Question

A scientist was measuring the effect of water temperature on dissolved oxygen in a local lake during the spring. The lake was experiencing increased algal growth due to runoff from a nearby cornfield. The scientist plotted his data in the graph below. The scientist concluded that the decrease in oxygen levels was caused by the increase in temperature. Which additional explanation is most likely correct?

Answer 1

C. The decrease in oxygen levels was also caused by the increased algal growth.

Answer 2

The algal growth also contributed to the decrease of oxygen levels in the water

Step-by-step explanation:

There is a process known as eutrophication, which can have some very damaging effects on the environment.

This process usually starts when runoff enters a lake or stream, and this runoff comes from farmland. The reason that it is specifically farmland, is because many farmers use fertilizer, and in excess, when it rains, the nutrients in the fertilizer becomes runoff and gets washed into streams or rivers. This allows for algal growth, and due to the increasing presence of the algae, more oxygen is being consumed and therefore, the oxygen dissolved in the water decreases in concentration.