utrofification

Type: Concept

As of November 2026, utrofification has been mentioned in one podcast episode on Stuff You Should Know (Nov 2025). Used to explain algae blooms, oxygen depletion, dead zones, and cascading fish/bird die-offs in the Salton Sea.

Eutrophication is a general term describing a process in which nutrients accumulate in a body of water, resulting in an increased growth of organisms that may deplete the oxygen in the water; i.e. the process of too many plants growing on the surface of a river, lake, etc., often because chemicals that are used to help crops grow have been carried there by rain. Eutrophication may occur naturally or as a result of human actions. Manmade, or cultural, eutrophication occurs when sewage, industrial