This paper discusses historical and future anthropogenic disturbance of river nutrient loads and export to coastal marine systems, which is a major global problem affecting water quality and biodiversity. In aquatic systems inputs of N and P stem from point and nonpoint sources. Point sources are primarily associated with sewage effluents, including wastewater from households and industrial activities. Nonpoint sources comprise all nutrients entering the surface-water system in a diffuse manner and are associated with agricultural land use and the disturbance of natural ecosystems, primarily by atmospheric N deposition.