What is hypoxia?
Hypoxia, or low oxygen, is an environmental phenomenon where the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the water column decreases to a level that can no longer support living aquatic organisms. Hypoxic areas, or “Dead Zones,” have increased in duration and frequency across our planet’s oceans since first being noted in the 1970s.
The largest hypoxic zone currently affecting the United States, and the second largest hypoxic zone worldwide, is the northern Gulf of Mexico adjacent to the Mississippi River.
Gulf hypoxia in the news:
‘Extremely active’ 2020 hurricane season could see 25 named storms: NOAA
Mark Schleifstein / NOLA.com 6 August 2020 Federal climate scientists have upped their forecast for the 2020 hurricane season to “extremely active,” and predict there will be as many as 25 named storms by the [...]
WHY A “SMALLER THAN EXPECTED” DEAD ZONE ISN’T GOOD NEWS
Nina Pullano / Inverse.com 6 August 2020 Annual summer hypoxia points to global trends. GIVEN A CLIMATE'S CURRENT (AND ACCELERATING) STATE, it has become unremarkable to see environmental reports peppered with superlatives: the hottest decade in the books, [...]
This year’s ‘dead zone’ in the Gulf is the 3rd smallest yet. We have Hurricane Hanna to thank.
Mark Schleifstein / NOLA.com 4 August 2020 The 2020 summer low-oxygen "dead zone" along the Louisiana Gulf coastline covered only 2,117 square miles, an area just a bit larger than the state of Rhode Island [...]
THE FUTURE OF AMERICAN FOOD: A DISCUSSION BETWEEN LAND AND SEA
Paul Greenberg, David Brandt and Lance Nacio / Successful Farming 4 August 2020 If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, goes the saying. Pre-2020, many people who produce this nation’s food might have argued that [...]
U.S. House passes water infrastructure bill that authorizes millions for Louisiana projects
Mark Schleifstein / NOLA.com 29 July 2020 A number of major Louisiana water infrastructure projects, representing potentially hundreds of millions of dollars to be spent on studies and construction projects, were included in legislation approved [...]
Saharan dust bringing pretty sunsets to Louisiana next week — but health risks for some
Mark Schleifstein / NOLA.com 20 June 2020 A vast cloud of Saharan dust now crossing the Atlantic Ocean will arrive in south Louisiana by Wednesday, bringing with it the potential to dampen hurricane threats, create [...]
Low oxygen ‘dead zone’ to affect 6,700 square miles along Louisiana Coast in July: NOAA
Mark Schleifstein / NOLA.com 7 June 2020 The summertime low-oxygen “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico is expected to cover at least 6,700 square miles along the Louisiana and eastern Texas coasts at the [...]