Eutrophication: Lessons learned from the Pacific Northwest
On this page:
Excessive nutrient loading (eutrophication) to estuaries is known to be detrimental to the health of estuarine ecosystems including seagrass communities. Seagrasses, like eelgrass Zostera marina, are marine angiosperms that provide valuable ecosystem services and can be used as a measure of ecosystem health. Typically, eelgrass is impacted indirectly through algal competitors that shade the plants often leading to declines in density and distribution. Conceptual models of eutrophication have been well developed for systems along the eastern seaboard and applied somewhat universally. However, there are key characteristics of Pacific Northwest (PNW) estuaries that differentiate them from East Coast systems. These differences and their impact on the conceptual models are explored through systems comparisons and experimental mesocosm work.