by the 1980s, the increase in population, inadequate domestic sewage removal, and the closure of the original channel to the sea (which had a major effect on water movement in the lagoon) had caused the organic surface content of the lagoon to reach 60-70%.

in an attempt to reverse this, the government reopened the canal to the ocean and built an additional waste-water treatment station in 2008.

though these measures are definitely a step in the right direction - significant changes in water composition were seen within two years - they have not entirely solved the problem, and negative effects on the wildlife in the lagoon continue to be seen from time to time.