EUTROPHICATION + DEADZONES

Eutrophication is a process characterized by excessive nutrient input, primarily nitrogen and phosphorus, into water bodies. This leads to rapid algae growth and subsequent oxygen depletion.
Causes:
- Agriculture: Runoff from fertilizers.
- Sewage: Wastewater discharge.
- Industry: Industrial effluent.
Effects:
- Algal blooms: These blooms block sunlight, preventing it from reaching submerged plants.
- Oxygen depletion: As algae die and decompose, the process consumes large amounts of oxygen.
- Death of marine life: Due to lack of oxygen (hypoxia).

Nutrients (Nitrogen \& Phosphorus) from land cause an increase in phytoplankton.
This leads to an Algae bloom that blocks sunlight.
Algae die and decay, consuming oxygen.
Loss of food, habitat, and oxygen production results.

Dead zones are areas in oceans, lakes, and rivers with extremely low oxygen levels (hypoxia).
These conditions make it difficult, or impossible, for marine life to survive.
Global Distribution Patterns:
- Dead zones are most common near coastlines with high agricultural activity and urbanization.
- They are often found in areas with major river outflows (e.g., Mississippi River, Yangtze River, Danube River).
- Warmer water in tropical areas accelerates algal growth, worsening the effect.

The presentation should address the severity of eutrophication/dead zones in one of the case study locations, outlining a government or NGO strategy used to mitigate the negative impacts, and evaluating the impact of the strategy.
Requirements:
- Groups of 2-3 students.
- Must include:
  - Photograph of the area/issue.
  - 2 x graphs, charts (e.g., a pie chart representing the source of nutrient pollution).
  - A map of the dead zone's location.
  - Satellite imagery of algal blooms.
- 3 minutes maximum presentation time.
- Reference list with a statement on the suitability of each source.