A: FROM STUDENT MEMBER ALEXIS K. IN GERMANY
I know that the Chesapeake Bay Foundation is seriously pursuing lowering the
nitrogen levels in the Bay. They might be a good source of information so I
suggest emailing them. Also, they have done a lot of work with the
political aspect of the problem including lobbying government officials to
take notice and be more sensitive about industries in their regions that
contribute to the problem (example - chicken poop run-off in
Maryland/chicken production is huge in that state). I would hope that the
group working on solutions will consider noting the role of government and
the role of corporations/businesses into the science equation, but maybe
that isn't what the project calls for. If it is, the CBF can tell you about
their work and progress in this area, too. Hope this helps.
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A: FROM MENTOR MARTY CHINTALA IN RI
Hi Laura, Noel, and Alyssa. Eutrophication is a hot button topic right
now in environmental fields. It is true that high levels of nitrogen
tend to increase algae because many salt water systems are nitrogen
limited. Algae like sea lettuce have a high nitrogen requirement, but a
limited ability to store the nitrogen. Therefore they tend to live in
high nitrogen environments. I'm not aware of them really "producing"
nitrogen except for when they begin to degrade and release the nitrogen
that they took up (of course, they are already in a high nitrogen
environment anyway....). I'm not sure that I completely understand the
question that you are asking. Are you wanting chemical ways to remove
nitrogen or biological way to remove nitrogen? There are many organisms
that fix nitrogen and alter the nitrogen cycle in the water. In order
to best help you, what is it that you are trying to do as part of the
TSA competition? Do you have a central question? Let me know and I'll
see what information and help I can provide.