5,827 sq mile Gulf of Mexico "dead zone" predicted this summer, larger than average due to nutrient runoff.
The "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico, caused by nutrient runoff from farm fertilizers and municipal waste, is predicted to be 5% larger than the long-term average this summer, at 5,827 square miles. This is despite the low-oxygen "dead zone" along Louisiana's coast potentially shrinking this year, according to LSU scientists who forecast a record low size of 1,972 square miles. The discrepancy may be due to global warming.
June 13, 2024
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