Sources of Nutrients and Fecal Indicator Bacteria to Nearshore Waters on the North Shore of Kaua`i (Hawai`i,USA)

Water quality monitoring in Hanalei Bay, Kaua`i (Hawai`i, USA) has documented intermittent high concentrations of nutrients (nitrate, phosphate, silica, and ammonium) and fecal indicator bacteria (FIB, i.e., enterococci and Escherichia coli) in nearshore waters and spurred concern that contaminated groundwater might be discharging into the bay. The present study sought to identify and track sources of nutrients and FIB to four beaches in Hanalei Bay and one beach outside the bay, together representing a wide range of land uses. ²²³Ra and ²²⁴Ra activity, salinity, nutrient and FIB concentrations were measured in samples from the coastal aquifer, the nearshore ocean, springs, the Hanalei River, and smaller streams. In addition, FIB concentrations in beach sands were measured at each site, and the enterococcal surface protein (esp) gene assay was used to investigate whether the observed FIB originated from a human source. Nutrient concentrations in groundwater were significantly higher than in nearshore water, inversely correlated to salinity, and highly site specific, indicating local controls on groundwater quality. Fluxes of groundwater into Hanalei Bay were calculated using a mass-balance approach and represented at least 2–10% of river discharges. However, submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) may provide 2.7 times as much nitrate + nitrite to Hanalei Bay as does the Hanalei River. It may also provide significant fluxes of phosphate and ammonium, comprising 15% and 20% of Hanalei River inputs, respectively. SGD-derived silica inputs to the bay comprised less than 3% of Hanalei River inputs. FIB concentrations in groundwater were typically lower than those in nearshore water, suggesting that significant FIB inputs from SGD are unlikely. Positive esp gene assays suggested that some enterococci in environmental samples were of human fecal origin. Identifying how nutrients and FIB enter nearshore waters will help environmental managers address pressing water quality issues, including exceedances of the state Enterococcus water quality standard and nutrient loading to coral reefs.     

Submarine Groundwater Discharge Estimates Using Radium Isotopes and Related Nutrient Inputs into Tauranga Harbour (New Zealand)

Land-based pollutants such as fertilizers and wastewater can infiltrate into aquifers and discharge into surrounding coastal water bodies as submarine groundwater discharge (SGD). Oceanic islands, with a large coast length to land area ratio, may be hot spots of SGD into the global ocean. Although SGD may be a major pathway of dissolved nutrients, carbon and metals to coastal waters, studies have been limited due to the difficulties in measuring this often diffuse process. This study used radium isotopes (²²³Ra, ²²⁴Ra, ²²⁶Ra) to investigate SGD and the associated fluxes of nutrients into Tauranga Harbour, New Zealand. We calculated the apparent water mass ages of the harbour to be between ~4.1 and 7.8 days, which was similar to a previous numerical model of ~2–8 days. A ²²⁶Ra mass balance was constructed to quantify SGD fluxes at the harbour scale. A minimum SGD flux rate of 0.53 cm day^?1 was calculated by using the maximum groundwater end-member value from 22 sample sites. However, using the geometric mean from these samples as a representative end-member, a final value of 2.83 cm day^?1 or a flux of 3.09 × 10⁶ m³ day^?1 was calculated. These values were between ~1 and 2.8 times greater than all the major river and creeks discharging into the harbour during the sampling period. Due to the higher observed nutrient concentrations in groundwater, the SGD-derived dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) fluxes were calculated to be 1.07, 0.87 and 0.05 mmol m² day^?1, respectively. These SGD inputs were ~5 times (for nitrogen) and ~8 times (for phosphorus) greater than the input from surrounding rivers and streams. The average N:P ratio in groundwater samples was 36:1 (which was greatly in excess of the Redfield ratio of 16). The harbour water had a N:P ratio of ~17:1. A positive relationship between radium isotopes and N:P ratios in the harbour further supported the hypothesis that SGD can have major implications for primary production, including recurrent algal bloom events which occur in the harbour. We suggest SGD as a major driver of nutrient dynamics in Tauranga Harbour and potentially other similar coastal lagoon systems and estuaries on oceanic islands.     

