HUMAN INFLUENCE OR NATURAL PERTURBATION IN OCEANIC AND COASTAL WATERSCAN WE DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THEM

The review brings up several case studies on what is perceived as natu ral perturbations and/or human impacts on the marine biosphere. Case s tudies include polar seas, the green house effect, introduction of new species, pollution in Antarctic waters, pelagic fish stock fluctuatio ns in oceanic waters, and eutrophication and pollution in temperate co astal systems. In coastal waters human impact is often obvious, but cl imatic fluctuations also influence the systems. In the open ocean the two factors are difficult to distinguish and some large scale fish sto ck fluctuations still need to be understood.