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Article: Coastal Runoff Killing Underwater Gardens.(coral reefs)(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- USA TODAY
- Article date:
- June 1, 2001
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Society for the Advancement of Education. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Deep beneath the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, scientists in scuba gear from The University of Texas at Austin have planted an odd-looking garden. The "crop" consists of watertight Ziploc bags full of seaweed collected from a nearby coral reef. The bags also contain various amounts of nitrogen and phosphorous, the same kinds of nutrients that make lawns, flowers, and food crops flourish.
The translucent packages are attached by a 6'x 6' square polyvinyl frame with aluminum poles. Light reaching the bags through the water is continuously measured utilizing light meters. After about eight hours, the frame is retrieved; the seaweed (or macroalgae) is harvested; and ...