What's your favorite Ocean Animal? Imagine you're a Marine Photographer and your favorite animal is now extinct due to the effects of Eutrophication….I know you're asking what is Eutrophication????

Eutrophication is a term used to describe a body of water getting overloaded with a certain type of nutrient. This is usually from runoff. Runoff is something that is carried into a body of water from land by the rain. Fertilizers used by golf courses contain chemicals such as nitrogen and phosphorus.

These chemicals get carried into the ocean by the rain, and this causes microorganisms to grow. When they decompose, they release dangerous amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2). Aquatic animals suffocate, because they do not have the oxygen they need to survive, killing them almost instantly. This Affects the marine photographer because they need to be able to see through the water, eutrophication makes the water so murky you can’t see and it kills the ocean life they are photographing.

Not only does this significantly impact our oceans, this also harms the public welfare by reducing the amount of fish we consume daily, which also is a threat to fishers that rely on these marine creatures to feed their family.

This is the perfect time to act because caring and compassionate individuals like you have finally had enough of corporate selfishness that severely damages our earth. After this petition gets a considerable amount of support, we and our supporters will hold our representatives like Tammy Baldwin accountable to incentivize eco-friendly alternatives that do not harm the environment. Together we stand together to stop thousands of marine life becoming endangered or extinct!

What’s the issue?

Too many nutrients can cause too much algae to grow. When the algae decomposes, they release lots of CO2. Aquatic animals suffocate due to lack of oxygen.

How do golf courses tie in with this?

Think about it: how is the grass so green there? Fertilizer, of course! Most fertilizer used on golf courses contains Nitrogen, Fungicides and Insecticides.

What can we do about it?

Put pressure on the people who own the golf courses to use the eco-friendly alternative fertilizers. If you do this, it could make the world a better environment!

Use Eco Friendly Fertilizers:

Organic composts and slow-release fertilizers that provide nutrients gradually without leaching into the environment.

Bio-stimulants that promote healthier soil and reduce nutrient runoff.

Natural fertilizers like compost and animal manure that release nutrients and foster beneficial microorganisms.

Compost tea as a sustainable soil amendment to enhance turf health and minimize pesticide reliance.

Milorganite is an example of an organic, eco-friendly fertilizer.

The eco-friendly fertilizers cause no eutrophication, making them the most efficient fertilizer for saving the environment.

Regulatory Measures: We plan to write to our Senator Tammy Baldwin and other elected officials to ask them to introduce legislation to:

Establish Regulations: Implement and enforce regulations that limit nutrient discharges from agricultural and industrial sources.

Zoning Laws:   Create land-use policies that minimize development in sensitive watershed areas.

By combining these strategies, communities can work towards mitigating the impacts of eutrophication and protecting water quality.

This petition was drafted by a group of students at Franklin Public Schools that consists of one 4th grader, six 5th graders and one 7th grader.