Eutrophication

Eutrophication

The Problem & Possible Remediation

What is it?

Eutrophication is when there are too many nutrients in the water and algal blooms start to form. When the blooms die off, they suck up all the oxygen in the water, leading to a hypoxic environment - a dead zone. As a result, many fish and water organisms die off. 65% of estuaries and coastal waters in the U.S. are affected by this problem.

Sources of Eutrophication

Sunlight

Natural

CO2

Natural

PointSource

Human

A non-point source means that we cannot exactly pinpoint the cause of the pollution. This includes agricultrual runoff, which can increase the amount of fertilizers in the water and lead to eutrophication.

CO2 is another of the limiting factors of photosynthesis, so it has similar effects to sunlight in eutrophication. This causes eurtrophication over time, so it is natural.

Point source means that we can exactly pinpoint the source. Generally, pollution of nitrates and phosphates in the water causes eutrophication, and human activies can cause this pollution.

Sunlight is one of the limiting factors of photosynthesis, so an increase could cause algal blooms, which leads to eutrophication. This causes eurtrophication over time, so it is natural.

Non-Point Source

Human

Why is this important to fix?

Consequences

The Affect

How does it affect aquatic ecosystems?

• Reduces dissolved oxygen levels
• Reduces water quality and clarity
• Causes die-offs because of limited light and oxygen
• Elevated pH can "blind" organisms who rely on chemical cues

• Kills fish
• Reduces biodiversity
• Endangers the humans who live on land
• Causes many lakes to close

Society Involvement

How are people/society/industry involved?

The Fix

What can we do to fix it?

Click on this to access the Google Doc with the Reference Page.

Reference Page

The solutions

• Reduce the use of fertilizers
• Improve nutrient management practices
• Restore Degraded Ecosystems
• Promote growth of native plants
• Build wetlands to filter the excess nutrients

How do humans affect this?

Eutrophication is caused by an excess of nutrients. Human industries, like agriculture, contribute to this excess of nutrients. Primarily, agricultural runoff and wastewater discharges contribute to this.