Effects of upwelling,tides and biological processes on the inorganic carbon system of a coastal lagoon in Baja California

The role of coastal lagoons and estuaries as sources or sinks of inorganic carbon in upwelling areas has not been fully understood. During the months of May–July, 2005, we studied the dissolved inorganic carbon system in a coastal lagoon of northwestern Mexico during the strongest period of upwelling events. Along the bay, different scenarios were observed for the distributions of pH, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and apparent oxygen utilization (AOU) as a result of different combinations of upwelling intensity and tidal amplitude. DIC concentrations in the outer part of the bay were controlled by mixing processes. At the inner part of the bay DIC was as low as 1800 μmol kg⁻¹, most likely due to high water residence times and seagrass CO₂ uptake. It is estimated that 85% of San Quintín Bay, at the oceanic end, acted as a source of CO₂ to the atmosphere due to the inflow of CO₂-rich upwelled waters from the neighboring ocean with high positive fluxes higher than 30 mmol C m⁻² d⁻¹. In contrast, there was a net uptake of CO₂ and HCO₃⁻ by the seagrass bed Zostera marina in the inner part of the bay, so the pCO₂ in this zone was below the equilibrium value and slightly negative CO₂ fluxes of −6 mmol C m⁻² d⁻¹. Our positive NEP and ΔDIC values indicate that Bahía San Quintín was a net autotrophic system during the upwelling season during 2005.     

Dissolved nutrient balance and net ecosystem metabolism in a Mediterranean-climate coastal lagoon: San Diego Bay

The temporal and spatial variability of dissolved inorganic phosphate (DIP), nitrogen (DIN), carbon (DIC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were studied in order to determine the net ecosystem metabolism (NEM) of San Diego Bay (SDB), a Mediterranean-climate lagoon. A series of four sampling campaigns were carried out during the rainy (January 2000) and the dry (August 2000 and May and September 2001) seasons. During the dry season, temperature, salinity and DIP, DIC and DOC concentrations increased from oceanic values in the outer bay to higher values at the innermost end of the bay. DIP, DIC and DOC concentrations showed a clear offset from conservative mixing implying production of these dissolved materials inside the bay. During the rainy season, DIP and DOC increased to the head, whereas salinity decreased toward the mouth due to land runoff and river discharges. The distributions of DIP and DOC also showed a deviation from conservative mixing in this season, implying a net addition of these dissolved materials during estuarine mixing within the bay. Mass balance calculations showed that SDB consistently exported DIP (2.8–9.8 × 10³ mol P d⁻¹), DIC (263–352 × 10³ mol C d⁻¹) and DOC (198–1233 × 10³ mol C d⁻¹), whereas DIN (5.5–18.2 × 10³ mol N d⁻¹) was exported in all samplings except in May 2001 when it was imported (8.6 × 10³ mol N d⁻¹). The DIP, DIC and DOC export rates along with the strong relationship between DIP, DIC or DOC and salinity suggest that intense tidal mixing plays an important role in controlling their distributions and that SDB is a source of nutrients and DOC to the Southern California Bight. Furthermore, NEM ranged from −8.1 ± 1.8 mmol C m⁻² d⁻¹ in September to −13.5 ± 5.8 mmol C m⁻² d⁻¹ in January, highlighting the heterotrophic character of SDB. In order to explain the net heterotrophy of this system, we postulate that phytoplankton-derived particulate organic matter, stimulated by upwelling processes in the adjacent coastal waters, is transported into the bay, retained and then remineralized within the system. Our results were compared with those reported for the heterotrophic hypersaline coastal lagoons located in the semi-arid coast of California–Baja California, and with those autotrophic hypersaline systems found in the semi-arid areas of Australia. We point out that the balance between autotrophy and heterotrophy in inverse estuaries is dependent on net external inputs of either inorganic nutrients or organic matter as it has been indicated for positive estuaries.     

