The best was to carry out the student would be to d) Examine the pond's ecosystem for signs of nutrient-related issues
How can the scientists study the local pond ?
To investigate the nutrient runoff's impact on pond biodiversity, scientists should first examine the pond's ecosystem for signs of nutrient-related issues.
This would involve assessing the abundance and diversity of plant and animal species in the pond, as well as looking for any signs of algal blooms or other indicators of eutrophication.
Once the scientists have a better understanding of the pond's current state, they can then begin to investigate the potential impacts of nutrient runoff. This might involve conducting experiments to see how different levels of nutrient runoff affect the growth of different plant and animal species.