| Within this thesis I systematically develop an index of coastal marine eutrophication for the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. A nitrogen-phosphorus nutrient-space diagram was constructed, and marine reference condition boundaries established using a combination of Redfield ratios and 90th percentile winter nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations (<6om depth) for an offshore reference area. Allowing the use of seasonal data within the index, the inverse relationship between nutrients and phytoplankton biomass was accounted for using an amalgamation of the Redfield ratios and the coastal carbon-chlor alpha ratio. Freshwater nitrogen criteria were then incorporated into the index enabling its application to low salinity estuarine environments. Although presently developed for the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, regional calibration should allow the index to be applied globally. Used in conjunction with a model of eutrophication susceptibility, I feel that a robust framework of coastal zone eutrophication could be established. |
