Sewage and agricultural pollution having 'alarming' impact on UK's underwater forests
Sewage and agricultural pollution are severely impacting seagrass meadows along the UK coastline, reducing biodiversity in these vital underwater ecosystems. Excess nutrients from human activities are causing algal blooms that smother seagrass and deplete oxygen, harming marine life. The study highlights the need for integrated land and sea management to protect these habitats.
- ▪Sewage, fertilisers, manure, and industrial wastewater are increasing nutrient levels in coastal waters, harming seagrass ecosystems.
- ▪Higher nitrogen concentrations were linked to an approximately 90% decrease in marine life abundance in seagrass habitats.
- ▪Phosphorus pollution had a particularly devastating effect on life in lagoon environments.
- ▪Algae blooms caused by nutrient runoff block sunlight and deplete oxygen, damaging seagrass meadows.
- ▪Researchers studied 16 sites across the UK, finding healthier ecosystems in areas with low nutrient input like the Isles of Scilly and Orkney Islands.
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Sewage and agricultural pollution having 'alarming' impact on UK's underwater forests 3 hours agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleSteffan MessengerWales environment correspondentLewis M. JefferiesSeagrass meadows are usually teeming with life, like this shore crabSewage and agricultural pollution in rivers is having an "alarming" knock-on impact on marine life in underwater forests along the British coastline, according to new research.Scientists found seagrass meadows affected by excessive nutrients in the water - caused by sewage, fertilisers, manure and industry wastewater - had far fewer and less variety of small invertebrates like crabs, shrimps and snails."People don't want to swim in seas polluted by sewage," said Dr Benjamin Jones from Project Seagrass, which carried out the…
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