Eutrophication

GAC008 Assessment Event 4: Academic Research Essay

Eutrophication

Student’s Name: Jason

Student ID#: SHSA23316

Teacher: Keith

Due Date: 15 April 2013

Word Count: 1,082

Question: What is meant by “eutrophication”? Explain with reference to the severity of the problem in your own country.

Eutrophication, a.k.a hypertrophication, according to Schindler, David and Vallentyne, John R. (2004) over fertilization of the World's Freshwaters and Estuaries, “is the ecosystem response to the addition of artificial or natural substances, such as nitrates and phosphates, through fertilizers or sewage, to an aquatic system”, which has legions of negative effects; and totally a tough job of reversion. The multiple aspects of environmental damage of this severe eutrophication issue are very much worth our concern. This essay as a full-scale investigation of this issue, will examine its causes, effects and possible solutions comprehensively.

For starters, the exotic nutrition in the water in the condition of eutrophication procures the excessive multiplication of specific bacteria, algae or planktons which relentlessly pollute water, drastically decreasing its quality with conspicuous coloration. Few months ago, eccentrically greenish as well as countless plankton were identified near a hydropower station in Hechi City, China, where the phenomenon was necessarily related to eutrophication. Horrendously, those planktons, specifically lotus, covered a length of over 10 km and a breadth of 1 kilometer (Marine Ecology 2001). We got next a shocking event happening right under a bridge going across a river in Mei County, where the water area around it became totally green. Many witnesses had seen massive amount of lichen-like algae hidden underwater, stinking. The local environmental administration confirmed that in association with the effect of relatively high temperature, an algae bloom logically occurred as an obvious result of eutrophication (Engel 2002 p.19-25)....