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The Mystery of Oregon's 'Dead Zone'

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the behind-the-scary-door dept.

Roland Piquepaille writes "The area off Cape Perpetua on the central Oregon coast is now a gigantic crab and fish graveyard. It was first discovered in 2002, but according to the Christian Science Monitor, researchers at Oregon State University (OSU) have taken a close-up look into this coastal dead zone. And things are getting worse. A few weeks ago, the researchers measured the level of dissolved oxygen in this part of the ocean. They found that levels were 10 to 30 times lower than normal, down to 0.5 milliliters per liter, a characteristic of hypoxia. And because they have no explanations about this phenomenon, they're even envisioning a total absence of oxygen, or anoxia. Read more for additional details and pictures about this mystery."

22 of 235 comments (clear)

  1. Re:No explanation? by CloudsSpaz · · Score: 4, Funny

    I don't want to seem like I actually read the source article, and maybe I have the wrong definition of explanation, but it seems like "the culprit may be global warming."

  2. Hi, my name is Lizzy Faire by Travoltus · · Score: 5, Funny

    If those fish that are dying out there aren't worth protection under the free market, then they aren't worthy of survival.

    Things that are truly important to humanity's survival will be preserved by market forces. Which means someone like Outback Steakhouse will take a genuine interest in their survival and will spend the money to stop these dead zones and prevent hypoxia/anoxia from happening.

    If you really want to save the fish off of Oregon's coast, then put them on the menu.

    [end right wing parody]

    --
    --- Grow a pair, liberals... stop letting the Republicans bully you!
    1. Re:Hi, my name is Lizzy Faire by E++99 · · Score: 3, Funny

      President Bush Lied! Thousands of Fish Died!

      But we will never know for absolutely certain the cause of the hypoxia until Al Gore or Michael Moore make a movie about it. That being said, anyone not completely stupid, that is, anyone who watches CNN instead of FoxNews, knows that the CONSTITUTION SAYS that the Republicans killed all those poor fish. And they didn't even use all their parts, like the Indians would have done. They only killed them for their fur, the fascists.

      [end left wing parody]

  3. Hypoxia is a characteristic of hypoxia? by cperciva · · Score: 4, Funny

    Quoth the summary:
    They found that levels [of dissolved oxygen] were 10 to 30 times lower than normal, down to 0.5 milliliters per liter, a characteristic of hypoxia.

    In other news, having low levels of dissolved glucose in the bloodstream is a characteristic of hypoglycaemia; having lots of money is a characteristic of being rich; and a complete cessation of brain function is a characteristic of death.

    --
    Tarsnap: Online backups for the truly paranoid
    1. Re:Hypoxia is a characteristic of hypoxia? by MosesJones · · Score: 3, Funny

      and a complete cessation of brain function is a characteristic of death

      I thought it was a characteristic of a MySpace user? Or becoming US Defence Secretary.

      --
      An Eye for an Eye will make the whole world blind - Gandhi
    2. Re:Hypoxia is a characteristic of hypoxia? by RsG · · Score: 4, Funny
      complete cessation of brain function is a characteristic of death.
      No, it's a sign you're destined for a career in politics :-)
      --
      Erotic is when you use a feather. Exotic is when you use the whole chicken.
    3. Re:Hypoxia is a characteristic of hypoxia? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Nah, /. just has a higher than average population of zombie users.

    4. Re:Hypoxia is a characteristic of hypoxia? by bitt3n · · Score: 3, Funny
      Try reading this site at -1 and you'll soon change this theory!

      oh they're dead all right... what better place for a zombie than where everyone has big brains and can't run more than ten feet without getting winded?

      --
      how many pairs of boxer shorts should you own?
    5. Re:Hypoxia is a characteristic of hypoxia? by Lord+Ender · · Score: 5, Funny
      and a complete cessation of brain function is a characteristic of death

      I thought it was a characteristic of a MySpace user? Or becoming US Defence Secretary.

