3 Coastal Eutrophication and Marine Benthic
Vegetation: A Model Analysis
1. DE VRIES!, C.J.M. PHILIPPART 2 , E.G. DEGROODT\
and M.W.M. VAN DER TOLl
3.1 Introduction
The production of marine vegetation is mainly nutrient-limited in many
coastal areas. The primary producers should therefore be easily affected
by eutrophication, particularly in lagoons, semi-enclosed bays and larger
port areas. This supposition is confirmed by experimental work where
the addition of the limiting nutrient generally results in increased
production and biomass of phytoplankton (Borum 1983, 1985; Graneli
and Sundback 1985; Oviatt et al. 1986; Rudek et al. 1991), microphytobenthos (Graneli and Sundback 1985; Nilsson et al. 1991),
epiphytes (Borum 1983, 1985; Silberstein et al. 1986), macroalgae (Harlin
and Thorne-Miller 1981; Lapointe et al. 1987) and seagrasses (Orth 1977;
Harlin and Thorne-Miller 1981).
Yet, in the field, eutrophication generally does not result in an overall
increase of marine algal species already present, but rather in a shift of
species composition and biomass. An often observed shift of algal
species composition is the decline of seagrass in nutrient-enriched
estuaries, e.g. in the bays on the southcoast of Long Island, USA (Kelly
and Naguib 1984), in Lac Tunis, Tunisia (Kelly and Naguib 1984), in the
Venice Lagoon, Italy (Sfriso et al. 1989b) and in Cockburn Sound,
Australia (Shepherd et al. 1989). The macro algae composition was found
to shift from filamentous to foliose species. In the Venice Lagoon, the
macroalgae Cladophora prolifera and Laurencia pinnatifida almost disappeared while Ulva spp. increased in distribution and biomass (Sfriso
1 Rijkswaterstaat, National Institute for Coastal and Marine Management, P.O. Box 20907,
2500 EX The Hague, The Netherlands
2Institute for Forestry and Nature Research, P. O. Box 165, 1790 AD Den Burg, The
Netherlands
3Rijkswaterstaat, National Institute for Coastal and Marine Management, P.O. Box 20907,
2500 EX The Hague, The Netherlands
Ecological Studies, Vol. 123
Schramm/Nienhuis (eds) Marine Benthic Vegetation
© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1996
Vegetation: A Model Analysis
1. DE VRIES!, C.J.M. PHILIPPART 2 , E.G. DEGROODT\
and M.W.M. VAN DER TOLl
3.1 Introduction
The production of marine vegetation is mainly nutrient-limited in many
coastal areas. The primary producers should therefore be easily affected
by eutrophication, particularly in lagoons, semi-enclosed bays and larger
port areas. This supposition is confirmed by experimental work where
the addition of the limiting nutrient generally results in increased
production and biomass of phytoplankton (Borum 1983, 1985; Graneli
and Sundback 1985; Oviatt et al. 1986; Rudek et al. 1991), microphytobenthos (Graneli and Sundback 1985; Nilsson et al. 1991),
epiphytes (Borum 1983, 1985; Silberstein et al. 1986), macroalgae (Harlin
and Thorne-Miller 1981; Lapointe et al. 1987) and seagrasses (Orth 1977;
Harlin and Thorne-Miller 1981).
Yet, in the field, eutrophication generally does not result in an overall
increase of marine algal species already present, but rather in a shift of
species composition and biomass. An often observed shift of algal
species composition is the decline of seagrass in nutrient-enriched
estuaries, e.g. in the bays on the southcoast of Long Island, USA (Kelly
and Naguib 1984), in Lac Tunis, Tunisia (Kelly and Naguib 1984), in the
Venice Lagoon, Italy (Sfriso et al. 1989b) and in Cockburn Sound,
Australia (Shepherd et al. 1989). The macro algae composition was found
to shift from filamentous to foliose species. In the Venice Lagoon, the
macroalgae Cladophora prolifera and Laurencia pinnatifida almost disappeared while Ulva spp. increased in distribution and biomass (Sfriso
1 Rijkswaterstaat, National Institute for Coastal and Marine Management, P.O. Box 20907,
2500 EX The Hague, The Netherlands
2Institute for Forestry and Nature Research, P. O. Box 165, 1790 AD Den Burg, The
Netherlands
3Rijkswaterstaat, National Institute for Coastal and Marine Management, P.O. Box 20907,
2500 EX The Hague, The Netherlands
Ecological Studies, Vol. 123
Schramm/Nienhuis (eds) Marine Benthic Vegetation
© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1996