Scientists backed by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced on Tuesday that the “dead zone” created this year in the Gulf of Mexico is larger than previously thought. This area with an area of 16,000 sq km is larger than Lake Ontario and Lake Erie taken together.
NOAA had predicted in June that a hypoxic zone with little or no oxygen would be created to provide living conditions for underwater creatures, with an area of 12,600 sq km, which would be less than the area created over five years. the last. But in reality the “dead zone” turned out to be much larger.
Scientists from Louisiana State University collected data from the dead area, measuring oxygen levels and salt concentration. This evidence is critical to NOAA’s work to modify computer models that make predictions about methods and influencing factors to reduce this dead area.
The expansion of the area is believed to have been caused by chemical pollutants used on farms as well as in urban life and discharged into the Gulf through the Mississippi River. These substances result in the addition of algae that absorb oxygen from the area. NOAA works to protect wildlife environments in the oceans and seas, as they are critical to fishing.
The Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico Working Group uses the data to analyze the concentration of pollutants in water. In collaboration with farmers and businesses in the riverside areas, they come up with projects to improve water quality.
