Deep Sea News reports that the Ocean Nourishment Corporation of Australia is going to dump several hundred tons of urea in the Sulu Sea. Urea is nitrogen, and the lovely clear waters in which coral grows is nitrogen limited. That’s how slow-growing corals can outcompete fast-growing seaweeds - corals are low-nutrient specialists. Pollution by any other name, even called “carbon sequestration,” still smells bad, as the Sulu Sea will after the urea causes a giant icky algae bloom.
Isn’t it nice that for-profit corporations can dump industrial byproducts in the ocean - and claim that they’re helping the environment? For the Oyster’s Garter’s extensive criticism and thorough mocking of ocean fertilization, check out our brand-new Ocean Fertilization tag.
