Anthropogenic

Anthropogenic means originating from human activity, as opposed to natural processes. In marine science it qualifies stressors and inputs: anthropogenic noise from shipping and seismic surveys, anthropogenic nutrient loading driving eutrophication, anthropogenic CO2 forcing ocean acidification and warming, and anthropogenic litter and contaminants. The term separates the human signal from background variability when attributing change, a central task in impact assessment and the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive descriptors. The IPCC uses anthropogenic radiative forcing to quantify the human contribution to climate change. Establishing an anthropogenic cause usually requires a reference site or baseline against which the human-driven deviation is measured.