British Sign Language Glossaries of Curriculum Terms

BSL Environmental Science Glossary - Eutrophication definition

Definition: When farmers spray crops with fertilisers it help them grow but when it rains the water mixes with the fertiliser and the runoff finds its way into rivers and lakes. Once there the fertiliser helps algae to grow and spread, forming a green layer that we see that sits on top of the water - this then creates a problem because sunlight can no longer penetrate beyond the surface of the water. Plants that live on the water bed are then unable to generate their own food and start to die off. As a consequence levels of oxygen fall which affects creatures and fish that live in the water and their numbers also start to decline. This process is called eutrophication.