Eutrophication is when a body of water becomes overly enriched with minerals and nutrients, usually from fertilizer runoff, which in turn induces excessive plant and algae growth. This process may result in oxygen depletion of the water body and the death of fish and other marine life. The diagram depicts the process of eutrophication. What is the best explanation for what is occurring at step #6 in the diagram?
Responses
A The excess nutrients cause an algal bloom.
B Some nutrients run off over the ground into the body of water.
C The decomposition causes the water to become depleted of oxygen.
D The plants beneath the algal bloom die because they cannot get sunlight to photosynthesize.
A The excess nutrients cause an algal bloom.
At step #6 in the diagram, the excess nutrients that have entered the water body from fertilizer runoff have caused an increase in algae growth, resulting in an algal bloom. This excessive growth of algae can block sunlight from reaching the plants beneath, ultimately leading to their death.