Spatial and seasonal patterns in abundance and age-composition of Calanus finmarchicus in the Gulf of Maine and on Georges Bank: 1977–1987

The mean seasonal cycle and distribution of various life history stages of C. finmarchicus throughout the Georges Bank (GB)-Gulf of Maine (GOM) region were characterized based on 5966 MARMAP zooplankton samples collected during 106 surveys over a 10-year period (autumn 1977–autumn 1987). A high degree of seasonal and spatial variability in C. finmarchicus abundance throughout the region was evident in contoured portrayals of data, grouped into standard stations and 2-month “seasons”.Eight subareas of the Gulf of Maine-Georges Bank region were identified through cluster analysis of standard stations having similar seasonal patterns in mean abundance of C. finmarchicus stages C3, C4, C5 and adults. These were the northern Gulf of Maine (Northern GOM); southern Gulf of Maine (Southern GOM); Scotian Shelf-coastal Gulf of Maine (Scotian-Coastal GOM); Mass Bay; tidally mixed Georges Bank (Mixed GB); tidal front on the Bank separating mixed from seasonally stratified water (Tidal Front GB); seasonally stratified water on the Bank (Stratified GB) and the Continental Slope adjacent to Georges Bank (SLOPE).A distinct seasonal abundance cycle was present in all subareas, but, the magnitude and timing of annual maxima varied greatly among subareas. Peak abundance was reached early (March–April) in Mixed GB, Tidal Front GB and Mass Bay, and late (July–August) in Northern GOM and Scotian-Coastal GOM. Remaining subareas had maxima in May–June. Abundance increased 10-fold from January–February to March–April and decreased sharply from July–August to September–October in all areas except southern GOM and northern GOM. The amplitude of the annual cycle was weakest in northern GOM and southern GOM, where high concentrations of C. finmarchicus persisted year-round, and strongest in the tidally mixed shallow water on GB, where the sparsest densities of C. finmarchicus occurred most of the year. Abundance curves for the various areas converged in March–April, when C. finmarchicus was ubiquitously very abundant (> 10⁴/10 m²), and diverged from September to December.C. finmarchicus stage distribution in the GB-GOM area was highly negatively correlated with mean water column temperature during the stratified season. This seemed more related to the hydrography of the region, which isolates warmer well mixed Georges Bank from the Gulf of Maine and the stratified areas on the Bank, than to temperature, because Calanus abundances decline on the Bank before water temperatures exceed their preferences.A large part of the spatial and seasonal variation in C. finmarchicus abundance and age structure appears to be tightly coupled to major hydrographic regimes and to major circulation patterns in the region. There was a sharp ecotone between well-mixed Georges Bank and the Gulf of Maine as defined by C. finmarchicus abundance patterns and life history distributions. The ecotone is present year-round but is most apparent during the stratified season (May–October), when thermohaline density gradients and the near-surface current jet along the northern flank are generally strongest. The Gulf of Maine had the highest abundances of C. finmarchicus, and lowest spatial and seasonal variation in the region, while tidally mixed Georges Banks displayed the opposite pattern. This indication of stable population centers in the Gulf of Maine would make it a major source of Calanus in the region, particularly during March–April. Distributional patterns also suggest a strong Calanus influence from Scotian Shelf water in northern Gulf of Maine and on the southern flank of Georges Bank.     

海底地下水排放对典型红树林蓝碳收支的影响

海底地下水排放(Submarine Groundwater Discharge，SGD)是陆海相互作用的重要表现形式之一，其携带的物质对近岸海域生源要素的收支有重要影响。本文利用222Rn示踪技术估算了我国典型红树林海湾—广西珍珠湾在2019年枯季(1月)SGD携带的碳通量。调查发现，地下水中222Rn活度、溶解无机碳(DIC)和溶解有机碳(DOC)的平均浓度均高于河水和湾内表层海水。利用222Rn质量平衡模型估算得到珍珠湾SGD速率为(0.36±0.36) m/d，SGD输入到珍珠湾的DIC和DOC通量分别为(2.41±2.63)×107 mol/d和(1.96±2.20)×106 mol/d。珍珠湾溶解碳的源汇收支表明，SGD携带的DIC和DOC分别占珍珠湾总DIC和总DOC来源的91%和89%。因此，SGD携带的DIC和DOC是珍珠湾DIC和DOC的主要来源，是海岸带蓝碳收支和生物地球化学循环过程中的重要组成。     

