Article Summary & Discussion Preparation Log Part I: Individual Assignment Name: Joanna Asuelo Article Title: Enriching

the Sea to Death Author/Source: Scott W. Nixon/ Scientific American Due Date:10-11-13

A: List the major ideas, concepts or key points- point by point: Between 1850 and 1920, the first running water ran through towns in North American and Europe The waste from these waters would be put into nearby bodies of water such as lakes and rivers Although organic matter and pathogens were removed by waste treatment plants, the nitrogen and phosphorus were not Nitrogen and phosphorus are essential to fertilizers Phytoplankton bloom rapidly in nitrogen and phosphorus filled water; causes eutrophication Water can only hold about 5-10 grams of oxygen for each cubic meter Small decrease of oxygen can become deadly to aquatic creatures Although phytoplankton receive lots of sunlight making more oxygen, they die quickly and their fallout goes to lower depths Lighter oxygen rich water that flow into ocean cannot go in deeper Dead zones can be created even in open waters Nutrients can cause toxic phytoplankton species to bloom

Animals also consume and excrete nitrogen and phosphorus; more fertilizer runoff Phosphorus induces aquatic plants to bloom in freshwater Phosphorus can easily be removed from sewage because of its stickiness US spends billions of fertilizers, automobiles, power plants, and sewer systems Rising populations feed the release of nutrients

B: Summarize the AUTHORs main point or idea- at LEAST 1-2 paragraphs: Phosphorus and nitrogen has continually been added to the waters of the Earth since the start of indoor plumbing. Because of this, there has been an increase of nitrogen and phosphorus in bodies of water, resulting in a depletion of oxygen in the water. Just a small change of oxygen in the water can cause problems for the marine life and the chances of survival. An excess amount of nitrogen and phosphorus can cause eutrophication and dead zones in the water. Also dead zones and coastal areas are in danger due to the excess nutrients. Although there is a possibility of reducing it with new, updated treatment plants, developing countries can and will also repeat the mistake of enriching the sea. Overall the excess nitrogen and phosphorus in the waters on Earth are a huge concern for everyone.

C: Write a reaction paragraph to the article stating your own thoughts on the topic, using specific citations from the article to support your views: After reading this article, I have a better understanding on what excess nitrogen and phosphorus can do to the Earth. Before, I knew that too much nutrients would be bad, and that it could cause dead zones and eutrophication. Now I know about small details such as, amount of nitrogen available per square kilometer of land from fertilizer application, livestock, and

human waste alone is currently more than 100 times greater in Europe than in much of Africa. This detail is very saddening because I expected that 1st world countries would have less nutrients in the water compared to developing countries. The article also states Coastal areas are especially vulnerable to oxygen depletion. Beautiful beaches and coasts would be less beautiful in my eyes if the trend of extra nitrogen and phosphorus continues. So What? This article is important because it includes details and explanations relating to the excess nitrogen and phosphorus, and their effects. What if? What if the population decreased and more people were educated on the problem of excess nutrients? I would predict that there would be less waste, and people would try to change and help with the nutrients. Says Who? The author Scott W. Nixons article has used works from A. S Moffat and Vaclav Smil. What does this remind me of? This reminds me of the ocean acidification lab, however instead of carbonic acid, it is nitrogen and phosphorus.