1 Introduction: Ecology for policy -- 1.1 Science for policy -- 2 The art of discharging -- 2.1 The sewage problem -- 2.2 Water pollution research -- 2.3 The contribution of ecology -- 2.4 Emerging limits -- 2.5 Marine pollution and IGOs -- 2.6 Pollution control -- 2.7 Summary and conclusions -- 3. The discovery of marine eutrophication -- 3.1 Freshwater eutrophication -- 3.2 Marine eutrophication -- 3.3 The relative importance of marine eutrophication -- 3.4 Marine eutrophication and official bodies -- 3.5 Summary and conclusions -- 4 The politics of marine eutrophication -- 4.1 1981-1985: The assembly of a problem -- 4.2 1986-1987: Political decision-making -- 4.3 Recapitulation: marine eutrophication constructed -- 4.4 1988-1990: towards the third North Sea Conference -- 4.5 Summary and conclusions -- 5 The management of marine eutrophication -- 5.1 New knowledge -- 5.2 New knowledge and the science-policy interface -- 5.3 Political developments -- 5.4 Summary and conclusions -- 6 Summary, discussion and conclusions -- References -- Annex 1 -- Annex 2 -- Annex 3 -- Index.