Dead zones are caused by agricultural runoff, how can we encourage farmers to thoroughly clean up their act?
Those of us who know about dead zones ask the following questions:
Are we able to reduce the quantity of oil based nitrogen fertilizers?
Will helping natural farming aid the issue?
How do we stop expanding lifeless zones since they are growing in size?
Dead zones are areas of oxygen-depleted bottom waters and they are scattering at an alarming pace in coastal waters, killing off large variety of marine life.
While some dead zones happen naturally, many are augmented by inorganic fertilizer runoff, fossil fuels, and rain. The fertilizer, which is abundant in nitrogen substances, is rinsed away from farms into oceans and ends up within the sea. Burning non-renewable fuels produces airborne nitrogen oxides, that the rain washes into the sea.
The nitrogen compounds feed massive algae blooms. When the algae dies, it sinks to the ocean floor where it’s consumed by bacteria, which also consume o2 in the process. As the oxygen is depleted, creating a condition called hypoxia, marine life with the ability to swim away do so, and those that cannot like some fish, clams, crustaceans, and other bottom dwellers eventually die simply because their air supply has been cut off. At that point, microbes that live in oxygen-free environments start to thrive and emit hydrogen sulfide, a poisonous gas. Hydrogen sulfide Is a colorless, very poisonous, flammable gas with the characteristic foul odor of spoiled eggs. Most lifeless zones are seasonal, as the algae thrives in warm ocean water. These occurrences are commonly referred to as red-tide in locations like Florida.
These Lifeless zones can bounce back with a distinct reduction in the quantity of fertilizer runoff which is allowed to reach our rivers, lakes, streams and oceans.
If the source of nutrients can be switched off, coastal systems can recover, Doing it could be accomplished by making use of fertilizers more efficiently, stopping human and animal sewage from entering rivers, and replanting vegetation along our riverbanks to help process excess nutrients.”
Researchers are now making use of algae technologies to stop nitrogen from leaving the soil and entering our water ways. Algae technologies can be implemented to produce a barrier between our nitrogen runoff and our streams.
As we know algae flourish in nitrogen rich environments, by utilizing algae farms to uptake nitrogen run off we as humans receive 3 main benefits:
1. Clean air 2. Cleaner potable water 3. Totally free energy
Algae are glutton eaters of carbon dioxide plus they release thoroughly clean oxygen
Algae can process all nitrogen compounds fecal or other and make clean potable water.
Algae could be used for its oil or as a complete fuel source to make energy this does include biofuels and dry algal powdered jet fuels.
Algae Biofuel is the best way to clean up our dead zones and provide our world with clean air, clean water and free power!
U.S. House of Representatives have opened opportunities for Producing algae biodiesel production, Using algae photobioreactors look at this Algae Biodiesel home training course… learn more about algae today.. Also published at Vacant River Areas And Also The Agricultural Nitrogen Runoff The Cause.
