ABSTRACT
It cannot be assumed that the eutrophication process that operates in a given estuary will work in precisely the same manner as that in other such systems. The differences of specific combinations of habitat characteristics, river flow, and nutrient loading patterns, and physiographic features such as depth distributions preclude easy generalization. The composition and distribution of speciesspecific coastal populations, from microalgae to fishes, varies widely from estuary to estuary so that generalizations based on such populations are difficult to make with respect to the effects of eutrophication. There is still no scientific consensus concerning whether or not bloom generation and the effects of HABs on secondary production follow similar pathways among different coastal systems. In some ways, the study of eutrophication processes in a single estuary is limited by the specificity of local ecological conditions. Therefore, generalization of eutrophication processes should be based on comparisons of disparate coastal areas.
