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Agricultural runoff fuels large phytoplankton blooms in vulnerable areas of the ocean

Author

Listed:
  • J. Michael Beman

    (Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences)

  • Kevin R. Arrigo

    (Department of Geophysics and)

  • Pamela A. Matson

    (Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences
    Stanford University)

Abstract

Field events: blooming oceans Runoff of nutrients from agricultural regions and cities are a growing threat to the world's oceans, as highlighted in the Pew Oceans Commission report ( www.pewoceans.org ) and in the UN Environment Programme's Global Environment Outlook Year Book 2004, which identifies 150 oxygen-starved marine ‘dead zones’. A five-year study of the Gulf of California highlights just how vulnerable nitrogen-deficient areas of the oceans are to nitrogen pollution. Here, within days of fertilizer application to fields, the runoff fuels large phytoplankton blooms. These algae are at the base of the marine food web and can influence ocean ecosystems across large distances. The use of nitrogen fertilizers is increasing in developing countries, and because many of these are in the tropics and subtropics, where oceans are characteristically depleted in nitrogen, the implications for marine life are likely to be serious.

Suggested Citation

  • J. Michael Beman & Kevin R. Arrigo & Pamela A. Matson, 2005. "Agricultural runoff fuels large phytoplankton blooms in vulnerable areas of the ocean," Nature, Nature, vol. 434(7030), pages 211-214, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:434:y:2005:i:7030:d:10.1038_nature03370
    DOI: 10.1038/nature03370
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    Cited by:

    1. Sun Kyeong Choi & Tae Hyeon Kim & Yun Hee Kang & Sangil Kim & Tae-Hoon Kim & Jang Kyun Kim & Taehee Lee & Young Baek Son & Hyuk Je Lee & Sang Rul Park, 2021. "Changes in the Dynamics and Nutrient Budget of a Macroalgal Community Exposed to Land-Based Fish Farm Discharge Off Jeju Island, Korea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-18, October.
    2. Mahmood, Tariq & ur Rahman, Mati & Arfan, Muhammad & Kayani, Sadaf-Ilyas & Sun, Mei, 2023. "Mathematical study of Algae as a bio-fertilizer using fractal–fractional dynamic model," Mathematics and Computers in Simulation (MATCOM), Elsevier, vol. 203(C), pages 207-222.
    3. Heimann, Tobias, 2019. "Bioeconomy and SDGs: Does the Bioeconomy Support the Achievement of the SDGs?," Open Access Publications from Kiel Institute for the World Economy 225998, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    4. Liu, Zhi-bin & Liu, Shutang & Wang, Wen & Wang, Da, 2021. "Effect of herd-taxis on the self-organization of a plankton community," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    5. Macdonald, B.C.T. & Nachimuthu, G. & Chang, Y.F & Nadelko, A.J. & Tuomi, S. & Watkins, M., 2020. "Nitrogen composition in furrow irrigated run-off water," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 242(C).
    6. Paul J. A. Withers & Colin Neal & Helen P. Jarvie & Donnacha G. Doody, 2014. "Agriculture and Eutrophication: Where Do We Go from Here?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(9), pages 1-23, September.
    7. Bertrand Hirel & Thierry Tétu & Peter J. Lea & Frédéric Dubois, 2011. "Improving Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Crops for Sustainable Agriculture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 3(9), pages 1-34, September.

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