Brian Barton
The Florida Everglades is a unique and treasured landscape, recognised as the largest wilderness east of the Mississippi River and the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States. However, the Everglades is under threat from excess nutrients, including phosphorus, that run off into its waters from neighbouring agricultural lands. Phosphorus-heavy fertilisers have been used by farmers to enrich their fields, and this has led to the degradation of water quality in the Everglades since the 1960s. High levels of phosphorus cause the growth of historically absent plants, like cattails, which crowd out the naturally occurring plant species. This has resulted in changes to the native plant communities and a loss of open water areas where wading birds feed. In addition, excess phosphorus contributes to toxic algal blooms in the water.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Main pollutant | Phosphorus |
| Source of pollutant | Fertilizer use on neighboring lands, agricultural and stormwater runoff |
| Impact | Loss of natural communities of algae, changes in native plant communities, algal blooms, mercury in wildlife |
| Efforts to reduce phosphorus | Stormwater Treatment Areas (STAs), limiting phosphorus levels, reducing phosphorus runoff |
| Other issues | Timing of water levels, mercury in wildlife |
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What You'll Learn
Phosphorus-heavy fertilisers
The Everglades is a unique wetland ecosystem that formed thousands of years ago due to the retreat of glaciers, sea-level rise, the flat landscape of southern Florida, and a change to a subtropical climate with increased rainfall. The plants and animals in the Everglades adapted to a low-nutrient, freshwater environment. However, with the application of phosphorus-heavy fertilisers, the natural phosphorus balance has been disrupted.
Excess phosphorus has led to the growth of invasive plant species, such as cattails, which crowd out the native plant species essential to the Everglades' wildlife. High phosphorus levels have also contributed to increased algal growth and toxic algae blooms in the rivers and lakes, further degrading water quality. The natural plant and animal communities that define the Everglades developed under very low phosphorus conditions, and this influx of phosphorus has caused significant changes to these communities.
Efforts to reduce phosphorus pollution in the Everglades have been ongoing since the 1980s. In 1988, the federal government sued the state of Florida over phosphorus contamination, leading to an agreement to limit phosphorus fertiliser use. Stormwater Treatment Areas (STAs), or artificial wetlands, have been established to help clean phosphorus-laden water before it enters the Everglades. These measures have successfully reduced phosphorus levels in canal water from about 150 ppb in the early 1990s to less than 30 ppb today.
The current target for phosphorus levels in the Everglades is below 10 ppb, and ongoing restoration efforts aim to achieve and maintain this critical threshold.
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Eutrophication of Lake Okeechobee
The Everglades is a unique network of natural resources that forms the largest wilderness east of the Mississippi River and the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States. The Everglades ecosystem has helped shape the natural heritage, culture, and economy of Florida. It is a mosaic of sawgrass marshes, freshwater ponds, prairies, and forested uplands that support a rich array of plant and animal life.
The Everglades has been threatened by excess nutrients, including phosphorus, that run off into its waters due to fertilizer use on nearby lands. Phosphorus is a limiting nutrient in Everglades water quality. Natural levels between 4 and 10 ppb characterized the original system, although it is thought that incoming waters from Lake Okeechobee were naturally higher, at least 20 ppb. The northern Everglades acted as a natural nutrient-removal system as it grew and laid down peat soils.
Lake Okeechobee has been a significant source of phosphorus pollution in the Everglades. With the conversion of the northern Everglades into the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA), the region became a nutrient source rather than a sink. Stormwater from the EAA contained high phosphorus levels from fertilizer applications, often exceeding 500 ppb. In the 1970s, the problem of excess stormwater was addressed by backpumping it into Lake Okeechobee, leading to eutrophication in the lake from the intensely used agricultural lands in its watershed.
To combat eutrophication in Lake Okeechobee and phosphorus pollution in the Everglades, several measures have been implemented. In 1979, a water management decision protected the lake from EAA nutrients by redirecting stormwater to water conservation areas. Additionally, the federal government sued the state of Florida over phosphorus contamination in 1988, leading to a settlement in which Florida agreed to reduce phosphorus contamination. Artificial wetlands, called Stormwater Treatment Areas (STAs), were established on former agricultural land within the EAA to clean the phosphorus-laden canal water before it entered the Everglades. These efforts have resulted in a significant reduction in phosphorus levels in canal water, from about 150 ppb in the early 1990s to less than 30 ppb today.
The state of Florida has also proposed purchasing a significant amount of land in the EAA from the U.S. Sugar Corporation, which would end agricultural practices, including fertilizer use, on a large portion of the fields. This plan is expected to help reduce phosphorus loads and contribute to the restoration of the Everglades ecosystem.
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Methylmercury production
Methylmercury is an organometallic cation with the formula [CH3Hg]+. It is a toxic substance that is bioaccumulative, with a 50-day half-life. It is the primary agent responsible for Minamata disease.
