Federal scientists say this summer could see the third-largest dead zone ever recorded in the Gulf of Mexico: a New Jersey-sized area with too little oxygen to support marine life.
Over 32 years, those hypoxic zones have averaged 5,300 square miles, about the size of Connecticut, The Associated Press says.
But the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says this summer’s dead zone could be nearly 8,200 square miles.
The main cause: Much more water than usual flowed through streams and rivers, and it carried more nutrients than normal. The nutrients feed plankton blooms that die and sink to the bottom, where their decay uses oxygen.
A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-funded study led by Duke University has found that the Gulf of Mexico dead zone drives up the price of large shrimp relative to small shrimp, creating an economic impact that directly affects consumers, fishermen and seafood markets.
