Studies of a mangrove basin,Tuff Crater,New Zealand: III. The flux of organic and inorganic particulate matter

Water samples were collected at 15 min intervals over 11 tidal cycles from a tidal creek draining the mangrove-covered basin of Tuff Crater, Auckland, New Zealand. The samples were filtered and total suspended sediment (TSS), inorganic suspended sediment (ISS) and organic suspended sediment (OSS) were determined. Variation in TSS was high, the concentration varied over a tidal cycle and during over-bank flows concentrations were lowest at or near slack high water. Covariance between TSS concentrations and velocity and discharge meant that the calculation of particulate matter flux over tidal hemicycles was particularly dependent on the method of estimating tidal flux. The hypsometrically-based volumetric method was found to be inappropriate, predicting a positive budget (import) more often than observed. Instead particulate matter budgets were calculated by means of the velocity-area method and indicate a net export of TSS, ISS and OSS. Floating macrodetritus was observed on both the flood and ebb tides, but a net export was found on the two tides monitored. It is considered that on an annual basis floating macrodetritus export accounts for less than 2% of the detrital production in the basin, and organic suspended sediment export from the basin is less than 3 kg C ha^?1 day^?1 and is below the rate of detrital production. It is implied that a proportion of the organic detritus produced in this basin is degraded and recycled in situ.     

Role of riverine mangrove forests in organic carbon export to the tropical coastal ocean: A preliminary mass balance for the Fly Delta (Papua New Guinea)

A preliminary mass balance for organic carbon in the Fly Delta was constructed to determine the quantity and source of organic matter exported to the adjacent Gulf of Papua and Coral Sea. Total organic carbon input from the river to the delta is 1.7 × 10¹² g C yr^–1, composed almost equally of DOC and POC. Benthic and pelagic respiration in the delta accounts for 1.0 × 10¹² g C yr^–1, being a major sink for riverine organic carbon. Benthic flux measurements indicate that one third of all DOC entering the delta is taken up by sediments there. Mangrove forests export >3.0 × 10¹¹ g C yr^–1 POC to delta waters, and it appears that this mangrove carbon is exported to the adjacent shelf and deep sea. These results imply that little of the riverine supply of organic carbon reaches the Gulf of Papua, but that mangrove forests in the Fly and other rivers lining the gulf play a major role in river-shelf carbon exchange.     

Inputs of organic carbon from Ria de Aveiro coastal lagoon to the Atlantic Ocean

Land/ocean boundaries constitute complex systems with active physical and biogeochemical processes that affect the global carbon cycle. An example of such a system is the mesotidal lagoon named Ria de Aveiro (Portugal, 40°38′N, 08°45′W), which is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by a single channel, 350 m wide. The objective of this study was to estimate the seasonal and inter-tidal variability of organic carbon fluxes between the coastal lagoon and the Ocean, and to assess the contribution of the organic carbon fractions (i.e. dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC)) to the export of organic carbon to the Ria de Aveiro plume zone. The organic carbon fractions fluxes were estimated as the product of the appropriate fractional organic carbon concentrations and the water fluxes calculated by a two-dimensional vertically integrated hydrodynamic model (2DH). Results showed that the higher exchanges of DOC and POC fractions at the system cross-section occurred during spring tides but only resulted in a net export of organic carbon in winter, totalling 85 t per tidal cycle. Derived from the winter and summer campaigns, the annual carbon mass balance estimated corresponded to a net export of organic carbon (7957 = 6585 t yr⁻¹ POC + 1372 t yr⁻¹ DOC). On the basis of the spring tidal drainage area, it corresponds to an annual flux of 79 g m⁻² of POC and 17 g m⁻² of DOC out of the estuary.     