Surface Water Metabolism Potential in Groundwater-Fed Coastal Waters of Hawaii Island,USA

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) has become increasingly recognized as an important source of freshwater and nutrients to coastal waters worldwide. Although groundwater nutrients have been found to cause algal blooms in many temperate coastal waters, little is known about the biological response to these nutrients in the tropics. On the leeward coast of Hawaii Island, SGD is the dominant freshwater and nutrient source to coastal waters. Kiholo Bay, HI and Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park, HI are two nearshore regions with well-documented SGD with high nutrient concentrations; however, little is known about how biological processes within the surface waters respond to these inputs. This study examined how potential gross primary production (pGPP), respiration (RESP), and potential metabolism (pMET) within surface waters differed inside and outside of groundwater plumes at these two sites and between wet and dry seasons. pGPP and RESP were both significantly higher within groundwater plumes, suggesting that SGD stimulated these biological processes; however, RESP responded to a much greater extent than pGPP, resulting in heterotrophic surface waters. RESP also varied seasonally, with greater rates during the dry season compared to the wet one; pGPP did not vary seasonally. Autotrophic conditions were found within groundwater plumes at Kiholo Bay, while heterotrophic conditions were found within them at Kaloko-Honokohau and were greater during the dry season. Overall, our results show that coastal biological processes respond to SGD and that their responses vary over short spatial and temporal scales.     

Tidal pumping drives nutrient and dissolved organic matter dynamics in a Gulf of Mexico subterranean estuary

We hypothesize that nutrient cycling in a Gulf of Mexico subterranean estuary (STE) is fueled by oxygen and labile organic matter supplied by tidal pumping of seawater into the coastal aquifer. We estimate nutrient production rates using the standard estuarine model and a non-steady-state box model, separate nutrient fluxes associated with fresh and saline submarine groundwater discharge (SGD), and estimate offshore fluxes from radium isotope distributions. The results indicate a large variability in nutrient concentrations over tidal and seasonal time scales. At high tide, nutrient concentrations in shallow beach groundwater were low as a result of dilution caused by seawater recirculation. During ebb tide, the concentrations increased until they reached a maximum just before the next high tide. The dominant form of nitrogen was dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) in freshwater, nitrate in brackish waters, and ammonium in saline waters. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) production was two-fold higher in the summer than in the winter, while nitrate and DON production were one order of magnitude higher. Oxic remineralization and denitrification most likely explain these patterns. Even though fresh SGD accounted for only ∼5% of total volumetric additions, it was an important pathway of nutrients as a result of biogeochemical inputs in the mixing zone. Fresh SGD transported ∼25% of DOC and ∼50% of total dissolved nitrogen inputs into the coastal ocean, with the remainder associated with a one-dimensional vertical seawater exchange process. While SGD volumetric inputs are similar seasonally, changes in the biogeochemical conditions of this coastal plain STE led to higher summertime SGD nutrient fluxes (40% higher for DOC and 60% higher for nitrogen in the summer compared to the winter). We suggest that coastal primary production and nutrient dynamics in the STE are linked.     

Seasonal Alternation Between Groundwater Discharge and Benthic Coupling as Nutrient Sources in a Shallow Coastal Lagoon

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is now recognized as an important source of nutrients and freshwater to some coastal environments. We studied a shallow coastal lagoon (Little Lagoon, AL, USA) in the northern Gulf of Mexico that lacks riverine inputs but has been suspected to receive significant SGD. We observed persistent salinity gradients between the east and west ends of the lagoon and the pass connecting it to the Gulf of Mexico. Covariance between salinity in the lagoon and the groundwater tracer ²²²Rn indicated that SGD was responsible for the salinity gradients and is the primary source of freshwater to the lagoon. Cluster analysis of 246 biweekly samples based on temperature, salinity, and two proxies of SGD revealed two hydrographic regimes with different drivers for nutrient inputs. In samples characterized by high discharge and low temperatures (generally December–April), total nitrogen (TN) was negatively correlated with salinity, while total phosphorus (TP) was positively correlated with temperature. Total nitrogen in the groundwater was very high (0.36–4.80 mM) while total phosphorus was relatively low (0.3–2.3 μM), consistent with SGD as the source of TN during the high-discharge periods. In periods with low discharge and higher temperatures (approx. May–November), TN and TP had strong positive correlations with temperature and are inferred to originate from benthic efflux. Seasonal changes in nutrient stoichiometry in the lagoon water column also indicate an alternation between low TN/TP sediments and high TN/TP groundwater as the primary sources of nitrogen in this system.     

