The Florida Water Contamination Crisis

(Portal, 2018; Abraham, 2023)

Carter Provencal
Florida Eco-Restoration Project
Table of Contents
Executive Summary .................................................................................................. 3
Root of the Contamination....................................................................................... 3
The Increase in Agriculture .................................................................................. 3
Danger Presented from Algal Blooms.................................................................. 4
Potential Implementations ...................................................................................... 4
Decreasing the Agricultural Burden..................................................................... 4
Hindering Growth ................................................................................................. 5
The Processes behind the Implementations........................................................... 6
Nutrient Presence ................................................................................................. 6
Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 7
References................................................................................................................. 8

Table of Figures
Figure 1 ...................................................................................................................... 3
Figure 2 ...................................................................................................................... 6
Figure 3 ...................................................................................................................... 7
Executive Summary
In the wake of the earth’s rapidly changing climate, humans have begun to see the effects of
the years of neglect towards our natural resources. In the recent decades, Florida has seen a
significant increase in its contaminated water. Human activity has produced toxic algae
blooms, which can contaminate water and grow at an exponential rate. This process is
believed to be due to Florida’s heavy reliance on agriculture, as the human population has
increased so quickly that the crops require more chemicals and nutrients to keep producing
at a viable level. There are multiple ways to attempt to address this issue. Some major
examples include increased regulation of agricultural fertilizers, or future bloom forecasting.

Root of the Contamination

The Increase in Agriculture
Of the research that has been conducted on this topic, there is one widely agreed upon
consensus: The algae is a consequence of nutrient run off. Florida’s geography and rich, moist
soils have given rise to hundreds of years of successful agriculture. However, as the human
population continues to grow, the demand of these crops increases as well. There are
multiple methods of achieving this. The first is expansion: an increase in the amount of land
used for farming. As land is ultimately finite, this was not seen as viable. The other is
intensification, or an increase in the overall yield produced from crops, typically by means of
altering or increasing the chemical nature of the fertilizers, often with little thought of the
repercussions that the environment will experience (Richie, 2017). Figure 1 displays a graph
comparing changes in cereal yield, human population, and land used for farming since 1961.
It is apparent that this process of intensification has worked very well, however, this has not
come without its costs.
Figure 2: “Change in cereal production, yield, land use and population, World” (Ritchie,
2017)

Danger Presented from Algal Blooms

Lake Okeechobee, which was one of the first reported sites of Florida’s toxic algal blooming,
was reported that 85-90% of the surface of the lake is covered in this algae (South Florida
Water Management, 2023). While algal blooms occur naturally in many marine ecosystems,
sites such as Lake Okeechobee and the St. Lucie estuary have been brought on by human
caused processes (Havens, 2018). There are currently 20 known types of blue-green algae, or
cyanobacteria, that produce things called cyanotoxins upon death or in the midst of a bloom.
If enough is ingested, death is a potential consequence, as well as a number of other adverse
effects. The threat goes beyond the effect on terrestrial life however, as these algae practically
cover the surfaces of lakes, rivers, etc. depriving the life within of sunlight. This can result in
mass seagrass die-offs, which can create a trophic cascade effect, dismantling the ecosystems
that humans rely on by removing a link of the food chain (Miller, 2021). Recently, fish mortality
has become a prevalent topic due to the toxic nature of these algae. This is potentially due to
the amount of oxygen that the algae depletes from the ecosystem in order to sustain itself,
thus draining the immediate area of viability and creating what are known as “dead zones”
(Miller, 2021).
Potential Implementations
Decreasing the Agricultural Burden
While algal blooms are a natural and necessary process in a plethora of marine ecosystems, it
is the rate and size of modern algal bloom formation where the problem lies. Nutrients such
as phosphorous and nitrogen are the primary elements necessary for an algal bloom, as well
as for many general agricultural purposes. That is the crossroad that is met. Florida relies so
heavily on agriculture, especially through the production of fruits, accounting for billions of
dollars annually and 9.7 million acres of land purely reserved for farming (U.S. Census Bureau
Trade Data, 2021). To decrease the reliance of agriculture could be devastating to not only the
economy, but to the millions of people that rely on these exports of food.

Hindering Growth
There are multiple signs that an algal bloom is either occurring or about to occur, such as
water discoloration, or a thick viscous surface lying on top of the water’s surface (Solitude
Lake Management, 2023). At this point, testing for cyanotoxins is imperative for safety, as
algae can grow exponentially in optimal environments. Phosphorous is a relatively easy
element for all kinds of plants to use for growth, however, humans have substantially
increased the amount of phosphorous that would typically be available to these ecosystems.
Through this deviation of the phosphorous cycle, more is being used for fertilizers and
agriculture, thus increasing the amount present in run off. The solution for this is by either
decreasing the amount of phosphorous in fertilizers, or outright eliminating its use, as there is
unfortunately no known chemical substitute providing the same properties as phosphorous.
However, recent studies show support for deployment of phosphorous binding agents into
these water bodies, which, as the name implies, lowers the immediate availability of
phosphorous for the algae to consume. This is done by phosphorous ions binding to a denser
reagent, thus sinking down to the bottom of the water body in order to support plant life on
aquatic floors such as seagrass. However, this process has shown that it can only go so far in
the reduction of phosphorous, as approximating concentrations by gauging the amount of a
certain type of atom present in a large body of water is very difficult. Therefore, mass algal
blooms should be met with more haste and aggression (Algae Control Canada).

