OCS Report

MMS 2006-018
i 

NOTE TO TEACHERS 

Chemistry in the Gulf of Mexico is a teacher’s instructional guide to accompany the poster of 

the same title. In this guide, you will find information that relates principles from a basic 

chemistry class to actual processes occurring in the ocean. This guide will focus on four of 

these processes. The information and activities are intended for use at the 11th to 12th 

grade levels. Additional topics and resources are included at the end of the guide. 

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) has funded numerous scientific studies to 

understand better the oceanographic processes in the Gulf of Mexico. This Teacher’s 

Companion contains information that was gathered during these studies. The MMS is the 

Federal agency that regulates oil and gas activities on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. To 

learn more about the MMS, please visit our website at www.mms.gov. 

Author: Mary C. Boatman 

Graphics: Allan Linker 

Editors: Michael Dorner 

 Deborah Miller 

Acknowledgments: We wish to thank Ranell Troxler, a sixth grade teacher in 

St. Charles Parish, for her review of this document. 

WHERE TO GET THE POSTER AND TEACHER’S COMPANION

Copies of the poster and Teacher’s Companion may be obtained from the Public Information 

Office (MS 5034) at the following address: 

U.S. Department of the Interior 

Minerals Management Service 

Gulf of Mexico OCS Region 

Public Information Office (MS 5034) 

1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard 

New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394 

Telephone Number: (504) 736-2519 or 

 1-800-200-GULF 

First Printing, October 2001 

Revised Printing, March 2006 
iii 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Page 

ABOUT THIS LESSON...............................................................................................................1

Where It Fits into the Curriculum........................................................................................1

Science as Inquiry .......................................................................................................1

Physical Science ..........................................................................................................1

Life Science..................................................................................................................2

Earth and Space Sciences ...........................................................................................2

Science in Personal and Social Perspectives..............................................................2

Objectives for Students..........................................................................................................2

Materials for Students...........................................................................................................2

WHAT IS CHEMICAL OCEANOGRAPHY?..............................................................................3

Chemical Oceanography in the Gulf of Mexico ....................................................................3

Temperature and Salinity Plots............................................................................................4

Thermocline ...........................................................................................................................4

Suspended Sediments............................................................................................................4

Nutrients................................................................................................................................4

Phytoplankton........................................................................................................................5

Detrital Rain ..........................................................................................................................5

Hypoxia ..................................................................................................................................5

Currents, Eddies, and Upwelling—The Eddy Graveyard ...................................................6

Naturally Occurring Oil Seeps..............................................................................................6

Barite Chimneys....................................................................................................................6

Gas Hydrates and Chemosynthetic Communities...............................................................7

Naturally Occurring Brine Pools ..........................................................................................7

VOCABULARY............................................................................................................................8

SUGGESTED TOPICS FOR TERM PAPERS ...........................................................................9

ACTIVITIES ..............................................................................................................................10

Activity 1—Why is the Sea Salty? ......................................................................................10

Activity 2—Barite Chimneys—A Case Study of Precipitation..........................................12

Activity 3—Hypoxia.............................................................................................................14

INTERNET ACTIVITY: GAS HYDRATES..............................................................................16

SUPPLEMENTARY RESOURCES..........................................................................................17

REFERENCES ..........................................................................................................................18
1 

ABOUT THIS LESSON 

This lesson is intended to address interesting chemical processes occurring in the Gulf of 

Mexico. The information and activities are related to chemical principles learned in an 

introductory chemistry class for grades 11-12. It is beyond the scope of this lesson to cover 

every topic in detail. Therefore, selected references and Internet sites are listed at the end 

for further investigation and understanding. You can also access this Teacher’s Resource 

on line at http://www.gomr.mms.gov/homepg/lagniapp/lagniapp.html. 

WHERE IT FITS INTO THE CURRICULUM

Topics: This lesson could be used to extend basic chemistry units to the marine 

environment. It can also be used as part of an oceanography or earth sciences curriculum. 

Some material is also applicable to environmental science and understanding the 

consequences of pollution. 

