Nitrogen is part of the air we breathe and an essential element for growth and reproduction in plants and animals. But in the last decades there has been excessive use of synthetic fertilisers in agriculture, containing high levels of nitrogen.
As a result, algal blooms take place and the oxygen in the water becomes unavailable for fish that die, leading to marine dead zones.
We are used to hearing about CO2 and Carbon emissions. But lately, there is a new term that is often mentioned when talking about sustainability and climate change. That term is “nitrogen”, and is often followed by “crisis”.
Why is nitrogen all of a sudden a matter of concern?
Today, the aquaculture industry supplies most of the oysters on the market. Once consumed, oyster shells are often thrown away and become trash. Today, the high calcium carbonate content of the shells also finds application in cement production, glass making, food preservation and even cosmetics! But little do people know how precious these shells are to oyster larvae in nature.
The traditional marine conservation model depends on philanthropic funds, a linear model with no possibility of scale. The solution is simple: we need to start accounting for the value that regeneration brings (there is a whole lot of it that we describe in other blogs) and selling that value to buyers that need it.
The ocean acts as a carbon sink, absorbing large amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere. However, human activities have led to ocean acidification due to excessive CO2. Phytoplankton and other marine creatures like oysters absorb CO2 and trap it in their skeletons and shells, effectively removing it from the atmosphere and the water column.
The future of our society depends in one way or another on the health of our oceans. And for our oceans to be healthy again our society needs to invest in large-scale marine regeneration projects to offset environmental footprints and restore these crucial lost ecosystems.
Oysters can help us fight climate change. They are a crucial component of global ocean health. By restoring oyster reefs we can avoid the acidification of the seas, protect against floods and coastal erosion and overall restore ocean health so that the oceans and the planet can be in balance again.
Oysters are some of the coolest creatures in the ocean. We have learnt to love them and we are sure that everyone will love them too when we tell you the amazing jobs they do and how important they are for our lives.
Mar Menor is suffering a natural disaster due to the excess nitrogen in the water that is causing algae blooms and excessive growth of phytoplankton, turning this unique ecosystem into a dead, “green soup”.
