Coastal waters are positioned at the interface between land and sea and as such are exposed to a wide range of human pressures. These pressures can include discharges from industrial and municipal waste water treatment plants, inputs from diffuse agricultural sources, morphological alterations associated with harbour and port activities and accidental or in some cases intentional discharges from marine vessels. A total of 45 water bodies were assessed between 2013 and 2018. Of these, 80% were in good or high ecological status, accounting for 93% of the total area assessed with the remaining percentage of waters in moderate status. The overall status indicates that our coastal waters, except for some nutrient enriched areas along the south coast, are of excellent quality.
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