Dead zone returns to coastal waters

For the sixth year in a row, a fish-killing dead zone of oxygen-depleted water is forming off the Oregon coast, raising the possibility it could become the new pattern as the climate warms, scientists said.

The formation appeared to be dissipating in early July, but a survey of the 25 miles of Continental Shelf between Newport and Cape Perpetua by the Oregon State University research vessel Elakha found conditions returning to those of last year, said Francis Chan, a research professor of marine ecology.

“We now know this is a major change from what is normal for the Oregon coast,” Chan said.