A massive bluegill fish kill was observed in a lake near a power plant during the winter months. It was determined that the plan
t was releasing large amounts of hot water into the lake. Which of the following explains what likely caused the death of so many bluegills in the lake? A: The increased water temperature caused dissolved oxygen levels to increase, leading to greater metabolic activity of catfish, which outcompeted the bluegill fish for resources.
B: The influx of warmer water caused an unexpected increase in the metabolic rate of the bluegills, which led to increased physiological stress from limited resource availability.
C: Rates of organic matter decomposition increased, which lead to an increase in dissolved oxygen and increased bacteria levels.
D: Photosynthetic output of aquatic plants decreased because of the higher temperature, which lowered the amount of carbon dioxide available for bluegills to carry out cellular respiration.