Standards: The material meets the content standards for grades 9-12 as defined by 

National Science Education Content Standards of the National Science Teachers 

Association. The following content standards apply: 

Science as Inquiry 

• Abilities Necessary to do Scientific Inquiry 

⎯ Identify questions and concepts that guide scientific investigation 

• Understandings about Scientific Inquiry 

⎯ Scientists usually inquire about how physical, living, or designed 

systems function. 

⎯ Scientists conduct investigations for a wide variety of reasons. 

Physical Science 

• Structure and Properties of Matter 

⎯ A compound is formed when two or more kinds of atoms bind together 

chemically. 

• Chemical Reactions 

⎯ Chemical reactions occur all around us. 

⎯ Light can initiate many chemical reactions such as photosynthesis. 
2 

Life Science 

• The Interdependence of Organisms 

⎯ The atoms and molecules on earth cycle among the living and 

nonliving components of the biosphere. 

Earth and Space Sciences 

• Geochemical Cycles 

⎯ The earth is a system containing essentially a fixed amount of each 

stable chemical atom or element. Each element can exist in several 

different chemical reservoirs, and moves among the reservoirs in the 

solid earth, ocean, atmosphere, and organisms as part of geochemical 

cycles. 

Science in Personal and Social Perspectives 

• Environmental Quality 

⎯ Natural ecosystems provide an array of basic processes that affect 

humans. Those processes include maintenance of the quality of the 

atmosphere, generation of soils, control of the hydrologic cycle, 

disposal of wastes, and recycling of nutrients. Humans are changing 

many of these basic processes, and the changes may be detrimental to 

humans. 

OBJECTIVES FOR STUDENTS

1) To understand chemical processes that are occurring in the marine 

environment. 

2) To apply basic chemical principles in the marine environment. 

3) To learn how human activity can impact the marine environment. 

4) To propose hypotheses and design experiments. 

MATERIALS FOR STUDENTS

Some of the pages can be photocopied and distributed to the students as an evaluation. The 

second activity involves chemicals and can either be done as a demonstration or in work 

groups. The Internet activity requires access by the students to the Internet. Sites 

containing all the necessary information are given. 
WHAT IS CHEMICAL OCEANOGRAPHY? 

Chemical Oceanography is the study of chemical processes that occur in the ocean and at 

the seafloor. It includes the effects of the physical, geological, and biological processes on 

the chemistry of the ocean. Chemical oceanographers are also interested in the distribution 

of chemical compounds of major and trace chemical components. The major components 

include the dissolved atoms and molecules that make the sea salty, such as sodium, 

potassium, chloride, and sulfate. Minor components include nutrients such as phosphates 

and nitrates, trace organic compounds, and trace metals. Lead, copper, mercury, and iron 

are examples of trace metals found in the sea. Actually, almost all of the elements in the 

periodic table are present in seawater! The interactions between the sun’s energy, 

atmospheric compounds, dissolved and suspended oceanic organic and inorganic material, 

sea life, and the seafloor are studied. The impact on oceanic chemistry of both natural 

substances (such as natural seafloor petroleum seeps) and manmade material (such as 

waste or pollution) is also investigated. 

CHEMICAL OCEANOGRAPHY IN THE GULF OF MEXICO

The Gulf of Mexico is considered a marginal sea because it is connected to the major oceans 

but is located on the margin. Processes that occur in the major oceans also occur here. The 

Mississippi River, which drains 45 percent of the contiguous United States, is a major 

source of freshwater, nutrients, and pollutants for the Gulf. The region is mixed by eddies 

or “rings” that form from the Loop Current. The Gulf also has some features that are not 

found everywhere. The massive salt that underlies the Gulf leaks into depressions and 

forms brine pools. A large area of hypoxia forms along the Louisiana coast each summer as 

a result of input from the Mississippi River. Gas hydrates are found at the seafloor in some 

areas of the Gulf, one of the few places in the world where this is known to occur. Unusual 

barite deposits that form chimneys are also not found anywhere else. Oil seeps are common 

in the deep Gulf and result in slicks observed from satellites. These features are shown on 

the poster and discussed in the following pages. The MMS is interested in understanding 

the chemistry of the Gulf of Mexico to evaluate the effects of oil and gas production on the 

natural system. 

