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Estuaries’ Role in the Nutrient Cycle
In the nutrient cycle, estuaries serve as a place were many elements are recycled and made available to living organisms. These elements must be kept in balance to maintain the health of the estuary.
In ecology and Earth science, a nutrient cycle, or a biogeochemical cycle, is the recycling of nutrients, or chemical elements and compounds that are necessary for life. Nutrients moves through both living and non-living compartments of an ecosystem. Theses nutrients and elements are used in ecosystems by living organisms. Some important nutrient cycles include the carbon cycle, the nitrogen cycle, the oxygen cycle and the phosphorus cycle.
Nutrients must be balanced in all parts of the cycles. If nutrients become unbalanced in one compartment, the health of the ecosystem may decline.
The cycling of two nutrients, nitrogen and phosphorus, is especially important in estuaries. Nitrogen and phosphorus come from several sources including decomposing animals and plants, animal waste, fertilizer, runoff including products such as laundry detergent, and more. In the soil and the water of the estuary, bacteria and other living organisms like microscopic plants must have these nutrients to grow. Often, as the amount of nutrient increases, the numbers of the organisms that require the nutrients increases.
For example, when a large amount of animal waste that is high in nitrogen is deposited in a nearby stream, the estuary downstream will receive a large amount of this nutrient, causing an unbalanced state. With extra nutrients like nitrogen, algae may grow in high numbers, or “bloom”. When the algae uses up the extra nutrients, they die and decompose. The process of decomposition uses oxygen and can deplete surrounding estuarine waters of its oxygen, creating anaerobic conditions. Such conditions can cause fish and shellfish, which need oxygen to survive, to die.
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Last Updated on: 06-23-2008
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