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The EEA indicators on nitrogen, phosphorous and chlorophyll-a show the concentration levels of these substances and their change over time. Winter nutrient concentrations in transitional, coastal and marine waters respond to inputs from land and atmospheric sources. Algae are most abundant in the summer and their abundance is linked to the concentration of both the plant pigment chlorophyll-a in the water and nutrients. Based on the EEA indicators of nutrients (EEA, 2010d) and chlorophyll-a (EEA, 2010e) in transitional, coastal and marine waters (Maps 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3), there is clear evidence of nutrient enrichment:

• within the coastal zones, bays and estuarine areas of some parts of the North East Atlantic region, particularly those near major European river deltas;
• in the Baltic Proper and the Gulf of Finland as well as coastal areas of the Baltic Sea;
• in areas close to river deltas or large urban agglomerations in the Mediterranean Sea;
• in the Black Sea, although improvement has been significant since 1990 (Oguz et al., 2008).