What is a significant environmental impact of eutrophication?

Oxygen depletion in water is a significant environmental impact of eutrophication. Eutrophication is the process where water bodies become enriched with nutrients, primarily nitrogen and phosphorus, often due to runoff from agricultural lands, wastewater discharge, or other human activities. This nutrient overload stimulates excessive growth of algae, commonly referred to as algal blooms.

As the algal blooms proliferate, they can block sunlight from reaching aquatic plants, disrupting their ability to photosynthesize. When the algae eventually die off, their decomposition by bacteria consumes large amounts of dissolved oxygen in the water. This depletion of oxygen can create hypoxic conditions (low-oxygen environments) or anoxic conditions (no oxygen), which are detrimental to aquatic life. Many fish and other organisms that rely on dissolved oxygen struggle to survive in these conditions, leading to broader ecological consequences such as fish kills and a decrease in species diversity.

In contrast to the effects described, increased biodiversity (as a result of eutrophication) is not accurate, as the negative impact on aquatic life typically leads to a decline in biodiversity. Similarly, eutrophication doesn't reduce greenhouse gases; rather, it can worsen water quality and create methane emissions from decomposing organic matter in anaerobic conditions. Lastly, the statement regarding improvement