Studies of a mangrove basin,Tuff Crater,New Zealand: I. Mangrove biomass and production of detritus

The mangrove, Avicennia marina var. resinifera in a tidally-flooded explosion crater, Tuff Crater, near the southern latitudinal limit of mangroves in New Zealand adopts two distinct growth forms, taller tree-like mangroves up to 4 m tall along the banks of the tidal creek, and low stunted shrub mangroves less than 1 m tall on the mudflats. Twelve trees were felled and on the basis of a biomass/height relationship for the taller trees and a biomass/canopy width relationship for the lower, above-ground biomass (excluding pneumatophores) was estimated. Average above-ground biomass for the taller mangrove was estimated to be 104·1 t ha^?1 and for the lower 6·8 t ha^?1. While the value for the taller mangroves is similar to figures reported for more complex tropical mangroves, the fact that 94% of the basin is covered by low generally sparse mangroves means that total biomass for the basin is estimated to be 153 t, an average of only 7·6 t ha^?1. Litter-fall beneath the taller mangroves is estimated as 7·6±2·5 t ha^?1 a^?1 and beneath the lower mangroves 3·3±0·5 t ha^?1 a^?1. The value for the taller mangroves is similar to that reported from mangroves in many other parts of the world, but because of the extensive low sparse mangroves the total for the basin is estimated as 53·7 t a^?1, an average rate of 2·7 t ha^?1 a^?1, a very low rate of litter-fall when compared with elsewhere. Decomposition of mangrove leaves occurs relatively rapidly with leaves losing half their dry weight in 10 weeks and then continuing to degrade but at a slower rate. Substrate sediment samples contain high organic matter content, and although some organic matter appears to be exported via the tidal creek, a proportion of the detrital production is evidently recycled in situ.     

A carbon budget for the Barents Sea

The first carbon budget constructed for the Barents Sea to study the fluxes of carbon into, out of, and within the region is presented. The budget is based on modelled volume flows, measured dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentration, and literature values for dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC) concentrations. The results of the budget show that ～5600±660×10⁶ t C yr^?1 is exchanged through the boundaries of the Barents Sea. If a 40% uncertainty in the volume flows is included in the error calculation it resulted in a total uncertainty of ±1600×10⁶ t C yr^?1. The largest part of the total budget flux consists of DIC advection (～95% of the inflow and ～97% of the outflow). The other sources and sinks are, in order of importance, advection of organic carbon (DOC+POC; ～3% of both in- and outflow), total uptake of atmospheric CO₂ (～1% of the inflow), river and land sources (～0.2% of the inflow), and burial of organic carbon in the sediments (～0.2% of the outflow). The Barents Sea is a net exporter of carbon to the Arctic Ocean; the net DIC export is ～2500±660×10⁶ t C yr^?1 of which ～1700±650×10⁶ t C yr^?1 (～70%) is in subsurface water masses and thus sequestered from the atmosphere. The net total organic carbon export to the Arctic Ocean is ～80±20×10⁶ t C yr^?1. Shelf pumping in the Barents Sea results in an uptake of ～22±11×10⁶ t C yr^?1 from the atmosphere which is exported out of the area in the dense modified Atlantic Waters. The main part of this carbon was channelled through export production (～16±10×10⁶ t C yr^?1).     

Nutrient fluxes in a semi-arid microtidal mangrove wetland in the Gulf of California

Nutrient (C, N and P) fluxes were monitored in a microtidal semi-arid mangrove system, which links a semi-enclosed shallow coastal lagoon with the Gulf of California. We assessed the role of the mangrove ecosystem as a nutrient sink/source and determined how mangrove litterfall rates, tidal regime and climate factors influence these fluxes. Despite high seasonal differences in DOC, POC, N-NO₃⁻ and TP levels, nutrient concentrations were only marginally influenced by either hydrological variables or the concentration of these fractions in the adjacent lagoon. The carbon budget appeared to be balanced throughout the study. Retention rates in the mangrove system were related to litterfall rates. Export of DIN was observed mainly in the wet season due to the low nitrogen assimilation efficiency of the system. Import of organic nitrogen was related to the high retention efficiency of particulate organic nitrogen. Phosphorus fractions were imported and retained in the mangrove supporting previous findings that mangroves are phosphorus sinks. Finally, through a simple meta-analysis we tested the quantitative importance of main variables (tidal flow, tidal elevation, tidal range, rainfall, mangrove catchment area, litterfall) controlling mangrove nutrient dynamics. Although results suggest that generalizations can be made about factors regulating nutrient export from mangroves, the lack of statistical significance highlights the relative importance of the local environment for the magnitude of nutrient exchange in mangroves. Future research should focus on finding mechanistic models to explain these general patterns, taking into account the main biogeochemical processes and their roles in coastal ecosystem ecology.     

