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DoomsdaysCWSinking in Saltwater: <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Maine" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#Maine</a>’s <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/coastal" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#coastal</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/marshes" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#marshes</a> at risk as sea levels riseBetween 28 and 57 percent of the state’s coastal marshes could disappear by the end of the century, victims of a rising sea, coastal <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/development" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#development</a> and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PollutedRunoff" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#PollutedRunoff</a>. By Kate Cough July 28, 2024PORTLAND — "It takes hundreds of years for a <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SaltMarsh" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#SaltMarsh</a> to form, for fine sediment brought in on the tides to settle in sections of shoreline sheltered from the worst of the wind and waves. As salt-tolerant plants — smooth <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/cordgrass" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#cordgrass</a>, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SaltmarshHay" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#SaltmarshHay</a>, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/saltgrass" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#saltgrass</a>, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/BlackRush" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#BlackRush</a> — begin to grow, their dense stems and roots trap more sediment, and the marsh builds more rapidly, up and out. "<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Crabs" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#Crabs</a>, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/shrimp" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#shrimp</a> and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/worms" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#worms</a> arrive, drawn to the rich food of dying marsh grasses, followed by a variety of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/fish" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#fish</a> — <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/alewives" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#alewives</a>, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/StripedBass" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#StripedBass</a>, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/smelt" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#smelt</a> and Sea-run <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/BrookTrout" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#BrookTrout</a> among them — many of which eventually migrate between the marsh and the sea. logo for the sinking in saltwater series"Acre by acre, a healthy salt marsh anchors a <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/FoodWeb" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#FoodWeb</a> 'more productive than most midwestern <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/farmland" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#farmland</a>,' according to a 2003 paper published by the University of Maine."The same dense grasses that are so good at trapping silt also excel at ensnaring pollutants, pulling out nitrogen and nutrients that cause <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AlgalBlooms" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#AlgalBlooms</a>, and burying <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/toxic" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#toxic</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/contaminants" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#contaminants</a> in the peat. "Once established, plants in salt marshes grow quickly, fed by the rich soil, and pull <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/carbon" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#carbon</a> from the atmosphere. Salt marshes are ten times more effective at storing carbon than tropical forests, and, left undisturbed, can trap the gas in the ground for centuries, a phenomenon scientists refer to as 'blue carbon.'"Maine has some of the most extensive blue carbon reservoirs in the northeast — second only to Massachusetts, according to a study published by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2023. "But as sea levels rise and development presses in, these reservoirs, and the habitats they create, are at risk of disappearing."An analysis by the University of Maine suggests that a significant portion of the Maine’s salt marshes — between 28 and 57 percent, depending on the sea level rise scenario — could be gone by the end of the century. They are also threatened by polluted runoff from <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/pesticides" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#pesticides</a>, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/septic" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#septic</a> systems and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AgriculturalWaste" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#AgriculturalWaste</a>."'The decisions Mainers make over the next 10 years are going to determine whether these important ecosystems persist,' said Bates professor Beverly Johnson, who has been studying blue carbon for years, speaking to The <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MaineClimateCouncil" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#MaineClimateCouncil</a> in December."Over the past 25 years, nearly 300 acres of Maine’s wetlands — both fresh and saltwater — have been impacted by or lost to development, according to a Press Herald/Maine Monitor analysis of data from the state’s In Lieu Fee Compensation Program. The program allows developers to fill or convert certain <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/wetlands" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#wetlands</a> if they pay a fee, money that is used for conservation projects elsewhere."Read more: <a