Bohai Sea eutrophication mitigation in the 2010s

What is it about?

Over the past decade (2011–2021), the Bohai Sea N* concentrations have gradually decreased at a rate of −0.64 ± 0.12 μmol kg−1 a−1 along with decreases in atmospheric local N deposition (at −0.93 ± 0.34 kg N ha−1 a−2) and North Yellow Sea N* concentrations (at −0.22 ± 0.04 μmol N* kg−1 a−1). These nutrient changes explained the chlorophyll-a decline and the reduction in frequency of occurrence of red tide events in the central Bohai Sea in recent years. China's efforts on air/water pollution control have worked on the eutrophication mitigation in the central Bohai Sea. Budgeting of the rate of decrease in Bohai Sea N* in 2011–2021 showed that recent mitigation of Bohai Sea eutrophication is mainly attributed to air pollution control, although local efforts on sewage cut-off and pollutant reduction also help. Moreover, community metabolic processes have a dominant role in determining nutrient status in the central Bohai Sea during our surveys.

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Why is it important?

The Bohai Sea eutrophication is a dynamic process that is subject to sea–land–air interactions. As increasing levels of human activity strongly affect all components of the coastal environment, it is urgent for researchers to better understand these coupled interactions and their environmental consequences, as exemplified by the recent mitigation of Bohai Sea eutrophication and its source apportionment.

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