A Global Assessment of Hypoxia: Causes, Impacts and Recommendations

There is currently insufficient understanding of how marine nutrient cycles, marine ecosystems and human socioeconomics are interlinked in the eutrophication process. This report aims toward a better understanding of these links to enable marine and coastal managers and policy makers to make informed decisions to lessen the impacts of hypoxia. Eutrophication is a global problem and thus this report focuses on a global scale. However case studies of serious concern are also examined, as nutrient input must be addressed at an ecosystem level. This report will help explain the ecosystem impacts, the natural and anthropocentric causes and human socio-economic consequences of eutrophication. This report will also identify gaps in the present state of knowledge and it will provide a review of regulations and policies and options for mitigative action.