Teacher Resources

After teaching children about dead zones use this word find, cross word puzzle, and maze as a way to keep them engaged in the topic.  The word puzzles help to improve vocabulary and test comprehension.

 

Northwest Fishing

Oregonians such as myself have grown up in a part of the world full of life and nature. With thick forest, beautiful beaches, and hundreds of rivers a streams, it's almost impossible to see all what Oregon has to offer in its own backyard. We are very much spoiled with the amount of things we can do outdoors. One pass time that puts Oregon on the map is it's Fishing. I grew up fishing alongside my father, fishing for just about anything and just about anywhere. When I was young I mostly fished for smaller breeds such as bass and bluegill. But these days I've become very fond of fishing for larger species such as Salmon and Steelhead (A steelhead is a trout that has gone out into the ocean and gotten much bigger). It takes a lot of preparation, patience and skill, but if you have all three than you might just be able to land a fish.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife maintains strict rules and regulations regarding almost all fish species in Oregon, along with the waters they live in. More prized fish like Salmon and Steelhead, trout, sturgeon and habit, carry more rules and regulations  compared to smaller breeds such as bass, bluegill, croppy, and catfish. In order to catch and keep these more sought after fish, a fisherman must first buy a yearlong fishing license, along with a harvest tag. This puts you back about 70 dollars (8 more bucks will get you a shellfish license if you enjoy clamming). Once you have your tags you are ready to go. But before you go, you must know the rules and regulations for both the fish you are fishing for and the water you are fishing in. For example, there are times when you cannot fish for salmon. And some lakes don't allow you to use live bait for trout. Other common rules range from hook size to the size of fish you can keep.

Great strides have been made to preserve fish populations while allowing fishermen to keep doing what they love. Fisherman CANNOT keep a salmon or steelhead that has grown up in the wild. They can only keep salmon and steelhead that were raised in a hatchery. Oregon has many hatchery plants that grow salmon, steelhead, as well as trout. Fish are grown in these hatchery's and Before the salmon and steelhead are let into the wild their adipose fin is clipped off. Located between the dorsal and tail fin, it is small and offers nothing for the fish. When a salmon or steelhead is caught it's easy to tell if it's a hatchery fish, because it will be missing said fin. This fin clipping system, along with daily/yearly catching limits, is what keep salmon and steelhead populations level. Trout are also grown in these hatchery's and hundreds of thousands are released into lakes and rivers each year.

Of course there are many things that disrupt and hurt salmon and steelhead. The most threatening is dams. When they first started putting in damns into Oregon they did not think much about how they would affect the fish, people just wanted more power. Majors advances have been made to save fish, but dams still remain a threat to salmon and steelhead, along with other species. A 2nd threat is sea lions. Animal lovers might love them but if you're a salmon it's your worst nightmare. Sea lion populations have been on the rise for many years. They are towards the top of the food chain (besides sharks) and because of the little to no natural predators the sea lions have started to impact salmon and steelhead population levels. Shooting sea lions has been an option but it has encountered much resistance. Illegal fishing is another small problem. Heavy fines are set in place for those who do but it can be hard for rangers to monitor all bodies of water. As a fisherman myself, I respect the rules that are set in place. Anyone who puts the effort into going out and trying to catch a salmon illegally faces the same challenge legal fisherman do. Many times you might not catch anything. And when you do catch  a salmon it's not uncommon for it to take 3 to 4 hours. It really depends on how you are fishing and where but not matter what, it is always as challenge to catch salmon and steelhead. To be honest, it's cheaper to go buy one as the store, but that's no challenge at all.  

to conclude, fishing is fun, and I encourage everyone to try it. Start small and go find a pond and catch some bass, but once you are ready I suggest you buy the right tags and licensees and go catch a salmon or steelhead. Many dedicated people are in place to keep fish populations level and productive, so your legal fishing trip won't even make a dent. You'll find Fishermen to be some of the most active wildlife preservation experts in Oregon, and I urge you to learn more about the many advances and setbacks actively occurring in Oregon's waters. 

-Richard Jossy 

Jellyfish and dead zones 

Jellyfish could play an important role in determining the overall health of our oceans, including the impact of dead zones. Oceanographers have been noticing an increase in jellyfish abundance, known as a bloom, in specific regions. It is hypothesized that there are multiple factors increasing bloom prevalence such as drought, increase water temperatures, reduction in predators, increased water salinity, overfishing, eutrophication and low oxygen levels. Scientists take these blooms as a sign that unhealthy areas of our oceans may be returning to a more pre-historic composition where jellyfish prevailed. In relation to ocean dead zones, their relative abundance acts as an indicator to help identify sites of existing or future dead zones. Because dead zones are characterized by regions of low vertebrate populations, it opens a niche for the jellyfish to exploit without worry of being preyed upon. They are known to feed primarily on small fish, plankton and zooplankton, and with the eutrophication (increased nutrient content) of dead zone waters, they can thrive upon the resultant increased concentration of their prey. Jellyfish are able to survive in these hypoxic (low oxygen concentration) areas because they have large amounts of dissolved oxygen stored within their tissues. Their body mass is comprised of 95 percent water, much more than in humans. Another problem that relates to these blooms is the increased harassment of beach goers and scuba divers by jellyfish. This concerns the tourism industry, as people are choosing to go elsewhere to avoid being stung as well as the scientific world. It will be even more difficult to study these areas if we are unable to send divers into the water to collect data.

