This story is part of the series Farm to Trouble from the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, an independent reporting collaborative. These nutrients run off the fields during rainstorms at the end of the growing season and end up in waterways leading to the Mississippi River. The 2025 target is simply not a priority for the task force, said Doug Daigle, a research scientist at Louisiana State University and coordinator of the Louisiana Hypoxia Working Group. “Call me a farmer of the sea; I’ll take that title if they would help us.”What to expect from the next dead zone tourOn July 21, the R/V Pelican will set sail to take stock of this summer’s dead zone. This year, the cruise will be extended for four extra days to tour the area east of the Mississippi River.