Seasonal record for alkenones in sedimentary particles from the Gulf of Maine

C_37–39 alkenones and C₃₆ alkenoates, biomarkers of haptophyte origin, were measured in a 10-month sediment trap times series from the Wilkinson Basin in the Gulf of Maine (GOM). Highest biomarker flux to the seabed was observed in summertime, the period when surface waters are stratified and a persistent, subsurface chlorophyll maximum (SCM) exists within the upper thermocline and at the base of the euphotic zone throughout the GOM. Comparison of biomarker content and composition of sediment trap particles and underlying surface sediments indicates significant loss (>50%) of signal due to the impact of early diagenesis. Despite such loss, however, C₃₇ alkenone unsaturation patterns (U₃₇^K′) are not altered. Estimates of algal growth temperature made from analysis of U₃₇^K′ in these sedimentary materials correspond with water temperature measured at the SCM, identifying this biological oceanographic feature as a key site of alkenone export production to the GOM sediment record. Given the common occurrence of SCM in surface waters of the world ocean, particularly the expansive oligotrophic regions of the subtropical to temperate ocean, export of alkenones produced within such features is a potentially widespread biological oceanographic phenomenon which shapes the sediment record for these biomarkers.     

Benthic nutrient fluxes along the Laurentian Channel: Impacts on the N budget of the St. Lawrence marine system

Water column concentrations and benthic fluxes of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and oxygen (DO) were measured in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Upper and Lower St. Lawrence Estuary (USLE and LSLE, respectively) to assess the nitrogen (N) budget in the St. Lawrence (SL) system, as well as to elucidate the impact of bottom water hypoxia on fixed-N removal in the LSLE. A severe nitrate deficit, with respect to ambient phosphate concentrations (N*∼−10 μmol L⁻¹), was observed within and in the vicinity of the hypoxic bottom water of the LSLE. Given that DO concentrations in the water column have remained above 50 μmol L⁻¹, nitrate reduction in suboxic sediments, rather than in the water column, is most likely responsible for the removal of fixed N from the SL system. Net nitrate fluxes into the sediments, derived from pore water nitrate concentration gradients, ranged from 190 μmol m⁻² d⁻¹ in the hypoxic western LSLE to 100 μmol m⁻² d⁻¹ in the Gulf. The average total benthic nitrate reduction rate for the Laurentian Channel (LC) is on the order of 690 μmol m⁻² d⁻¹, with coupled nitrification-nitrate reduction accounting for more than 70%. Using average nitrate reduction rates derived from the observed water column nitrate deficit, the annual fixed-N elimination within the three main channels of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and LSLE was estimated at 411 × 10⁶ t N, yielding an almost balanced N budget for the SL marine system.     

Comments on: “Underwater measurements of carbon dioxide evolution in marine plant communities: A new method” by J. Silva and R. Santos [Estuarine,Coastal and Shelf Science 78(2008) 827–830]

Silva et al. propose a new method for quantifying benthic net community production (NCP) of tidal flats under submerged condition, based on the monitoring of water pCO₂ in a transparent benthic chamber around high tide. I demonstrate here with theoretical considerations that this method is inappropriate for coastal environments, because it allows only the quantification of the change in the dissolved CO₂ which, at classical seawater pH, is only ∼10% of the change of the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). Total Alkalinity and/or DIC must be measured at the beginning and end of incubations in order to compute NCP in coastal environments. However, I also demonstrate that when pH is below 7, more than 95% of the DIC change occurs in the CO₂ pool. The method proposed by Silva et al. is thus valuable for freshwater environments with acidic, low alkalinity waters, where monitoring the water pCO₂ in a vial or chamber provides alone a very close approximation of the planktonic or benthic net community production.     

Carbonate system and CO2 degassing fluxes in the inner estuary of Changjiang (Yangtze) River,China

We examined the carbonate system, mainly the partial pressure of CO₂ (pCO₂), dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and total alkalinity (TAlk) in the Changjiang (Yangtze) River Estuary based on four field surveys conducted in Sep.–Oct. 2005, Dec. 2005, Jan. 2006 and Apr. 2006. Together with our reported pCO₂ data collected in Aug.–Sep. 2003, this study provides, for the first time, a full seasonal coverage with regards to CO₂ outgassing fluxes in this world major river–estuarine system. Surface pCO₂ ranged 650–1440 μatm in the upper reach of the Changjiang River Estuary, 1000–4600 μatm in the Huangpujiang River, an urbanized and major tributary of the Changjiang downstream which was characterized by a very high respiration rate, and 200–1000 μatm in the estuarine mixing zone. Both DIC and TAlk overall behaved conservatively during the estuarine mixing, and the seasonal coverage of these carbonate parameters allowed us to estimate the annual DIC export flux from the Changjiang River as ∼ 1.54 × 10¹² mol. The highly polluted Huangpujiang River appeared to have a significant impact on DIC, TAlk and pCO₂ in the lower reaches of the inner estuary. CO₂ emission flux from the main stream of the Changjiang Estuary was at a low level of 15.5–34.2 mol m^− 2 yr^− 1. Including the Huangpujiang River and the adjacent Shanghai inland waters, CO₂ degassing flux from the Changjiang Estuary may have represented only 2.0%–4.6% of the DIC exported from the Changjiang River into the East China Sea.     

