Reducing Nutrient Inputs to Coastal Ecosystems

Nutrient reduction and best management practices on nutrient uses are essential to addressing the variety of problems caused by too many nutrients in the environment, especially Gulf estuaries and coastal waters. Whether nutrients are naturally occurring or man-made, the ecological and economic well being of our coastal and inland watershed communities are all a part of the Gulf of Mexico “gulfshed”.  Some of the problems caused by nutrients are overuse of fertilizers, hypoxia, excessive algae growth or harmful algal blooms, poor water quality that reduces recreational and commercial use of water bodies, toxins in seafood and challenges to ecosystem best management practices.
Our biggest problem may be our ability to recognize that we are all a part of the problem, and that we are all a part of the solution.