A Sustainable Solution for the Corn Belt By New York Times Op-Ed Contributing Writer Mark BittmanNovember 18, 2014 It’s hard to imagine maintaining the current food system without Iowa. Yet that state — symbolic of both the unparalleled richness of our continent’s agricultural potential and the mess we’ve made of it — has undergone a transformation [...]

Global warming likely worsening 'dead zone' in Gulf of Mexico, study finds By Associated PressNovember 10, 2014   Global warming is likely playing a bigger role than previously thought in dead zones in oceans, lakes and rivers around the world and it's only going to get worse, according to a new study. Dead zones occur [...]

Tracking the Nitrate Pulse to the Gulf of Mexico By Ethan Alpern, October 4, 2014Released: 11/4/2014 11:36:38 AM Contact Information: U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey Office of Communications and Publishing 12201 Sunrise Valley Dr, MS 119 Reston, VA 20192 Ethan Alpern   Phone: 703-648-4406  A new USGS report describes how advanced optical sensor technology is [...]

Corn Belt Pollution: Louisiana Shrimp and Oysters Pay the Price By meg wilcoxNovember 5, 2014  Luke Cibilch pulls up a load of oysters from the Gulf of Mexico. Though the dead zone occurs far offshore, agricultural wastes can also create smaller areas of hypoxia in the shallower coastal waters that can impact oysters. By Meg [...]

Lake Erie Grows More Susceptible to Harmful Algae, May Need Stricter Control Measures By By Nora MacalusoOctober 15, 2014 Great Lakes By Nora Macaluso Oct. 15 — Cyanobacteria in Lake Erie have become increasingly sensitive to phosphorus in recent years, making the lake more susceptible to large, harmful algae blooms, according to a study from the University of Michigan [...]