Climate Change is not the Only Culprit for Dying Coral in Florida

In the past, the consensus was that global warming was responsible for the death and bleaching of coral reefs. However, Brian Lapointe from Florida Atlantic University recently discovered something shocking.

Key West’s Dying Coral

Lapointe has studied coral in Key West, Florida for over twenty years, and within that relatively small time frame, over half of the coral has died. It was originally hypothesized that high temperatures of ocean waters caused damage and eventually death to coral reefs. But new data has revealed that excess nitrogen from fertilizer and poorly treated sewage is the number one cause for the destruction of coral.

Nitrogen can impact coral negatively in multiple ways. While the element is widely used and extremely efficient for promoting plant growth on land, algae that grows on the surface of water benefits from it just as much. Too much nitrogen in the water causes excess algae growth, resulting in an algae bloom formation. Bloom formations on the surface of water provide a physical barrier blocking light from being able to reach the coral.

While coral does not participate in photosynthesis directly, coral has its own algae that grows inside of it supplying it with oxygen. Reduced oxygen levels in the water is harmful to both coral and aquatic life. In addition, excess nitrogen in the ocean creates a nutrient imbalance, which stresses the coral even further. This can make coral more susceptible to disease and bleaching.

Steps to Saving the Ocean’s Reefs

Unfortunately, Florida is not the only region impacted. The exact same situation is occurring at the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. There, chemical fertilizer runoff from nearby sugarcane fields is causing nitrogen levels to skyrocket in the ocean.

While this dilemma may seem hopeless, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Fortunately, nitrogen levels are easier to control than global warming, so it might not be too late to save Earth’s beautiful coral reefs.

Although crops still require nitrogen to produce healthy fruits and foliage, we can manage fertilizer use to reduce nitrogen pollution. Nevertheless, the application of commercial fertilizer is extremely difficult to control. When traditional solid fertilizer is used, hot spots of highly concentrated nitrogen are created, making it impossible for plants to take up all of it. Whatever nitrogen the plant does not take up ends up in bodies of water, affecting coral and aquatic life down the road.  This problem is nearly impossible to avoid even with today’s technology because solid fertilizer is not uniform.

But, xVirity has a solution!

How xVital can Help

xVital is a liquid, completely uniform elixir that can be applied based on the needs of specific plants. The exact amount of nitrogen per given volume can be determined so the proper amount can be applied to crops. This will ensure that there will not be any extra nitrogen that will ultimately become runoff. xVital is the perfect solution for those who want beautiful, healthy plants but do not want to contribute to algae blooms.

Save our coral reefs and purchase xVital today!

 

Sources:

Guide to Nitrogen Quick-Tests for Vegetables with the ‘Cardy’ Nitrate Meter

Florida’s Corals are Dying Off, but it’s not all due to Climate Change, Study Says

Are Harmful Algal Blooms a New Concern For Coral Reefs?

What do Coral Reefs Need to Survive?

 

 

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