Algal bloom

Phytoplankton are the basis of nearly all the Ocean’s ecosystems, and require a wide range of inorganic nutrients in order to grow; notably Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorous. They take up these nutrient elements according to the Redfield Ratio of C : N : P = 106 : 16 : 1. But phytoplankton also require less obvious nutrients such as calcium, magnesium and potassium. These are often in plentiful supply in the worlds Oceans, and other factors such as the micronutrient Iron can be the limiting Phytoplankton

What is a watershed? A watershed is the area of land where all of the water that is under it or drains off of it goes into the same place. You think every creek is the same but in reality they’re not. In this essay we are comparing San Mateo and San Juan creek. San Mateo creek is the last pristine creek in southern California flows from from its origin to the ocean over mostly undeveloped land. The runoff is about 22 miles (35 km) long, flowing in a generally southwesterly direction. This creek

This ratio makes Lake Winnipeg more susceptible to excessive nutrient levels, leading to massive algal blooms and lake-wide eutrophication. Nutrient entry points include the Winnipeg River from the east, The Saskatchewan River from the west, the Red River from the south, and precipitation. The largest source of total phosphorus (68% total phosphorus load)

Toxic algal blooms are occasions of excess reproduction of toxin-producing algae, making damage to the ecosystems and humans. Among the toxic algal blooms are ones caused by Pseudo-nitzschia species, producing a toxin called domoic acid (DA) (Tatters, Fu & Hutchins, 2012). These microalgae belong to diatoms and are spread within the Northwestern Atlantic region, causing sporadic issues in the Gulf of Maine (Fernandes et al., 2013), Chesapeake Bay and along the west coast since 2006 (Pistocchi et

communities, have obsessively used the Ocean to toss their waste without consequences. The formation of dead zones has been intensified by the increase runoff of fertilizers and the burning of fossil fuels. Enhanced primary production causes algae to bloom at a constant rate creating a layer near the surface. This layer acts as a roof to vegetation below resulting in a lack of oxygen which organisms use to live. According to Robert Diaz and Rutger Rosenberg, “Dead zones have now been reported from more

Independent Study and Research Why Environmental Non-profits in North Carolina Should Receive More Government Funding Have you ever stopped to consider what a privilege it is to have a clean environment that we depend on for many of our aspects of life, such as sports, food, and the remainder of what we need to survive and thrive? Unless from off-earth, which would be things that we get from space matter (which is a miniscule amount), everything we have is thanks to our earthly resources. However

Red Tide Along West Florida Shelf Introduction Red tide is the common name for a large concentration of certain species of dinoflagellates. This event accumulates harmful algal blooms quickly, resulting in discoloration near the surface water. Dense enough algal blooms cause harmful toxins strong enough to affect people and the oceans ecosystem as a whole. Karenia brevis is the most troublesome species of dinoflagellate in the Gulf of Mexico. This species reproduces by asexual cell division, therefore

cyanobacteria, that can be both non-toxic and toxic, but either one can have a huge impact on the ecosystem around them. For the past few decades, harmful algal blooms or HABs have been causing major issues to not only the aquatic life that lives in the water, but also to the land animals that live near the water, including humans. These blooms are also happening all over the world. Anywhere there are humans there are some form of factors that play a role into HABs, whether there is

nutrients (mainly nitrogen and phosphorus) are carried, by runoff, into a naturally occurring body of water, causing the out of control growth of algae. The unruly growth of algae, caused by the abundance of nitrogen and phosphorus, leads to harmful algal blooms on the water’s surface that have negative effects on the surrounding environment. This creates an area where there is no life, known as a “dead zone. All plants require the nutrient phosphorus to live and grow, therefore the algae thrives on the

systems of our waste for hundreds of years. "Harmful algal blooms are a major environmental problem in all 50 states. Also known as red tides, blue-green algae or cyanobacteria, harmful algal blooms have severe impacts on human health, aquatic ecosystems, and the economy" (Environmental Protection Agency). The pollution created by human’s activities is enabling these types of biological events to get worse, which is causing more severe blooms to occur more frequently. Recently we have significantly