Marine Life

Overview:

Cultural Eutrophication: The process by which a body of water becomes overly productive, i.e., overly loaded with nutrients and minerals, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, is called eutrophication. The major factors controlling eutrophication, which in Greek means “well nourished,” are nutrient input, light, and temperature. All three of these factors are required for the increased growth rates of phytoplankton and other algae that lead to eutrophication. (source: Gale Database). 

Eutrophication due to anthropogenic nutrient inputs is a serious issue in many coastal and marine environments. Mangrove plants form unique intertidal forests at the edge of the land and sea, forming multifunctional ecosystems that provide an array of services, such as the phytoremediation of pollutants.  (source: Gale Database)

Related Video Overviews:

NOAA: What is eutrophication?

CBS: Biggest Ever Dead Zone In Gulf Of Mexico

TED-ED: Can the ocean run out of oxygen?

Key Concepts

• Nutrient Pollution: The primary cause of cultural eutrophication is the introduction of nutrients, especially nitrogen and phosphorus, from fertilizers, sewage, and industrial waste into water bodies.

• Algal Blooms: An immediate effect of nutrient enrichment is the rapid growth of algae, known as algal blooms. While some algae are beneficial, excessive growth can create problems.

• Oxygen Depletion: As algae die, their decomposition consumes oxygen in the water, leading to hypoxic or anoxic conditions. This can kill fish and other aquatic life, creating "dead zones."

• Biodiversity Loss: Eutrophication can lead to a decrease in biodiversity as species that cannot survive in low oxygen or high nutrient conditions die off.

• Water Quality: Eutrophication can reduce water clarity, making it murky, and can affect water quality, making it harmful for human consumption and recreational activities.

• Economic Impact: There are significant economic consequences of eutrophication, affecting fisheries, tourism, and water treatment facilities.

• Management and Mitigation: Efforts to manage and mitigate cultural eutrophication focus on reducing nutrient runoff through improved agricultural practices, wastewater treatment, and regulation of industrial discharges.

Important Vocabulary

• Nutrients: Elements or compounds essential for plant and animal growth. In the context of eutrophication, primarily refers to nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P).

• Algal Bloom: A rapid increase or accumulation in the population of algae in an aquatic system.

• Hypoxia: Low oxygen levels in water, often a result of eutrophication, leading to the death of many aquatic organisms.

• Dead Zone: An area in a water body with very low oxygen levels, where most marine life cannot survive.

• Runoff: Water that flows over the land surface, carrying nutrients from fertilizers, sewage, and industrial wastes into rivers, lakes, and seas.

• Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD): The amount of oxygen required by aerobic microorganisms to decompose organic material in water. High BOD levels are often associated with eutrophication.

• Non-point Source Pollution: Pollution that comes from many diffuse sources, such as agricultural runoff, rather than from a single, identifiable source.

• Point Source Pollution: Pollution that comes from a single, identifiable source, such as a pipe or a drain.

YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT Cultural Eutrophication

As you are reading and learning about cultural eutrophication, it is hoped that you will formulate questions that the above resources do not address.  It is amazing how powerful curiosity is to learning.  Please share your questions 

HERE IS THE LINK TO THE QUESTIONS DOCUMENT

OVerview 

• Algal Blooms: An immediate effect of nutrient enrichment is the rapid growth of algae, known as algal blooms. While some algae are beneficial, excessive growth can create problems.

• Harmful Algal Blooms:  "Ranging from microscopic, single-celled organisms to large seaweeds, algae are simple plants that form the base of food webs. Sometimes, however, their roles are more sinister."

• Sea animals suffer as 200-mile toxic algae bloom spreads (CNN): (video) "Officials have received more than 1,000 calls in recent weeks from beachgoers, tourists, and residents reporting sick, dying, and dead sea mammals washed ashore amid a growing toxic algal bloom in the waters off the Pacific coast. CNN's David Culver has more." 

• New York Department of Environmental Conservation:  Jun 4, 2019  #NYSDEC #EnvironmentalConservation #algalbloom It can be hard to tell the difference between a Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) and non-toxic algal blooms or other water quality concerns. This video provides some helpful identification tips and several image examples of HABs. 

Overview:

How noise pollution threatens ocean life (Video): Noise pollution has led to multiple whale strandings and poses a threat to thousands of ocean creatures. Meet the scientist who is mapping ocean noise in a bid to dial down the volume. 

Recent progress in marine noise pollution: A thorough review:  "The increase in urbanization and the progressive development of marine industries have led to the appearance of a new kind of pollution called “noise pollution”. 

The soundscape of the Anthropocene ocean:  "Sound travels faster and farther in water than in air. Over evolutionary time, many marine organisms have come to rely on sound production, transmission, and reception for key aspects of their lives."

The development of a policy framework to mitigate underwater noise pollution from commercial vessels:  Oceans are under severe pressure due to immense anthropogenic activities and related pollution and impacts. Although shipping is the most fuel efficient mode of transportation and, accounts for 80% of transportation of cargo by volume while playing an important role in global trade, it has negative environmental and socio-economic externalities and threatens sustainable development. 

Overview

What Is Ocean Acidification? A cartoon crash course (PEW Research)  There’s a chemical change underway in our oceans. It's called ocean acidification. As the ocean absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, it's becoming more acidic—eroding the shells of marine life like oysters, clams, and urchins, which are vital to the food web.

What is Ocean Acidification? (NOAA) Ocean acidification refers to a reduction in the pH of the ocean over an extended period of time, caused primarily by the uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere.

Ocean Acidification (Smithsonian). Ocean acidification is sometimes called “climate change’s equally evil twin,” and for good reason: it's a significant and harmful consequence of excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that we don't see or feel because its effects are happening underwater. 

Start Shellfish Section 

BEHAVIORAL DEFENSES OF SHELLFISH PREY UNDER OCEAN ACIDIFICATION (Gale)

Ocean acidification may cause global shellfish decline (Gale)

USE OF HIGH-FREQUENCY NONINVASIVE ELECTROMAGNETIC BIOSENSORS TO DETECT OCEAN ACIDIFICATION EFFECTS ON SHELLFISH BEHAVIOR (Gale)

QUESTIONS

Do Sea Turtles have memories?  

Does the bite of a Sea Turtle hurt? 

What are the differences between Sea Turtles and Tortoises?

Additional Information on Sea Turtles:

Environmental Studies (Gale)

Green Sea Turtles (Gale)

Britannica Resources on Sea Otters

World Book Resources on Sea Otters

Sea Otters - Environmental Studies 

Kelp Forests (PBS):  Kelp forests have unique characteristics that support a delicately balanced ecosystem. They provide interactions between species and habitat that thrive on the health of this balance.

What is a kelp forest? Kelp forests provide food and shelter for thousands of species (NOAA):  In ideal conditions, kelp can grow up to 18 inches per day, and in stark contrast to the colorful and slow-growing corals, the giant kelp canopies tower above the ocean floor. Like trees in a forest, these giant algae provide food and shelter for many organisms.