Group Research Proposal
Nitrogen rich waste, including fertilizers from agricultural waste, is causing the death of
large areas of ocean. The nitrogen rich water causes a vicious circle of the oxygen depleting
process. Nitrogen and phosphorous are ingredients that plankton and algal life forms thrive upon.
This explosion of algal life begins processes that rapidly reduce the amount of oxygen present in
a large area of water. Dead zones have been reported in almost all of the world’s oceans and
have also been found in some large lakes, nearby highly populated areas. Although dead zones
occur in freshwater bodies, we will be focusing on oceanic dead zones. Our presentation will
cover the eutrophication of ecosystems, the rapid population growth of photosynthetic algae, the
oxygen level reduction occurring at night due to cellular respiration, oxygen depletion due to
decomposition of dying life-forms and usable solutions to reverse the effect and growth of
oceanic dead zones. The solutions we will discuss include the reduction of fertilizer usage
(proven effective in the Black Sea), increase of organic farming techniques and natural remedies
that can reverse the growth rate and population size of certain areas. We will convey all of this
information to our audience through the usage of a video, which will be in public service
announcement format. Along with the video, supplemental information will be presented by
word of mouth.