Nutrients and light as factors controlling phytoplankton biomass on the Dutch Continental Shelf (North Sea) in 1988-1990

In the discussion on the sanitation of the nutrient loads discharged into the North Sea, the question has been raised of whether only the load of phosphorus or the loads of both nitrogen and phosphorus should be reduced. To answer this question is should be known which factor(s) limit(s) phytoplankton where and when, and how fast the marine ecosystems react to load reductions. Therefore the effects of eutrophication on the oxygen economy, primary production, phytoplankton species composition, biomass and the principal limiting factors throughout the North Sea were studied in the EUZOUT project. The data generated in this project were used for this report.