Methylmercury is formed from inorganic mercury by the action of microbes and bacteria that live in aquatic systems, including lakes, rivers, wetlands, sediments, soils, and the open ocean. The bacteria responsible for methylmercury production are primarily anaerobic, meaning they do not require oxygen to survive. This includes sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), iron-reducing bacteria (FeRB), and methanogens.
The production of methylmercury occurs when mercury reaches oxygen-free environments, such as soils and sediments. In these conditions, certain types of bacteria convert mercury into methylmercury. This process happens inside the cells of these bacteria.
The formation of methylmercury is influenced by various factors, including the availability of mercury that can be converted, the activity of the bacteria, and environmental conditions. The production of methylmercury is of particular concern in the Everglades, where high levels of mercury have been detected in wildlife, including largemouth bass and other predatory fish.
To address this issue, efforts have been made to reduce phosphorus and sulfate loads in the Everglades Agricultural Area, which should help reduce methylmercury production. This includes the establishment of Stormwater Treatment Areas to clean phosphorus-laden canal water before it enters the Everglades, resulting in a significant reduction in phosphorus contamination.
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Toxic algal blooms
The Everglades in Florida is a unique ecosystem that has been facing threats from various pollutants, including phosphorus, nitrogen, and mercury. These pollutants have been linked to agricultural activities and urban development in the region. One of the primary sources of pollution in the Everglades is fertilizer use, which has led to toxic algal blooms and eutrophication.
Under normal circumstances, cyanobacteria are a natural part of freshwater, saltwater, and brackish water ecosystems. However, when there is an overabundance of nutrients, warm temperatures, and other favourable conditions, they can proliferate rapidly, forming dense blooms that discolor the water and release toxic compounds.
These toxic compounds, known as cyanotoxins, pose a significant threat to the environment, wildlife, and human health. They can kill fish and other marine life, as well as cause illness or death in people and their pets who come into contact with or ingest contaminated water. Inhalation of the fumes released by the toxic algal blooms can also be harmful to humans and animals.
The toxic algal blooms in the Everglades have primarily affected Lake Okeechobee, causing widespread blooms that have devastated nearby estuaries and impacted the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie rivers. The Army Corps of Engineers has attempted to manage the lake's water levels and reduce toxic discharges, but the blooms have persisted and continue to threaten the ecosystem and local communities.
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Loss of native plant communities
The Everglades, a vast wetland in Florida, is known for its unique natural plant and animal communities. However, these ecosystems are under threat due to various factors, including fertilizer pollution from agricultural activities. Phosphorus-heavy fertilizers used in farming have been a particular concern, with their runoff degrading water quality and causing ecological imbalances.
The Everglades, formed about 5,000 years ago, features peat soils that accumulated from the remains of aquatic plants preserved in waterlogged conditions. The plants and animals in this low-nutrient freshwater ecosystem adapted to survive in these specific conditions.
The introduction of fertilizers, particularly phosphorus-rich varieties, has disrupted the delicate balance. Phosphorus, a limiting nutrient in Everglades water quality, has entered the ecosystem through stormwater runoff and canal-water discharge from Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA). This has resulted in elevated phosphorus levels, impacting the natural communities of algae and leading to changes in native plant communities. By 1990, it was estimated that over 40,000 acres of the public Everglades were affected by these changes.
The loss of native plant communities in the Everglades is a significant consequence of fertilizer pollution. The increased phosphorus levels have favored the growth of some plant species over others, altering the composition of plant communities. This, in turn, has led to a reduction in the open water areas where wading birds typically feed. The disruption of these natural habitats has had a cascading effect on the wildlife that depends on these ecosystems for survival.
Efforts have been made to address this issue, including the establishment of Stormwater Treatment Areas on former agricultural land within the EAA to clean phosphorus-laden water before it enters the Everglades. Additionally, the state of Florida has proposed purchasing land in the EAA from the U.S. Sugar Corporation to end agricultural practices, including fertilizer use, in the region. While these steps are promising, continued and comprehensive action is necessary to protect and restore the delicate balance of the Everglades' native plant communities.
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Frequently asked questions
Phosphorus is the main pollutant of fertilizer in the Everglades.
Phosphorus is entering the Everglades from agricultural and stormwater runoff. Farmers use phosphorus-heavy fertilizers on their fields, which then enters the Everglades through canal-water discharge.
Excess phosphorus transforms the Everglades marshes to cattails and contributes to foul-smelling, toxic algae blooms in rivers and lakes. It also causes the loss of the natural communities of algae that are defining characteristics of the Everglades.
Stormwater Treatment Areas (STAs) have been constructed to remove phosphorus from water and sequester it in the soil. Farmers have also implemented better practices to reduce phosphorus running off their fields.
The target for phosphorus reduction in the Everglades is 10 parts per billion (ppb) or less. This is a dramatic reduction from the early 1990s when phosphorus levels in canal water entering the Everglades were about 150 ppb.