Was a carbon balance measured in the equatorial Pacific during JGOFS?

The likelihood that the carbon fluxes measured as part of the US-JGOFS field program in the equatorial Pacific ocean (EgPac) during 1992 yielded a balanced carbon budget for the surface ocean was determined. The major carbon fluxes incorporated into a surface carbon budget were: new production, particulate organic carbon (POC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) export, CaC0₃ export, C0₂ gas evasion, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) supply, and the time rate of charge. The ratio of the measured concentration gradients of DOC and DIC provided a constraint on the ratio of POC/DOC export. Uncertainties of ±30–50% for individual carbon flux measurements reduce the likelihood that a carbon balance can be measured during a JGOFS process-type study. As a benchmark, carbon fluxes were prescribed to yield a hypothetical surface carbon budget that was, on average, balanced. Given the typical errors in the individual carbon fluxes, however, there was only about a 30% chance that this hypothetical budget could be measured to be balanced to ±50%. Using this benchmark, it was determined that there was a 95 % chance that the carbon flux measurements yielded a surface DIC budget balanced (to ±50%) during El Nino conditions in boreal spring 1992, when the total organic carbon export rate was - 5 mmol C m-2 day- 1 and the POC export was 3 mmol C m⁻² day⁻¹. In boreal fall 1992, during cold period conditions, there was a 70% chance that the surface carbon DIC budget was balanced when the total organic carbon export rate was 20 mmol C m⁻² day⁻¹ and export was -13 mmol C m-2 day-'. The DOC to DIC concentration gradient ratio of - -0.15, measured in depth profiles down to 100m and in surface waters, was used as an important constraint that most (> 70%) of the organic carbon exported from the euphotic zone was POC rather than DOC. If a balanced surface DIC budget was used to test the compatibility of individual carbon fluxes measured during EgPac, then a three- to four-fold increase in total and particulate organic carbon export between spring and fall is indicated. This increase was not reflected in the POC loss rates measured by drifting sediment trap collections or estimated by²³⁴Th deficiencies coupled with the C/Th measured on suspended particles.     

Factors affecting spatial and temporal variability in material exchange between the Southern Everglades wetlands and Florida Bay (USA)

Physical and biological processes controlling spatial and temporal variations in material concentration and exchange between the Southern Everglades wetlands and Florida Bay were studied for 2.5 years in three of the five major creek systems draining the watershed. Daily total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) fluxes were measured for 2 years in Taylor River, and ten 10-day intensive studies were conducted in this creek to estimate the seasonal flux of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), total organic carbon (TOC), and suspended matter. Four 10-day studies were conducted simultaneously in Taylor, McCormick, and Trout Creeks to study the spatial variation in concentration and flux. The annual fluxes of TOC, TN, and TP from the Southern Everglades were estimated from regression equations. The Southern Everglades watershed, a 460-km² area that includes Taylor Slough and the area south of the C-111 canal, exported 7.1 g C m⁻², 0.46 g N m⁻², and 0.007 g P m⁻², annually. Everglades P flux is three to four orders of magnitude lower than published flux estimates from wetlands influenced by terrigenous sedimentary inputs. These low P flux values reflect both the inherently low P content of Everglades surface water and the efficiency of Everglades carbonate sediments and biota in conserving and recycling this limiting nutrient. The seasonal variation of freshwater input to the watershed was responsible for major temporal variations in N, P, and C export to Florida Bay; approximately 99% of the export occurred during the rainy season. Wind-driven forcing was most important during the later stages of the dry season when low freshwater head coincided with southerly winds, resulting in a net import of water and materials into the wetlands. We also observed an east to west decrease in TN:TP ratio from 212:1 to 127:1. Major spatial gradients in N:P ratios and nutrient concentration and flux among the creek were consistent with the westward decrease in surface water runoff from the P-limited Everglades and increased advection of relatively P-rich Gulf of Mexico (GOM) waters into Florida Bay. Comparison of measured nutrient flux from Everglades surface water inputs from this study with published estimates of other sources of nutrients to Florida Bay (i.e. atmospheric deposition, anthropogenic inputs from the Florida Keys, advection from the GOM) show that Everglades runoff represents only 2% of N inputs and 0.5% of P input to Florida Bay.     