href="https://themainemonitor.org/sinking-in-saltwater/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no">https://themainemonitor.org/sinking-in-saltwater/</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/BlueCarbon" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#BlueCarbon</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SeaLevelRise" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#SeaLevelRise</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SaveTheMarshes" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#SaveTheMarshes</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SaveTheWetlands" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#SaveTheWetlands</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SaveSearsIsland" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#SaveSearsIsland</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ScarboroughMarsh" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#ScarboroughMarsh</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SaveSmilingHillFarm" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#SaveSmilingHillFarm</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/GorhamConnector" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#GorhamConnector</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/RedBrook" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#RedBrook</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WaterIsLife" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#WaterIsLife</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/OceansAreLife" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#OceansAreLife</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PesticideRunoff" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#PesticideRunoff</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SewageRunOff" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#SewageRunOff</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Pollution" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#Pollution</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WebOfLife" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#WebOfLife</a>

DoomsdaysCW<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Flowers" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#Flowers</a> grown floating on polluted waterways can help clean up nutrient runoffCut-flower farms could be a sustainable option for mitigating water pollution.by Jazmin Locke-Rodriguez and Krishnaswamy Jayachandran, The Conversation 2/17/2024, 7:08 AM"Flowers grown on inexpensive floating platforms can help clean polluted waterways, over 12 weeks extracting 52 percent more <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/phosphorus" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#phosphorus</a> and 36 percent more <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/nitrogen" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#nitrogen</a> than the natural nitrogen cycle removes from untreated water, according to our new research. In addition to filtering water, the cut flowers can generate income via the multibillion-dollar floral market."In our trials of various flowers, giant <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/marigolds" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#marigolds</a> stood out as the most successful, producing long, marketable stems and large blooms. Their yield matched typical flower farm production. Why it matters"Water pollution is caused in large part by runoff from <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/farms" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#farms</a>, urban <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/lawns" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#lawns</a>, and even <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/septic" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#septic</a> tanks. When it rains, excess phosphorus, nitrogen, and other chemicals wash into <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/lakes" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#lakes</a> and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/rivers" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#rivers</a>."These nutrients feed <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/algae" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#algae</a>, leading to widespread and harmful <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AlgaeBlooms" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#AlgaeBlooms</a>, which can severely lower oxygen in water, creating 'dead zones' where aquatic life cannot survive. Nutrient runoff is a critical issue as urban areas expand, affecting the health of water <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ecosystems" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#ecosystems</a>."Water pollution is an escalating crisis in our area of Miami-Dade and Broward counties in <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Florida" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#Florida</a>. The 2020 <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/BiscayneBay" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#BiscayneBay</a> fish kill, the largest mass death of aquatic life on record for the region, serves as a stark reminder of this growing environmental issue. How we do our work"We study sustainable agriculture and water pollution in South Florida."Inspired by traditional floating farm practices, including the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Aztecs" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#Aztecs</a>’ <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/chinampas" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#chinampas</a> in Mexico and the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Miccosukees" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#Miccosukees</a>’ tree island settlements in Florida, we tested the idea of growing cut flowers on floating rafts as a way to remove excess nutrients from waterways. Our hope was not only that the flowers would pay for themselves, but that they could provide jobs here in Miami, the center of the US cut-flower trade. "We floated 4-by-6-foot (1.2-by-1.8-meter) mats of inexpensive polyethylene foam called Beemats in 620-gallon (2,300-liter) outdoor test tanks that mirrored water conditions of nearby polluted waterways. Into the mats, we transplanted flower seedlings, including <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/zinnias" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#zinnias</a>, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/sunflowers" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#sunflowers</a>, and giant marigolds. The polluted tank water was rich in nutrients, eliminating the need for any fertilizer. As the seedlings matured into plants over 12 weeks, we tracked the tanks’ improving water quality."Encouraged by the success of the marigolds in our tanks, we moved our trials to the nearby canals of Coral Gables and Little River. We anchored the floating platforms with 50-pound (22.7-kilogram) weights and also tied them to shore for extra stability. No alterations to the landscape were needed, making the process simple and doable. What still isn’t known"The success of the giant marigolds might be linked to the extra roots that grow from their stems known as adventitious roots. These roots likely help keep the plants stable on the floating platforms. Identifying additional plants with roots like these could help broaden plant choices."Future raft designs may also need modifications to ensure better stability and growth for other cut-flower and crop species. What’s next"Our promising findings show floating cut-flower farms could be a sustainable option for mitigating water pollution."One of us (Locke-Rodriguez) is expanding this research and working to scale up floating farms in South Florida as a demonstration of what could take place in the many locations facing similar issues worldwide.This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. <a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/02/flowers-grown-floating-on-polluted-waterways-can-help-clean-up-nutrient-runoff/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no">https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/02/flowers-grown-floating-on-polluted-waterways-can-help-clean-up-nutrient-runoff/</a>

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