Bay Lake is having an algal bloom. Algal blooms occur when algae grow quickly because of extra nutrients in the water. Nutrients get into the water system from fertilizers washing into it when it rains. The algae use the nutrients to grow very
quickly, but as they die, the decay process removes oxygen from the water. This results in less and less oxygen for fish and other
aquatic life. The local Bay Lake government is considering several solutions listed in the table.
Solutions for Bay Lake Algal Blooms
Solution
Positive Outcomes
Negative Outcomes
filter the water
algae are removed
expensive; short-term results; disrupts the ecosystem
spray chemicals on the algae algae are killed the algae may release toxins; the chemicals can build up in the sediments
release algae eating fish into the lake algae are eaten the ecosystem is changed; non-native species can destroy a habitat
reduce the use of fertilizers near the lake algae will not over-grow farm production may decrease; difficult to manage fertilizer use
Which solution will best decrease the algal blooms in Bay Lake, with the least impact on the fish and aquatic life?
O A Filter the water.
O c. Release algae eating fish into the lake.
O B. Spray chemicals on the algae.
O D. Reduce the use of fertilizers near the lake.