p. 59 - 95 PROBLEMS CONCERNANT L'EUTROPHISATION MARINE M-T Gomoiu Institut Roumain de Recherches Marines Constanta Abstract Based on the bibliography and the analysis of the present state of the Black Sea coastal ecosystems, the authors raises for the specialists discussion the problems concerning the concept of marine eutrophication. In the paper a few definitions are quoted, including a possible one given by the author: eutrophication (E) represents a complex process of improving the trophic conditions for all the ecosystem levels, a process which begins with the enrichement of basin waters with nutrients up to the maximum level of the regulating capacity of biogeochemical cycles without any disorder in the reference ecosystem and first of all without diminishing the oxygen concentration to critical levels; when the input of nutrients exceeds this maximum level, the eutrophication process turns into pollution. The author considers that the processes in the coastal marine ecosystems, which seem to be similar to those occuring in lakes, could be defined for the time being as a marine eutrophication syndrom (SEM) or an over- fertilization syndrom (SSF). The meaning of the term "marine eutrophication" as it results from the literature concerning the Black Sea generally and the Romanian coast especially is summarized in the paper as follows: 1. an increase in the quantities of nutrients;2. an increase in the global quantities of phytoplankton and the apperance of red-tide cronically and at higher and higher levels every year; 3. an increase in the quantities of disssolved and particulate organic matter both in sea water and sediments; 4. the appearence of hypoxic and anoxic conditions; 5. a decrease in the number of zooplanktonic species parallel with an increase in the density of dominant forms; 6. the disappearence or decrease in the populations of Zostera or brown algae (Cystosera) and red algae (Phylophora) and the development of some species of green algae (Enteromorpha, Cladophora); 7. mass mortalitiesof some benthic organisms and modifications in the qualitative and quantitative structure of bottom associations; 8. modifications in the structure of both fish populations and mammals (severe reduction of sturgeons stocks, the increase in the quantities of planktonofagous species; the decrease in the dolphin stock, a.s.o.). In the end, the author shows the necessity of further complex studies for understanding and defining the marine eutrophication process and for taking measures to limit overfertilization or marine pollution.