Low oxygen conditions expected to impact 5,827 square-mile area
NOAA is forecasting an above-average summer “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico covering approximately 5,827 square miles — an area roughly the size of Connecticut. The dead zone, or hypoxic area, is an area of low oxygen that can kill fish and other marine life. It occurs every summer and is primarily a result of excess nutrient pollution from human activities in cities and farm areas throughout the Mississippi-Atchafalaya watershed. The average dead zone measurement is 5,205 square miles over the 37-year period of record.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) provides Mississippi and Atchafalaya river discharge and nutrient loading data for the month of May, which are key factors used by NOAA forecast models to estimate the size of the Gulf’s dead zone during the summer. In May 2024, discharge in the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers was about 5% above the long-term average between 1980 and 2023, and the nitrate and phosphorus loads were about 7% below and 22% above the long-term averages, respectively.
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