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Aesthetics: Senstitivity to physical beauty and art.
Algal Bloom: The name given to a population "explosion" when algae reproduce very quickly. This usually occurs when there is a lot of phosphorus or nitrogen in the water from pollutants.
Diffusion: The process where molecules spread out to form an even concentration.
Microorganism: A tiny plant or animal too small to be seen without a microscope.
Mouth: Where a river empties into the sea.
Nitrogen: The 14th of the 107 elements. Nitrogen is important for plant growth and is found in many commercial fertilizers. It also is found in different forms (sometimes as a gas, sometimes as a compound with Oxygen or Hydrogen). Because of this, it is often washed through a watershed into a stream or river. If there is too much Nitrogen in the water, it is a pollutant.
Phosphorus: Another element which is extremely important for plant growth. Many times it is the limiting factor for a plant's continued growth.
Photosynthesis: The chemical process by which plants can use sunlight, carbon dioxide and water to form sugars and oxygen.
Pollutant: Pollutants are anything which has a bad effect on the environment.
Tributary: A stream or river whose water flows into a larger stream or river.
Watershed: The land and smaller water bodies which drain into a stream or river.
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