Marine scientists awarded $781,000

University of Texas at Austin marine scientists have been awarded $781,000 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) to better understand how nutrient pollution from the Mississippi River affects the large area of low oxygen water called the “Dead Zone” in the Gulf of Mexico, and consequently its impact on commercially and recreationally important fish and shellfish. The funds were awarded to researchers through NOAA’s Northern Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia and Ecosystems Research Program. Researchers will collect experimental data to verify water quality models and help resource managers determine the relationships between nutrient pollution and development, magnitude, longevity and distribution of the Dead Zone. Wayne Gardner, professor of marine science, will lead the project.