Home > Explore News > Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone Research Coordination: NOAA Heads Forum in Support of Hypoxia Task Force

Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone Research Coordination: NOAA Heads Forum in Support of Hypoxia Task Force

Published on: 05/08/2013
Primary Contact(s): alan.lewitus@noaa.gov

In overlapping venues on 17-18 April 2013, NCCOS co-led the Forum for Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Research Coordination and Advancement, and represented NOAA at the U.S. Mississippi River Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient (Hypoxia) Task Force Spring 2013 Public Meeting; both meetings aimed at advancing management mandates of the Hypoxia Task Force to reduce the size and impacts of the Gulf of Mexico low oxygen 'dead zone'

The Forum, convened by NOAA (NCCOS, National Data Buoy Center, Gulf Regional Collaboration Team, NCDDC) and the Northern Gulf Institute, and held at Stennis Space Center, MS, encompassed three separate meetings with intersecting objectives: 1) the 4th Annual Hypoxia Research Coordination Workshop; 2) Gulf Hypoxia Glider Application Meeting, and 3) Gulf Hypoxia Modeling Technical Review Meeting. Nearly 100 hypoxia researchers and managers from NOAA, academia, state, and other federal partners updated the science behind the Gulf of Mexico dead zone and laid the groundwork for two white papers to advance hypoxia monitoring and forecast modeling: the 'Implementation Plan for Glider Application to Hypoxia Monitoring and Modeling,' and 'Modeling Approaches for Scenario Forecasts of Gulf Hypoxia.'

At the same time, NOAA fulfilled its obligations as an official member of the Hypoxia Task Force with NCCOS's Dr. Rob Magnien representing NOAA on behalf of Acting Administrator Kathryn Sullivan at the spring 2013 Public Meeting, Louisville, KY. NCCOS also serves as chair of the Task Force's Coordinating Committee. The Hypoxia Task Force holds periodic public meetings throughout the Mississippi River Basin to inform the public of the progress toward reducing Gulf hypoxia.The ultimate goal of NOAA's hypoxia research, monitoring and modeling is to develop operational forecasts useful for implementing sound nutrient reduction strategies of the Hypoxia Task Force to mitigate Gulf hypoxia.

For more information, contact Alan.Lewitus@noaa.gov.

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