Gulf Nutrient Loading

The Gulf of Mexico Alliance reports that "[e]stuaries and near coastal waters provide critical habitats that support wildlife and fisheries and contribute substantially to the economy of the United States (CCRII, 2005). The introduction of excess nutrients into the estuaries and waters of the Gulf of Mexico is one of the primary problems facing the coastal areas of the five Gulf States (Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida). According to the EPA's 1996 Report to Congress, 57% of estuaries were impaired by excess nutrients and estimates from the 2001 National Coastal Condition Report are that 40% of the total estuarine surface area in the United States exhibit degraded eutrophic conditions. Nutrients have been consistently ranked as one of the top three causes of use impairment in U.S. waters for more than a decade. Excess nitrogen and phosphorus originating upstream from manmade sources such as wastewater treatment plants, industrial discharges, and urban and agricultural runoff are carried in river water and by atmospheric deposition to the estuaries and open waters of the Gulf. The nutrient over-enrichment and resulting changes in nutrient ratios can cause habitat loss, depletion of dissolved oxygen, and the gradual decline of important marine organisms. A collaborative Gulf-wide nutrient reduction strategy is imperative to the well-being of the Gulf, the health of humans living in the area, and the economic future of the States. Partnerships between the Gulf States, Federal government and local communities will help address the nutrient problem and propose solutions from an ecoregional standpoint, rather than from separate perspectives."

To view the summary on Reducing Nutrient Loading in the Gulf of Mexico, click the banner below.

Below are additional resources and information from the NBII Catalog about nutrient loading in the Gulf of Mexico.  To limit the results, enter your state in the search box below.