Transcript Eutrophication Too Much of a Good Thing

Eutrophication
Too Much of a Good Thing
OBJECTIVE:
You will be able to explain the steps of
eutrophication and draw examples.
What is Eutrophication?
Eutrophication –
when there are too many nutrients (usually from
pollution) in water, which causes algae to
overgrow and eventually destroy the water
ecosystem
Steps of Eutrophication:
1. Too many nutrients go into water
(pollution)
2. Algae overgrows
3. Algae eventually dies
4. Bacteria decompose dead algae and use
up all the oxygen
5. Fish and other animals die without oxygen
6. Water ecosystem collapses.
Let’s read about Eutrophication. Please
take out a highlighter and highlight important
information in the reading worksheet.
When you are done reading, you will create
a comic strip illustrating the steps of
eutrophication. There are four boxes at the
bottom, so some steps you will need to draw
together. You may label your pictures.
Example of eutrophication:
1. Pond is doing fine, but pollution is
dumped in.
2. Algae overgrows and covers the pond
3. Algae dies, bacteria decomposes it and
use up the oxygen.
4. Most organisms in the pond die from lack
of oxygen – ecosystem is destroyed.