NOAA Forecasts Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone to Impact 4,155 Square Miles in 2023
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is forecasting a below-average summer dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico.
Dead zones – or hypoxic areas – occur yearly as a result of “excess nutrient pollution from human activities in cities and farm areas throughout the Mississippi watershed.” This nutrient pollution, which can be caused by agricultural runoff and wastewater treatment effluent, depletes oxygen in the water, killing fish, shellfish and other marine life.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) looks at Mississippi River discharge and nutrient...
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