- Eutrophication- The formation of dead zones through process of enriching the ocean with fertilizers.
- Leads to plant growth such as algae which can be harmful to oxygen levels for other organisms.
- Nitrogen and phosphorus play a key role on the over-production of phytoplankton which ultimately lead to dead zones.
- Causes oxygen depletion and production of bacteria after the phytoplankton die.
- Nitrogen and Phosphorus runoff from farms often lead to these dead zones.
- Eutrophication endangers multiple species because it affects those at the bottom of the food chain which means the rest of the trophic levels are affected as well.
- Commercial fishing worsen the imbalance in the food chain even more.
- Eutrophication can lead to invasion of other dead-end species which is harmful to the ecosystem
- Dead-end species are species that cannot sustain the bigger predators.
- Shellfish reefs can help put off the destruction of the ecosystem.
- The Black Sea is a good example of how an ecosystem copes with the destruction of the environment
- It only recovered due to the significant loss of runoff, and it is very gradual.
- It is possible for native organisms to become extinct due to this phenomena.
- It is important to have governments that are willing to protect the regions that are becoming dead-zones
- Waste water must be contained and filtered, as well as treated.
Authors Main Points:
The author explains the effects of eutrophication; furthermore the causes and effects of this event. Mee explains that the main cause of this phenomena is enriching the sea through runoff from farmlands. The fertilizers that farmers use contain both nitrogen and phosphorus, once there minerals are washed off as runoff to the sea, it stimulates plant growth. More specifically phytoplankton and algae; these two cause depletion of the oxygen levels of the region. Loss of oxygen means less marine organisms have oxygen which cause them to die off. In addition, excessive fishing as well as loss of keystone species in an ecosystem can further damage the food web. There are extreme examples where people cause irreversible damage to the ocean through eutrophication. This raises a lot of concern due to long amount of time it takes for the regions to recover, also the limited solutions for this problem. Shellfish beds can help with the bacteria problem from the dead phytoplankton that accumulates at the bottom of the ocean, yet it is not enough to fix the stacked up issues eutrophication causes.
My Opinion:
I believe that people need to realize that the planet cannot absorb all the excess and inorganic waste that our species alone produces. It is ludicrous that people are blind to the reality that if we do not stop polluting the planet, we will be our own demise. Eutrophication not only affect the marine animals, it can also affect the wild animals on land. Some that are rely on food in the ocean can then set off a ripple effect on land as well. The destruction of the food chain by messing with the very bottom of it can cause mass extinction and destruction of organisms and the environment. People cannot grasp the concept that without the environment, there will be no goods to sell or profit to be made. Perhaps the human race realizes this, but are too caught in the growing technology, and blinded by the mass production of goods that ultimately benefit them to look ahead to the future. The farmers that fertilize their land are aware of the impact on the environment, their profits simply outweigh the value of the ecosystem they are destroying. Furthermore, with the slow rate of recovery, the planet cannot keep up with the waste that is being produced by everyone, which leads to further concerns about how the planet can sustain a population that takes more than they can give back to it. Eutrophication ties heavily with sustainability, and the short and long term effects of the profit from the mass production that lead to waste. What happens to the people that are so adamant in destroying the planet for money, once the resources are used up. The example about the Black Sea provides context as to what happened to the farmers that polluted the water; they eventually lost their resource and had to quit. This can also tie into the fish lab; a realization the greed can only lead to everyone losing in the long run. For the people that cannot look past their luxuries to take a peek at the ominous future, will surely be baffled by their own ecological foot print.
The author explains the effects of eutrophication; furthermore the causes and effects of this event. Mee explains that the main cause of this phenomena is enriching the sea through runoff from farmlands. The fertilizers that farmers use contain both nitrogen and phosphorus, once there minerals are washed off as runoff to the sea, it stimulates plant growth. More specifically phytoplankton and algae; these two cause depletion of the oxygen levels of the region. Loss of oxygen means less marine organisms have oxygen which cause them to die off. In addition, excessive fishing as well as loss of keystone species in an ecosystem can further damage the food web. There are extreme examples where people cause irreversible damage to the ocean through eutrophication. This raises a lot of concern due to long amount of time it takes for the regions to recover, also the limited solutions for this problem. Shellfish beds can help with the bacteria problem from the dead phytoplankton that accumulates at the bottom of the ocean, yet it is not enough to fix the stacked up issues eutrophication causes.
My Opinion:
I believe that people need to realize that the planet cannot absorb all the excess and inorganic waste that our species alone produces. It is ludicrous that people are blind to the reality that if we do not stop polluting the planet, we will be our own demise. Eutrophication not only affect the marine animals, it can also affect the wild animals on land. Some that are rely on food in the ocean can then set off a ripple effect on land as well. The destruction of the food chain by messing with the very bottom of it can cause mass extinction and destruction of organisms and the environment. People cannot grasp the concept that without the environment, there will be no goods to sell or profit to be made. Perhaps the human race realizes this, but are too caught in the growing technology, and blinded by the mass production of goods that ultimately benefit them to look ahead to the future. The farmers that fertilize their land are aware of the impact on the environment, their profits simply outweigh the value of the ecosystem they are destroying. Furthermore, with the slow rate of recovery, the planet cannot keep up with the waste that is being produced by everyone, which leads to further concerns about how the planet can sustain a population that takes more than they can give back to it. Eutrophication ties heavily with sustainability, and the short and long term effects of the profit from the mass production that lead to waste. What happens to the people that are so adamant in destroying the planet for money, once the resources are used up. The example about the Black Sea provides context as to what happened to the farmers that polluted the water; they eventually lost their resource and had to quit. This can also tie into the fish lab; a realization the greed can only lead to everyone losing in the long run. For the people that cannot look past their luxuries to take a peek at the ominous future, will surely be baffled by their own ecological foot print.