Draft Outline of Marine Agronomy Article - Can We Save the Oceans and Sustain Humans?

Human population will be peaking at about 9 billion people in 2050. Our human need to alleviate hunger and poverty suggests we will strive to double food and energy production in spite of the consequences to our environment. Oceans are particularly at risk from an excess of plant nutrients and increasing greenhouse gases.

Excess plant nutrients overwhelm natural systems, causing dead zones where the dissolved oxygen is depleted by decaying plants. Increased atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations cause ocean acidification, which prevents many creatures from building their protective shells. It also warms the ocean, killing coral and causing mass migrations of species. The excess of plant nutrients comes from artificial agricultural fertilizers, inadequately treated or recycled municipal and livestock wastewater, and burning fuels. The carbon dioxide comes from burning fossil fuels.