Impact of freshwater influx on microzooplankton mediated food web in a tropical estuary (Cochin backwaters – India)

The diversity, abundance and biomass of microzooplankton in Cochin backwaters were studied for the first time during pre-summer monsoon to peak of summer monsoon (April–July 2003) to understand the impact of large freshwater influx. Microzooplankton abundance and biomass were highest during pre-summer monsoon (av. 3817 ind. L⁻¹ and 146 μg C L⁻¹) that declined with the onset (av. 2052 ind. L⁻¹ and 45 μg C L⁻¹) and peak (av. 409 ind. L⁻¹ and 10 μg C L⁻¹) summer monsoon. Species diversity, richness and evenness of microzooplankton also showed similar trends as that of abundance and biomass. Grazing experiment showed that microzooplankton consumes 43 ± 1% of the daily phytoplankton standing stock during the high saline condition (27.5). Low abundance of microzooplankton during summer monsoon period (1/8 of the pre-summer monsoon value) along with the concomitant occurrence of low mesozooplankton (1/8 times of pre-summer monsoon value) suggests that there could be a general lack of planktonic grazers. This would result in a weak transfer of primary and bacterial carbon to higher trophic levels, eventually leaving behind much unconsumed basic food in the estuary during summer monsoon. Thus a major portion of the primary carbon either settles down or gets transported to the coastal regions during monsoon. High flushing of Cochin backwaters also facilitates faster removal of primary producers to the coastal regions during monsoon.     

Submarine groundwater discharge: A large, previously unrecognized source of dissolved iron to the South Atlantic Ocean

This paper reports the initial results of a study of groundwater and coastal waters of southern Brazil adjacent to a 240 km barrier spit separating the Patos Lagoon, the largest coastal lagoon in South America, from the South Atlantic Ocean. The objective of this research is to assess the chemical alteration of freshwater and freshwater–seawater mixtures advecting through coastal permeable sands, and the influence of the submarine discharge of these fluids (SGD) on the chemistry of coastal waters. Here we focus on dissolved iron in this system and use radium isotopic tracers to quantify SGD and cross-shelf fluxes. Iron concentrations in groundwaters vary between 0.6 and 180 μM. The influence of the submarine discharge of these fluids into the surf zone produces dissolved Fe concentrations as high as several micromolar in coastal surface waters. The offshore gradient of dissolved Fe, coupled with results for Ra isotopes, is used to quantify the SGD flux of dissolved Fe from this coastline. We estimate the SGD flux to be 2 × 10⁶ mol day^− 1 and the cross-shelf flux to be 3.2 × 10⁵ mol day^− 1. This latter flux is equal to about 10% of the soluble atmospheric Fe flux to the entire South Atlantic Ocean. We speculate on the importance of this previously unrecognized iron input to regional ocean production and on the potential significance of this source to understanding variations in glacial–interglacial ocean production.     

Nitrogen uptake and primary productivity rates in the Mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB)

Nutrient concentrations, primary productivity, and nitrogen uptake rates were measured in coastal waters of the Mid-Atlantic Bight over a two-year period that included measurements from all four seasons. In order to assess carbon productivity and nitrogen demand within the context of the physical environment, the region was divided into three distinct hydrographic regimes: the Chesapeake and Delaware Bay outflow plumes (PL), the southern Mid-Atlantic shelf influenced by the Gulf Stream (SS), and the mid-shelf area to the north of the Chesapeake Bay mouth (MS). Annual areal rates of total nitrogen (N) uptake were similar across all regions (10.9 ± 2.1 mol N m⁻² y⁻¹). However, annual areal rates of net primary productivity were higher in the outflow plume region (43 mol C m⁻² y⁻¹), than along the Mid-Atlantic shelf and in areas influenced by the Gulf Stream (41 and 34 mol C m⁻² y⁻¹, respectively). Rates of net primary productivity were not well correlated with Chl a concentrations and were uncoupled with net N uptake rates. Seasonally averaged annual areal rates of net primary productivity for the Mid-Atlantic Bight measured in this study were higher than those calculated in previous decades and provide important validation information for biogeochemical models and satellite remote sensing algorithms developed for the region.     