Mangrove (Avicennia marina subsp. australasica) litter production and decomposition in a temperate estuary

Mangrove forests can provide important cross-boundary subsidies of organic matter to adjacent habitats through the production, export, decomposition and assimilation of litter. We quantified two of these components in a temperate mangrove forest in Whangamata Harbour, New Zealand: 1) litter production; and 2) decomposition rates as a function of tidal elevation, sediment type and burial depth. Litter traps sampled monthly for a year measured an annual detrital input of 3.24–5.38 t DW ha^?1, of which 77% occurred in summer. Decomposition rates depended on litter type, with leaves decomposing faster (63 d to decay by 50%) than pneumatophore and wood material (316 and 460 d, respectively). Buried leaf and wood litter decomposed 1.3–1.4 times slower than litter on the sediment surface; however, tidal elevation and sediment type (mud vs. sand) had no effect. The slow decay of litter (an order of magnitude slower than tropical mangrove litter) suggests that its incorporation into temperate marine food webs may be relatively slow.     

A cross-system analysis of sedimentary organic carbon in the mangrove ecosystems of Xuan Thuy National Park, Vietnam

A cross-system analysis of bulk sediment composition, total organic carbon (TOC), atomic C/N ratio, and carbon isotope composition (δ¹³C) in 82 surface sediment samples from natural and planted mangrove forests, bank and bottom of tidal creeks, tidal flat, and the subtidal habitat was conducted to examine the roles of mangroves in sedimentation and organic carbon (OC) accumulation processes, and to characterize sources of sedimentary OC of the mangrove ecosystem of Xuan Thuy National Park, Vietnam. Sediment grain sizes varied widely from 5.4 to 170.2 μm (mean 71.5 μm), with the fine sediment grain size fraction (< 63 μm) ranging from 11 to 99.3% (mean 72.5%). Bulk sediment composition suggested that mangroves play an important role in trapping fine sediments from river outflows and tidal water by the mechanisms of tidal current attenuation by vegetation and the ability of fine roots to bind sediments. The TOC content ranged from 0.08 to 2.18% (mean 0.78%), and was higher within mangrove forests compared to those of banks and bottoms of tidal creeks, tidal flat, and subtidal sediments. The sedimentary δ¹³C ranged from − 27.7 to − 20.4‰ (mean − 24.1‰), and mirrored the trend observed in TOC variation. The TOC and δ¹³C relationship showed that the factors of microbial remineralization and OC sources controlled the TOC pool of mangrove sediments. The comparison of δ¹³C and C/N ratio of sedimentary OC with those of mangrove and marine phytoplankton sources indicated that the sedimentary OC within mangrove forests and the subtidal habitat was mainly composed of mangrove and marine phytoplankton sources, respectively. The application of a simple mixing model showed that the mangrove contribution to sedimentary OC decreased as follows: natural mangrove forest > planted mangrove forest > tidal flat > creek bank > creek bottom > subtidal habitat.     

Water and organic carbon fluxes from an irregularly flooded brackish marsh on the upper Texas coast,U.S.A.

