Sargassum Now Worldâs Largest Harmful Algal Bloom Due to Nitrogen
A photo taken this month shows Sargassum piled up on a beach in Palm Beach County, Florida. (Photo credit: Brian Lapointe, Ph.D.)
For centuries, pelagic
Sargassum, floating brown seaweed, have grown in low nutrient waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, supported by natural nutrient sources like excretions from fishes and invertebrates, upwelling and nitrogen fixation. Using a unique historical baseline from the 1980s and comparing it to samples collected since 2010, researchers from Florida Atlantic Universityâs Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and collaborators have discovered dramatic changes in the chemistry and composition of
Sargassum Now World’s Largest Harmful Algal Bloom Due to Nitrogen Details
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Because of anthropogenic emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx), the NOx deposition rate is about five-fold greater than that of pre-industrial times largely due to energy production and biomass burning.
For centuries, pelagic Sargassum, floating brown seaweed, have grown in low nutrient waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, supported by natural nutrient sources like excretions from fishes and invertebrates, upwelling and nitrogen fixation. Using a unique historical baseline from the 1980s and comparing it to samples collected since 2010, researchers from Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and collaborators have discovered dramatic changes in the chemistry and composition of Sargassum, transforming this vibrant living organism into a toxic “dead zone.”
The gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) is declining because of habitat loss and fragmentation, human interaction including collisions with vehicles,.
During that time, I was coordinating with veterinarians and other groups around Florida to mobilize and get to the scene so that we could mount a response as humanely and quickly as possible for this whale, Mase told TCPalm Monday.
When the whale came ashore, it was extremely emaciated and had some rope around its lower jaw, Mase said. By the time veterinarians arrived, the animal had died.
Responders sometimes will euthanize a sick or dying whale, but it s a case-by-case basis and depends on whether the animal can be rehabilitated, according to NOAA.
Veternarians conducted a necropsy an autopsy for animals and took blood samples. A further inspection of the whale found more rope in its esophagus and stomach, Mase said. An investigation is underway to determine if that killed the animal.
Researchers working to determine cause of death for beached sperm whale in SLC tcpalm.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from tcpalm.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.