Furthermore, chemical remediation kills the current crop of algae--as the dead algae rots it provides more food for the next growth of algae.
These, paradoxically, have opposite effects on the growth of algae.
Phosphates are another potentially harmful class of chemicals that cause exponential growth of algae.
In lakes, excessive amounts of nitrates and phosphates can cause the rapid growth of algae.
Here, phosphorus is the limiting nutrient controlling the growth of algae (Vaccari, 2009).
High nitrogen levels promote growth of algae linked to hypoxia, or low levels of oxygen in the water.
This, in turn, is boosting the growth of algae which are choking many reefs to death.
Nitrates, like phosphates, promote the growth of algae and the eutrophication of lakes.
Add iron, the theory goes, and you will promote the growth of algae.
It can cause unnaturally high growth of algae and other organisms, killing fish and creating oxygen-depleted dead zones.
When dissolved inorganic nitrogen enters the ocean from runoff, it stimulates the growth of algae, which can smother corals.
