With each cause of pollution comes along effects, those of which can cause permanent destruction.One big effect Agricultural Runoff has on the ocean is causing harmful algae blooms, which are produced by phytoplankton. These harmful blooms release toxins that poison fish and unfortunately other organisms as well. Excessive growth from algae causes hypoxia which depletes the oxygen from the ocean. These blooms are also known as red or brown tides.
Since there is no oxygen in the specific area(s) of which has been affected by these blooms there can be no biodiversity of marine life. These blooms are more commonly referred to as dead zones. The dead zones can sometimes trigger sudden explosions of marine algae. The nutrients from the fertilizer off the farms first cause these algae blooms to take place in rivers and estuaries. Since farmers have the need for more artificial fertilizer it ends up doubling the size of the dead zones.
With the size of dead zones doubling, it decreases the amount of space which organisms have to live. Such problems as this one cause permanent destruction. So far there have been no known solutions to fix such a problem serious as this one. With hypoxia causing oxygen to more or less run out , there is no chance that without the oxygen back marine life will return. All this is permanent damage due to agricultural runoff. Some damage is fixable while there is nothing any one can do about others.
The main area of where these dead zones begin to form can either from point sources or non-point sources. Point sources are runoffs from a direct source such as mines, oil fields and industrial sites. Non-point sources on the other hand comes from different varieties of places and not a specialized place. Agricultural Runoff is the main cause for non-point sources which do not run directly into the ocean but instead through rivers. Whereas point sources are created at a single area of origin.
These are some of the causes and effects that Agricultural Runoff can have on an environment. With these dead zones forming and doubling in size they decrease the available space marine organisms ecosystems. Unfortunately this is one problem that doesn't have any solutions. This is one effect that have permanent destruction. Not only does this affect the environment but us as well.
Since there is no oxygen in the specific area(s) of which has been affected by these blooms there can be no biodiversity of marine life. These blooms are more commonly referred to as dead zones. The dead zones can sometimes trigger sudden explosions of marine algae. The nutrients from the fertilizer off the farms first cause these algae blooms to take place in rivers and estuaries. Since farmers have the need for more artificial fertilizer it ends up doubling the size of the dead zones.
With the size of dead zones doubling, it decreases the amount of space which organisms have to live. Such problems as this one cause permanent destruction. So far there have been no known solutions to fix such a problem serious as this one. With hypoxia causing oxygen to more or less run out , there is no chance that without the oxygen back marine life will return. All this is permanent damage due to agricultural runoff. Some damage is fixable while there is nothing any one can do about others.
The main area of where these dead zones begin to form can either from point sources or non-point sources. Point sources are runoffs from a direct source such as mines, oil fields and industrial sites. Non-point sources on the other hand comes from different varieties of places and not a specialized place. Agricultural Runoff is the main cause for non-point sources which do not run directly into the ocean but instead through rivers. Whereas point sources are created at a single area of origin.
These are some of the causes and effects that Agricultural Runoff can have on an environment. With these dead zones forming and doubling in size they decrease the available space marine organisms ecosystems. Unfortunately this is one problem that doesn't have any solutions. This is one effect that have permanent destruction. Not only does this affect the environment but us as well.