Gulf Facts: 

Salinity? 

Central Gulf: 35.6 

Orca Basin brine: >250 

Water Volume?

3.35 million cubic km 

Average Surface Water 

Temperature?

Summer: 84°F/29°C 

Winter: 70°F/22°C 

Deepest Part?

Sigsbee Deep: 4,384 m 

Total Area? 

1.5 million square km

3 
4 

TEMPERATURE AND SALINITY PLOTS

Oceanographers plot the temperature and salinity values versus depth to gain an 

understanding of the ocean structure. An example is shown at the center of the poster. The 

plots are used to identify the thermocline and also can be used to understand the movement 

of water in the water column. Temperature and salinity affect the density of the water. 

Warm freshwater is less dense than cold saltwater. When freshwater from rivers, such as 

the Mississippi, enters the ocean, the freshwater forms a layer on the surface. In the case 

of the Mississippi, two-thirds of the water moves west along the Louisiana coast while onethird moves to the east. Eventually, wind and currents mix the freshwater with the 

saltwater. 

THERMOCLINE

The thermocline is defined as the depth range over which the temperature decreases 

rapidly with depth. This zone generally occurs between 300 and 1,000 m, but it varies with 

latitude. The thermocline divides the ocean into a warm surface layer heated by the sun 

and a cold, deep layer that has a fairly constant global temperature of 4-4.5oC. The Gulf of 

Mexico is no different from the major oceans. The graph at the center of the poster is a 

representative plot of temperature vs. depth. The thermocline is identified as a layer, 

although the plot does not extend to the coldest and deepest water. 

SUSPENDED SEDIMENTS

Along with water and nutrients, the Mississippi River also transports a tremendous 

amount of sediment from the erosion of the land, about one million cubic yards per day. 

The Mississippi drains approximately one-third of the contiguous United States. The 

sediment contributes to the formation of the delta and is also carried along shore to the east 

and the west. Most of the load is carried to the west and is a source of the “muddy” water 

observed by beach goers along the Louisiana and Texas coasts. Some of the sediment is 

also transported to the east. Other rivers flowing into the Gulf contribute sediment as well. 

The suspended load is measured as turbidity, which is determined by the attenuation of a 

light beam passed through a water sample. 

NUTRIENTS

Nutrients are supplied to the ocean from rivers, land runoff, atmospheric deposition, and 

recycling of living material already in the ocean. The primary nutrients in ocean waters 

are nitrate, nitrite, phosphate, silicate, ammonia, and iron. The Mississippi River is the 

primary source of nutrients to the Gulf of Mexico. Within ocean waters, plants and animals 

living at the surface die and sink to the bottom as detrital rain. While they sink, bacteria 

in the ocean break down the organic matter into basic chemical components, which form 

nutrients. The deepwater becomes enriched in these nutrients. The nutrient-rich 

deepwater can be returned to the surface by upwelling. 
5 

PHYTOPLANKTON

Tiny, single-celled plants or phytoplankton are at the base of the food chain in the ocean. 

Like all plants, they need light and, therefore, are found very near the surface. They also 

need nutrients such as nitrates (NO3-

) and phosphates (PO43-) to grow. When large amounts 

of nutrients enter the ocean in a short period of time, the phytoplankton respond with rapid 

growth and multiplication, called a “bloom.” The plankton continue to bloom until all the 

nutrients are gone. The phytoplankton then die and sink to the bottom as a part of the 

detrital rain. 

DETRITAL RAIN

Along with the phytoplankton, tiny animals or zooplankton live in the water column of the 

ocean. When these plants and animals die, their body parts sink to the bottom. This 

sinking material is known as detrital rain. As the detritus sinks, it is eaten by bacteria and 

degraded into nitrates, phosphates, and other nutrients, as well as organic molecules. As 

the degradation occurs, oxygen is consumed. Often the detrital rain settles in the region of 

the thermocline, where the density of the water increases with the decreasing temperature. 

As a result, the thermocline is a region where there is low oxygen. 