Water flows, concentrations of total (TOC), dissolved (DOC), and particulate (POC) organic carbon and seston were monitored for 52 diel periods in the single creek draining a 270-ha Spartina patens-Distichlis spicata marsh on the upper Texas coast. Rainfall, creek water flows, and water levels in the creek and on the marsh were measured by recording instruments.Rainfall accounted for most marsh flooding, and water outflow was significantly correlated with both rainfall and marsh water level. Creek flows were predominantly outward because microtopographic features and dense vegetation restricted overmarsh water flows and thereby reduced tidal flooding while extending the time of precipitation runoff. Concentrations of organic carbon in water leaving the marsh were highest in spring and summer and averaged 25·62, 21·41 and 3·35 mg l^?1 of TOC, DOC and POC, respectively. These were 9·34, 9·93 and 0·04 mg l^?1, respectively, higher than bay water. Most POC was 0·3–28 μm in diameter. Seston > 28μ leaving the marsh was 95% amorphous material; the rest was plankton, grass particles and fecal pellets. Loss of organic carbon was directly correlated with net water flux, and thus rainfall accounted for most carbon loss. Net carbon loss averaged 196 kg TOC, 150 kg DOC and 32 kg POC per day. Net annual loss was 2·4–5·5% of net aerial primary productivity (NAPP), or 21·55-30·09 g TOC m^?2 year^?1.Export from this marsh falls within the range found for other marshes and the data collectively indicate that coastal marshes are not losing as much organic carbon as has been suggested by indirect measurements. The discrepancy between potential and realized export is explained by the fact that export is not a simple removal of excess detritus by tidal action but is a more complicated process mediated by the interaction of additional factors such as rainfall, vegetation structure, microtopographic variation and decomposition, which can serve to reduce the amount and quality of NAPP exported.     

Carbon dioxide emission and carbon accumulation in coastal wetlands

Direct measurements of CO₂ fluxes were made in salt, brackish and freshwater marshes and parallel adjacent open water areas in Barataria Basin, Louisiana. Vertical flux density was determined by monitoring the accumulation of CO₂ in aluminum chambers placed over the water or sediment surfaces. Annual CO₂ fluxes were 418, 180 and 618 g Cm^?2 from the salt, brackish and freshwater marsh, respectively. Water bodies adjacent to the marsh evolved 103, 54 and 242 g CO₂-Cm^?2yr^?1 to the atmosphere from saline, brackish and freshwater lakes, respectively. The role these marshes play in serving as a major carbon sink was determined from the carbon content of the sediment, vertical accretion rates and the bulk density of the sediment. Accretion rates were calculated from the depth in the sediment of the 1963 horizon, the year of peak ¹³⁷Cs fallout. Net carbon accumulation was essentially the same in all three marshes; 183, 296 and 224 g Cm^?2yr^?1 from the salt, brackish and fresh marsh, respectively. Data presented suggest a limited net export of carbon from these coastal marshes. A large percentage of fixed carbon remained on the marsh, being immobilized in accretionary processes or lost to the atmosphere as CO₂.     

Fish farming enhances biomass and nutrient loss in Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile

Fish farming impact on the seasonal biomass, carbon and nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) balance of the endemic Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica was assessed in the Aegean Sea (Greece) in order to detect changes in magnitude and fate of seagrass production and nutrient incorporation with organic loading of the meadows. Phosphorus concentration in the leaves, rhizomes and roots was enhanced under the cages throughout the study. Standing biomass was diminished by 64% and carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus standing stock by 64%, 61% and 48%, respectively, under the cages in relation to those at the control. Seagrass production decreased by 68% and element (C, N, P) incorporation by 67%, 58% and 58%, respectively, under the cages. Leaf shedding was reduced by 81% and loss of elements (C, N, and P) through shedding by 82%, 74% and 72%, respectively, under the cages. Leaf and element (C, N, P) residual loss rate, accounting for grazing and mechanical breakage of leaves, was decreased by 79%, 85%, 100% and 96%, respectively, at the control station. At the control station, 13.98 g C m^?2 yr^?1, 1.91 g N m^?2 yr^?1 and 0.05 g P m^?2 yr^?1 were produced in excess of export and loss. In contrast, under the cages 12.69 g C m^?2 yr^?1, 0.31 g N m^?2 yr^?1 and 0.04 g P m^?2 yr^?1 were released from the meadow. Organic loading due to fish farm discharges transformed the seagrass meadow under the cages from a typical sink to a source of organic carbon and nutrients.     

