Which will most likely result if there is increased upwelling in a coastal area?

• A. more aquatic life
• B. less nutrients in water
• C. higher water temperatures.
• D. fewer nitrates

Answer: (A)

Upwelling brings deep, nutrient-rich water up to the surface, increasing nutrients like nitrates in coastal waters. This fuels rapid growth of phytoplankton, the start of the aquatic food web, which supports larger populations of zooplankton and fish. The surface water often cools during upwelling, not warms, so higher temperatures aren’t the expected result. Because nutrients rise rather than fall, fewer nitrates isn’t correct either. So the most likely outcome is more aquatic life.