High levels of spring nitrogen loading from the Mississippi River, coupled with typical flow and wind patterns on the shelf, should produce an above-average hypoxic zone this summer in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. An ensemble of models has predicted a ‘Dead Zone’ between 14,000 and 30,000 sq km (90% predictive interval).  The best estimate from the Obenour et al. model is 19,100 sq km.

Perhaps the third largest hypoxic zone ever?