Unwanted record: Biggest ever dead zone in Gulf of Mexico

[mfcorey1]

NEW ORLEANS - There's an unwanted record in the Gulf of Mexico: This year's "dead zone," where there's too little oxygen to support marine life, is the biggest ever measured.

Scientists say the oxygen-depleted region is about the size of New Jersey, covering 8,776 square miles (22,720 square kilometers).

Scientist Nancy Rabalais has been measuring the area since 1985. She and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released the latest measurement Wednesday.

Rabalais says the area was actually larger, but the mapping cruise had to stop before reaching the western edge.

Studies based on nitrogen and phosphorus in the Mississippi River had predicted one of the largest dead zones ever.

https://www.local10.com/news/national/unwanted-record-biggest-ever-dead-zone-in-gulf-of-mexico

[FakeNoose]

1. Kind of scary

[Achilleaze]

2. Chemicals from industrial ag (R)

treat the land like a machine, and pump it up with synthetic fertilizers and toxic crap chemicals to support the industrial GMO 'products', and kill life. Pretty simple formula.

Now that the republican Draft-Dodger-in-Chief has appointed industrial ag fanboy Sonny Perdue to muck up the USDA, we can expect more more more of this stupid evil republican-style shit in the years ahead.

[mopinko]

3. i really dont get how this is happening. farmers letting their soil just run away.

i mean, i know what they are doing, and why. but it is colossally stupid.
where do they think they are going to get more topsoil? from their brothers and sisters who get out of the business? maybe.