The Continental Shelf: The Dead Zone

In one of his classic horror novels, Stephen King (1994) tells the story of a man who suffers with a gap in his brain, or a Dead Zone. Because of the ‘dead zone’ in his brain, he is unable to remember 5 years of his life, and he is intensely aware of how much the world changed in those 5 years missing from his memory. The ‘dead zone’ causes him both headaches and insight. That insight allows him to see how he can change the course of history (Webster 2002).
 

Much like the ‘dead zone’ in Stephen King’s book, the ‘dead zone’ in the Gulf of Mexico serves as a symbol of how fast the world can be affected by human activity, such as population increases, agriculture and global trade. The ‘dead zone’ in the Gulf also causes both pain and insight. For now, it is painful to the earth. Species are suffocated from existence. However, the dramatic effects of the ‘dead zone’ have also created intense awareness of how our daily activities damage the environment and decreases biodiversity. Like the character in Stephen King’s novel, this awareness allows us to realize what it will take to change the course of the world.