Eutrophication is the process by which aquatic ecosystems become enriched with bioavailable nutrients, primarily reactive nitrogen and phosphorus, leading to excessive primary production, typically algal and cyanobacterial blooms. This nutrient loading often originates from agricultural runoff, wastewater effluents, and atmospheric deposition, and it disrupts ecosystem structure and function by altering species composition, food-web dynamics, and biogeochemical cycles. Subsequent decomposition of bloom biomass elevates microbial respiration, driving hypoxia or anoxia, promoting internal nutrient recycling from sediments, and potentially generating toxic metabolites. Eutrophication is a central research topic in limnology, coastal oceanography, and ecosystem management, integrating hydrology, biogeochemistry, and ecological modeling.
A microscopic green pigment can provide major insights into how severe tropical cyclones called typhoons impact water flow and ecosystems. Called chlorophyll a, the pigment is responsible for absorbing light and initiating ...
Earth Sciences
Apr 16, 2026
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After months of relentlessly miserable weather for most of the UK, spring brings renewed enthusiasm for spending time outdoors hiking, wild swimming, paddling, or on walks.
Environment
Apr 10, 2026
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On a calm summer's morning in southern Australia, the water can look deceptively clear, until you see thousands of gelatinous shapes washing ashore. In January, thousands of pink lion's mane jellyfish washed into Port Phillip ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 8, 2026
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Researchers have uncovered new evidence that short-lived spikes in ocean phosphorus may have played a major role in two of the most severe marine extinctions in Earth's history. Dr. Matthew Dodd from The University of Western ...
Earth Sciences
Apr 1, 2026
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The bottom sediment of water bodies is an archive of all human activity. It is a reservoir of nutrients but also of harmful substances—and it can also turn into a source of emissions. "Most lakes tend to be remediated due ...
Environment
Mar 25, 2026
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Urban stormwater ponds provide important habitats for birds, including both resident and migrating species, according to research led by the University of Toronto. For the study, researchers placed audio recorders at 16 stormwater ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 24, 2026
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10
A study led by William & Mary's Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences & VIMS and published in FEMS Microbiology Ecology reveals that microbial communities growing on microplastics in the Chesapeake Bay carry the genetic ...
Ecology
Mar 11, 2026
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The Environment Agency and the University of Stirling have published a new report on the links between phosphorus concentrations and ecology in English rivers. Phosphorus remains one of the most significant pollutants in ...
Ecology
Mar 7, 2026
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Canada's drinking water can remain at risk long after wildfires burn out, according to a UBC-led global review that found water-quality impacts often emerge months or years later—not just immediately after a fire. Researchers ...
Environment
Mar 4, 2026
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Scientists have developed a new edge-of-field water-treatment system that reduces the load of excess nutrients washing into waterways from farm drainage systems. Their method combines a woodchip bioreactor with a two-step ...
Biotechnology
Feb 26, 2026
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