COASTAL MARINE EUTROPHICATION - A DEFINITION, SOCIAL CAUSES, AND FUTURE CONCERNS

There is a need in the marine research and management communities for a clear operational definition of the term, eutrophication. I propose the following: eutrophication (noun) - an increase in the rate of supp ly of organic matter to an ecosystem. This definition is consistent wi th historical usage and emphasizes that eutrophication is a process, n ot a trophic state. A simple trophic classification for marine systems is also proposed: [GRAPHICS] Various factors may increase the supply of organic matter to coastal systems, but the most common is clearly n utrient enrichment. The major causes of nutrient enrichment in coastal areas are associated directly or indirectly with meeting the requirem ents and desires of human nutrition and diet. The deposition of reacti ve nitrogen emitted to the atmosphere as a consequence of fossil fuel combustion is also an important anthropogenic factor. The intensity of nitrogen emission from fertilizer, livestock waste, and fossil fuel c ombustion varies widely among the countries of the world. It is strong est in Europe, the northeastern United States, India/Pakistan, Japan/K orea, and the Caribbean. This geographical distribution corresponds wi th many areas where coastal marine eutrophication has become a recent concern. Demographic and social trends suggest that past practices lea ding to coastal nutrient enrichment are likely to be repeated in the c oming decades in the developing countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin A merica.