Eutrophication Essay

13) [2.1] Is there a difference in the biology of these two phytoplankton that might be related to what is happening in this lake? (Look back at the natural history if you need to.)

Phytoplankton are microscopic photosynthesising organisms which live in water. In favourable environmental conditions they have a very high rate of reproduction. They are eaten by microscopic animals called zooplankton. In an investigation, samples of water were removed from a lake at intervals over a twelve-month period and the biomasses of these organisms were determined. The results are shown in the graph.

The purpose of this is experiment is to more closely understand the effects of nutrient enrichment on samples of water from Encanto Park Lake and the Rio Salado River. More specifically the concentration of nitrogen, phosphorus, and nitrogen and phosphorus together were altered and the effects this had upon algal growth were then observed. The results indicated that an increase in nitrogen concentration showed minimal

Since the algae population decreases, so does the algae bloom, which sink to the bottom and decompose to create oxygen many underwater animals need. Some blooms also produce toxins, which can harm or kill the fish, harm animals that drink the water, and cause problems for humans as well. With a decrease in algae blooms, plants and animals would no longer have a steady population. They would end up

Aquatic macroalgae are homes to a diverse assemblage of epifauna. These assemblages vary across different macrolage and substrate. Non-native foundation macroalgae species that invade habitats already occupied by native foundation species can alter the composition and assemblage of native epifauna. With the recent explosion of Starry Stonewort in the Great Lakes, it’s important to understand how this invasion can effect native organisms that depend on the native foundation species. In this field observation, we will look into the possibility of a cascading effect that the invasion of Starry stonewort may have in Lake Erie. With observations of areas of varying levels on invasion, abundances of fish can be compared and analyzed to

The occasions of Pseudo-nitzschia blooms have become more frequent recently and lead to the implementation of early detection systems by some countries. Not all the blooms caused by Pseudo-nitzschia are toxic. The populations of algae show the significant degree of variation in toxin production. It is suggested that increase in the amount of available nutrients, light, temperature and diatom-associated bacteria leads to the increased rates of DA production (Erdner et al., 2008). Recent data indicate that the blooms of toxic Pseudo-nitzschia have become stronger due to increase in the levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide. The gas is easily dissolved in the ocean water,

Back to the history, the eutrophication problem was first time concerned by public on Great lakes at the 1960s, the Lake Erie was covered by algae as a result of over dumped phosphorus from the sewage and other waste water, at that time, the Lake Erie was known as the “Dead Sea of North America”(Fitzpatrick, J. J., and Di Toro 1999). The reason cause this problem can be concluded in 2 points, 1. the stresses of overfishing, 2. development of phosphorus-based detergents. At the end of 1960, the Canada and the United States have realized the penetrance of this problem and finally sit on the table to sign an agreement that limiting phosphorus dumps to the Lake Erie, and plan to control existing unstoppable algal growth. Because of the awareness of Canada and US government, the concentration of phosphorus got a significant success. And this problem happened again during the 1990s, but this time the reason why this happen is more complexly.

In this paper I will examine multiple perspectives in an attempt to understand the recent eutrophication of the Chesapeake Bay. Our textbook, Cambell Biology defines eutrophication as a process in which nutrients, usually phosphorus and nitrogen, are unusually present in a body of water, leading to algae blooms and accelerated growth. Anoxia is a condition in which areas of water are severely depleted of dissolved oxygen.

When talking about nutrient content and nutrient type in bodies of water (especially lakes), three terms help identify these types of bodies of water- oligotropy, eutropy, and dystrophy. Eutropy refers to the probably the best possible condition for a body of water, because this type of body of water has many nutrients available to it (often in the form of silt) such as phosphorous. These bodies of water are usually near farms or forests and are thriving with life. Algae is a common type of organism that grows in eutropy’s, but can serve as a problem for the survival of other species. Oligotropy is basically the opposite of eutropy condition wise. Oligotropic bodies of water usually have a small amount of organic matter, few nutrients, and especially lack phosphorous. These water bodies are often near terrestrial ecosystems. Dystrophy refers to the condition in bodies of water that have an abundance of organic matter- so much so that the water is often brown. These bodies of water are often near bogs. Lakes can gain these types of nutrients through things such as runoff that bring soil nutrients into the water;

The purpose of this experiment is to understand the effects of nutrient enrichment and eutrophication, using samples of water from Rio Salado and Encanto Park. The samples will contain different concentration levels of nitrogen, phosphorous and nitrogen and phosphorous combined and the impact it has on algae growth. The results recorded showed that the nitrogen concentration levels had a little change, phosphorous levels had a higher change and phosphorous and nitrogen combined had a significantly higher change, resulting in higher algae growth. The results showed that phosphorous indeed is a limiting nutrient in algae growth, but to achieve the highest growth rate, both nitrogen and phosphorous need to be combined.

In recent years the amount of Phytoplankton (Plankton) in our oceans have seen such a dramatic decline that in the future it will pose a great threat to the ways in which our world functions. Specifically speaking, all living beings from microscopic algae to marine mammals, seabirds, fish and humans will meet a great demise. From Dalhousie University a research was conducted where lead author Daniel Boyce said: ‘Phytoplankton is the fuel on which marine ecosystems run. A decline in phytoplankton affects everything up the food chain, including humans.’ Many people are unaware of the major contribution to our survival that the phytoplankton provide for us. Alone, it is responsible for 50% of the oxygen we breath in our atmosphere while tropical

This causes smaller aquatic fish to die off, and this eventually causes bigger aquatic fish who rely on consuming the smaller aquatic fish to die (Jobin, "Dams and Disease"). Before one knows it, a domino effect has occurred. Aquatic ecosystem services are even affected because they die from too many nutrients. Ecosystems can’t thrive without these ecosystem services because they tend the ecosystem such as caring for plants, et cetera (Newell, "The Globalization and Environment Reader").

Phytoplankton are the autotrophic component of the plankton community. The name comes from the Greek words φυτόν (phyton), meaning "plant", and πλαγκτός (planktos), meaning "wanderer" or "drifter".[1] Most phytoplankton are too small to be individually seen with the unaided eye. However, when present in high enough numbers, they may appear as a green discoloration of the water due to the presence of chlorophyll within their cells (although the actual color may vary with the species of phytoplankton present due to varying levels of chlorophyll or the presence of accessory pigments such as

Our planet earth is covered in water, more precisely 71% of earth’s surface is covered with water (Perlman & USGS, n.d.). With this large amount of water present one would think that water pollution is not something that needs to be considered. This in fact is untrue, water pollution is an ever growing problem that our planet is facing. One form of pollution that is on the rise is nutrient loading. Nutrient loading is a becoming a large problem in waterways throughout the world both in freshwater and marine systems. Because this issue is rapidly increasing, the sustainability of these aquatic systems should be addressed more prominently to prevent the process of eutrophication that occurs consequently of nutrient loading.

Water pollution affects plants and organisms living in these bodies of water; and, in almost all cases the effect is damaging not only to individual species and populations, but also to the natural biological communities.