Reduction of Run Off

While the solutions presented can be viable, it cannot be feasible over an extended period at
the rate in which humans are affecting marine ecosystems. The more direct approach is
through a means of reducing or eliminating the runoff providing the necessary nutrients for
algal blooming. A possible solution that can cause growth hinderance would be a more
efficient means of storm water collection. Through reducing the amount of direct water run
off during a rainstorm, there is a reduction in the amount of chemicals being deposited into
water bodies.

The Processes behind the Implementations

Nutrient Presence
One of the more well understood ways of reducing algal blooms is by lowering the availability
of the nutrients used for growth. Nitrogen and phosphorous are the key elements behind the
majority of fertilizers due to their ability to enhance the growth and health of plants and
increase food production substantially. By removing or altering these useful ions, algae
growth will slow. While this seems simple, in practicality, it would unfortunately be near
impossible for agriculture to continue at a sustainable rate with these conditions. Figure 2
displays a plant’s growth under varying fertilizers with different concentrations, as well as a
control group with no fertilizer applied.

Figure 3: “Comparison of loquat rootstock seedling growth under different fertilizer

treatments.” (Xu, et al. 2020)
Reevaluation of Priority
It would seem that the only true reliable means of eliminating the excess nutrient runoff is to
reevaluate our tendencies as humans. The process of agricultural runoff is demonstrated in
Figure 3. By reducing run off pollution, the nutrients that are necessary for these toxic algal
blooms to grow are depleted and would eventually level off. As much as that would be
desirable, finding a solution in this context is almost always met with the question of how
much of a sacrifice it would take to achieve. Implementing more storm water collection is a
reliable idea, although the price of such an endeavor at a global scale may be more than what
world leaders are prepared or even able to give. It is safe to say that there will be no progress
without the action and involvement of our governments and leaders.

Figure 4: Diagram detailing process of polluted runoff (Xia, et al. 2020)

Conclusion
The threat of climate change and pollution has made itself known in many ways, and the
upsurge of Florida’s algal blooms are merely one repercussion of the lack of attention paid to
earth’s ecosystems. It is now believed that human activity alone produces more nitrogen than
all of the earth’s natural processes combined (United Nations, 2023). In other words, humans
are now the primary producer of usable nitrogen on earth. It cannot be overstated how much
responsibility humans hold in this matter. The time to act is now. Implementing these
solutions with haste is necessary if we want to attempt to preserve the life of these
ecosystems, and in turn all of the industries, organisms, and societies that depend on them. It
is unfortunate that it may be too late to end the production of these pollutants, but mitigating
these effects with real action is still possible.
References
“Toxic Algae Bloom Threatens Florida Coasts (Again).” Tampa Bay Times, Miami Herald, 30
June 2018, www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/06/30/its-kind-of-horrific-toxic-
algae- bloom-threatens-florida-coasts-again/. Accessed 7 Nov. 2023.

Egan, Dan, and Josh Ritchie. “It’s Toxic Slime Time on Florida’s Lake Okeechobee.” The New
York Times, 9 July 2023, www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/07/09/climate/florida-lake-
okeechobee-algae.html. Accessed 7 Nov. 2023.

Miller, Brittney. “Florida’s Algae Problem: What Is It, and How Can It Affect You?” Thompson
Earth Systems Institute, 27 Jan. 2022, www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/earth-
systems/blog/floridas- algae-problem-what-is-it-and-how-can-it-affect-you/. Accessed 7
Nov. 2023.

Havens, Karl. “What’s Causing Florida’s Algae Crisis?” Earth Island Journal, 16 Aug. 2018,
www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/articles/entry/whats-causing-floridas-algae-
crisis/
“Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services.” Florida Department of Agriculture
and Consumer Services, May 2023, www.fdacs.gov/Agriculture-Industry/Florida-Agriculture-
Overview-and-Statistics. Accessed 7 Nov. 2023.

“Deal with High Levels of Phosphorus: Water Management Solutions.” Algae Control Canada,
12 Dec. 2020, algaecontrol.ca/phosphorus-management/. Accessed 8 Nov. 2023.

Xia, Yinfeng, et al. “Recent Advances in Control Technologies for Non-Point Source Pollution
with Nitrogen and Phosphorous from Agricultural Runoff: Current Practices and Future
Prospects - Applied Biological Chemistry.” Springer Open, 4 Feb. 2020,
applbiolchem.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s13765-020-0493-6. Accessed 9 Nov.
2023.

Xu, Fangjie, et al. “Effects of Different Fertilizer Formulas on the Growth of Loquat Rootstocks
and Stem Lignification.” Nature News, Nature Publishing Group, 23 Jan. 2020,
www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-57270-5#Sec13. Accessed 7 Nov. 2023.

Environment, UN. “Beat Nitrogen Pollution.” UNEP, United Nations, 28 Sept. 2023,
www.unep.org/interactives/beat-nitrogen-pollution/#:~:text=The%20amount%20of
%20reactive%20nitrogen,the%20rates%20of%20nitrogen%20fixation. Accessed 7 Nov.
2023.