Large Dead Zone Expected in Gulf of Mexico This Year
Posted on June 24, 2013
A NOAA press release says scientists are expecting a very large "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico this year. NOAA-supported modelers at the University of Michigan, Louisiana State University, and the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium are forecasting that this year's Gulf of Mexico hypoxic dead zone will be between 7,286 and 8,561 square miles. This could place it among the ten largest recorded.
NOAA says hypoxic (very low oxygen) and anoxic (no oxygen) zones are caused by excessive nutrient pollution, which is often the result of human activities such as agriculture. This results in insufficient oxygen to support most marine life in near-bottom waters. NOAA says weather can also impact the size of dead zone.
Here is a video explaining dead zones created by NOAA in 2009. Take a look: