Nutrients Nutrients in the Mid-Atlantic Estuaries Figure 8. Concentrations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus measured during the summer months in surface waters.
Nutrient levels are higher than optimum in most of the rivers and upper bays.
The categories are defined and discussed further in the technical appendix. All plants and animals need small amounts of nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, to grow and reproduce. However, an excess of nutrients can lead to eutrophication, a condition in which prolonged blooms of algae rob light and oxygen from other organisms while turning waterways green and foul smelling. The concentrations of dissolved nutrients measured during the summertime are shown in Figure 8. The highly urbanized Delaware Estuary exhibits some of the largest concentrations of nutrients measured anywhere in the world.