48. The Dead Zone

48. The Dead Zone

When an area is referred to as 'The Dead Zone,' it's a fair indication that you probably never want to pay it a visit. In this case, the dead zone is out at sea, and the dead are all of the fish and other aquatic life in the affected part of the Gulf of Mexico.

The Dead Zone is the most notorious hypoxic area in all of the United States. It's the result of years of phosphorus and nitrogen being dumped out at sea by the Mississippi River. The waste didn't end up here entirely on purpose; the Mississippi River has the unfortunate honor of being the primary drainage area for almost half of America. Waste dumped into lakes and streams from many different locations finds its way into the river, then out to sea, and then out into the dead zone, which covers 8000 square miles. The chemicals sap the oxygen level in the water, meaning the fish can't breathe. They end up washed up on beaches like this.

NEXT

Did You Know...

I

Most of your favorite celebrities either studied acting in college or went straight from high school into a life of the arts. But, hey, not all of them. Some celebrities actually have advanced college degrees.

II

Turns out Mayim Bialik is just as much of a genius as the one she plays on The Big Bang Theory. She earned her Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of California, Los Angeles, focusing on obsessive compulsive disorder among people with Prader-Willi syndrome, a rare condition in which the hypothalamus malfunctions.

III

Little known fact: Natalie Portman skipped the premiere of Star Wars: Phantom Menace because she was studying for her high school exams. She had two papers published in scientific journals while she was still in high school, and graduated from Harvard University with a B.A. in Psychology.

IV

Before he was looking for answers on X-Files, David Duchovny was just trying to find the answers for English finals at Princeton University90. David graduated from Princeton in 1982 with a B.A in English. He continued to feed his love of literature by receiving a master’s degree in English Literature at Yale University. David was an excellent writer and poet. His work consistently received praise by his fellow classmates and teachers at Yale. His writing was even nominated for a college prize by the Academy of American Poets.

V

Sigourney Weaver graduated from Stanford University in 1971 with a bachelor’s in Literature. It was while studying at Stanford that Sigourney realized her true passion in life was to become an actress. Shortly after graduation, she attended Yale for their well-known drama program. She would go on to receive a master’s in Acting from Yale University and become friends with fellow famous actress Meryl Streep.

VI

Meryl Streep is considered one of the most successful actresses of all time. She is also one of the most highly educated. Before collecting an array of Oscars, Meryl collected diplomas. She graduated from Vassar College with a B.A. in 1971. Meryl has a habit of being unsatisfied with impressive accomplishments as her acting career has shown, so she attended Yale University and earned a master’s degree in Acting.

NEXT


Copyright © 2025 CultureHook