"If the physical conditions we noticed continue, it could mean an unusually strong hypoxic zone this year, and that's not good news."
DiMarco said the team studied an area between Southwest Pass, La., and the Calcasieu ship channel. They were on the Gyre, a research vessel owned by Texas A&M, and the project is funded by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.).
DiMarco said the most intense hypoxia levels are usually between 30 to 60 feet below the surface. Fish in this area can be "stressed," meaning they can die or, at the very least, move to other areas, which adversely affects fishermen in the dead zone region.
"Bottom-dwelling marine life, where some of the most intense hypoxia levels are, can easily die," he says.
"This area is of immense importance to people along the northern Gulf of Mexico," he adds. "We plan to return there in May, July, August and October to collect more data and see what condition the dead zone area is at that time."