Bulk organic δC and C/N as indicators for sediment sources in the Pearl River delta and estuary,southern China

Preservation of organic matter in estuarine and coastal areas is an important process in the global carbon cycle. This paper presents bulk δ¹³C and C/N of organic matter from source to sink in the Pearl River catchment, delta and estuary, and discusses the applicability of δ¹³C and C/N as indicators for sources of organic matter in deltaic and estuarine sediments. In addition to the 91 surface sediment samples, other materials collected in this study cover the main sources of organic material to estuarine sediment. These are: terrestrial organic matter (TOM), including plants and soil samples from the catchment; estuarine and marine suspended particulate organic carbon (POC) from both summer and winter. Results show that the average δ¹³C of estuarine surface sediment increases from −25.0 ± 1.3‰ in the freshwater environment to −21.0 ± 0.2‰ in the marine environment, with C/N decreasing from 15.2 ± 3.3 to 6.8 ± 0.2. In the source areas, C₃ plants have lower δ¹³C than C₄ plants (−29.0 ± 1.8‰ and −13.1 ± 0.5‰ respectively). δ¹³C increases from −28.3 ± 0.8‰ in the forest soil to around −24.1‰ in both riverbank soil and mangrove soil due to increasing proportion of C₄ grasses. The δ¹³C_POC increases from −27.6 ± 0.8‰ in the freshwater areas to −22.4 ± 0.5‰ in the marine-brackish-water areas in winter, and ranges between −24.0‰ in freshwater areas and −25.4‰ in brackish-water areas in summer. Comparison of the δ¹³C and C/N between the sources and sink indicates a weakening TOM and freshwater POC input in the surface sedimentary organic matter seawards, and a strengthening contribution from the marine organic matter. Thus we suggest that bulk organic δ¹³C and C/N analysis can be used to indicate sources of sedimentary organic matter in estuarine environments. Organic carbon in surface sediments derived from anthropogenic sources such as human waste and organic pollutants from industrial and agricultural activities accounts for less than 10% of the total organic carbon (TOC). Although results also indicate elevated δ¹³C of sedimentary organic matter due to some agricultural products such as sugarcane, C₃ plants are still the dominant vegetation type in this area, and the bulk organic δ¹³C and C/N is still an effective indicator for sources of organic matter in estuarine sediments.     

TIMS measurements of Ra and Ra in the Gulf of Lion, an attempt to quantify submarine groundwater discharge

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is now recognized as an important pathway for water and chemical species fluxes to the coastal ocean. In order to determinate SGD to the Gulf of Lion (France), we measured the activities of ²²⁶Ra and ²²⁸Ra by thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) in coastal waters and in the deep aquifer waters of the Rhone deltaic plain after pre-concentration of radium by MnO₂. Compared to conventional counting techniques, TIMS requires lower quantities of water for the analyses, and leads to higher analytical precision. Radium isotopes were thus measured on 0.25–2 L water samples containing as little as 20 fg of ²²⁶Ra and 0.2–0.4 fg of ²²⁸Ra with precision equal to 2%. We demonstrate that coastal surface waters samples are enriched in ²²⁶Ra and ²²⁸Ra compared to the samples further offshore. The high precision radium measurements display a small but significant ²²⁶Ra and ²²⁸Ra enrichment within a strip of circa 30 km from the coast. Radium activities decrease beyond this region, entrained in the northern current along the shelf break or controlled by eddy diffusion. The radium excess in the first 30 km cannot be accounted for by the river nor by the early diagenesis. The primary source of the radium enrichment must therefore be ascribed to the discharge of submarine groundwater. Using a mass-balance model, we estimated the advective fluxes of ²²⁶Ra and ²²⁸Ra through SGD to be 5.2 × 10¹⁰ and 21 × 10¹⁰ dpm/d respectively. The ²²⁶Ra activities measured in the groundwater from the Rhone deltaic plain aquifer are comparable to those from other coastal groundwater studies throughout the world. By contrast, ²²⁸Ra activities are higher by up to one order of magnitude. Taking those groundwater radium activities as typical of the submarine groundwater end-member, a minimum volume of 0.24–4.5 × 10¹⁰ l/d is required to support the excess radium isotopes on the inner shelf. This has to be compared with the average rivers water runoff of 15.4 × 10¹⁰ l/d during the study period (1.6 to 29% of the river flow).     