Biological organic carbon export estimated from the annual carbon budget observed in the surface waters of the western subarctic and subtropical North Pacific Ocean from 2004 to 2013

The annual flux of biologically produced organic carbon from surface waters is equivalent to annual net community production (NCP) at a steady state and equals the export of particulate and dissolved organic carbon (POC and DOC, respectively) to the ocean interior. NCP was estimated from carbon budgets of salinity-normalized dissolved inorganic carbon (nDIC) inventories at two time-series stations in the western subarctic (K2) and subtropical (S1) North Pacific Ocean. By using quasi-monthly biogeochemical observations from 2004 to 2013, monthly mean nDIC inventories were integrated from the surface to the annual maximum mixed layer depth and corrected for changes due to net air–sea CO₂ exchange, net CaCO₃ production, vertical diffusion from the upper thermocline, and horizontal advection. The annual organic carbon flux at K2 (1.49 ± 0.42 mol m^?2 year^?1) was lower than S1 (2.81 ± 0.53 mol m^?2 year^?1) (p < 0.001 based on t test). These fluxes consist of three components: vertically exported POC fluxes (K2: 1.43 mol m^?2 year^?1; S1: 2.49 mol m^?2 year^?1), vertical diffusive DOC fluxes (K2: 0.03 mol m^?2 year^?1; S1: 0.25 mol m^?2 year^?1), and suspended POC fluxes (K2: 0.03 mol m^?2 year^?1; S1: 0.07 mol m^?2 year^?1). The estimated POC export flux at K2 was comparable to the sum of the POC flux observed with drifting sediment traps and active carbon flux exported by migrating zooplankton. The export fluxes at both stations were higher than those reported at other time-series sites (ALOHA, the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study, and Ocean Station Papa).     

The summertime net transport of dissolved oxygen,salt and heat in a salt marsh basin,North Inlet,S.C.

This study addresses the impact marshes have on the dissolved oxygen content of tidal waters, particularly during summer when respiratory demand for oxygen in adjacent coastal waters is at a maximum and the solubility of oxygen is lowest. The net transports of dissolved oxygen, salt and heat have been measured for 65 tidal cycles during late spring and summer for a small (0·14 km²) salt marsh basin near North Inlet, S.C. The results indicate that export of dissolved oxygen occurs only on tidal cycles that begin between 2:00 am and 10:00 am such that high tide occurs within 4 h of noon. The largest exports of oxygen and heat are produced by spring tides beginning near sunrise. Although the time window for oxygen export is only about 8 h in duration, there is a more or less overall long-term balance between export and import because the magnitude of oxygen export is about 25% greater than import. The magnitude of heat export similarly exceeds heat import but because the time windows for heat export and import are equal, there is an overall export of heat. This study thus suggests that in summer salt marshes of the Atlantic coast export heat and are in balance with respect to the export and import of dissolved oxygen. However, because of the interaction of the diurnal tide with the daily cycle of solar radiation, transient dissolved oxygen concentrations in tidal waters can range from 1.5 to 10.0 ppm. Thus loading of additional oxygen consuming materials to these waters possibly could lead to significant periods of anoxia.     

Litter production and litter elemental composition in two rehabilitated Kandelia obovata mangrove forests in Jiulongjiang Estuary,China

Spatial and seasonal variations in litter production and C, N, and P concentrations were compared between the 24 and 48 year old Kandelia obovata mangrove forests in the Jiulongjiang estuary, China. The 24 yr forest had significantly higher production of total, leaf and branch litter, but lower flower and fruit litter than the 48 yr forest. Total, leaf and branch litter production were significantly positively correlated to monthly temperature and rainfall. Spatial patterns of litter production among the inner, mid and outer zones in the same forest were similar to those of tree heights. C, N and P concentrations of leaf litter showed significant seasonality but varied little among these three forest zones. C/N and N/P ratios of leaf litter were significantly lower for the 24 yr forest than those for the 48 yr forest. During the entire sampling year, total litter of the 24 and 48 yr forests contained 590.31 and 437.31 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹, 8.46 and 5.47 g N m⁻² yr⁻¹, 1.92 and 1.16 g P m⁻² yr⁻¹, respectively.     

