Sewage-derived nitrogen increasingly polluting Caribbean ecosystems
Tuesday, May 17, 2011 - 03:00
in Earth & Climate
Nitrogen pollution in our coastal ecosystems, the result of widespread use of synthetic agricultural fertilizers and of human sewage, leads to decreased water transparency, the loss of desirable fish species, and the emergence of toxic phytoplankton speciessuch as the algae behind the renowned "red tides" that kill fish.