Will the Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone Become Worldwide by 2012?

Even before the oil rig explosion and oil spill disaster of the spring of 2010, scientists and environmentalists were raising concern about a "dead zone" centered in the Gulf of Mexico.

Staring out as small spot in the Gulf, the dead zone has grown to some 7,000 square miles in extent. It is described as an area where virtually no sea life can survive due to oxygen depletion of the water. About the only thing that scientists and fishermen are able to pull from this zone is the dead bodies of crabs, shrimp and other species of marine animals.

The oil spill of 2010 (sometimes referred to as an oil volcano due to its intensity) could accelerate the growth of the Gulf dead zone, experts fear. Such an eventuality would be right in line with prophecies about the death of the oceans by the year 2012.

There are other dead zones in the world, but this one is among the largest. It is additionally unusual in that, at its current northern limits, it is so close to shore. Those studying it say that it gradually developed over 20 or 30 years due to the huge amounts of agricultural chemicals and fertilizers being washed into the Gulf via the Mississippi River.

If the growth of this lifeless zone does start speeding up, it could eventually extend into the Caribbean Sea and then the Atlantic Ocean. It could even merge with other known dead zones in all of the oceans, and then become worldwide.

The prospect of the world's interconnected seas becoming one worldwide dead zone should frighten you. Hundreds of millions of people depend on fishing for their livelihoods and even their basic sustenance. The lifeforms that live in the sea are at the base of a food chain that ultimately supports all life on land, as well. Even if you don't eat seafood yourself, your well-being would be drastically affected by the death of the oceans.

The dying of the oceans is one of my least "favorite" scenarios for what is going to happen in 2012. But it is a real possibility, and we cannot shut our eyes to it. Whether it can be prevented remains to be seen, but I'm personally hoping that science finds a way to head off disaster by bring the Gulf of Mexico's dead zone back to life -- and soon.

Want to learn more about what's coming for 2012?

Don't believe everything you hear about 2012 and what it will mean to you personally -- but don't dismiss it all, either. The truth is out there and can be known. See the 2012 Predictions site at http://www.2012alarm.com.