A dead zone refers to
A) terrestrial areas in which excessive nitrogen fertilizer has essentially burned the soil, preventing plants and microorganisms from living there.
B) oligotrophic areas in water bodies that cannot support life due to lack of nutrients.
C) an ecosystem that was cleared of all vegetation for slash and burn agriculture.
D) hypoxic areas in water bodies that limit marine and aquatic life.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Dead zones are hypoxic areas in water bodies that limit marine and aquatic life. These areas experience low oxygen levels due to an excessive amount of nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, in the water. This causes an overgrowth of algae, which consumes oxygen when it decomposes, leaving little or no oxygen for fish and other aquatic organisms.

A Dead Zone Refers to