Eutrophication is the enrichment of an ecosystem with chemical nutrients, typically compounds containing nitrogen, phosphorus, or both.

Eutrophication can be a natural process in lakes, occurring as they age through geological time.

Eutrophication was recognized as a pollution problem in European and North American lakes and reservoirs in the mid-20th century.

Human activities can accelerate the rate at which nutrients enter ecosystems.

Runoff from agriculture and development, pollution from septic systems and sewers, and other human-related activities increase the flux of both inorganic nutrients and organic substances into terrestrial, aquatic, and coastal marine ecosystems (including coral reefs)..

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