EUTROPHICATION ASSESSMENT AT 3 COASTAL AREAS OF THE EASTERN IONIAN SEA

Nutrient oligotrophic or eutrophic conditions have been characterised as the affecting the marine ecosystem. In this paper an attempt is mad e to assess for the first time the eutrophication conditions at three coastal areas of the northeastern Ionian Sea (Kerkyra Sea, Kalamitsi a rea, Laconikos Gulf). The vertical distribution of nutrients follows t he pattern known to exist in Ionian waters, according to which nutrien ts are practically depleted by the phytoplankton uptake in the euphoti c zone, while a progressive enrichment is observed at greater depths. The comparison of the degree of eutrophication of the study areaswith that of other coastal Greek areas shows that all three are among the m ost oligotrophic.