Tim RosendaulProject ProposalLake Erie “Dead Zone” For my project I want to focus on the growing problem of Lake Erie’s “Dead Zone”. Being a native from Cleveland, Ohio, I thought this would be an interesting topic to further my knowledge on this subject and inform others about this growing problem in Lake Erie. The cause of the “dead zone” in Lake Erie is from the depletion of oxygen in the late summers. The causes are believed to be the configuration of the Central Basin of Lake Erie, to many nutrients (phosphorus) from human activity, and presences of foreign organisms (zebra muscles, quagga muscle) that consume all of the oxygen and produce more phosphorus. During the summer months, Lake Erie goes through this process of which the top layer of water in the Central Basin of Lake Erie produce this algae. The algae are fertilized by all of the phosphorus in the water and eventually when the algae dies it sinks to the bottom of the lake. When the dead algae reaches the bottom bacteria and fungus decompose the algae, which then uses up all of the oxygen that is dissolved in the water. For my project I want to further go into the details about the dead zone and how it has huge effects not only to aquatic organisms but also to the population around the Great Lakes. I would also like to talk about the foreign aquatic organisms not native to Lake Erie and what roll they have contributed to the Lake Erie “Dead Zone” and other numerous problems. Sources:Substantial Web Sources
- http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/lakeerie/eriedeadzone.html
- http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/6159/default.aspx
- http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/glindicators/water/oxygenb.html
Scholarly Sources
- http://www.esf.edu/glrc/GLRRPages/GLRRPDF/GLRRSpring2001.pdf
- http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=107_senate_hearings&docid=f:83720.pdf
- http://www.epa.gov/oigearth/reports/1999/9p00212.pdf
Random Sources
In general a good start. I think you need to think more about how this relates to you personally (why does this matter to you and others in the area?) and think about some interviews with people who this affects, so cover the human side. Also, please contextualize with other water body “dead zones” such as the one in the Gulf of Mexico at the mouth of the Mississippi. How does your’s comare to the Gulf of Mexico dead zone? Are there other such zones around the world? Are such dead zones a growing problem?
As for the sources, you need to do 10 scholarly, 10 digital, and 5 other sources. Also provide a summary – a few sentences – for each so I know what they are about. And provide an outline of the major issues you plan to cover (about one page).