Eutrophication

In mid-September 2015, the Volkswagen (VW) scandal erupted in the United States, creating a shockwave in the diesel automobile sector both domestic and international. US authorities accused VW of installing “defeat devices” in nearly half a million cars between 2009 and 2015 to make them appear less polluting than they actually are. Independent tests done by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) confirmed that a selection of VW vehicles were emitting up to 40 times more…

The Everglades are a massive complex ecosystem at the southern tip of the Florida peninsula. It is full of diverse flora and fauna, and the natural watershed and wetlands once covered nearly 47,000 sq km. The Everglades once made up about 10,000 sq km of this watershed, but today the Everglades span around 5,000 sq km. The area experiences seasonal weather, with a wet and hot summer and relatively dry and mild winters. To the east of the Everglades is the urban Miami metropolitan area, with…

into the groundwater. If that water is used as a source of drinking water, the excess nitrogen in that water consumed by humans can cause cancer or respiratory problems. If there is too much nitrogen in bodies of water, it can result in the eutrophication and result in too much algae or even the death of the fish in the lake or coastal areas. When there is an overabundance in the water or in the soil, it can enter the atmosphere through smog as nitic oxide and cause breathing problems in…

pollute the environment. The burning of uranium releases pollution into the atmosphere. It isn’t as much pollution as fossil fuels would produce, but it is still polluting the environment. Radioactive waste from the nuclear power plants can lead to eutrophication, initially harming aquatic life. People also say that we should use nuclear power noticing that it is semi-renewable, and that is true. The problem with this statement is that uranium is greatly scarce, and nonrenewable. Additionally,…

Do Urrbrae Wetlands Improve Water Quality? Wetlands have multiple beneficial functions that helps the environment. They provide flood control, absorption of pollutants, improvement of the water quality, collection of stormwater for irrigation, and edible food. Wetlands also provide a habitat for multiple species, increasing the biodiversity. (Department of environment and energy 2016). The catchment area of the Urrbrae wetland is around 400 hectares which is a large amount considering the…

Water Quality Water is essential to human life and the health of the environment. Good water quality is essential for irrigation, drinking and recreation and also sustains ecological processes that support native fish populations, vegetation and bird life. We expect that our water supply will not only be safe, but will taste good, and look crystal clear. Water quality is commonly defined by its physical, chemical, biological and aesthetic (appearance and smell) characteristics. Water quality…

The book, “Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer, reinforces the role of humanity and the gratitude we should express towards nature. Moreover, my work makes reference to several of the stories she retells about herself, Native American folklore/culture, and how they connect to science, despite the ways colonization tries to sever it with objectivity and how nature is regarded. My piece begins with a microscope in the center of my work, a reference to a painting in Robin Wall Kimmerer’s…

zooxanthellate species have been described in the Caribbean and Indo-Pacific (Sutherland et al. 2004). Most of these diseases have been caused by bacterial, fungal, and protist type pathogens as well the increased sea temperatures, pollution, and eutrophication. Sutherland et al. says that it is estimated that worldwide 27% of coral reefs have been lost with 16% at serious risk and the corals exhibiting diseases have increased 218% between 1996 and 2000…

Ocean pollution, also known as marine pollution, is the spreading of harmful substances such as oil, plastic, industrial and agricultural waste and chemical particles into the ocean. Most of the sources of the marine pollution are land base activities. Marine pollution has numerous effects on marine animals, plants and human. Therefore, it is important to understand the cause and effect of the ocean pollution, and what people can do to solve this problem. The source of marine pollution is…

Introduction Water is everywhere, from our oceans to the pond at your local park. These sources like the pond are considered freshwater ecosystem. Water is a neutral compound, meaning that in its natural state, it is neither acidic nor basic and has a pH of 7. However, water is subject to pollution and can easily be polluted by acidic compounds. And when you live in an area with a refinery, the surrounding waters can be very polluted. For this lab, we will test the various freshwater sources…