Sediment Oxygen Demand in Cochin backwaters,a tropical estuarine system in the south-west coast of India

Eutrophication has often been one of the major problems encountered in estuaries and coastal waters. The oxic/anoxic status of an estuary can be effectively determined by measurement of the Sediment Oxygen Demand (SOD). The present study forms a pioneering attempt to evaluate the SOD of the Cochin Backwater System (CBS), a tropical eutrophic estuary in the south-west coast of India. The CBS exhibited significant spatio-temporal variations in SOD. The mean net SOD during the dry season (2569.73 μmol O₂ m⁻² h⁻¹) was almost twice that of the wet season (1431.28 μmol O₂ m⁻² h⁻¹), presumably due to higher discharge during the latter season. The observed pockets of net oxygen release indicate that the CBS still retains certain autotrophic regions in spite of heavy organic drains. The low oxygen flux in light chambers points towards the role of microphytobenthos in maintaining the oxygen reservoir of the estuarine system.     

黑潮主流径海域海水中的无机碳及其对东海陆架区的影响

基于2014年5—6月对黑潮主流径及毗邻东海陆架海区的调查,研究了该区域水体中无机碳体系参数(p H、总碱度TAlk、溶解无机碳DIC及DIC/TAlk)的垂直与水平分布,在此基础上定量评估了黑潮输入对东海陆架海区无机碳收支的影响。结果表明,黑潮水体中DIC、TAlk与DIC/TAlk总体而言随水深增加而升高,p H降低,综合体现了浮游植物生产、海-气界面交换、有机物降解及Ca CO3溶解等过程的影响;上升流中心站位无机碳参数均受较深层水体上涌影响,与黑潮主流径其它站位略有不同。东海陆架海区外侧站位表层、30m层无机碳主要受台湾海峡暖流影响,高p H、低DIC/TAlk的黑潮表层水影响区域局限于东南部;而在底层,低p H、高DIC/TAlk的黑潮入侵流离开黑潮主流径向正北方延伸并抬升至钱塘江口附近;上升流对无机碳的影响持续至表层,其携带的黑潮中层水因此也可能进入陆架海区。水量模型估算黑潮水在5—10月间跨域陆架边缘向东海陆架区输入溶解无机碳总计58798.9×109mol,净输入达37382.9×109mol,而东海向外输出的无机碳绝大部分经由对马海峡进入日本海。     

In vitro simulation of oxic/suboxic diagenesis in an estuarine fluid mud subjected to redox oscillations

Estuarine turbidity maxima (ETMs) are sites of intense mineralisation of land-derived particulate organic matter (OM), which occurs under oxic/suboxic oscillating conditions owing to repetitive sedimentation and resuspension cycles at tidal and neap-spring time scales. To investigate the biogeochemical processes involved in OM mineralisation in ETMs, an experimental set up was developed to simulate in vitro oxic/anoxic oscillations in turbid waters and to follow the short timescale changes in oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, and manganese concentration and speciation. We present here the results of a 27-day experiment (three oxic periods and two anoxic periods) with an estuarine fluid mud from the Gironde estuary. Time courses of chemical species throughout the experiment evidenced the occurrence of four distinct characteristic periods with very different properties. Steady oxic conditions were characterised by oxygen consumption rates between 10 and 40 μmol L⁻¹ h⁻¹, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) production of 9–12 μmol L⁻¹ h⁻¹, very low NH₄⁺ and Mn²⁺ concentrations, and constant NO₃⁻ production rates (0.4 - 0.7 μmol L⁻¹ h⁻¹) due to coupled ammonification and nitrification. The beginning of anoxic periods (24 h following oxic to anoxic switches) showed DIC production rates of 2.5–8.6 μmol L⁻¹ h⁻¹ and very fast NO₃⁻ consumption (5.6–6.3 μmol L⁻¹ h⁻¹) and NH₄⁺ production (1.4–1.5 μmol L⁻¹ h⁻¹). The latter rates were positively correlated to NO₃⁻ concentration and were apparently caused by the predominance of denitrification and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonia. Steady anoxic periods were characterised by constant and low NO₃⁻ concentrations and DIC and NH₄⁺ productions of less than 1.3 and 0.1 μmol L⁻¹ h⁻¹, respectively. Mn²⁺ and CH₄ were produced at constant rates (respectively 0.3 and 0.015 μmol L⁻¹ h⁻¹) throughout the whole anoxic periods and in the presence of nitrate. Finally, reoxidation periods (24–36 h following anoxic to oxic switches) showed rapid NH₄⁺ and Mn²⁺ decreases to zero (1.6 and 0.8–2 μmol L⁻¹ h⁻¹, respectively) and very fast NO₃⁻ production (3 μmol L⁻¹ h⁻¹). This NO₃⁻ production, together with marked transient peaks of dissolved organic carbon a few hours after anoxic to oxic switches, suggested that particulate OM mineralisation was enhanced during these transient reoxidation periods. An analysis based on C and N mass balance suggested that redox oscillation on short time scales (day to week) enhanced OM mineralisation relative to both steady oxic and steady anoxic conditions, making ETMs efficient biogeochemical reactors for the mineralisation of refractory terrestrial OM at the land-sea interface.     

