Algae Devouring Baltic

Country-sized growth threatens marine life
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 23, 2010 4:15 AM CDT
Algae Devouring Baltic
This satellite image shows an explosion of blue-green algae growth in the Baltic Sea.   (NASA)

Record-breaking temperatures combined with farm run-off have caused an evil-smelling algae bloom the size of Germany to sprout in the Baltic Sea. The World Wildlife Fund warns that the algae explosion—the biggest in the region since 2005—endangers human as well as marine life, the Independent reports. The group blames over-fertilization of farmland in the area, encouraged by governments which have reneged on promises to cut fertilizer use.
(More algae stories.)

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