The Indian River Lagoon in Florida, considered to be the most biologically diverse waterway in America, is in bad shape. “The Indian River Lagoon is repeatedly being choked with oxygen-robbing algae, its surface increasingly dotted with thousands of dead fish, manatees, birds and other creatures.” Farm runoff and a huge influx of people that have sent lawn fertilizer and other pollutants into the lagoon are considered the causes of the condition of the lagoon. The problems threaten the region's recreation, fishing and tourism economy, alarming kayak tour operators, charter boat captains, restaurateurs and organizers of bird-watching festivals. Environmentalists are distressed to see the lagoon's rich variety of life threatened in a crisis similar to what has happened in recent decades in such places as the Chesapeake Bay, Lake Erie and the Gulf of Mexico. The article reveals: “Home to more than 2,900 species of plants, birds and fish, the waterway has been polluted since the mid-20th century by fertilizer runoff from the sugarcane fields and other farms around Lake Okeechobee, which drains into the lagoon during heavy rains. Nevertheless, parts remained largely healthy until the recent building boom.”
The scenario described in the article refers to cultural eutrophication which we have learned about earlier this year. The condition of the lagoon is an indicator that we must be aware of the effects we have on natural habitat. It is necessary to maintain biodiversity for which we must control pollution and maintain natural habitats,
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May 2017
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