Variability of the apparent quantum efficiency of CO photoproduction in the Gulf of Maine and Northwest Atlantic

The photochemical oxidation of colored, dissolved organic matter (CDOM) is important for carbon cycling in the ocean. This oxidation process produces a number of products, including carbon monoxide (CO). While the photochemical production efficiency of CO (apparent quantum yield, AQY, defined in terms of CDOM absorbance) has been reported to be similar for many water types, a full evaluation of the observed natural variability in CO AQY requires additional study. Here we use a polychromatic irradiation system to determine twenty AQY spectra at sea on fresh samples ranging from the near coastal waters of the Gulf of Maine to the offshore waters of the Northwest Atlantic. Despite the geographic variability of these marine samples the AQY of CO production in the Gulf of Maine and Northwest Atlantic exhibited only a small degree of variability, none of which was not correlated with measured environmental parameters. Consequently, a single aggregate AQY spectrum _λ = e^{(−(9.134+0.0425(λ−290)))+e(−(11.316+0.0142(λ−290)))} was found to adequately represent the entire data set. Significantly, the accuracy of an AQY spectrum determined using this multispectral/statistical technique was confirmed with data obtained from a monochromatic irradiation technique on a single open ocean sample. Taken together, the AQY spectra determined in this study were similar in magnitude and shape to those previously published for marine samples and, overall, were somewhat lower than those previously reported for freshwater studies.     

Influence of river discharge on plankton metabolic rates in the tropical monsoon driven Godavari estuary,India

To examine the influence of river discharge on plankton metabolic balance in a monsoon driven tropical estuary, daily variations in physico-chemical and nutrients characteristics were studied over a period of 15 months (September 2007 to November 2008) at a fixed location (Yanam) in the Godavari estuary, India. River discharge was at its peak during July to September with a sharp decrease in the middle of December and complete cessation thereafter. Significant amount of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN, of 22–26 μmol l⁻¹) and dissolved inorganic phosphate (DIP, of 3–4 μmol l⁻¹) along with suspended materials (0.2–0.5 g l⁻¹) were found at the study region during the peak discharge period. A net heterotrophy with low gross primary production (GPP) occurred during the peak discharge period. The Chlorophyll a (Chl a) varied between 4 and 18 mg m⁻³ that reached maximum levels when river discharge and suspended loads decreased by >75% compared to that during peak period. High productivity was sustained for about one and half months during October to November when net community production (NCP) turned from net heterotrophy to autotrophy in the photic zone. Rapid decrease in nutrients (DIN and DIP by ∼15 and 1.4 μmol l⁻¹, respectively) was observed during the peak Chl a period of two weeks. Chl a in the post monsoon (October–November) was negatively related to river discharge. Another peak in Chl a in January to February was associated with higher nutrient concentrations and high DIN:DIP ratios suggest possible external supply of nitrogen into the system. The mean photic zone productivity to respiration ratio (P:R) was 2.38 ± 0.24 for the entire study period (September 2007–November 2008). Nevertheless, the ratio of GPP to the entire water column respiration was only 0.14 ± 0.02 revealing that primary production was not enough to support water column heterotrophic activity. The excess carbon demand by the heterotrophs could be met from the allochthonous inputs of mainly terrestrial origin. Assuming that the entire phytoplankton produced organic material was utilized, the additional terrestrial organic carbon supported the total bacterial activity (97–99%) during peak discharge period and 40–75% during dry period. Therefore, large amount of terrestrial organic carbon is getting decomposed in the Godavari estuarine system.