The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says this year’s hypoxia zone in the Gulf of Mexico was much smaller than expected.  

Dr. Nancy Rabalais, the chief scientist for the survey cruise that measured the zone, said it was about a quarter of NOAA’s June estimate because of weather. 

“The activity in the Gulf that caused this particularly small size, was hurricane Hanna,” Rabalais said.

She says the zone is just over 2,100 square miles.

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