Nitrate ++++++++++++++++++ Nitrate is a key nutrient for plants in water. Nitrates are important to monitor because too much can cause harmful algal blooms, and too little can limit the growth of marine life. Many modern nitrate sensors, like the `SUNA V2 `_, use light absorption to measure nitrate. The sensor shines ultraviolet (UV) light through the water. Nitrate molecules absorb some of this UV light. By measuring how much UV light is absorbed, the sensor can figure out how much nitrate is in the water. .. image:: /images/SUNA.jpeg