镭同位素示踪隆教湾的海底地下水排泄

福建省漳州市隆教湾海水中镭同位素的研究,目的是评价海底地下水排泄量。在2007年6月的航次中,垂直于岸线的9km剖面上布置15个站位,每个站位用潜水泵采集表层海水样60L于塑料桶中。水样运回实验室后,立即用装有锰纤维的PVC管以虹吸的方式富集水样中的镭同位素,水通过PVC管的流速小于300ml/min。224Ra活度用连续射气法测定,测完224Ra后密封7d以上,然后用直接射气法测定226Ra活度。224Ra和226Ra活度都呈现自岸向海逐渐降低的规律,表明扩散控制镭同位素的分布,由224Ra获得68.83km2d-1的扩散系数,同时226Ra形成-0.963dpm100l-1km-1的活度梯度。用扩散系数和活度梯度建立的226Ra的离岸通量为6.62×1011dpmkm-2d-1,这个通量一定是得到SGD输入的镭支持,从而获得隆教湾的海底地下水排泄量是3.03×109m3km-2d-1。该排泄量包括陆源地下淡水排泄量和再循环海水排泄量,绝大部分可能是再循环海水,有待进一步研究。     

Ra and Rn isotopes as natural tracers of submarine groundwater discharge in the patagonian coastal zone (Argentina): an initial assessment

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is herein recognized as a significant pathway of material transport from land to the coastal SW Atlantic Ocean and thus, it can be a relevant factor affecting the marine biogeochemical cycles in the region. This paper focuses on the initial measurements of ²²⁶Ra, ²²⁸Ra and ²²²Rn made in Patagonia’s coastal zone of Chubut and Santa Cruz provinces (42°S–48°S, Argentina). ²²⁶Ra activity ranged from 2.9 to 73.5 dpm 100 L^?1, and ²²⁸Ra activity ranged from 11.9 to 311.0 dpm 100 L^?1 in groundwater wells. The radium activities found in Patagonia’s marine coastal regions and adjacent shelf indicate significant enrichment throughout the coastal waters. Groundwater samples presented the largest ²²²Rn activity and ranged from 2.66 to 1083 dpm L^?1. Conversely, in the coastal marine environment, the ²²²Rn activity ranged from 1.03 to 6.23 dpm L^?1. The Patagonian coastal aquifer showed a larger enrichment in ²²⁸Ra than in ²²⁶Ra, which is a typical feature for sites where SGD is dominant, probably playing a significant role in the biogeochemistry of these coastal waters.     

Application of226Ra,228Ra,223Ra, and224Ra in coastal waters to assessing coastal mixing rates and groundwater discharge to oceans

The fate of dissolved material delivered to the coastal ocean depends on its reactivity and the rate at which it is mixed offshore. To measure the rate of exchange of coastal waters, we employ two short-lived radium isotopes,²²³Ra and²²⁴Ra. Along the coast of South Carolina, shore-perpendicular profiles of²²³Ra and²²⁴Ra in surface waters show consistent gradients which may be modeled to yield eddy diffusion coefficients of 350–540 m²s⁻¹. Coupling the exchange rate with offshore concentration gradients yields estimates of offshore fluxes of dissolved materials. For systems in steady state, the offshore fluxes must be balanced by new inputs from rivers, groundwater, sewers or other sources. Two tracers that show promise in evaluating groundwater input are barium and²²⁶Ra. These tracers have high relative concentrations in the fluids and low-reactivity in the coastal ocean. Applying the eddy diffusion coefficients to the offshore gradient of²²⁶Ra concentration provides an estimate of the offshore flux of²²⁶Ra. Measuring the concentrations of²²⁶Ra in subsurface fluids provides an estimate of the fluid flux necessary to provide the²²⁶Ra. These estimates indicate that the volume of groundwater required to support these fluxes is of the order of 40% of the surface water flow.     

