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Dissolved Oxygen Measurements In The Machipongo River System Near Willis Wharf, Virginia, Bruce Neilson, Cheol Mo, Rodney Jackson

Reports

Most aquatic organisms require· oxygen to survive and consequently, the dissolved oxygen (DO) content of the water is one of the most important measures of water quality. Sources of oxygen are the atmosphere and photosynthesis. Oxygen is consumed by plants and animals during respiration and by microorganisms that decompose organic matter. The more sources and sinks of oxygen, the more difficult it is to understand and predict the oxygen dynamics of a river system. Grossly polluted systems turn out to be quite simple, because the pollutant source dominates. Natural, unimpacted systems often show a balance between a number of sources …