Science a GoGo's Home Page Forums General Discussion General Science Discussion Forum Pollution from Katrina affecting Coral die off and ocean health

This is just a question that I have noticed a distinct lack of research on. I was reading some new articles about the "underwater holocaust" going on the in the Caribbean and the ocean in general of the coral.

Has anyone seen any information on just what got pumped into the Gulf? The articles I looked up stated basically "Yeah yeah pollution but it will not be bad" or in other terms "Lead,schmed and mercury is really good for you."

I am just wondering if those among the SAGG board that follow these things more closely would have some input.

What's been pumped into the Caribbean is the efluent from the Mississippi delta which consists of huge amounts of phosphate and sulfate from upriver. Huge amounts of waste from city streets all washed down gutters into the sewer we call the Gulf Coast. Waste from Petroleum and chemical refineries ... and thus the area is often called the dead zone.

Try this search on google.
"Dead Zone" and "Gulf Coast"

Of course I'm just a commie-pinko running dog paper tiger socialist eco-freak who hates America and none of this is really a problem.

World?s Fish Stocks Face New Danger
Agricultural run-off and pollution are lowering the levels of dissolved oxygen in seawater, inducing sex changes in embryonic fish, leading to an overabundance of males...

http://www.scienceagogo.com/news/20060230010555data_trunc_sys.shtml

And of all of the possible ecological disasters ... what could be worse than an overabundance of males. We all know where that can lead. ;-)

A friend of mine is working on a study of shrimp populations along the Louisiana/Alabama/Mississippi coasts, but I don't know what he's found at this point.

I presume he's still looking for the first live shrimp.

I was aware of the fact that the caribbean had it's own issues. I was just wondering if there was any (wait for it) ACTUAL study being done about Katrina pollution.

I guess I will have to google more.

Thanks all

I am sure there are ... but I haven't seen any conclusions published yet.

Just two months until June. And so little has been done.

Well, any one who was insane enough to move back into NOLA will learn quickly that the Gulf Coast is not a safe place to live anymore.

It depresses me to watch the show "The Little Zoo that Could" on Animal Planet about the zoo in Alabama that evacuated all their animals 2 times last hurricane season and is just getting ready to be reopen. I feel absolutely horrible as I watch them have hope that it will not happen so bad again. Then I realize that although they are stretching funds as it is to rebuild and keep feeding the animals, they have done nothing to limit the amount of damage that could happen next time.

They said they had 14 feet of water in their parking lot. Then again, who has the money for the contractors when you are trying to feed 270 animals and rebuild three times in one year.

It is sad.