Currently, the Gulf of Mexico in the United States experiences an annual and seasonal "dead zone" due to hypoxia. Hypoxia is a low level of dissolved oxygen (<2 mg/L) in a water area. Hypoxia is usually temporary and seasonal, but low oxygen levels can be devastating to aquatic organisms. Hypoxia occurs in many ocean waters around the world, but there is a growing area of ​​concern on the Gulf Coast. Hypoxia is largely caused by the application of nitrogen fertilizers for agriculture, with high concentrations originating in the Midwestern United States. Nitrogen mobilizes as nitrate and is transported via surface water runoff. Runoff enters drain-backed ditches, streams and joins the Mississippi River, eventually reaching the Gulf. The mobilization of nitrates is a problem for human health and ag. runoff is also often attributed to contamination of surface water sources and wells in rural areas. High nitrate levels limit the ability of red blood cells to carry oxygen. This can harm humans and is the main cause of childhood methemoglobinemia, or "blue baby syndrome." The safe consumption level standard is 10 mg/L. Nitrogen and nitrates are linked to hypoxia through the process of eutrophication. Nitrogen is a limiting nutrient in most waters, so adding nitrate causes massive algae growth. The algae quickly consumes all available nitrogen, and once nutrients are limited again, the algae die en masse. As the algae decomposes, oxygen decreases in the water. This dangerously lowers the level of dissolved oxygen in the water, harming living organisms in the area. Small organisms and organisms that are immobile or unable to escape from areas of low oxygen are particularly vulnerable. Hypoxia and resulting “dead zones” harm local fishing and shrimping industries and algae blooms harm the tourism industry. Hypoxia has led to an approximately 25% decrease in brown shrimp habitat, forcing shrimp fishing operations further offshore. As the problem of hypoxia continues to worsen, the negative human effects will only increase. Since nitrate runoff from agriculture. was found to be the dominant source of hypoxia, policies could be adopted to effectively combat “point source” pollution. This makes the implementation of environmental policy more easily adaptable, possibly included in previous policies such as the Clean Water Act. According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the most cost-effective solution would be to simply reduce the amount of nitrate entering the Gulf by 1.2 million. metric tons. According to calculations, this would not lead to significant agricultural yields but would reduce the degree of hypoxia..