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To improve knowledge of where eutrophication is occurring and its impacts, environmental agencies or coastal authorities worldwide need to proactively assess and monitor water quality, specifically those variables commonly linked to eutrophication such as nutrient levels and dissolved oxygen. In addition, internationally accepted methods and definitions for assessing and classifying eutrophic coastal waters---including proxies for eutrophication---need to be developed.

In Asia, Africa, and Latin America, environmental agencies or coastal authorities should:

1. Undertake systematic and routine assessments of coastal areas, particularly those exhibiting symptoms of eutrophication.
2. Develop transparent and public reporting procedures for tracking the occurrence of eutrophication and hypoxia, as well as monitoring their impact on ecosystem health.
3. Develop and adopt decision-support tools -- such as nutrient budgets and water quality models -- that can facilitate the development of appropriate local and regional responses to eutrophication.

In the United States, Europe, and Australia, environmental agencies or coastal authorities should:

1. Continue coastal zone assessments.
2. Ensure that eutrophication assessment methodologies are being consistently applied.
3. Enhance existing decision-support tools and develop tools for those areas where none currently exist.