A multi-method approach for groundwater resource assessment in coastal carbonate (karst) aquifers: the case study of Sierra Almijara (southern Spain)

Understanding the transference of water resources within hydrogeological systems, particularly in coastal aquifers, in which groundwater discharge may occur through multiple pathways (through springs, into rivers and streams, towards the sea, etc.), is crucial for sustainable groundwater use. This research aims to demonstrate the usefulness of the application of conventional recharge assessment methods coupled to isotopic techniques for accurately quantifying the hydrogeological balance and submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) from coastal carbonate aquifers. Sierra Almijara (Southern Spain), a carbonate aquifer formed of Triassic marbles, is considered as representative of Mediterranean coastal karst formations. The use of a multi-method approach has permitted the computation of a wide range of groundwater infiltration rates (17–60%) by means of direct application of hydrometeorological methods (Thornthwaite and Kessler) and spatially distributed information (modified APLIS method). A spatially weighted recharge rate of 42% results from the most coherent information on physiographic and hydrogeological characteristics of the studied system. Natural aquifer discharge and groundwater abstraction have been volumetrically quantified, based on flow and water-level data, while the relevance of SGD was estimated from the spatial analysis of salinity, ²²²Rn and the short-lived radium isotope ²²⁴Ra in coastal seawater. The total mean aquifer discharge (44.9–45.9 hm³ year^?1) is in agreement with the average recharged groundwater (44.7 hm³ year^?1), given that the system is volumetrically equilibrated during the study period. Besides the groundwater resources assessment, the methodological aspects of this research may be interesting for groundwater management and protection strategies in coastal areas, particularly karst environments.     

Submarine Groundwater Discharge-Derived Nutrient Loads to San Francisco Bay: Implications to Future Ecosystem Changes

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) was quantified at select sites in San Francisco Bay (SFB) from radium (²²³Ra and ²²⁴Ra) and radon (²²²Rn) activities measured in groundwater and surface water using simple mass balance box models. Based on these models, discharge rates in South and Central Bays were 0.3?C7.4?m³?day^?1?m^?1. Although SGD fluxes at the two regions (Central and South Bays) of SFB were of the same order of magnitude, the dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) species associated with SGD were different. In the South Bay, ammonium (NH ₄ ⁺ ) concentrations in groundwater were three-fold higher than in open bay waters, and NH ₄ ⁺ was the primary DIN form discharged by SGD. At the Central Bay site, the primary DIN form in groundwater and associated discharge was nitrate (NO ₃ ^? ). The stable isotope signatures (??¹⁵N_NO3 and ??¹⁸O_NO3) of NO ₃ ^? in the South Bay groundwater and surface waters were both consistent with NO ₃ ^? derived from NH ₄ ⁺ that was isotopically enriched in ¹⁵N by NH ₄ ⁺ volatilization. Based on the calculated SGD fluxes and groundwater nutrient concentrations, nutrient fluxes associated with SGD can account for up to 16?% of DIN and 22?% of DIP in South and Central Bays. The form of DIN contributed to surface waters from SGD may impact the ratio of NO ₃ ^? to NH ₄ ⁺ available to phytoplankton with implications to bay productivity, phytoplankton species distribution, and nutrient uptake rates. This assessment of nutrient delivery via groundwater discharge in SFB may provide vital information for future bay ecological wellbeing and sensitivity to future environmental stressors.     

The effect of groundwater seepage on nutrient delivery and seagrass distribution in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico

A hypothesis was tested to determine if a relationship exists between rates of submarine groundwater discharge and the distribution of seagrass beds in the coastal, nearshore northeastern Gulf of Mexico. As determined by nonparametric statistics, four of seven seagrass beds in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico had significantly greater submarine groundwater discharge compared with adjacent sandy areas, but the remainder exhibited the opposite relationship. We were thus unable to verify if a relationship exists between submarine groundwater discharge and the distribution of seagrass beds in the nearshore sites selected. A second objective of this study was to determine the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus delivered to nearshore areas by submarine groundwater discharge. We considered new nutrient inputs to be delivered to surface waters by the upward flux of fresh water. This upward flux of water encounters saline porewaters in the surficial sediments and these porewaters contain recycled nutrients; actual nutrient flux from the sediment to overlying waters includes both new and recycled nutrients. New inputs of nitrogen to overlying surface waters for one 10-km section of coastline, calculated by multiplying groundwater nutrient concentrations from freshwater wells by measured seepage rates, were on the order of 1,100±190 mol N d⁻¹. New and recycled nitrogen fluxes, calculated by multiplying surficial porewater concentrations by measured seepage rates, yielded fluxes of 3,600 ±1,000 mol N d⁻¹. Soluble reactive phosphate values were 150±40 mol P d⁻¹ using freshwater well concentrations and 130±3.0 mol P d⁻¹ using porewater concentrations. These values are comparable to the average nutrient delivery of a small, local river.     

