Flux and Sources of Nutrients in the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River Basin: Topic 3 Report for the Integrated Assessment on Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico Science for Solutions Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Assesment

The CENR Topic 3 team was asked to determine the flux and sources of nutrients transported from the Mississippi River Basin to the Gulf of Mexico. Nutrients of concern for this assessment are nitrogen, phosphorus, and silica. The first part of this task was to identify where the nutrients come from in the basin and which parts of the basin contribute the most significant flux of nutrients to the surface-water system. The second part was to estimate the relative importance of specific human activities, such as agriculture, point-source discharges, and atmospheric emissions, in contributing nutrient flux to the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico. This report presents the results of the assessment. It is based entirely on an analysis of existing information. 1999 NOS (National Ocean Service) Library Public Domain 1937