This page contains a selection of photos of estuarine and coastal systems to which the ASSETS/NEEA method has been applied.

United States

Mississippi Atchafalaya river plume - Red tide bloom of river origin spreading over the waters of the Gulf of Mexico

Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve, a moderately impacted system on the Florida Gulf Coast

A bloom in the Neuse estuary, North Carolina. This system is severely impacted, exhibiting both primary and secondary eutrophication symptoms. The main source of nutrients is due to effluents from pig farming in the watershed

St. Helena Sound National Estuarine Research Reserve, South Carolina. This is a system with low to moderate eutrophication symptoms

Europe

The Douro estuary in Portugal: there is currently insufficient information to determine the ASSETS classification for this system.

The upper reaches of the Guadiana, Portugal. This estuary is classified as Moderate in terms of eutrophication status

Carlingford Lough separates Ireland from Northern Ireland at the eastern border. This sea lough is used for shellfish aquaculture, and considered to be in pristine condition. The ASSETS model gives it a score of Low.

China

Sanggou Bay is located in Shandong province, North-East China. The whole of the bay is used for polyculture, combining species such as japanese oyster, kelp and abalone. The eutrophication status of the bay is classified as Moderate Low

Huangdun Bay is in Zhejiang province, south of Shanghai. Like many Chinese coastal systems, it has multiple uses, including polyculture (fish pens used for the cultivation of bass are shown here). The assessment of Huangdun Bay by means of ASSETS shows the system to be at Moderate status.