Which term describes nutrient enrichment in aquatic ecosystems leading to excessive plant growth?

Which term describes nutrient enrichment in aquatic ecosystems leading to excessive plant growth?

• A. Acidification
• B. Eutrophication
• C. Alkalinification
• D. Nitrification

Answer: (B)

Excess nutrients in water bodies, especially nitrogen and phosphorus, fuel rapid growth of algae and aquatic plants. When a lake or river receives a high nutrient load from fertilizer runoff, wastewater, or agricultural runoff, a bloom can cover the surface and reduce light for submerged vegetation. As these organisms die and decompose, bacteria consume dissolved oxygen, leading to low-oxygen conditions that stress or kill aquatic life. This overall process is eutrophication, describing nutrient enrichment that drives excessive plant growth. It’s about changes in nutrient levels, not shifts in acidity or basicity, which would be acidification or alkalinification. Nitrification, in contrast, is a specific step in the nitrogen cycle where ammonia is converted to nitrite and then nitrate, not the broad phenomenon of nutrient-driven plant overgrowth.