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus creates major algae blooms, which in turn changes the food chain and depletes oxygen in the area. 

http://www.cop.noaa.gov/stressors/extremeevents/hab/features/hypoxiafs_report1206.aspx

What are the effects of a dead zone?

The massive algae blooms in a dead zone can cause eutrophication or damage to the many plants and organisms living at the bottom of the gulf. 

https://www.lakeforest.edu/academics/programs/environmental/courses/seniorseminar/springbreak/students/burke.php

The sea food industry could become greatly effected by this dead zone because it holds 72% of the U.S. shrimp and 66% of the oysters. There needs to be changes made.

Changes? 

The biggest factor in the creation of a dead zone is linked to fertilizers dumped in the Mississippi. If farmers could limit their use of these fertilizers or the run off they create, change could happen. 

http://esciencecommons.blogspot.com/2013_10_01_archive.html

Sources:

www.google.com/maps

Bruckner, Monica. "The Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone." The Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2014. <http://serc.carleton.edu/microbelife/topics/deadzone/index.html>.