Shifting Baselines Eutrophication

Zachary Smith, Bryan Ergino, Raheel Gowhari,

Brandon Vega

What is Shifting Baselines?

Shifting Baselines is when a baseline which we
use as a reference point of something decreases or
increases and we as people dont see or look the
other way as it goes past us.

What is Eutrophication?
Eutrophication is the process in which a
source of water gains a lot of nutrients
creating algal bloom to grow covering the
water in a thick green goo. This goo
reduces sunlight killing plants and the
water animals. Toxicons also can appear
making it dangerous to be around.

When did the problem start?

Eutrophication is a slow process that has started as a
problem from nutrients causing water to be polluted.
Due to the fact that the water was still clear but
people didnt really think much about it until it was
actually polluted

What information is between the baseline and

most current?
Eutrophication started to develop more in the smaller
bodies of water which lead to people being unknown
of the danger of this further spreading. When the saw
the larger bodies of water clear, however, they didnt
realize it was a very dangerous thing developing
majorly in the smaller bodies of water.

What is the most current information on the

problem?
Some of the most current information is
quite interesting. This site mentions how
eutrophication is a slow and gradual
process, that has been occurring over
periods of centuries. Eutrophication is
natural, but only when production and
consumption in the ocean, lakes, and
rivers do not cancel each other out.
Human caused eutrophication, or artificial
eutrophication has become so common
that humans have gotten so used to
thinking that eutrophication is harmful.

What are predictions for where this problem

might end up in the future?
Predictions from this website result in Lake Fuxian
which is the deepest lake in southeast China to
become 100% eutrophicated. This can become a
problem with a known lake becoming eutrophicated
it could spread to other major lakes with the lack of
knowledge of the community.

References (Information)
Chislock, M. F., Doster, E., Zitomer, R. A. & Wilson, A. E. (2013)
http://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/eutrophication-causes-consequences-and-controls-in-aquatic-102364466
Unknown (2008)
http://www.scienceclarified.com/El-Ex/Eutrophication.html

UXL Encyclopedia of Science | 2002 http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/eutrophication.aspx

Shouliang H., Zhuoshi H, Jing S, Beidou X, Chaowei Z (2013) http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878029613001722

References (Images)
(Lake Fuxian eutrophication)
http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/01/5-underwater-cities-you-can-see-at-low-tide.html
(nearby water source with eutrophication)
http://greenliving.about.com/od/greenlivingbasics/a/Eutrophication-Algal-Blooms.htm
(The process of Eutrophication)
http://www.scienceclarified.com/El-Ex/Eutrophication.html
(Eutrophication)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/staticarchive/05e29b2e4fb11a0954c97cbe5273999767ea9fff.jpg
(tree next to eutrophication) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eutrophication

(shifting baseline fishes)

http://www.shiftingbaselines.org/mpas/psa.php