BIOL 1108: Cultural Eutrophication: What is Eutrophication?

"The process of eutrophication, in which a body of water receives an excessive amount of nutrients that accelerates aquatic plant growth, leads to a reduction in the oxygen in the water that fish need to survive. Continued enrichment can lead to excessive algal growth, which in turn impairs fisheries, limits recreational uses of the water, and can create major problems for water-supply purveyors."

"Harmful algal blooms, dead zones, and fish kills are the results of a process called eutrophication—which begins with the increased load of nutrients to estuaries and coastal waters."

"Eutrophication occurs when a body of water receives an excessive nutrient load, particularly phosphorus and nitrogen. This often results in an overgrowth of algae. As the algae die and decompose, oxygen is depleted from the water, and this lack of oxygen in the water causes the death of aquatic animals, like fish."

Eutrophication, is nutrient enrichment; it drives excess primary productivity in waterways. It can be either natural or caused by human impact.

The water can become murky and can be clogged with algal blooms. Entire food webs, including valuable fish stocks, can be seriously affected by eutrophication.

[Eutrophication] may result in a range of undesirable disturbances in the marine ecosystem, including a shift in the composition of the flora and fauna which affects habitats and biodiversity, and the depletion of oxygen, causing death of fish and other species.