Research Areas > Nutrients > Nutrient Cycling in Estuaries > Eutrophication Magnitude & Extent

Project Area: Magnitude and Extent of Eutrophication in Estuaries

SCCWRP Research

Coastal areas in the US (and throughout the world) are expected to experience more nutrient enrichment and eutrophication problems in the future as a result of population expansion and land development. A recent evaluation of existing data on eutrophication in US estuaries indicated that two-thirds of them showed symptoms of moderate to high levels of eutrophication (NEEA 2007). Little data was available for West Coast estuaries, though, underlining the need to assess the extent and magnitude of estuarine eutrophication in California.

SCCWRP research aims to document the extent and magnitude of eutrophication in southern California estuaries, in order to provide data that will better characterize the problem of eutrophication on a national scale. This research will contribute to an improved understanding of appropriate indicators and thresholds that define when beneficial uses of estuaries become impaired. It will also improve our understanding of variability in the estuary’s biological response to nutrient loads.

The main study within this research area is:

• Bight’08 Coastal Wetlands and Estuaries