Off the coast of Louisiana, nutrients from the Mississippi feed the phytoplankton and cause 

tremendous growth. When all these tiny plants die, the detrital rain increases, bringing 

large volumes of organic matter to the seafloor. The result is a depletion in oxygen and 

hypoxic (low oxygen) conditions. 

HYPOXIA

The rivers bring nutrients and sediments to the ocean from the erosion of land, landderived organic matter, and runoff from farmland and cities. The rivers also bring 

pollutants from the developed areas of their drainage basins. The increased nutrients are a 

great source of food for plants (phytoplankton) that live in the surface of the ocean. Once 

the food supply is used up, these plants die and sink to the bottom. Degradation of this 

plant material results in the depletion of oxygen and the creation of a situation known as 

hypoxia. Hypoxia occurs when the dissolved oxygen concentration of water decreases to 

below 2 milligrams/liter. Normally, the oxygen concentration in the water is between 5 and 

8 milligrams/liter. Hypoxia is of interest because shrimp, crabs, and fish that live in the 

ocean need oxygen to survive just as we need to breathe the air. The shrimp, crabs, and 

fish are a major source of commercial fisheries and must leave the area of hypoxia. 

Unfortunately, some animals cannot leave the area and die. These animals are also a food 

source for some species of commercial fish, thus affecting this resource. 

In the Gulf of Mexico, the hypoxia has extended all the way to Freeport, Texas, although in 

most years it extends to the Texas-Louisiana border. This process occurs during the 

summer, when a layer of warm freshwater floats on top of a layer of cold water and 

prevents the water from mixing and bringing oxygen from the surface to depth. During the 

winter, the cold air cools the surface water and allows the entire water column to be mixed. 

(CH2)103(NH3)16(H3PO4) + 135 O2 ⇒103 CO2 + 119 H2O + 16HNO3 + H3PO4
6 

This equation demonstrates how the breakdown of algae to nutrients consumes oxygen. 

CURRENTS, EDDIES, AND UPWELLING—THE EDDY GRAVEYARD

The currents, or movement of water, affect the distribution of chemicals, especially 

nutrients, in the Gulf of Mexico. Along the coast, the circulation patterns distribute 

sediments and pollutants, as well as nutrients. The primary current is the Loop Current, 

which enters the Gulf through the Yucatan Channel between the Yucatan Peninsula and 

Cuba and exits through the Straits of Florida, where it feeds the Gulf Stream. While the 

current is in the Gulf, eddies split off from the Loop Current and form spinning rings that 

move into the western Gulf. Eventually, these rings slow down and can no longer be 

distinguished from the surrounding water. The region where the rings “disappear” is 

known as the eddy graveyard. These circulating rings are believed to cause exchange of 

water from the surface to the deep. 

Eddies and winds can pull water away from the coastline. To replace this water, deep, 

nutrient- rich water is drawn to the surface in a process called upwelling. The deepwater is 

enriched in nutrients like nitrate and phosphate from the degradation of detrital rain. 

Several regions in the Gulf are affected by upwelling water. For example, in the east, water 

moves up the DeSoto Canyon towards Mobile, Alabama. 

NATURALLY OCCURRING OIL SEEPS

Oil is not only found deep below the Earth’s surface; some of it seeps into Gulf waters 

through cracks and fissures in the seafloor. Oil seeps can cause natural slicks at the 

surface and are responsible for much of the tar found on beaches. The hydrocarbons (oil) 

also provide a source of chemical energy that supports a lush habitat of mussels, worms, 

crustaceans, and fish. 

The oil slicks formed by these natural seeps can be used as indicators of oil deposits below 

the seafloor. NASA is using satellite images of the sea surface to locate and track the oil 

slicks. The sea surface information can then be used to locate the oil seeps at the seafloor. 

The fauna that live around the oil seeps are very similar to those found near hydrothermal 

vents in the Pacific Ocean in 1979. The larger creatures are supported by a symbiotic 

relationship with bacteria, where the bacteria are living within the animals and use energy 

from the oxidation of reduced compounds such as hydrogen sulfide. The fauna can also plug 

the cracks and fissures through the precipitation of calcium carbonate, a metabolic 

by-product, thus trapping the oil below the surface. 

