Agricultural Runoff from the Florida Everglades

Drainage water from sugarcane, fruit, and vegetable farms surrounding the Florida Everglades continuously carries nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients into coastal waters. Excess nutrients promote massive blooms of phytoplankton, reducing water transparency and causing seagrass on shallow seabeds to wither in large swaths due to insufficient light. This also increases the risk of harmful algal blooms. Should a large-scale algal bloom occur, the algal toxins released could contaminate coastal swimming areas and endanger the safety of local fish catches.