Trace element cycling in a subterranean estuary: Part 2. Geochemistry of the pore water

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is an important source of dissolved elements to the ocean, yet little is known regarding the chemical reactions that control their flux from sandy coastal aquifers. The net flux of elements from SGD to the coastal ocean is dependent on biogeochemical reactions in the groundwater-seawater mixing zone, recently termed the “subterranean estuary.” This paper is the second in a two part series on the biogeochemistry of the Waquoit Bay coastal aquifer/subterranean estuary. The first paper addressed the biogeochemistry of Fe, Mn, P, Ba, U, and Th from the perspective of the sediment composition of cores Charette et al. [Charette, M.A., Sholkovitz, E.R., Hansell, C.M., 2005. Trace element cycling in a subterranean estuary: Part 1. Geochemistry of the permeable sediments. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 69, 2095-2109]. This paper uses pore water data from the subterranean estuary, along with Bay surface water data, to establish a more detailed view into the estuarine chemistry and the chemical diagenesis of Fe, Mn, U, Ba and Sr in coastal aquifers. Nine high-resolution pore water (groundwater) profiles were collected from the head of the Bay during July 2002. There were non-conservative additions of both Ba and Sr in the salinity transition zone of the subterranean estuary. However, the extent of Sr release was significantly less than that of its alkaline earth neighbor Ba. Pore water Ba concentrations approached 3000 nM compared with 25-50 nM in the surface waters of the Bay; the pore water Sr-salinity distribution suggests a 26% elevation in the amount of Sr added to the subterranean estuary. The release of dissolved Ba to the mixing zone of surface estuaries is frequently attributed to an ion-exchange process whereby seawater cations react with Ba from river suspended clay mineral particles at low to intermediate salinity. Results presented here suggest that reductive dissolution of Mn oxides, in conjunction with changes in salinity, may also be an important process in maintaining high concentrations of Ba in the pore water of subterranean estuaries. In contrast, pore water U was significantly depleted in the subterranean estuary, a result of SGD-driven circulation of seawater through reducing permeable sediments. This finding is supported by surface water concentrations of U in the Bay, which were significantly depleted in U compared with adjacent coastal waters. Using a global estimate of SGD, we calculate U removal in subterranean estuaries at 20 × 10⁶ mol U y⁻¹, which is the same order of magnitude as the other major U sinks for the ocean. Our results suggest a need to revisit and reevaluate the oceanic budgets for elements that are likely influenced by SGD-associated processes.     

人类活动影响下的龙口海岸带海底地下水排泄通量研究

在沿海地区,以²²³Ra和²²⁴Ra为示踪剂建立的镭质量平衡模型已广泛应用于海底地下水排泄量(SGD)的研究中,然而目前国内外关于在人类活动复杂影响较大情况下的SGD研究却极为少见。本文对比研究了在有防渗墙(A区)和填海造陆(B区)两种不同人为因素影响下的龙口海岸带水体表现年龄、海底地下水排泄量及其携带的氮磷营养盐通量。结果表明,A区平均水体表现年龄为14.26 d,B区平均水体表现年龄为10.64 d。此外,B区沿岸地下水以及近岸海水中的Ra活度均普遍高于A区,而盐度低于A区。在SGD方面,A区的SGD速率为1.26~1.60 cm·d^-1,B区为1.43~1.82 cm·d^-1,考虑SGD在评估方法上存在一定的误差,因此两个区域的SGD速率相差不大。但与我国其他自然海域相比,这两个区域的SGD速率均处于较低水平。此外,B区的氮磷营养盐浓度普遍高于A区,而且由SGD驱动的氮磷营养盐通量不同,地下水输入的不平衡的营养盐极易改变龙口海域的营养盐结构,对海洋生态环境产生不利影响,这也进一步证实SGD在沿海生态环境以及水体污染治理中的重要地位。     

Submarine groundwater discharge enhances primary productivity in the Yellow Sea,China:Insight from the separation of fresh and recirculated components

