Chapter 4 Environmental Factors and its Relationship with Animals and Plants
Algal bloom
Definition
Mechanism
The explosive growth of algae due to an overabundance of nutrients.
(1) Chemicals from pesticides and insecticides seep through the soil and enter the water.
(2) The level of nitrogen and phosphorus increases,
(3) The algae grows exponentially due to the increasing nutrients.
(4) The algae end up absorbing all the oxygen, driving away or killing other aquatic life.
Examples
Algal bloom at Lake Erie https://nbc24.com/news/local/algal-bloom-forecast-show-mild-numbers-for-lake-erie
Pink waters at Sentosa Cove may be caused by algal bloom https://www.malaymail.com/news/singapore/2021/01/15/sentosa-coves-pink-waters-could-be-caused-by-algae-bloom-due-to-recent-heav/1940596
Biomagnification
Definition
Increase of contaminant accumulation throughout the entire food chain.
Example
Usually accumulates in the organs of each organism and is passed on to the next trophic level.
Bioaccumulation
Definition
Increase of contaminant concentration in a single organism via trophic transfer.
Usually accumulates in the adipose tissue of an organism.
Example
Mostly involves heavy metals.
Heavy metals reaching seafood such as sushi https://www.newfoodmagazine.com/news/153397/sushi-heavy-metals/
Plastic waste accumulating in the fat of organisms https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-18849-y