GOMAEEN Online Digital Library | Reducing Nutrient Inputs | What You Can Do:

Reducing Nutrient Inputs to Coastal Ecosystems

What You Can Do:

Everyone who lives within the greater Gulf of Mexico watershed….in the “Gulfshed”….can help by becoming more knowledgeable about the soil chemistry in their yards. Farmers already know about the soil chemistry to grow their crops, but the average city dweller tends to be less knowledgeable about soil chemistry…..and that can lead to overuse of fertilizers and other chemicals. For more information go to www.msu.edu/user/guilherm/esc.htm.
An understanding of drainage flows in your coastal community is also important in determining the best way to manage landscaping. Use of native plants versus non-native plants makes landscaping more natural and easier to manage. People everywhere can help by reusing grass clippings and leaves that contain important nutrients. Have your soil tested. You can call a local extension agent to inquire how to have your soil tested. For more information go to www.plantnative.org/.
Get involved! It is nearly impossible to know everything, everywhere and you, as a member of the public, you can volunteer to help organizations that seek to expand the number of monitoring sites around the Gulf of Mexico. Many state agencies have river water quality monitoring programs in place and now efforts are expanding to include estuaries, where the fresh water meets the salt water. The National Phytoplankton Monitoring Program is also expanding its number of sites around the Gulf of Mexico and is in need of more volunteers to help track the growing number of Harmful Algal Blooms, or red tide outbreaks, caused by phytoplankton proliferation. For more information go to www.chbr.noaa.gov/PMN/.