eutrophication

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

the process by which a water body becomes excessively enriched with nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural runoff and sewage discharge, triggering explosive algal growth (algal blooms) that depletes dissolved oxygen as the algae die and decompose, creating hypoxic or anoxic dead zones in which most aquatic life cannot survive; eutrophication is one of the most widespread forms of freshwater and coastal marine pollution globally, affecting lakes, rivers, estuaries, and coastal seas; cultural eutrophication caused by human activities has accelerated dramatically since the mid-twentieth century with the intensification of agriculture