The creation of nitrogen fertilizers have greatly benefited humans by increasing crop yields and ensuring food security in many areas of the world. While some places need more fertilizer, like much of sub-Sahara Africa, many places are rife with nitrogen. The overabundance of nitrogen, particularly nitrates, creates a host of environmental problems, including dead zone formation, elevation of infectious disease, drive harmful algal blooms, enhance greenhouse gas emissions, among other negative consequences. The challenge ahead is maximize the obvious benefits while minimizing the damaging effects of nitrogen use. Here, I briefly describe findings presented in a paper published in the journal Nature (“Stoichiometric control of organic carbon-nitrate relationships from soils to the sea”, April 22nd issue, 2010) that explains how nitrate accumulates from soils to the seas across earth’s biomes. Our findings represent a new framework to understand the fate of nitrate in ecosystems worldwide, which could help management strategies targeting nitrogen pollution. Visit https://www.nitrogennews.com and https://www.initrogen.org for more information on nitrogen related issues. Also, visit my personal website, https://web.me.com/philipgtaylor for more detailed information about my work in nitrogen pollution. Bio: I am currently a Ph.D. student at University of Colorado, Boulder in the Institute for Arctic and Alpine Research and the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.