BARITE CHIMNEYS

Along with hydrocarbon seeps, small chimney-like structures have been discovered on the 

seafloor. These structures are formed from a mineral called barite (BaSO4). The barium 

(Ba+2) comes from dissolving Jurassic salt domes below the seafloor. The salt migrates 

towards the seafloor through cracks in the sediment and escapes. Once the barium comes 

in contact with the sulfate-rich (SO4-2) seawater, barium sulfate precipitates to form 
7 

chimneys. The structures are 10-30 cm and consist of tiny crystal rosettes of barite that 

link together to form long chains of the mineral. 

Ba+2 + SO4-2 ⇒ BaSO4

This equation demonstrates the process that forms ocean-floor barite (barium sulfate) 

chimneys. 

GAS HYDRATES AND CHEMOSYNTHETIC COMMUNITIES

Gas hydrate is an ice-like substance that forms by inclusion of hydrocarbon molecules into a 

lattice of water molecules under the conditions of low temperature and high pressure. In 

ocean sediments, gas hydrates are found at water depths greater than 300-500 m and are 

detected by seismic reflection data. The molecules trapped in the lattice structure can be 

methane, carbon dioxide, ethane, butane, and even isopropane. 

Gas hydrates are of interest for several reasons. They are a potential energy resource, they 

can be hazards to seafloor structures, and they may play a role in climate change. As a 

potential energy resource, it has been estimated that gas hydrates are a reservoir of organic 

carbon greater than twice all the known oil and gas resources. Gas hydrates are also 

metastable; i.e., they can return to the water and gas that originally formed the ice as a 

result of only small changes in the surrounding temperature and pressure conditions. 

When gas hydrates dissociate, they potentially cause underwater subsidence or landslides. 

An oil platform or pipeline located on top of gas hydrate formations that suddenly “melted” 

could collapse into the sea or break apart. Further, this sudden dissociation of gas hydrate 

could result in the release of large quantities of methane, a greenhouse gas, which is 

partially responsible for global warming. 

Additionally, gas hydrates support small microcosms known as chemosynthetic 

communities. These animals form a symbiotic relationship with bacteria that use 

chemicals rather than light to generate food. Tube worms and mussels are the primary 

inhabitants of these communities. 

NATURALLY OCCURRING BRINE POOLS

Below the Gulf of Mexico is a layer of salt that was formed during the Jurassic period. The 

salt bed structure is deformed by the addition of sediments into the Gulf basin. The 

deformations take the shape of domes of salt. The displacement of the salt domes results in 

cracks and fissures in the overlying sediment. Sometimes, the salt migrates to the surface 

and creates naturally occurring, dense brine pools in topographic depressions along the 

seafloor of the Gulf of Mexico. Some of these brine pools have mussels that live around 

them. 

One example of a brine pool is Orca Basin. Discovered in the 1970's, this basin has been 

extensively studied because of its unique characteristics. The brine is approximately seven 

times as salty as seawater. Nothing can live within the brine and the pool acts like a trap 

for sediment and organic matter falling from the ocean’s surface; the result is a wellpreserved record of this material. 
8 

VOCABULARY 

Accrete—the process by which inorganic bodies grow larger by the addition of fresh 

material to the outer surface. 

Chemosynthetic—the ability to synthesize organic compounds by energy derived from 

chemical reactions. 

Degradation—the reduction in complexity of a chemical compound. 

Detrital—(1) nonliving; (2) from land.

Hypothesis—a tentative assumption that is tested through observation and 

experimentation. 

Metastable—having a slight margin of stability. 

Phytoplankton—single-celled plants that have weak swimming ability. 

Turbidity—a cloud of suspended material. 

Upwelling—to move or flow upward. 

Zooplankton—the animal and protozoan members of the plankton. 
9 

SUGGESTED TOPICS FOR TERM PAPERS 

Precipitation/Dissolution—carbonates, barite 

Adsorption—metals adsorb onto settling particles 

Organic compounds in a polar solvent 

Trace metals—iron as a nutrient 

Respiration—what are the processes, products of reaction? 