What can we do?

One of the biggest contributors to oceanic dead zones is synthetic fertilizer, which is used
primarily on industrial farms in industrialized countries. Reducing the use of these fertilizers,
using alternative organic options like manure or compost and implementing farming methods like no-tillage and contour cropping would help to reduce runoff by allowing the soil to absorb more water and nutrients. The preservation and restoration of costal wetlands would also provide a natural filter of sorts for the ocean by removing some of the excess nutrients before they reach the ocean and have deleterious effects on the local wildlife.


As countries throughout the world continue to industrialize, this issue becomes more and more severe. Countries that have experience farming an industrial scale will be the models for these nascent industrial farmers and should set an example by utilizing sustainable, environmentally-friendly practices so that this problem doesn’t get worse before it gets better. To immediately help reduce or prevent this deadly phenomenon one can start buying/growing organic products, lobbying local and pertinent legislators/representatives to implement cleaner and safer industrial farming practices, using phosphate-free detergent and using as few household cleaning products as possible.

Posted by Jesse John

Ocean “Dead Zones” solution

Ocean “Dead Zones” were first reported in the year of 1910. At that time, there were only four areas in the world. Nowadays, Ocean Dead Zones are increasing so rapidly. Still now, there are more than 400 Dead Zones in the world.

Here are some solutions:

1. Stopping from using synthetic fertilizer

2. Using natural sources of nutrients

3.  Restoring coastal wetland

4.  Buying Organic

Buying Organic will be an important solution to Ocean Dead Zones although we did  not mention it before. The reason is the basic rule of organic farming. Its rule is to work with the natural environment. It is said that  Organic methods are widely recognized as protecting land, ecosystems, consumers, farm workers, and communities from the hazards of exposure to toxic agricultural chemicals. Moreover, organic farming can play an important role in the sea.
Here is an explaining by video:

Resources: http://www.downtoearth.org/environment/organic-vs-conventional-farming/ocean-dead-zone-solution-buy-organic

http://sitemaker.umich.edu/section8group1/possible_solutions

Pictures: http://www.johnsorganicworld.webs.com/

 http://www.rosemerena.org/home/2009/04/06/ocean-dead-zones-of-the-pacific-northwest-january-62009/

Posted by Meng Jing

 Combating Dead Zones

Dead zones have caused numerous problems for not only wildlife, by also for humans. An average of 75 percent of phosphorus and nitrogen emission happen to come from only nine of the fifty states in America. Countless times it has been scientifically observed that humans have indirectly contributed to this growing epidemic, why have they not reacted properly, then? Many have suggested that it would be considerably difficult to decide on a specific public policy quest in order to correctly reduce the problem. Others have stated that it would lead to an economic disadvantage, it would also be complicated and difficult to measure, especially in economic terms. Scientist, on the other hand, believe that a solution must be found; humans are jeopardizing future prosperity, with rash decisions in the present time. With this, solutions have been decided for particular regions of the world, one does not fit all. 

One approach for dead zone reduction in the area of agriculture, is an adoption of a fairly knew technique. The “best management practice” method formulates a plan to slowly decrease the amount of fertilizer that is run off into the water, through the implementation of careful planning and execution of planting. As implied before, farmers play a rule in the amount of dead zones that occur in a particular region. Farmers are known to utilize nutrient-rich fertilizers in order to enhance the growth of their crops, these fertilizers run through to lakes and areas of water, respectively causing a dead zone. This plan is highly costly for farmers, they must be able to employ agricultural methods such as no-till planting, in order that less fertilizer is being put in the ocean and more is being put in the soil. The disposal of human and animal waste could also be altered, with the intention of rightfully discarding harmful nutrients from the water. The restoration of wetlands and other natural buffers, can curtail the effects of fertilizers and nutrients that make their way to the ocean. Conservation, tax money, ensuring transparency, and setting specific goals and time-lines can aid in the effort of translating the dead zone-causing environment into a safe one. Though many of these solutions contain deterring prospects, when established, they will be able to solve a problem that threatens the life of many valuable organisms. By fluctuating present ways and activities, America, and the rest of the world, will be able to significantly decrease the amount of dead zones. With this, less wildlife will be jeopardized, and humanity will be able to prosper throughout future years.

By: Shaza Karam 

Ocean dead zones double every decade

Many scientists have warned us. Human made pollution is growing number of suffocating dead zones across the world's seas with disastrous consequences for marine life. The number of dead zones has doubled every decade since the late of 1970. The Problems included populations of larger creatures such as fish or lobsters. By killing or stunting the growth of bottom-dwelling organisms, the lack of oxygen denies food to creatures higher up the food chain. Hundreds of regions are critically low oxygen now affect a combined area the size of Taxes and it pose as great a threat to life in the world's oceans as overfishing and habitat loss. Many experts suggested the best solution is to keep fertilizers on the land and out of the sea and manage the way fertilizers is used, No fish can live in the dead zones where fertilizer-polluted rivers dump into the sea. The World governments and public must take the issues seriously. The ocean awareness is something we can no longer afford to ignore. Action now!

Sources:

                      http://www.mongabay.com/about.htmlOcean dead zones double every decade