This photo depicts sediment being transported from the Mississippi River, into the Gulf of Mexico. It is beleived that the Mississippi River is the main cause for the amount of pollutants in the Gulf of Mexico, which cause dead zones to occur.
Dead zones are hypoxic (low-oxygen) areas in the world's oceans, the observed incidences of which have been increasing since oceanographers began noting them in the 1970s. These occur near inhabited coastlines, where aquatic life is most concentrated. (The vast middle portions of the oceans which naturally have little life are not considered "dead zones".) The term can also be applied to the identical phenomenon in large lakes.
Here is a video on phytoplankton and how important it is to marine life. This also ties the excess of phytoplankton to dead zones: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJ0ln_IyncU
Oxygen depletion, or hypoxia, is an environmental condition that occurs when the runoff of agricultural lands creates a region of over production of algae that takes over an area which eventually becomes void of oxygen. Learn more about how this occurs and some ideas for minimizing this problem.
When you hear the wind howling outside most people agree that it is an unpleasant sign of an inconvenience on nature's behalf. However, when you live on PEI that wind can cause you to lose the ability to travel outside of the province. A friend of mine is presently "stuck" on the mainland due to bridge closure, and the haulting of the ferry service.
This waterspout isn't from today, but it does depict the fraility which PEI is connected to the mainland.