Submarine groundwater discharge(SGD)is being increasingly recognized as a significant source of nutri-ent into coastal waters,and generally comprises two components:submarine fresh groundwater dis-charge(SFGD)and recirculated saline groundwater discharge(RSGD).The separate evaluation of SFGD and RSGD is extremely limited as compared to the conventional estimation of total SGD and associated nutrient fluxes,especially in marginal-scale regions.In this study,new high-resolution radium isotopes data in seawater and coastal groundwater enabled an estimation of SGD flux in a typical marginal sea of the Yellow Sea.By establishing 226Ra and 228Ra mass balance models,we obtained the SGD-derived radium fluxes,and then estimated the SFGD and RSGD fluxes through a two end-member model.The results showed that the total SGD flux into the Yellow Sea was equivalent to approximately 6.6 times the total freshwater discharge of surrounding rivers,and the SFGD flux accounted for only 5.2％-8.8％of the total SGD.Considering the nutrient concentrations in coastal fresh and saline groundwater,we obtained the dissolved inorganic nutrient fluxes(mmol m-2 yr-1)to be 52-353 for nitrogen(DIN),0.21-1.4 for phosphorus(DIP),34-226 for silicon(DSi)via SFGD,and 69-262 for DIN,1.0-3.9 for DIP,70-368 for DSi via RSGD,with the sum of nutrient fluxes equaling to(1.8-9.3)-fold,(1.3-5.6)-fold and(2.0-9.5)-fold of the riverine inputs.Compared to the conventional estimation of the total SGD flux,the nutrient fluxes derived from the separation of SFGD and RSGD were(1.6-2.1),(1.6-1.8)and(4.0-4.9)times lower for DIN,DIP and DSi,respectively,indicating that the estimates by separating SFGD and RSGD could be conservative and representative results of the Yellow Sea.Furthermore,we suggested that SGD played an important role in nutrient sources among all the traditional nutrient inputs sources,providing 15％-48％,33％-68％and 14％-43％of the total DIN,DIP and DSi input fluxes into the Yellow Sea,and the high nutrient stoichiometric ratios(i.e.,DIN/DIP)in SGD probably contributed to the increasing ratios in the Yellow Sea.In addition delivering large amounts of nutrient into the Yellow Sea,SGD would create primary productivity of 10-49,1.6-6.8 and 8.8-42 g C m-2 yr-1 based on N,P and Si,which were equivalent to 5.2％-27％,0.9％-3.7％and 4.7％-23％of the total primary productivity,respectively.In par-ticular,the SFGD-derived DIN flux can be converted to primary productivity of 4.2-28 g C m-2 yr-1 thus demonstrating the disproportionately large role of SFGD in ecological environment of the Yellow Sea rel-ative to its flux.Therefore,we conclude that SGD,particularly SFGD,plays an important role as a nutrient source for the Yellow Sea,and not only affects nutrient budgets and structures but also enhances the pri-mary productivity.     

Submarine Groundwater Discharge as a Source of Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen and Phosphorus to Coastal Ponds of Southern Rhode Island

Measurements of groundwater-dissolved inorganic nitrogen (nitrate?+?nitrite?+?ammonia) and phosphate concentrations were combined with recent, radium-based, submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) fluxes and prior estimates of SGD determined from Darcy’s Law, a hydrologic model, and total recharge to yield corresponding SGD nutrient fluxes to Ninigret, Point Judith, Quonochontaug, and Winnapaug ponds, located in southern Rhode Island. Results range from 80 to279 mmol N m^?2 year^?1 and 4 to 15 mmol P m^?2 year^?1 for Ninigret, 48 to 265 mmol N m^?2 year^?1 and 4 to 23 mmol P m^?2 year^?1 for Point Judith, 31 to 62 mmol N m^?2 year^?1 and 1 to 2 mmol P m^?2 y^?1 for Quonochontaug, and 668 to 1,586 mmol N m^?2 year^?1 and 29 to 70 mmol P m^?2 year^?1 for Winnapaug ponds, respectively. On a daily basis, the SGD supply of dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus is estimated to represent ～1–6 % of the total amount of these nutrients in surface waters of Ninigret, Point Judith, and Quonochontaug ponds and up to 84 and 17 % for Winnapaug, respectively, which may reflect a greater SGD nutrient supply to this pond because of the proximity of fertilized golf courses. With regard to the total external input of these essential nutrients, SGD represents 29–45 % of dissolved inorganic nitrogen input to Ninigret, Point Judith, and Quonochontaug ponds and as much as 93 % for Winnapaug pond. For phosphorus, the contribution from SGD represents 59–85 % of the total external input for Ninigret, Point Judith, and Quonochontaug ponds and essentially all of the phosphorus input to Winnapaug pond. Estimated rates of primary productivity potentially supported by the average supply of dissolved inorganic nitrogen from SGD range from 10 g C m^?2 year^?1 for Ninigret, 13 g C m^?2 year^?1 for Point Judith, 4 g C m^?2 year^?1 for Quonochontaug, and as high as 84 g C m^?2 y^?1 for Winnapaug pond. The imputed SGD-derived rates of primary productivity represent 4–9 % of water column primary production for Ninigret, Point Judith, and Quonochontaug ponds, and 74 % for Winnapaug pond, a result that is reasonably comparable to several other coastal environments where estimates of SGD nutrient supply have been reported. The implication is that SGD represents an ecologically significant source of dissolved nutrients to the coastal salt ponds of southern Rhode Island and, by inference, other coastal systems.     

