Chlorophyll in Transitional and Coastal Waters

Excessive algal growth is assessed by the amount of phytoplankton in coastal and offshore waters and the amount of opportunistic green algae on intertidal mudflats in estuaries. Phytoplankton growth is not a suitable measure in estuaries because it is limited by the availability of light in turbid estuaries and by the residence time of water in smaller estuaries. The amount of phytoplankton in the water is estimated by measurements of the plant pigment, chlorophyll.