Whose waters, whose nutrients? Knowledge, uncertainty, and controversy over eutrophication in the Mar Menor

This work explores the role of knowledge claims and uncertainty in the public dispute over the causes and solutions to nonpoint-driven overfertilization of the Mar Menor lagoon (Spain). Drawing on relational uncertainty theory, we combine the analysis of narratives and of uncertainty. Our results show two increasingly polarized narratives that deviate in the causes for nutrient enrichment and the type of solutions seen as effective, all of which relate to contested visions on agricultural sustainability. Several interconnected uncertainties are mobilized to dispute the centrality of agriculture as a driver for eutrophication and to confront strategies that may hamper productivity. Yet, both narratives rest on a logic of dissent that strongly relies on divergent knowledge to provide legitimacy, ultimately reinforcing contestation. Transforming the ongoing polarization dynamics may require different inter- and transdisciplinary approaches that focus on sharing rather than assigning responsibility and that unpack rather than disregard existing uncertainties.

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Cabello V. y Brugnach M. Whose waters whose nutrients? Knowledge uncertainty and controversy over eutrophication in the Mar Menor. Springer Nature, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-023-01846-z

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Retrieved: 24 Dec 2025 10:18:41
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Resource type Article
Date of creation 2024-11-05
Date of last revision 2024-11-05
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Metadata identifier 67282882-ed26-5565-9f8f-feee2905ed1b
Metadata language Spanish
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High-value dataset category Earth observation and environment
ISO 19115 topic category biota
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Name of the dataset creator Cabello, V. y Brugnach, M.
Name of the dataset editor Springer Nature
Other identifier DOI: 10.1007/s13280-023-01846-z
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Email of the dataset creator Violeta.Cabello@bc3research.org
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