Concept explainers
Wastes from duck farms used to wash into two shallow-water bays on Long Island, New York. The wastes, rich in nutrients such as nitrate and phosphate, polluted the water. What do you suppose was the immediate effect of the pollutants? Can you speculate on the likely effects on the commercially valuable shellfish of the area?
To determine: The immediate effect of the pollutants.
Introduction: Mostly the human activities have the potential to not only harm the individual species but also to transform the entire biomes. These activities ultimately increase the amount of pollutants in the environment.
Explanation of Solution
The act of disposal of waste from the duck farms into the shallow-water bays on Long Island, New York enriches the nitrates and phosphate nutrients which causes the water pollution. The immediate effect of the pollutant is eutrophication which stimulates the growth of microbes and results in the oxygen depletion in the water body. Eutrophication is the process in which a water body has increased the number of microorganisms such as bacteria and algae. This can be caused due to the increase in the nutrient concentration of the water that promotes the growth and multiplication of the microbes.
To speculate: The likely effects on the commercially valuable shellfish of the area.
Introduction: Mostly the human activities have the potential to not only harm individual species but also to transform the entire biomes. These activities ultimately increase the amount of pollutants in the environment.
Explanation of Solution
The accumulation of toxic compounds and depletion of oxygen adversely affects the commercially valuable shellfish of the area. Eutrophication is caused due to the pollution of water that increases the nutrient content of the water bodies. The increased nutrient content allows the rapid multiplication of the microbes that utilize the oxygen in water and produces a hypoxic condition for the organisms that habitats in the water bodies. As a result, anaerobic conditions develop and toxic hydrogen sulfide accumulates in the sediment.
The shellfish populations and other aquatic life forms which live in the polluted water require dissolved oxygen for respiration, which is already being used up by the microorganisms for the breakdown process. Therefore, the shellfish populations die or else their growth will be adversely affected due to eutrophication.
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Chapter 18 Solutions
MARINE BIOLOGY W/CONNECT CODE <IC>
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- Concepts of BiologyBiologyISBN:9781938168116Author:Samantha Fowler, Rebecca Roush, James WisePublisher:OpenStax College