How LSU researchers are using AI to monitor the Gulf’s dead zone

LSU researchers are using artificial intelligence to tackle one of the Gulf Coast’s most persistent environmental challenges: the annual dead zone caused by nutrient pollution, Louisiana Illuminator writes. 

The team has developed an AI tool that fills in gaps where water quality data is missing or incomplete, allowing scientists to better predict how much nitrogen and phosphorus are moving through rivers, streams and soil.

To test the system, researchers applied the model in Puerto Rico, where varied terrain provided a wide range of watershed conditions. The results offer new insight into how nutrients can be retained in soil instead of washing downstream and fueling algae blooms that deplete oxygen in coastal waters.

The ultimate goal is to apply the technology to larger systems like the Mississippi River Basin, helping planners target restoration efforts and reduce nutrient runoff before it reaches the Gulf. By improving data coverage and resolution, the AI tool could give policymakers a clearer picture of where to act to protect fisheries, coastal economies and long-term water quality. 

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