Dead Zone Swallows New Jersey

Gulf of Mexico’s “Dead Zone” Expands, Again.

For decades, an ominous "dead zone" has been appearing off the coasts of Louisiana and Texas. This year, it's larger than ever, spanning 6,705 square miles (an area the size of New Jersey). Federal scientists announced the concerning news, attributing it to oxygen depletion, which is harmful to marine life.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) revealed that this year's dead zone entered the record books, ranking in the top third of the largest zones in the last 38 years.

"Nutrient pollution impacts water bodies across the country, and in the Gulf of Mexico, it has resulted in a dead zone, where low to no oxygen does not support fish and marine life.” - Bruno Pigott, EPA’s Office of Water, acting assistant administrator.

What's a Dead Zone?

Simply put, a dead zone is an area at the bottom of a body of water devoid of enough oxygen to sustain marine life. Nutrient runoff, primarily from excessive fertilizer use on farms, is the main culprit. This leads to a situation known as hypoxia, which can suffocate fish, shrimp, and crabs as the oxygen is consumed by decaying algae fed by nutrients like nitrogen.

A Long Road to Recovery

The appearance of dead zones is an annual occurrence in the Gulf Coast region, typically dissipating during cooler months. However, experts caution that even with immediate and drastic nutrient reduction, it will take at least 30 years for the Gulf to recover due to the slow movement of nitrogen through soil and groundwater.

Sources/Further Reading:

• https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/gulf-of-mexico-dead-zone-larger-than-average-scientists-find
• https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/noaa-forecasts-above-average-summer-dead-zone-in-gulf-of-mexico
• https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/07/agriculture-runoff-keep-gulf-mexico-s-dead-zone-big-decades