8 Reasons Why Dolphins Suffer the Most from Nitrogen Pollution
1. There is plenty of sunlight and the water is warmest for algae to bloom if given sufficient nutrients (directly connected to lawn nitrogen fertilizer runoff).
2. Algal blooms can happen so quickly that all dissolved oxygen is consumed by decomposing plant material, which causes hypoxia, an ocean dead zone (direct connection).
3. Bait fish and predator fish can rush into an ocean dead zone and roll up dead due to no oxygen in the water. Their decomposition worsens conditions and fosters diseases (indirect connection).
4. Some algae that bloom have toxins that harm marine life and humans (direct connection).
5. Sea Grass beds can die due to too much shading by blooming algae and algal growths on blades of grass (indirect connection).
6. Dead sea grass consumes more dissolved oxygen and is bad for herbivorous green sea turtles (indirect).
7. Fertilizer nitrogen is preferred by a species of algae that is, in turn, the preferred food of the dinoflagettes that bloom as a red tide. Red tides occur mostly during summer months (indirect).
8. Lobomycosis, skin-eating fungal infections, increases in dolphins following summer fresh water flood events.
We can stop this. Stop polluting.
