Baird Calls for Task Force to Study Northwest Dead Zones

Baird Calls for Task Force to Study Northwest Dead Zones (Sept. 30, 2009)

Washington, D.C.- Today, the House Energy and Environment Subcommittee chaired by Congressman Brian Baird (D-WA-03) approved legislation he wrote that would create a task force to study the causes of, and solutions to the problems created by harmful algal blooms (HABs) and dead zones off the Northwest Coast. The bill will also reauthorize a similar task force in the Gulf of Mexico, and designate the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as the lead agency in combating these problems. "Our oceans are dying right before our eyes," said Congressman Baird, "Fifty percent of the air we breathe, or every other breath we take, comes from oxygen created by the ocean. Dead zones and HABs present a terrifying problem that could prove catastrophic to the Northwest economy, and our personal health." A HAB is rapid overproduction of algal cells that produces toxins which are detrimental to plants and animals. These outbreaks are commonly referred to as "red" or "brown" tides. Blooms potentially kill fish and other aquatic life by decreasing sunlight available to the water and by using up the available oxygen in the water, which results then in a hypoxia (severe oxygen depletion) event. These produced toxins accumulate in shellfish, fish, or through the accumulation of biomass that in turn affect other organisms and alter food webs. These toxins can be passed on to humans when consumed, potentially causing illness or death. A hypoxic dead zones is recurring off the Pacific Coast. Another is found annually in Hood Canal where algal mats suffocate everything from shrimp to lingcod. This lack of oxygen can kill everything in the water, and be lethal to the jobs that depend on the aquaculture industry. "The shellfish industry is a vital part of the economy of Southwest Washington," said Congressman Baird. "But this is also a worldwide problem. The combination of these conditions, with increasingly acidic waters affects billions of people who depend on the ocean to put food on the table or money in their pocket."