Question
How did the Gulf of Mexico's dead zone form?
Responses
An oil spill killed all the species there.
An oil spill killed all the species there.
All the fish and invertebrate species migrated elsewhere.
All the fish and invertebrate species migrated elsewhere.
Hurricanes destroyed the coastline.
Hurricanes destroyed the coastline.
Fertilizer runoff from farming caused populations of algae to grow exponentially.
Responses
An oil spill killed all the species there.
An oil spill killed all the species there.
All the fish and invertebrate species migrated elsewhere.
All the fish and invertebrate species migrated elsewhere.
Hurricanes destroyed the coastline.
Hurricanes destroyed the coastline.
Fertilizer runoff from farming caused populations of algae to grow exponentially.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The Gulf of Mexico's dead zone formed primarily due to fertilizer runoff from farming, which leads to an excess of nutrients in the water. This nutrient pollution causes populations of algae to grow exponentially, a process known as algal blooms. When these algae die and decompose, it depletes the oxygen in the water, creating hypoxic conditions that can be lethal for marine life. This phenomenon is often referred to as "dead zone" because the low oxygen levels make it difficult for fish and other marine organisms to survive.