Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone Largest Ever, Size of New Jersey
The dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico is the largest on record, measuring almost 8,800 square miles, about the size of New Jersey, according to scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
August 4, 2017 | Source: KRMG News | by Shelby Lin Erdman
The dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico is the largest on record, measuring almost 8,800 square miles, about the size of New Jersey, according to scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
A dead zone is an area in the ocean that’s low in oxygen and thus can’t sustain fish or marine life.
The agency bases its annual forecast on nutrient run-off in the Mississippi River watershed, mainly from agricultural chemicals and pollution, into the Gulf.