Fun presentation I did for Environmental Science....Kinda long

1. And our future Presentation by Thomas Neudorfer

27. U.S. Coastal ‘Dead Zones’ Associated with Human Activity National attention in 2003 Source: America’s Oceans: Charting a Course for the Sea Change. Pew Ocean Commission report June, 2003

28. The Hood Canal Dissolved Oxygen Program (HCDOP) is a collaborative effort between many parties to study and model the canal in order to recommend corrective actions and, in parallel, to direct effort towards education and early potential corrective actions.

29. Southern Hood Canal (Dabob Bay to Great Bend) Average Dissolved Oxygen Measurements (below 20m) – 1950s - 2004 Low oxygen conditions appear to be getting worse. The 2004 inventory of the oxygen is the lowest on record.

31. Where is Dissolved Oxygen a Problem? Oxygen concentration and marine life… bad real bad good OK anoxic…no oxygen

32. real bad… … throughout year The lower portion of the canal suffers from low DO levels for most of the year.

35. WARM COLD temperature salinity determine density FRESH SALTY + less dense more dense Stratification: persistent Stratification gets even stronger in the summer and fall

36. Low nutrient High oxygen High nutrient Low oxygen Organic (primary) production: Phytoplankton Sinks And Decays (decay uses up oxygen and leaves nutrients) { CO 2 + H 2 O  C(H 2 O) + O 2 } sunlight nutrients Respiration Photosynthesis High production and respiration Phytoplankton Grows (growth uses up nutrients and creates oxygen)

37. More Humans = More Nutrients Phytoplankton Grows More Rapidly (uses additional nutrients and creates oxygen) Additional nutrients (plant food) Low oxygen… … can get lower Nutrient additions from human activity can make the low dissolved oxygen problem worse. More organic material to sink and decompose

40. Hood Canal bridge area Big Bend area N Slow Circulation = Poor Flushing Ocean Input River Inputs Dense (colder, salty) ocean water Dense (colder, salty) ocean water Light (warmer, fresher) canal/river water Intermediate (warming, freshening) water

41. * * * * * Change ocean input: O 2 , density Change river input: flushing, stratification Change light availability: more sun Change organic biomass/prod’n: better growing conditions, carcass loads Change nutrient availability: septics, forest, runoff loads To what degree each of these processes is driving the oxygen variation in Hood Canal is not known

50. Sources: DOE , HCDOP, EPA, PSP, HCOW.GOV, PEW, ECY.GOV