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Scientists have determined this year's Gulf of Mexico "dead zone," an area of low oxygen that can kill fish and marine life, is 8,776 square miles-an area about the size of New Jersey. It is the largest dead zone measured since mapping of the area began in 1985. The annual forecast, generated from a suite of NOAA-sponsored models, is based on nitrogen loading data provided by the U.S. Geological Survey. The similarity between predicted and measured size emphasizes the role of Mississippi River nutrient runoff in controlling the magnitude of hypoxia. [Source: National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science]
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