NOAA and partners find smaller-than-anticipated hypoxic zone in Gulf of America

NOAA and partners find smaller-than-anticipated hypoxic zone in Gulf of America Tropical Storm Bertha mixed water column, reducing size August 5, 2026 Measuring a ‘dead zone’: Scientists retrieve the CTD (conductivity, temperature, depth) package of ocean sensors after profiling dissolved oxygen at a station during the Shelfwide Hypoxia Cruise in the Gulf of America. (Image credit: Courtesy of Cassandra Glaspie/LSU) Download Image NOAA-supported scientists announced today that this year’s Gulf of America hypoxic zone is approximately 1,332 square miles, making it the 2nd smallest zone on recor