In their new forecast, SNRE professor Donald Scavia and colleagues report that the Gulf of Mexico's "dead zone" for this year could be among the largest dead zones, or oxygen-starved (hypoxic) regions, on record-- covering between 7,450 and 8,456 square miles.  Forecasts for the Chesapeake Bay region predict a shrinking dead zone; however, the anticipated change is due to regional dry spells and not decreased nitrogen in farmland runoff, one of the leading causes of hypoxia.

More press coverage of the dead zones forecast: 

June 19- UPI: Gulf 'dead zone' to be size of New Jersey

http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2009/06/19/Gulf-dead-zone-to-be-size-of-New-Jersey/UPI-98901245441679/

June 22- Innovations Report: Researchers predict large 2009 Gulf of Mexico 'dead zone'; Chesapeake Bay's oxygen-starved zone likely to shrink

http://www.innovations-report.com/html/reports/environment_sciences/researchers_predict_large_2009_gulf_mexico_039_dead_134527.html 

June 22- Houston Business Journal: Gulf of Mexico 'dead zone' expanding

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2009/06/15/daily60.html

June 24- ScienceDaily: Large 2009 Gulf of Mexico 'dead zone' predicted

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618124956.htm

June 18- PhysOrg.com: Researchers predict large 2009 Gulf of Mexico 'dead zone'

http://www.physorg.com/news164546116.html

June 18- Newswise Science News: Researchers predict large 2009 Gulf of Mexico 'dead zone'; Chesapeake Bay's oxygen-starved zone likely to shrink

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/553538/?sc=rssn

June 18- Science Blog: U-M researcher and colleagues predict large 2009 Gulf of Mexico 'dead zone'

http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/u-m-researcher-and-colleagues-predict-large-2009-gulf-mexico-dead-zone-22414.html

June 18- redOrbit: Large 2009 Gulf of Mexico 'dead zone' predicted

http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1708055/large_2009_gulf_of_mexico_dead_zone_predicted/index.html?source=r_science

June 19- Underwater Times: NOAA forecast predicts large 'dead zone' for Gulf of Mexico this summer

http://www.underwatertimes.com/news.php?article_id=69104871032

 July 7- Spero News: Gulf of Mexico 'dead zone' may mushroom

http://www.speroforum.com/site/article.asp?id=19807&t=Gulf+of+Mexico+%27dead+zone%27+may+mushroom 

July 7- EnerPub (Energy Publisher): Gulf of Mexico 'dead zone' may mushroom

http://www.energypublisher.com/article.asp?id=19807