It is not uncommon to see a tremendous amount of marine life and varying biodiversity in Coastal Ecosystems. For example, the West Coast is known for its migrating whale populations twice per year. During varying months in the year blue whales, grey whales and humpback whales all make their way through the high seas to relocate for feeding and calving purposes. The abundance of sea life comes in creatures big and small, as there are a tremendous amount of fish and shellfish species along the more shallow parts of the West Coast. These species are experiencing risk of extinction by hypoxic conditions, as they cannot swim away when oxygen levels get too low.
Inorganic Fertilizer Causes Eutrophication
Eutrophication happens when too much nitrogen and phosphorous is added in to a water system, creating an algae bloom. This is most often caused by human pollution such as inorganic fertilizer run off in to water systems, sewage run off and other human land uses. Th algae bloom creates a thick layer over the surface of the water, killing all marine plants on the ocean bottom due to a lack of sunlight. Then, the algae eventually dies off and floats to the sea floor. Bacteria decomposes the algae taking up all oxygen levels during the decomposition process. Eventually, all of the oxygen in parts of this polluted coastal community becomes hypoxic. Hypoxia is also known as the dead-zone because the marine life populating these areas get caught in the oxygen depleted conditions and cannot escape fast enough... Resulting in death and extinction.
More and more cases of hypoxia are being recorded higher up along the coast every year. This can be due to an increase in fertilizer run off and leaching, fish farming or industrial ammonia discharge. Estuaries are particularly in danger to habitat destruction from eutrophication because they are salt water and fresh water combined. This means the limiting nutrient is both phosphorous and nitrogen, making this ecosystem more vulnerable to eutrophication.
Fun Fact: A limiting nutrient means that this nutrient is what controls the production of algae and plants. Phosphorous and Nitrogen are both limiting in estuaries. In other ecosystems it is usually one or the other as the limiting factor.
The promotion of plant-growth promoting microorganisms from the use of Volcanimax Gro enhances the availability of Nitrogen and Phosphorous to plants. This decreases the opportunity for these limiting nutrients to leach into nearby water systems and run-off into lakes and coastal waters. To stop the destruction of our oceans, alternative farming practices must be put into place to increase sustainability in our crops and in our oceans.
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