Hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

by Dale, Virginia H.; Kling, Catherine L.; Meyer, Judith L.; Sanders, James; Stallworth, Holly

• ISBN13: 9780387896854
• ISBN10: 0387896856
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2010-01-08
• Publisher: Springer Verlag

Summary

The goal of the proposed book is to examine scientific advances since 2000 that may have increased understanding and options in three general areas related to hypoxia: 1. Characterization the Cause(s) of Hypoxia. The physical, biological and chemical processes that affect the development, persistence and extent of hypoxia in the northern Gulf of Mexico.2. Characterization of Nutrient Fate, Transport and Sources. Nutrient loadings, fate, transport and sources in the Mississippi River that impact Gulf Hypoxia.3. Scientific Basis for Goals and Management Options. The scientific basis for, and recommended revisions to, the goals proposed in the Action Plan; and the scientific basis for the efficacy of recommended management actions to reduce nutrient flux from point and nonpoint sources. In addressing the state of the science, the book focuses on the strengths and limitations of the science in managing the Gulf hypoxia problem, including available data, models and model results and uncertainty. It includes work from the following authors:C. Kling, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA; J.L. Meyer, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA; J. Sanders, Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, Savannah, GA, USA; H. Stallworth, Environmental Protection Agency, Washington D.C., USA; T. Armitage, Environmental Protection Agency,Washington, D.C., USA; D. Wangsness, U.S. Geological Survey, Atlanta, GA, USA; T.S. Bianchi, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA; A. Blumberg, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ, USA; W. Boynton, University of Maryland, MD, USA; D.J. Conley, Lund University, Lund, Sweden; W. Crumpton, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA; M.B. David, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA; D. Gilbert, Maurice-Lamontagne Institute, Mont-Joli, Quebec, Canada; R.W. Howarth, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA; R. Lowrance, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Tifton, GA, USA; K. Mankin, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA; J. Opaluch, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA; H. Paerl, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Morehead City, NC, USA; K. Reckhow, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; A.N. Sharpley, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA; T.W. Simpson, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA; C. Snyder, International Plant Nutrition Institute,USA; Conway, AR; D. Wright, College of William and Mary, Gloucester Point, VA, USA.

Author Biography

Virginia H. Dale is a Corporate Fellow in the Environmental Sciences Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. She is also an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Tennessee.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 1
Hypoxia and the Northern Gulf of Mexico - A Brief Overview	p. 1
Science and Management Goals for Reducing Hypoxia	p. 3
Hypoxia Study Group	p. 4
The Study Group's Approach	p. 7
Characterization of Hypoxia	p. 9
Historical Patterns and Evidence for Hypoxia on the Shelf	p. 9
The Physical Context	p. 12
Oxygen Budget: General Considerations	p. 12
Vertical Mixing as a Function of Stratification and Vertical Shear	p. 13
Changes in Mississippi River Hydrology and Their Effects on Vertical Mixing	p. 15
Zones of Hypoxia Controls	p. 18
Shelf Circulation: Local Versus Regional	p. 20
Role of N and P in Controlling Primary Production	p. 23
Nitrogen and Phosphorus Fluxes to the NGOM Background	p. 23
N and P Limitation in Different Shelf Zones and Linkages Between High Primary Production Inshore and the Hypoxic Regions Farther Offshore	p. 24
Other Limiting Factors and the Role of Si	p. 29
Sources of Organic Matter to the Hypoxic Zone	p. 31
Sources of Organic Matter to NGOM: Post 2000 Integrated Assessment	p. 33
Advances in Organic Matter Understanding: Characterization and Processes	p. 34
Synthesis Efforts Regarding Organic Matter Sources	p. 37
Denitrification, P Burial, and Nutrient Recycling	p. 38
Possible Regime Shift in the Gulf of Mexico	p. 41
Single Versus Dual Nutrient Removal Strategies	p. 44
Current State of Forecasting	p. 46
Nutrient Fate, Transport, and Sources	p. 51
Temporal Characteristics of Streamflow and Nutrient Flux	p. 51
MARB Annual and Seasonal Fluxes	p. 56
Subbasin Annual and Seasonal Flux	p. 65
Mass Balance of Nutrients	p. 76
Cropping Patterns	p. 76
Nonpoint Sources	p. 77
Point Sources	p. 84
Nutrient Transport Processes	p. 87
Aquatic Processes	p. 87
Freshwater Wetlands	p. 93
Nutrient Sources and Sinks in Coastal Wetlands	p. 94
Ability to Route and Predict Nutrient Delivery to the Gulf	p. 96
SPARROW Model	p. 97
SWAT Model	p. 103
IBIS/THMB Model	p. 104
Discussion and Comparison of Models	p. 106
Targeting	p. 106
Model Uncertainly	p. 107
Scientific Basis for Goals and Management Options	p. 111
Adaptive Management	p. 111
Setting Targets for Nitrogen and Phosphorus Reduction	p. 115
Protecting Water Quality and Social Welfare in the Basin	p. 120
Assessment and Review of the Cost Estimates from the CENR Integrated Assessment	p. 121
Other Large-Scale Integrated Economic and Biophysical Models for Agricultural Nonpoint Sources	p. 125
Research Assessing the Basin-Wide Co-benefits	p. 128
Principles of Landscape Design	p. 129
Cast-Effective Approaches for Nonpoint Source Control	p. 133
Voluntary Programs - Without Economic Incentives	p. 134
Existing Agricultural Conservation Programs	p. 135
Emissions and Water Quality Trading Programs	p. 137
Agricultural Subsidies and Conservation Compliance Provisions	p. 138
Taxes	p. 140
Eco-labeling and Consumer Driven Demand	p. 141
Options for Managing Nutrients, Co-benefits, and Consequences	p. 143
Agricultural Drainage	p. 143
Freshwater Wetlands	p. 146
Conservation Buffers	p. 151
Cropping Systems	p. 155
Animal Production Systems	p. 158
In-Field Nutrient Management	p. 164
Effective Actions for Other Nonpoint Sources	p. 183
Most Effective Actions for Industrial and Municipal Sources	p. 186
Ethanol and Water Quality in the MARB	p. 190
Integrating Conservation Options	p. 195
Summary of Findings and Recommendations	p. 205
Characterization of Hypoxia	p. 205
Nutrient Fate, Transport, and Sources	p. 207
Goals and Management Options	p. 209
Conclusion	p. 211
Appendices	p. 215
References	p. 239
Subject Index	p. 277
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