Jody's UR, Answers to Stacy S's Question!

Thanks for your question Stacy which was; we learn in oceanography that plankton blooms due to high nutrient levels can cause low levels of oxygen when the plankton sink and die. Do your ponds have fish and are there low oxygen levels in your ponds that could kill your fish?

 Phytoplankton are microscopic organisms that inhabit the upper sunlit layer of almost all oceans and bodies of fresh water. They are primary producers that create Oxygen (O2) from carbon dioxide (CO2) that is dissolved in the water, a process that sustains the aquatic food web. They are photosynthetic organisms that like aquatic plants and other particulate organic matter (POM) die and eventually fall to the bottom (hypolimnion) and decompose. This organic matter (OM) goes through a decomposition process, this is a process called aerobic respiration that uses the lake waters free oxygen (O2) and gives off carbon dioxide (CO2). The opposite (if you will) of the photosynthetic process. If  the CO2 production exceeds the photosynthetic O2 production the balance will tip and it will  deplete the water of it's O2 concentrations and will cause fish kills. I have not sampled this lake for O2 levels yet, I should do that. However I have worked at this course for five years and have not seen any fish kills. And yes, all the ponds are very much alive and active with aquatic life. I see many frogs, minnows, bass and carp and quite often wading birds and occasionally alligators munching on them.
Here is an article I found during my research that you might find interesting!