Degradation—breakdown of organic matter 

Water quality—define 

pH—seawater is buffered by the carbonate system 

Ions—ionic strength, dissolved solids, brines 

Oxygen—dissolved gases in seawater 

Solids—barite chimneys, suspended sediments 

Oxidation-reduction—sediment reactions 

Constancy of composition—chemical equilibrium 

Electrochemical cells—seawater conducting electricity 

Periodic table—everything in seawater except... 

Photosynthesis 

Hydrocarbon seeps—compare natural input to oil spills 

Remote sensing—use of satellites to study oceans 
10 

ACTIVITIES 

ACTIVITY 1—WHY IS THE SEA SALTY? 

Purpose: The purpose of this activity is to understand the composition of seawater, the 

sources of the material, and balances in nature. 

Materials: Graph paper 

Major dissolved constituents in seawater with a chlorinity of 19 ‰ and 

a salinity of 34.32 ‰. 

Dissolved substance Ion or 

compound 

Concentration 

(grams per 

kilogram) 

Percent by 

weight 

Chloride Cl- 18.980 55.04 

Sodium Na+ 10.556 30.61 

Sulfate SO42- 2.649 7.68 

Magnesium Mg2+ 1.272 3.69 

Calcium Ca2+ 0.400 1.16 

Potassium K+ 0.380 1.10 

Bicarbonate HCO3- 0.14 0.41 

Bromide Br- 0.065 0.19 

Boric Acid H3BO3 0.026 0.07 

Strontium Sr2+ 0.013 0.04 

Fluoride F- 0.001 0.0 

Totals 34.482 99.99 

Class Discussion 

Discuss the chemical definition of a salt. Include in the discussion the concept of ions and 

precipitation of salts. 

Where do the salts come from? 

How do they get to the ocean? 

What processes increase salinity? 

What processes decrease salinity? 

How would the weather conditions this past spring affect salinity? 

Seawater has a fairly constant salinity; why might this be? 
11 

Given the following table, have the class plot salinity vs. depth using the salinity values in 

column two. Put the salinity units on the x-axis across the top and depth on the y-axis, 

increasing from top to bottom. See the poster for an example of how to plot the depth. 

Depth 

(meters) 

Salinity—#1 

(parts per thousand) 

Salinity—#2 

(parts per thousand) 

0 37.2 10.5 

20 36.8 20.5 

50 35.9 32.5 

100 34.9 33.8 

200 34.8 34.9 

500 34.5 35.2 

1000 34.9 34.9 

1. Describe the distribution of salinity with increasing depth. 

2. What might be causing the variations at the surface? 

3. Why is the salinity constant at depth? 

4. Plot the salinity from column three on the same sheet of paper but with a 

different color pencil. 

5. What is the difference between the two plots? 

6. What process is responsible for the salinity values in the surface water? 
12 

ACTIVITY 2—BARITE CHIMNEYS—A CASE STUDY OF PRECIPITATION

Purpose: The purpose of this activity is to understand saturation, precipitation, and how 

deposits are formed in the ocean. 

Materials 

 Water 

 Barium chloride 

 Calcium sulfate 

 2 1-liter flasks 

 1 1-liter beaker 

 Stir bar 

Class Discussion 

Discuss the process of precipitation. 

What is chemical equilibrium? 

What is saturation? 

How can the ocean become saturated in a salt? 

Why does accretion occur? 

Why don’t the deposits dissolve again? 

Demonstrate the Precipitation of Barium Sulfate 

In a flask, dissolve 2 g of barium chloride in one liter of water. In a second flask, dissolve 

0.5 g of calcium sulfate. Pour some of the barium chloride solution into a beaker; add the 

calcium sulfate solution. A white cloud of barium sulfate will appear. 

Suggested Hypothesis (solution for question 5 on the next page) 

Fluids rich in barium from below the seafloor escape through cracks, where the barium 

precipitates with the sulfate in seawater. 

Test the hypothesis: 

Prepare artificial seawater. In two separate beakers, add the barium chloride solution to 

one beaker and the calcium sulfate solution to the other. The barium chloride/seawater 

mixture should result in the formation of a precipitate of barium sulfate. This result 

supports the hypothesis that the barium comes from some other source and reacts with the 

sulfate in the seawater. 
13 

1. Write the equation for the precipitation of barium sulfate. 

2. What ions are involved in this reaction? 

3. What is the oxidation state of each ion? 

4. How do you think chimneys are formed? Draw a diagram to illustrate the 

process. 

