Common Procedure for Identification of the Eutrophication Status of Maritime Area of the Oslo and Paris Conventions. Report on the Eutrophication Status for the Norwegian Skagerrak Coast

Abstract

The Norwegian Skagerrak coast has been classified according to the OSPAR Common Procedure. Compared to the previous assessment in 2002, this classification is based on new data on nutrient load, oxygen conditions, hardbottom fauna and flora (especially sugar kelp), harmful planktonic algae, as well as other data from a number of recipient studies. Fourteen areas have been studied and classified. The data has been of varying quality, but the overall classification of the coastline is Problem Area. One should note that the classification assumes that the decline of sugar kelp on the Norwegian Skagerrak coast to some extent is caused by eutrophication. For some areas this assumption is crucial for the classification. If future studies of the kelp disappearance prove otherwise, this classification should be revised.