Water creatures flock to surface in oxygen-poor area of Gulf of Mexico (WIS News 10 Columbia)
COCODRIE, La. (AP) – Crabs, eels and other bottom dwellers are flocking to the surface of the Gulf of Mexico. The reason — too little oxygen in their usual habitat.
Scientists say the oxygen-poor “dead zone” off the Louisiana and Texas coasts isn’t as big as predicted this year, but it’s still the third-largest ever mapped.
Scientists say research crews often see swarms of crabs swimming up top when the oxygen is low. Eels, on the other hand, are much less common. They usually live in sediments 60 to 70 feet below the surface.
The nearly 8,000-square-mile area with almost no oxygen is about the size of Connecticut and Delaware together. It happens when fresh water from the Mississippi River floats above heavier salt water in the Gulf.
Original post by Yahoo! News Search Results for Mexico
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