5. Develop a hypothesis for how the chimneys are formed. How would you 

test your hypothesis? 
14 

ACTIVITY 3—HYPOXIA

Purpose: To understand the processes that result in hypoxia and the effects of humans on 

the environment. To understand the concept of stakeholders and that solutions are a result 

of compromise. 

Note: This activity involves role playing by the students. The activity will not be 

successful if it is presented that any one stakeholder is more in the right than others. All 

have their perspectives that are valid. 

This activity requires that the students research their roles and understand the position. 

The activity may take several weeks to complete. 

The Scenario: A panel is convened that must decide what to do about the hypoxia that 

occurs in the Gulf of Mexico, if anything. The stakeholders include Federal and State 

governments, scientists, farmers, shrimpers, oil industry, and fishermen. Citizens, the 

media, environmental groups, and fertilizer industry can be included. The stakeholders 

form both the panel that will decide and the people that will present their viewpoint to the 

panel. Once all viewpoints have been heard, the panel will deliberate and present its 

decision to everyone. 

The Roles 

Panel Members: The panel members would be government officials and scientists who 

must submit a report to the President recommending the action to be taken. They should 

represent States along the Mississippi River, in particular Louisiana, Mississippi, Kansas, 

and Minnesota. The Federal Government should be represented with someone from the 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration (NOAA). The scientists are described below. The students should learn 

about the State or agency they represent and the position of the State or agency on the 

issue. This information is readily available on the web by searching for “Gulf of Mexico 

Hypoxia.” 

Scientists: The scientists must understand the research and the problem. They should be 

able to describe how hypoxia is formed, where it is found, and what factors control it. At 

least one scientist should be on the panel making the decision. The students should use 

recent scientific literature to gain an understanding of the problem. 

Farmers: The farmers grow the food that feeds the Nation; they also use the fertilizer that 

is thought to be a major contributor to the hypoxia. Students who are playing farmers must 

understand the use of fertilizer for crops, the amount of food produced by the farmers, and 

their position on using fertilizer. Information about the farmers’ position can be found on 

the web. 

Shrimpers: The shrimpers rely on the Gulf shrimp for their livelihood. The hypoxia 

drives the shrimp into other areas. An opportunity to hear the shrimpers’ point of view is 

available at the website: http://www.smm.org/ under Mississippi River Tour and the Dead 

Zone. Information about the shrimpers’ viewpoints can also be found at other websites. 
15 

Oil Industry: The oil industry has many visible platforms off the coast of Louisiana. It is a 

natural reaction to assume platforms contribute to hypoxia because they are a human 

intrusion into the skyline and do discharge produced waters directly into the hypoxic zone. 

The students should learn about the platforms, their discharges, and governmental limits 

on their discharges. The public and other stakeholders may wish to attempt to associate the 

platforms with hypoxia while the oil industry describes the relative insignificance of its 

discharges and its excellent environmental record. Information on this topic may be found 

at www.mms.gov. 

Fishermen: The Gulf Coast region is the primary source of fisheries for the United States. 

Besides shrimp, there are many other commercial species of fish. Recreational fishermen 

find the Gulf of Mexico an excellent place for the sport. The hypoxia affects where and 

when they can fish. The students can represent fishermen, either commercial or 

recreational, and how the hypoxia inconveniences them. They can read about fishing along 

the Gulf in many popular magazines and newspapers. 

Citizens: The concerned citizen can express to the panel any point of view. A student 

playing a concerned citizen should read anything available and form his or her own opinion. 

Media: The media are responsible for asking probing questions and reporting the 

viewpoints. A student playing a media person may want to write press releases, ask the 

panel pertinent questions, and may be required to prepare a newsletter summarizing the 

information given to the panel and the decision of the panel. 

Environmental Groups: Students could represent environmental groups such as the 

Sierra Club. The students would need to research the group, understand the tactics, and 

represent the position of the group. 

