CAN GOOD ECOLOGICAL STATUS BE OBTAINED IN RANDERS FJORD?
From historical data we can deduce that the ecological state of Randers Fjord has changed dramatically during the last century along with increased eutrophication. Rooted macrophytes have disappeared and the benthic fauna has changed.As the catchment area is intensively farmed, nitrogen loading will also in the future be much higher than under pristine conditions. At present, nitrogen only limits primary production during short periods in the outer part of the estuary, while phosphorus limits primary production during short periods both in the inner and outer parts of Randers Fjord (10). The large reductions in phosphorus relative to nitrogen loading may imply that phosphorus is increasingly limiting for primary production, while the role of nitrogen is reduced (2). The estuary still receives phosphorus from sewage water, although the input has decreased dramatically, and phosphorus is also released from the seabed during summer (5). Leaching of phosphorus from farmland may constitute
