SLU news

Marine eutrophication

Published: 29 May 2017

Eutrophication of water resources occur almost everywhere on earth. The effects are eg. massive algal blooms, extensive oxygen depletion in lakes and sea areas, and recurrent incidences of fish kills. Many measures has been taken to reduce the inputs of nutrients to our waters, especially to inland waters in the more developed part of the world, but a lot is still needed to reduce the detrimendal trends with increased marine eutrophication.

The problems with marine eutrophication is highlighted in a report from the Swedish Institute for the Marine Environment. In the report the causes to antrophogenic eutrofication of inland waters and our sea areas on a global scale, and the measures to reduce the nutrient inputs to our sea areas are discussed. Special emphasis is payed to how we as a part of the society may affect the future development.

The report was commissioned by the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SwAM). It is ment to raise awareness, and to stimulate discussions on marine eutrophication at the UN Oceans Conference in New York 5-9 June 2017, which will be co-hosted by Sweden and Fiji .

Facts:

The Swedish Institute for the Marine Environment is a collaboration between five universities: Umeå University, Stockholm University, Linnaeus University, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and University of Gothenburg.