UPDATE: Fish deaths linked to algae
Stagnation and raised temperatures are also determining factors.
THE recent deaths of masses of fish in Lake Mzingazi were almost certainly the result of eutrophication – excessive nutrients in the water.
That’s the viewpoint of Ezemvelo Senior Ecologist Marine, Santosh Bachoo, after samples of water and dead fish were sent for toxicity testing.
The extra nutrients cause increased algae bloom, which in turn deplete oxygen.
Although a natural occurrence, high nutrient concentrations have also been linked to spiralling population growth and human settlement patterns, as well as to influx of fertilizers and detergents.
Stagnation and raised temperatures are also determining factors.
Taste and odour problems are also associated with algae blooms.
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