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Ohio Office
One Maritime Plaza
Sixth Floor
Toledo, Ohio 43604
(800)964-4699
Tel: (419) 259-7500
Fax: (419) 255-9623 |
Washington Office
2366 Rayburn Bldg.
Washington, DC 20515
Tel: (202) 225-4146
Fax: (202) 225-7711 |
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FEDERALLY-SPONSORED RESEARCH TARGETS LAKE ERIE’S ‘DEAD ZONES’
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Nov 1, 2006
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Marcy Kaptur welcomed the announcement of a $2.5 million, five-year study into the causes of the so-called “dead zones” in Lake Erie. The research initiative, headed up by a team from the University of Michigan, was authorized by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
The study will focus on recurring low-oxygen episodes, known as hypoxia, in the lake. After a period of decline in hypoxic events during the 1980s and early 1990s, the episodes have once against become a critical issue because they can kill fish and create algal blooms, particularly in the warm and shallow Western Basin.
“The reappearance of ‘dead zones’ is one of the prime environmental challenges to Lake Erie’s long-term health, along with invasive species and nutrient pollution,” Congresswoman Kaptur said. “We’re hoping this research can unlock the mystery of the ‘dead zones’ so we can restore the lake habitat to its optimum condition.”
Also helping to conduct the research will be Roger Knight of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Peter Richards of Heidelberg College in Tiffin.
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