Spatial Distribution of Dissolved Radon in the Choptank River and Its Tributaries: Implications for Groundwater Discharge and Nitrate Inputs

The Choptank River, Chesapeake Bay’s largest eastern-shore tributary, is experiencing increasing nutrient loading and eutrophication. Productivity in the Choptank is predominantly nitrogen-limited, and most nitrogen inputs occur via discharge of high-nitrate groundwater into the river system’s surface waters. However, spatial patterns in the magnitude and quality of groundwater discharge are not well understood. In this study, we surveyed the activity of ²²²Rn, a natural groundwater tracer, in the Choptank’s main tidal channel, the large tidal tributary Tuckahoe Creek, smaller tidal and non-tidal tributaries around the basin, and groundwater discharging into those tributaries, measuring nitrate and salinity concurrently. ²²²Rn activities were <100 Bq m^?3 in the main tidal channel and 100–700 Bq m^?3 in the upper Choptank River and Tuckahoe Creek, while the median Rn activities of fresh tributaries and discharging groundwater were 1,000 and 7,000 Bq m^?3, respectively. Nitrate-N concentrations were <0.01 mg L^?1 throughout most of the tidal channel, 1.5–3 mg L^?1 in the upper reaches, up to 13 mg L^?1 in tributary samples, and up to 19.6 mg L^?1 in groundwater. Nitrate concentrations in tributary surface water were correlated with Rn activity in three of five sub-watersheds, indicating a groundwater nitrate source. ²²²Rn and salinity mass balances indicated that Rn-enriched groundwater discharges directly into the Choptank’s tidal waters and suggested that it consists of a mixture of fresh groundwater and brackish re-circulated estuarine water. Further sampling is necessary to constrain the Rn activity and nitrate concentration of discharging groundwater and quantify direct discharge and associated nitrogen inputs.     

Nutrient and Radium Fluxes from Submarine Groundwater Discharge to Port Royal Sound, South Carolina

Water exchange between the coastal ocean and underlying aquifers provides a newly-recognized source of materials to the ocean. The flux of materials into the ocean from this process is termed submarine groundwater discharge (SGD). Both surficial and semi-confined aquifers contribute to SGD. Here we use ²²⁶Ra and ²²⁸Ra to quantify fluxes of SGD to Port Royal Sound, South Carolina, and to separate fluxes from the Upper Floridan (UFA) and surficial aquifers. Higher activity ratios of ²²⁸/²²⁶Ra in the surficial aquifer make this separation possible. We estimate total SGD fluxes of about 100 m³ s^-1 with about 80% being derived from the surficial aquifer. The SGD flux provides about1.8 × 10⁶ mol d^-1 of NH4 with almost 90% from the surficial aquifer. Because of strong differences in the concentration of PO4 within the UFA, PO₄ fluxes areless certain. Using the UFA wells with low PO₄ concentrations yields a flux of 1.2 × 10⁵ mol d^-1; using wells with high concentrations yields a flux of 2.0 × 10⁵ mol d^-1. In the first case virtually all of the PO₄ flux is from the surficial aquifer; in the second case, 40% is from the UFA.The UFA in this region has experienced dramatic changes as a result of withdrawals for human use. Prior to these withdrawals, total nutrient fluxes from the UFA may have been even larger. These changes in the UFA and similar coastal aquifers worldwide have the potential to significantly alter a major nutrient source for the coastal ocean.     

