NOAA 2004-R307
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: John Leslie
7/12/04
NOAA
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s offices in
Mostly a summertime phenomenon, this low dissolved oxygen, or “dead
zone” begins to form in June and extends from the mouth of the
NOAA scientists believe this increase, attributed in part to the growing
use of nitrogen fertilizers in the
“The science community needs to stay on the leading edge of finding the
causes and impacts of hypoxia to marine life in the Gulf. Hypoxia Watch, and
all the resulting data from this project, will help scientists do just that,”
said Gregory W. Withee, assistant administrator for NOAA’s
Satellites and Information Service, NCDDC’s parent
agency.
Scientists aboard the NOAA research vessel, Oregon
II, measure seawater temperature, salinity, chlorophyll and
dissolved oxygen at more than 200 locations throughout the region as the ship
makes its way from
"By pulling together resources from across NOAA, we gain a better
understanding of how fish and other marine life are affected by their physical
environment," said Bill Hogarth, assistant administrator for NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service. "This
collaborative effort allows NOAA to provide the best scientific information for
the benefit of the American public."
SEAMAP is a cooperative state, federal, and university program that
collects, manages and disseminates fishery-independent data and information in
the southeastern
NCDDC scientists transform the dissolved oxygen measurements into
contour maps, which identify areas of low oxygen, or hypoxia. During the
cruise, as the ship receives the data, NCDDC generates new maps and immediately
publishes them on the web. The first map will cover the continental shelf from
Scientists use these environmental data to understand the effects of the
physical environment on fish and other marine organisms. The dissolved oxygen
maps generated during the SEAMAP cruise also help NOAA scientists plan the
annual survey of the Gulf’s hypoxic zone, which is conducted by the Louisiana
Universities Marine Consortium in late July, when the hypoxic zone is typically
at its peak. Cooling waters and storms in the fall mix up the water throughout
the Gulf and restore normal oxygen levels to the sea floor.
The NOAA CoastWatch Gulf of Mexico Regional
Node at
NOAA’s Satellites
and Information Service is the nation’s primary source of space-based
oceanographic, meteorological, and climate data. It operates the nation’s
environmental satellites, which are used for ocean and weather observation and
forecasting, climate monitoring, and other environmental applications. Some of
the oceanographic applications include sea-surface temperature for hurricane
and weather forecasting and sea-surface heights for El Niño
prediction.
NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety
through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and
providing environmental stewardship of the nation’s coastal and marine
resources.
On the Web:
NOAA: http://www.noaa.gov
NOAA Satellites and Information Service: http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov