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.
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