Metabolic Responses of Estuarine Microbial Communities to Discharge of Surface Runoff and Groundwater from Contrasting Landscapes

Groundwater discharge is increasingly recognized as a significant source of nutrient input to coastal waters, relative to surface water inputs. There remains limited information, however, on the extent to which nutrients and organic matter from each of these two flowpaths influence the functional responses of coastal microbial communities. As such, this study determined dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nutrient concentrations of surface water runoff and groundwater from both an urbanized and a relatively pristine forested drainage basin near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and quantified the changes in production rates and biomass of phytoplankton and bacterioplankton in response to these inputs during two microcosm incubation experiments (August and October, 2011). Rainwater in the urbanized basin that would otherwise enter the groundwater appeared to be largely rerouted into the surface flowpath by impervious surfaces, bypassing ecosystem buffers and filtration mechanisms. Surface runoff from the developed basin was most enriched in nutrients and DOC and yielded the highest production rates of the various source waters upon addition to coastal waters. The metabolic responses of phytoplankton and bacterioplankton were generally well predicted as a function of initial chemical composition of the various source waters, though more so with bacterial production. Primary and bacterial productivities often correlated at reciprocal time points (24-h measurement of one with the 72-h measurement of the other). These results suggest human modification of coastal watersheds enhances the magnitude of dissolved constituents delivered to coastal waters as well as alters their distributions between surface and groundwater flowpaths, with significant implications for microbial community structure and function in coastal receiving waters.     

海底地下水排放:重要的海岸带陆海相互作用过程

沿海地区海底地下水排放在北美和欧洲等发达地区受到了越来越多的重视,被认为是一个重要的海岸带陆海相互作用过程。但这一过程在我国尚未引起足够认识,有关研究极少见。海底地下水排放的研究历史不长,只是近十多年才有了快速的发展,有了越来越多的定量研究成果。其研究方法主要有水文计算法、现场实测法和地球化学示踪法,各种方法之间的对比实验是目前的热点问题。沿海地下水排放具有重要的环境意义,它可以是陆地营养物质和污染物质的一个重要排放通道,可以对海岸带环境产生一定影响。我国沿海地区应该加强有关的研究工作,为海岸带环境管理作出贡献。     

Submarine groundwater discharge in a subsiding coastal lowland: A Ra and Rn investigation in the Southern Venice lagoon

Several recent studies have suggested that submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) occurs in the Venice lagoon with discharge rates on the same order or larger than the surface runoff, as demonstrated previously in several other coastal zones around the world. Here, the first set of ²²²Rn data, along with new ²²⁶Ra data are reported, in order to investigate the occurrence and magnitude of SGD specifically in the southern basin of the lagoon. The independent connection with the Adriatic Sea (at the Chioggia inlet), in addition to the relative isolation of the water body from the main lagoon, make this area an interesting case study. There is probably only minimal fresh groundwater flux to the lagoon because the surrounding aquifer is subsiding and mainly has a lower hydraulic head than seawater.The data show that the Ra and Rn activities are in slight excess in the lagoon compared to the open sea, with values on the same order as those observed in the northern and central basins. Taking into account the water exchange rate between the lagoon and adjacent seawater provided by previous hydrodynamic numerical modelling, it is shown that this excess cannot be supported at steady state by only riverine input and by diffusive release from the sediment interstitial water. High activities observed in groundwater samples collected from 16 piezometers tapping into the shallow aquifer over the coastal lowland substantiate that the excess radioactivity in the lagoon may indeed be due to the advection of groundwater directly into the lagoon bottom water through the sediment interface. However, the data show that the groundwater composition is extremely heterogeneous, with high Ra activities concentrated within a narrow coastal strip where the contact between fresh and saline water takes place, while Rn strongly decreases when approaching the lagoon shore across the 20 km coastal plain. Assuming that the average groundwater activities measured in the coastal strip are representative of the SGD composition, a SGD flux of 7.7 ± 3.5 × 10⁵ and 2.5 ± 2 × 10⁶ m³/d is calculated using a ²²⁶Ra and ²²²Rn budget, respectively, (i.e. about 1-3 times the surface runoff), substantially lower than in previous studies. The influence of all assumptions on SGD estimates (groundwater heterogeneity, diffusive sediment flux, one-box versus multi-boxes model calculations) is discussed, and a sensitivity analysis of the influence of imperfect exchange and mixing at the lagoon outlets that affects the lagoon composition is provided. Finally, the results confirm that the SGD flux, calculated with these assumptions, is largely (∼80%) composed of saline lagoon water circulating through the sediment under the lagoon margin, and that the fresh water discharge associated with SGD is at most a minor term in the lagoon hydrologic balance.