In this paper, we focus on characterizing human awareness and
understanding of local fertilizer ordinances. We review Florida red
tides and outlined the relevant policy context, including the ongoing
evolution of water pollution controls and the adoption of local ordinances
to manage the timing and scale of the use of residential lawn
fertilizers. We stress that the policy context is complex; and we posit
that the public may be incompletely informed about the Florida red
tide hazard, ongoing scientific controversies, and the rationales for
human responses. Homeowners face disincentives, in the form of potential
property value losses and social norms, which also may work
against the effectiveness of fertilizer ordinances.