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 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 Risk Assessment and policy used to accomplish goals Goals: Reducing the hypoxia 30% by 2015 Costal Goal: Hypoxia zone to less than 5000km2* 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 Policy Development 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 Differing View points Fertilizer Institute Council for Agriculture Science and Technology Illinois Council for Food and Agricultural Research “Can’t be from the Fertilizer” What happens Next?? ...

1. 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
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
Risk Assessment and policy used to accomplish goals
Goals:
Reducing the hypoxia 30% by 2015
Costal Goal: Hypoxia zone to less than 5000km2*
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

2. * = Action plan
Policy Development
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
Differing View points
Fertilizer Institute
Council for Agriculture Science and Technology
Illinois Council for Food and Agricultural Research
“Can’t be from the Fertilizer”
What happens Next??