Increase in anthropogenic CO2 in the Atlantic Ocean in the last two decades

Data from the first systematic survey of inorganic carbon parameters on a global scale, the GEOSECS program, are compared with those collected during WOCE/JGOFS to study the changes in carbon and other geochemical properties, and anthropogenic CO₂ increase in the Atlantic Ocean from the 1970s to the early 1990s. This first data-based estimate of CO₂ increase over this period was accomplished by adjusting the GEOSECS data set to be consistent with recent high-quality carbon data. Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) and extended Multiple Linear Regression (eMLR) analyses to these carbon data are applied by regressing DIC with potential temperature, salinity, AOU, silica, and PO₄ in three latitudinal regions for the western and eastern basins in the Atlantic Ocean. The results from MLR (and eMLR provided in parentheses) indicate that the mean anthropogenic CO₂ uptake rate in the western basin is 0.70 (0.53) mol m^?2 yr^?1 for the region north of 15°N; 0.53 (0.36) mol m^?2 yr^?1 for the equatorial region between 15°N and 15°S; and 0.83 (0.35) mol m^?2 yr^?1 in the South Atlantic south of 15°S. For the eastern basin an estimate of 0.57 (0.45) mol m^?2 yr^?1 is obtained for the equatorial region, and 0.28 (0.34) mol m^?2 yr^?1 for the South Atlantic south of 15°S. The results of using eMLR are systematically lower than those from MLR method in the western basin. The anthropogenic CO₂ increase is also estimated in the upper thermocline from salinity normalized DIC after correction for AOU along the isopycnal surfaces. For these depths the results are consistent with the CO₂ uptake rates derived from both MLR and eMLR methods.     

210Pb in a tropical coastal lagoon sediment core

Excess ²¹⁰Pb in a core from a Mexican Coastal Lagoon, which has no connection with the sea shows a small but measurable decay over the length of the core, when different approaches were compared (excess and corrected ²¹⁰Pb activity with depth, total and inorganic cumulative weights) significant differences in the values for the sedimentation rate are obtained. The best coefficient correlation was calculated when corrected ²¹⁰Pb activity for the uneven distribution of organic matter and cumulative inorganic weight is considered ($\text{ω}\text{= 0·93 cm yr}{}^{\mathrm{?1}}$, R = ?0·86; ω = 0·51 cm yr^?1 for the top 13 cm, R = ?0·90 and 1·52 cm yr^?1 for the interval 14–46 with R = ?0·96).Time frames in the sedimentary column were in agreement between the ²¹⁰Pb calculated time and the appearance of shells fragments probably associated with the disturbances caused by the 1961 hurricane Tara.The surface accumulation rate is equivalent to a mean deposition of 262·5 g m^?2 yr^?1 or organic matter which is minor but comparable to some salt marshes of United States.     

Oxygen dynamics in the North Atlantic subtropical gyre

Dissolved oxygen (DO) in the ocean is a tracer for most ocean biogeochemical processes including net community production and remineralization of organic matter which in turn constrains the biological carbon pump. Knowledge of oxygen dynamics in the North Atlantic Ocean is mainly derived from observations at the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) site located in the western subtropical gyre which may skew our view of the biogeochemistry of the subtropical North Atlantic. This study presents and compares a 15 yr record of DO observations from ESTOC (European Station for Time-Series in the Ocean, Canary Islands) in the eastern subtropical North Atlantic with the 20 yr record at BATS. Our estimate for net community production of oxygen was 2.3±0.4 mol O₂ m⁻² yr⁻¹ and of oxygen consumption was −2.3±0.5 mol O₂ m⁻² yr⁻¹ at ESTOC, and 4 mol O₂ m⁻² yr⁻¹ and −4.4±1 mol m⁻² yr⁻¹ at BATS, respectively. These values were determined by analyzing the time-series using the Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) method. These flux values agree with similar estimates from in-situ observational studies but are higher than those from modeling studies. The difference in net oxygen production rates supports previous observations of a lower carbon export in the eastern compared to the western subtropical Atlantic. The inter-annual analysis showed clear annual cycles at BATS whereas longer cycles of nearly 4 years were apparent at ESTOC. The DWT analysis showed trends in DO anomalies dominated by long-term perturbations at a basin scale for the consumption zones at both sites, whereas yearly cycles dominated the production zone at BATS. The long-term perturbations found are likely associated with ventilation of the main thermocline, affecting the consumption and production zones at ESTOC.     

