“The United Nations opened a global environment summit Monday, warning about the growing number of ‘dead zones’ in the world’s oceans but painting a picture of a greener planet with an increase of vegetation in many regions.
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“But so-called ‘dead zones’ – oxygen-starved stretches of ocean that are devoid of life – topped UNEP’s list of emerging environmental challenges.
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“There are nearly 150 dead zones around the globe, double the number in 1990, with some stretching 27,000 square miles.”
(via the San Diego Tribune: “U.N. environment summit opens, targets ocean ‘dead zones’ but sees greener earth” by Hans Greimel, AP [March 29, 2004])