An area in a water body with such low oxygen levels that most marine life cannot survive there. Dead zones are typically caused by eutrophication and nutrient pollution from human activities.
Compound term combining 'dead' (Old English 'dead') and 'zone' (Greek 'zone' meaning belt or girdle). The term emerged in marine science in the late 20th century as scientists documented expanding areas of oxygen-depleted water.
The Gulf of Mexico's dead zone can grow larger than the state of New Jersey, fed by nutrients from corn and soybean fields hundreds of miles upstream via the Mississippi River! These oceanic deserts are expanding worldwide, with over 400 documented dead zones globally.
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