Dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico grows beyond average

The Gulf of Mexico dead zone reached 6.705 square miles in 2024, making it the 12th largest recorded in 38 years of measurements. This phenomenon, characterized by low levels of oxygen in the water, harms marine life. The research was led by scientists from Louisiana State University and the Louisiana Marine Universities Consortium (Lumcon). The goal is to reduce the area to less than 1.900 square miles by 2035.

The dead zone is caused mainly by nutrient pollution (nitrogen and phosphorus, for example) that reach the Gulf of Mexico via the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River basin. These nutrients stimulate the excessive growth of algae, which when they die and decompose, consume oxygen from the water. This lack of oxygen causes fish and other marine animals to abandon the area.

This year's survey was carried out between July 21 and 26 aboard Lumcon's Pelican research vessel. Data collection is essential to the efforts of the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force, a working group that aims to reduce the five-year average of the dead zone to less than 1.900 square miles by 2035. Currently, the five-year average years is 4.298 square miles.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) forecast in June indicated an above-average dead zone of 5.827 square miles, based on Mississippi River discharge and nutrient runoff data provided by the United States Geological Survey. USA. The actual measurement was within the predicted uncertainty range, demonstrating the accuracy of the models used to predict and develop nutrient reduction strategies.

Nicole LeBoeuf, assistant administrator of NOAA's National Ocean Service, highlighted the importance of measuring hypoxia as an indicator of ocean health, especially in a scenario of climate change and intensifying storms. This long-term data set helps adapt strategies to reduce the dead zone and manage impacts on coastal resources and communities.

Nancy Rabalais, professor at Louisiana State University and scientific co-lead of the research, highlighted that the area of ​​hypoxia in the bottom water was larger than predicted, but within the range observed over almost forty years of research. The variability in the size and distribution of the dead zone continues to surprise scientists every summer.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in partnership with state and local governments and tribes in the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River Basin, works to reduce nutrient pollution and protect the health of the Gulf. Member states of the Hypoxia Task Force are intensifying their nutrient reduction strategies, increasing climate resilience and ensuring benefits for disadvantaged communities.