Publication Abstract

A comparison of methods for assessing impacts of nutrient enrichment in coastal and offshore waters in England and Wales.

Painting*, S. and Foden*, J. 2010.

Marine waters of Europe are regularly monitored for assessing impacts of nutrient enrichment, and several procedures exist under European Directives or protocols. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the outcomes of the UK Water Framework Directive (WFD) tools and the HelCom Eutrophication Assessment Tool (HEAT) applied to OSPAR regions in England and Wales. Results are presented here for two coastal regions (Liverpool Bay and the Bristol Channel) and one offshore region (the southern North Sea). Available data were obtained from WFD databases and from the recent application of the OSPAR Comprehensive Procedure (COMPP). The turbidity status of each water body was determined from additional cruise data and semi-autonomous monitoring systems (SmartBuoys). Salinity was used to filter data for coastal and offshore waters, using values of 30.0 – 34.5 and >34.5 respectively.

Outcomes from the two assessment tools were similar for all areas, and comparable with those from the OSPAR COMPP. Although the tools are similar in their approaches and the indicators used, differences in the overall assessment processes are reflected in the final outcomes, particularly for coastal water bodies.