Study.com. (n.d.). Human Causes of Eutrophication. Retrieved from https://study.com/academy/lesson/human-causes-of-eutrophication.htmlEutrophication is the process by which a body of water becomes overly enriched by nutrients. You can recall this term by remembering that the word 'eutrophic' comes from the Greek language and means well-nourished. Therefore, a body of water that has undergone eutrophication is a 'well-nourished' lake.
While it might sound like a good thing to have extra nutrients added to water, eutrophication typically has a detrimental effect. An overabundance of nutrients stimulates the rapid growth of algae and aquatic plant life. This excessive growth depletes dissolved oxygen levels within the water to a point where other organisms, such as fish, cannot survive.