Scientists forecast the largest-ever dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico

An annual forecast released Tuesday predicts the Gulf of Mexico’s hypoxic or dead zone will be the largest ever recorded as a result of the flooding of the Mississippi River this spring. Scientists supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) say the zone could measure several thousand square miles - roughly the size of New Hampshire. The dead zone is an annual summer phenomenon in which a huge area of gulf loses the oxygen levels necessary to support marine life. As Zoe Sullivan reports from New Orleans, evidence shows the phenomenon’s impact goes beyond the ocean floor.