Fertilizer Industry: The fertilizer industry is concerned because a requirement that 

farmers use less fertilizer would result in fewer sales. Fewer sales, in turn, could mean 

lower profits, plant closures, job loss for people, etc. Students representing the fertilizer 

industry would need to research the industry and understand how much they sell to 

Midwestern farmers. 
16 

INTERNET ACTIVITY: GAS HYDRATES 

INTERNET SOURCES

What are gas hydrates? 

http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/project-pages/hydrates/

Hydrates 

http://www.hydrate.org/

Gas Hydrates -- a Possible Future Energy Resource? 

http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/resources/hydrate.html

Using information found on the Internet, answer the following questions: 

1. What is a gas hydrate? 

2. What gases can be trapped in the lattice structure? 

3. At what temperatures and pressures do gas hydrates form? 

4. Why are gas hydrates a potential energy resource? 

5. How could gas hydrates contribute to global warming? 
17 

SUPPLEMENTARY RESOURCES 

General Oceanographic Information for Teachers 

http://www.vims.edu/bridge/

http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/OCEAN_PLANET/HTML/search_educational_materials.html

http://www.epa.gov/ow/kids/watered2.html

Why is the Ocean Salty? 

http://www.palomar.edu/oceanography/salty_ocean.htm

Chemosynthetic Communities and Brine Pool 

http://www.bio.psu.edu/People/Faculty/Fisher/fhome.htm

http://www.gomr.mms.gov/homepg/regulate/environ/chemo/chemo.html

Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico 

http://www.smm.org/DeadZone/top.html

http://www.nos.noaa.gov/products/pubs_hypox.html

Phytoplankton 

http://www.childrenoftheearth.org/Kid's%20Entries/phytoplankton.htm

For great lesson plans, search for phytoplankton on this website: 

http://www.vims.edu/bridge/

Ocean Currents 

http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/02mexico/background/currents/currents.html

Naturally Occurring Oil Seeps 

http://www-gerg.tamu.edu/irm/sliktrak/SciAmer_web/index.html
18 

REFERENCES 

Libes, Susan M. 1992. An Introduction to Marine Biogeochemistry. John Wiley & Sons, 

Inc., New York. ISBN 0-471-50946-9. 

Pipkin, Bernard W., Donn S. Gorsline, Richard E. Casey, and Douglas E. Hammond. 1977. 

Laboratory Exercises in Oceanography. W.H. Freeman and Company, San Francisco. 

ISBN 0-7167-0181-2. 
The Department of the Interior Mission

As the Nation's principal conservation agency, the Department of the Interior has responsibility 

for most of our nationally owned public lands and natural resources. This includes fostering 

sound use of our land and water resources; protecting our fish, wildlife, and biological diversity; 

preserving the environmental and cultural values of our national parks and historical places; 

and providing for the enjoyment of life through outdoor recreation. The Department assesses 

our energy and mineral resources and works to ensure that their development is in the best 

interests of all our people by encouraging stewardship and citizen participation in their care. 

The Department also has a major responsibility for American Indian reservation communities 

and for people who live in island territories under U.S. administration. 

The Minerals Management Service Mission 

As a bureau of the Department of the Interior, the Minerals Management Service's (MMS) 

primary responsibilities are to manage the mineral resources located on the Nation's Outer 

Continental Shelf (OCS), collect revenue from the Federal OCS and onshore Federal and Indian 

lands, and distribute those revenues. 

Moreover, in working to meet its responsibilities, the Offshore Minerals Management Program 

administers the OCS competitive leasing program and oversees the safe and environmentally 

sound exploration and production of our Nation's offshore natural gas, oil and other mineral 

resources. The MMS Minerals Revenue Management meets its responsibilities by ensuring the 

efficient, timely and accurate collection and disbursement of revenue from mineral leasing and 

production due to Indian tribes and allottees, States and the U.S. Treasury. 

The MMS strives to fulfill its responsibilities through the general guiding principles of: (1) being 

responsive to the public's concerns and interests by maintaining a dialogue with all potentially 

affected parties and (2) carrying out its programs with an emphasis on working to enhance the 

quality of life for all Americans by lending MMS assistance and expertise to economic 

development and environmental protection.