      Why the rip on myspace users? They may not have our informed, moderated sci/tech discussion, but they do have girls there.
      --
      A slashdotter who didn't build his own computer is like a Jedi who didn't build his own lightsaber.
  4. The REAL Reason by UberG�ber · · Score: 0, Funny

    I blame Christopher Walken and Anthony Michael Hall.

    --
    The Geek shall inherit the Earth
  5. Gigantic crab by booch · · Score: 4, Funny

    a gigantic crab and fish graveyard

    I'd like to know more about these gigantic crab. Are they bigger than king crab? I love to eat crab legs.

    What? You mean that it's the graveyard that's gigantic? Damn you, ambiguous English language!

    --
    Software sucks. Open Source sucks less.
    1. Re:Gigantic crab by Mekabyte · · Score: 4, Funny

      Try to hit its weak point for MASSIVE DAMAGE!

    2. Re:Gigantic crab by I+don't+want+to+spen · · Score: 5, Funny

      I remember an advert for an insecticide that 'kills cockroaches for up to 90 days'. I wouldn't look forward to that army of zombie cockroaches coming after me when they come back to life in three months ...

      --
      Don't go to a brothel if you want to buy broth
  6. Even bigger issue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Where the hell are we supposed to get our Soylent Green from if the oceans die?

  7. Re:No explanation? by evilviper · · Score: 2, Funny
    I always find it amusing when eco-types freak out and fret over what are natural earth processes.

    Like urinating on a bald eagle...

    It's perfectly natural, guys.
    --
    Slashdot gets worse every day... Pipedot: News for nerds, without the corporate slant
  8. Re:No explanation? by nacturation · · Score: 2, Funny

    That's clearly yet another picture of the Nexus. You can't fool us with this Chinook nonsense.

    --
    Want to improve your Karma? Instead of "Post Anonymously", try the "Post Humously" option.
  9. My scientific explaination... by H3g3m0n · · Score: 4, Funny

    Cthulhu

    --
    cat /dev/urandom > .sig
  10. My Aquarium by Coppit · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's nice to see that even mother nature's aquarium sometimes ends up looking like every aquarium I've ever owned.

  11. Re:People by Ant+P. · · Score: 4, Funny

    You may find this diagram helpful:

    Joke ---> .

              O
    You -->  -|-
             / \

  12. Re:No explanation? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yep. In order for "the culprit may be global warming" to qualify as an explanation, you'd have to detail just how you think global warming would have anything to do with this.

    Well Mr. SmartyPants, think about it.

    Have you seen any large wooden ships in the area? Seen any flags with skull and crossbones? Huh? Have you?

    Still don't see it? Man, some scientist you'd make...

    No drunken songs heard in the night? No parrots? Eyepatches?

    Good God man, it's the PIRATES! There aren't any in the area, and haven't been for a while. It's scientific fact: the absence of pirates leads to global warming.

    Don't pretend they didn't teach you this in school.

    We need a *massive* pirate infusion here. I mean, invite them from madagascar or something. Just get enough pirates in there to balance the ecosystem.

    I've sent this proposal to the President many times, and he's never even given me the decency of a reply. I'm heading to the White House this weekend and getting right up on his lawn with my bullhorn so he can see me. To drive my point home, I'm going to wave a shotgun around while I say it. This will really help me get my message across.

  13. Re:No explanation? by kimvette · · Score: 2, Funny
    These effects - identified as early as 1990 by researcher Andrew Bakun, then with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's fisheries lab in Monterey, Calif. - turbocharge the upwelling. This overloads the waters with nutrients and spawns large algae blooms.


    Question: where did they install the turbochargers? If the problem is warming, may I suggest installing some intercoolers? just a thought. ;)
    --
    The Christian Right is Neither (Christian nor right). See: Matthew 23, Matthew 25, Ezekiel 16:48-50
  14. H2 . . . O ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    "total absence of oxygen"... then it wouldn't be water anymore? Helllloooo... H2O????