Which term best describes nutrient enrichment leading to algal blooms in a body of water?

• A. Eutrophication
• B. Desalination
• C. Denitrification
• D. Flocculation

Answer: (A)

Nutrient enrichment that fuels excessive algae growth in a body of water is eutrophication. When wastewater or runoff adds nitrogen and phosphorus, those nutrients act like fertilizer, causing algae and aquatic plants to multiply rapidly and form blooms. These blooms can block sunlight, shift the ecosystem balance, and, as they die and decompose, consume large amounts of dissolved oxygen, leading to low-oxygen conditions that stress or kill aquatic life. This phenomenon comes from nutrient loading and is influenced by water temperature and mixing. It’s not desalination (salt removal), denitrification (a nitrogen-removal process in treatment), or flocculation (a solids-removal step). So the term that best describes this nutrient-driven bloom is eutrophication.