Environmental factors influencing macrodetritus flux in North Inlet estuary

Floating macrodetritus transport was determined on 72 tidal cycles over 18 months. Floating macrodetritus was exported from the marsh-estuarine ecosystem to the Atlantic Ocean, but export was low (less than 1% of Spartina net aerial primary production). Season and processes within the system seem to determine ebb flux, while flood flux is best explained by a semi-lunar cycle or high water. The extensive observations reported here indicate macrodetritus probably should not be considered a major source of organic carbon export from marsh-estuarine systems.     

Fluxes and sources of suspended organic matter in an estuarine turbidity maximum region during low discharge conditions

Water column concentrations of total suspended solids (TSS), particulate organic carbon (POC) and particulate nitrogen (PN) were measured at three different depths in four different locations bracketing the estuarine turbidity maximum (ETM) along the main channel of a temperate riverine estuary (Winyah Bay, South Carolina, USA). Measurements were carried out over full tidal cycle (over 24 h). Salinity, temperature, current magnitude and direction were also monitored at the same time throughout the water column. Tidally averaged net fluxes of salt, TSS, POC and PN were calculated by combining the current measurements with the concentration data. Under the extreme low river discharge conditions that characterized the study period, net landward fluxes of salt were measured in the lower part of the study area, suggesting that the landward transport through the main channel of the estuary was probably balanced by export out through the sides. In contrast, the net fluxes of salt in the upper reaches of the study area were near zero, indicating a closed salt balance in this part of the estuary. In contrast to salt, the net fluxes of TSS, POC and PN in the deeper parts of the water column were consistently landward at all four sites in Winyah Bay indicating the non-conservative behavior of particulate components and their active transport up the estuary in the region around the ETM.The carbon contents (%POC), carbon:nitrogen ratios (org[C:N]a) and stable carbon isotopic compositions (δ¹³C_POC) of the suspended particles varied significantly with depth, location and tidal stage. Tidally averaged compositions showed a significant increase up the estuary in the %POC and org[C:N]a values of suspended particles consistent with the preferential landward transport of carbon-rich particles with higher vascular plant debris content. The combination of tidal resuspension and flood-dominated flow appeared to be responsible for the hydrodynamic sorting of particles along the estuary that resulted in denser, organic-poor particles being transported landward less efficiently. The elemental and isotopic compositions indicated that vascular C₃ plants and estuarine algae were the major sources of the particulate organic matter of all the samples, without any significant contributions from salt marsh C₄ vegetation (Spartina alterniflora) and/or marine phytoplankton.     

Nitrite photolysis in seawater by sunlight

Nitrite is chemically stable but photochemically unstable in seawater. The net disappearance rate in abiotic low-nitrate seawater exposed to sunlight is ～ 10% per day. The primary products are the free radicals NO and OH. Quantitative aspects of the kinetics and secondary product formation are discussed in terms of a fourteen-step reaction scheme. Possible pathways explaining the results are suggested but not unequivocally identified.The rate of reaction in various marine environments is estimated from cruise data and extrapolations to vary between 0.2–60·10^?3 moles m^?2yr^?1, with a suggested global average for comparison purposes of 1–10·10³ moles m^?2yr^?1.These results confirm and quantify our previous suggestion that nitrite photolysis represents a source of OH radical in seawater. The reaction rate is large enough that significant impacts on the geochemical cycles of dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen and heavy metals may plausibly result. Effects on marine biota and atmospheric trace gas composition are also possible. However, specific reactions coupling the nitrite system to other processes have not yet been identified or demonstrated empirically.