Supplement 3.1: Eutrophication in the Seas in and around Europe

The extent of eutrophication varies across the Pan-European Seas

Baltic Sea: the eastern and south-eastern part are eutrophic (HELCOM 2006)

North Sea: eutrophication is found particularly in the estuaries, fjords and coastal areas of the southern and eastern part, in the Kattegat, the Skagerrak and, to a lesser extent, in the English Channel (OSPAR 2003)

Celtic Sea: eutrophication occurs in some bays and estuaries (OSPAR 2003)

Mediterranean Sea: eutrophication is common in sheltered water bodies near coastal towns. The north Adriatic Sea is considered eutrophic due to large riverine nutrient inputs, mainly from the Po (EEA, 2006a)

Black Sea: eutrophication is largely associated with increased river loads of nutrients, particularly on the north-western shelf

Caspian Sea: eutrophication has steadily increased since the 1980s in some parts of the lake

Russian Arctic, incl. the White Sea: no eutrophication (UNEP 2005a, Salmanov 2005)

Barents Sea: no eutrophication (UNEP 2004b)

Arctic region of OSPAR incl. the Norwegian Sea: no eutrophication (OSPAR 2000)



Zoom Sign
map of the pan-European marine ecosystems
Map of the pan-European marine ecosystems
Source: EEA 2007