As we enter the United Nations’ Decade of the Oceans, a new research study shed light on an often overlooked source of impact on the coastal ecosystems.
The study, which examined groundwater discharges at more than 200 locations worldwide, showed that groundwater is the major source of nitrogen and phosphorus to the ocean at many locations, including some areas in the Baltic Sea.
– Groundwater is essentially invisible and difficult to investigate. That is why coastal water quality managers often overlook groundwater discharges to the oceans, says Isaac Santos, professor in marine chemistry at the University of Gothenburg, who led the study in collaboration with thirteen worldwide universities.
Read more at: University of Gothenburg
Groundwater discharge can drive nitrogen in coastal waters. In the picture, researchers are walking on groundwater discharging to the ocean at low tide. (Photo Credit: Isaac Santos)