Eutrophication
in Lake Victoria
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Overview
Solutions
Problems and Consequences
- Nutrient Limitation
- uses phytoplankton
- Algae filtration
- remove nutrients and minerals
- algae cannot give off necessary nutrients
- plants die off
- Ultrasonic irradiation
- damages algae cells
- Scientists are yet to discover more ways of fixing eutrophication
- biodiversity loss, habitat destruction, death, taste, odour
- WWF- native lake fish 80% down over 4 decades
- over 60% people around live below the poverty line
- Water with excessive nutrients is harder to filter- advanced technology required
- Excessive nutrients in ecosystems
- causes dense plant growth
- Lack of oxygen for other aquatic species
Eutrophication Process
Environmental Perspective
- occurs through fertilizers in water table and run-offs
- causes phytoplankton to grow-algal bloom
- oxygen decreases- animal life perishes
- blocks sunlight- plant life dies
- some algae produces toxins
Invasive Weed
Technological Perspective
- known as water hyacinth
- after 7 years, had taken up 80% of Uganda's shoreline
- plants weave a dense mat over water
- James Ogwang introduced south American Weevil
- Main nutrient controller is phosporus
- Scientists are currently developing new technology to remove phosphorus from water
- the food web has been altered by non native organisms
- they take away phosphorus from native species
Societal Perspective
- countries surrounding the lake lack equipment and budget
- no access to potable water and food
- main food supply and way of making a living is fish- many fish die from the process
- due to shortage, people turn to mining
- harmful toxins make water undrinkable
Scientific Perspective
- Eutrophication Explained
- fertilizers -water table/ run-offs
- cause rapid growth of phytoplanton - algal bloom
- excess nitrogen and phosphorus
- causes algal bloom
- Excess of nitrogen and oxygen
- algae feeds on
Algal Bloom
- dead zones
- emit toxins into water and air
- not all are harmful
- important to ocean food web
- decaying depletes oxygen