Title: How dead is dead: An examination of life on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico dead zone

Background: Excessive input of artificial fertilizers and nutrients throughout the Mississippi River watershed leads to excessive algal blooms and hypoxic zones in the Gulf of Mexico. Hypoxia increases mortality of many aerobic species in its midst, but what about life on the edges? Does the increase in nutrients in the water benefit certain species, i.e., coastal species and wetlands?

Thesis: There is a net gain from the added nutrients that lead to an ecology that has an overall benefit because of the enhanced support of life on the edges and more distant.

Approach: No details available yet. Project under development.

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