Gulf of Mexico dead zone predicted to be the largest ever recorded due to Mississippi River flooding
The dead zone area in the Gulf of Mexico is forecasted to grow to the size of New Hampshire, approximately 8,500 to 9,421 square miles, due to major flooding on the Mississippi river this spring. If this happens, it will be the largest recorded dead (hypoxic) zone in the Gulf of Mexico since it was first measured in 1985, according to NOAA scientists.
Hypoxic areas in seas and oceans is caused by excessive nutrient pollution, usually from agriculture run-off. This results in too little oxygen to support most marine life in bottom and near-bottom water. These dead zone areas, such as the Gulf one growing just off the coast of Louisiana and Texas, are a threat to commercial and recreational Gulf fisheries.
“This ecological forecast is a good example of NOAA applied science,” said Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “While there is some uncertainty regarding the size, position and timing of this year’s hypoxic zone in the Gulf, the forecast models are in overall agreement that hypoxia will be larger than we have typically seen in recent years.”
Researchers should know more about its size following a NOAA-supported monitoring survey led by the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium between July 25 and August 6.
NOAA has been funding investigations and forecast development for the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico since 1990 and currently oversees the two national hypoxia programs authorized by the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act.
