Nutrients and Eutrophication

Abstract

Excess nutrientsNutrientsfrom fertiliserFertiliser application, pollution discharge and water regulations outflow through rivers from lands to oceans, seriously impact coastal ecosystems. Terrestrial runoffcoastal ecosystems Terrestrial runoff of waters polluted with nutrients (primarily nitrogenNitrogen [N] and phosphorusPhosphorus [P] compounds) from point source/sPoint sources, such as sewage treatment plant (STP)Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) discharges, and diffuse sourcesDiffuse Sourcesvia river discharges, such as fertiliser losses, are having devastating adverse effects in coastal and marine ecosystems globally (Carpenter et al., Ecol Appl 8:559–568, 1998; Halpern et al., Science 319:948–952, 2008; Crain et al., Ecol Lett 11:1304–1315, 2008; Smith and Schindler, Trends Ecol Evol 24:201–207, 2009). The nutrients can be dissolved such as dissolved nitrate and PhosphatePhosphate typically discharged from STPs or agricultural runoffAgricultural runoff or in a particulate form, often associated with soil erosion.