Nutrient footprint tool for coastal waters

Increased amounts of nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus) are released into surface waters due to human activities on land. This has two negative effects. Firstly, higher levels of nutrients contribute to environmental problems due to the over-enrichment of water and sediments, especially in coastal zones. Secondly, nutrients leaching from arable land to surface water are no longer available as fertiliser for crops. The NUTPRINT project was established with the aim of visualising the impact of eutrophication in the European coastal zone in a simple way and of informing the public, water managers and stakeholders, creating support for mitigation measures.