Mixed carbonate-siliciclastic infilling of a Neogene carbonate shelf-valley system: Tampa Bay, West-Central Florida

The shelf-valley system underlying Tampa Bay, Florida’s largest estuary, is situated in the middle of the Neogene carbonate Florida Platform. Compared to well-studied fluvially incised coastal plain valley systems, this shelf-valley system is unique in its karstic origin and its alternating carbonate-siliciclastic infill. A complex record of sea-level changes, paleo-fluvial variability and marine processes have controlled the timing and mechanisms of this ‘compound’ shelf-valley infill. A dense grid of high-resolution, single-channel seismic data were collected at the mouth of Tampa Bay, in an attempt to define this stratigraphy, determine the controls on deposition, and define the underlying structure of this shelf-valley system. The seismic data were correlated with nearby wells and boreholes for lithologic and age control. Sequence stratigraphic methods were incorporated in order to develop an integrated chronostratigraphy for the depositional infilling of the shelf-valley system. Five seismic sequences were identified. Sequence boundaries generally show erosional truncation and karstification, with downlap of overlying sequences. Structure contour and isopach maps indicate that the Tampa Bay shelf-valley system has remained in essentially the same location since its formation in the early Miocene, although the provenance of sedimentary infill has changed. This change is due to increasing amounts of siliciclastic material during the Neogene. Seismic facies interpretations indicate lower-energy, northward prograding deposition dominated by predominantly carbonate sediments within the lowest Sequence A. Higher energy, siliciclastic fluvio-deltaic deposition within sequences B and C originates to the east and northeast of the shelf-valley system related to a Pliocene pulse of sedimentation onto the Florida Platform. Finally, marine processes (longshore transport, ebb-tidal delta formation) dominate the upper two sequences (D and E), reworking these siliciclastic sediments into a spatially mixed carbonate-siliciclastic depositional setting.     

Post-Miocene stratigraphy and depositional environments of valley-fill sequences at the mouth of Tampa Bay, Florida

Post-Miocene sea-level low stands allowed rivers and karst processes to incise the exposed carbonate platform along the Gulf Coast of Florida. Few Miocene to mid-Pleistocene deposits survived erosion along the present coast except within incised valleys. Since their formation, these valleys have been filled and incised multiple times in response to sea-level changes. The thick sedimentary sequences underlying the mouth of Tampa Bay have been recorded as a range of depositional environments and multiple sea-level incursions and excursions during pre-Holocene time and subsequent to the accumulation of the Miocene carbonate sequences. Sediment analysis of cores collected from a north–south transect across the mouth of Tampa Bay has enabled the identification of lithofacies, ranging from well-sorted, quartz sand to dense, fossiliferous, phosphatic grainstone. These facies were deposited in freshwater, estuarine, and shallow, open marine environments. As a result of channel development and migration within the paleovalley, and cut-and-fill associated with individual transgressions and regressions, correlation of the lithofacies does not extend across the entire transect. Fining-upward sequences truncated by tidal ravinement surfaces that extend throughout the paleovalley can, however, be identified. Age determinations based on 14-C analysis, amino-acid racemization, and strontium isotope analysis dating of numerous samples yield ages of Miocene, Pliocene, early Pleistocene, and late Pleistocene, as well as Holocene for sequences that accumulated and were preserved in this valley-fill complex. Numerous inconsistencies in the stratigraphic organization of the age determinations indicate that there are bad dates, considerable reworking of shells that were dated, or both. For this reason as well as the lack of detailed correlation among the three relatively complete cores, it is not possible to place these strata in a sequence stratigraphic framework.     

Winds and buoyancy-driven circulation in the Tampa Bay

INTROOCCrIOWWiththeimplementationoftimeseriesobservationsspanningseveralsynopticweathersystempassages,theimPOrtanceoftheattnosphericallyforcedpartofestuarinecirculationbecameclearinthe1970s.WeisbetgandSturges(1976)examinedthewindeffectindrivingthenetcirculationintheWestPassageoftheNarragansettBay.Usingvelocitymeasurementsofapproximatelyonemonthduration,theyconcludedthatthelocalwindscoulddominatethegravitationalconvectionindeterminingthenetestuarinecirculationprofileofapartiallymixedestu…     

Short-term variability of suspended sediment and phytoplankton in Tampa Bay,Florida: Observations from a coastal oceanographic tower and ocean color satellites

We examined short-term phytoplankton and sediment dynamics in Tampa Bay with data collected between 8 December 2004 and 17 January 2005 from optical, oceanographic, and meteorological sensors mounted on a coastal oceanographic tower and from satellite remote sensing. Baseline phytoplankton (chlorophyll-a, Chl) and sediment concentrations (particle backscattering coefficient at 532 nm, bbp(532)) were of the order of 3.7 mg m⁻³ and 0.07 m⁻¹, respectively, during the study period. Both showed large fluctuations dominated by semidiurnal and diurnal frequencies associated with tidal forcing. Three strong wind events (hourly averaged wind speed >8.0 m s⁻¹) generated critical bottom shear stress of >0.2 Pa and suspended bottom sediments that were clearly observed in concurrent MODIS satellite imagery. In addition, strong tidal current or swells could also suspend sediments in the lower Bay. Sediments remained suspended in the water column for 2–3 days after the wind events. Moderate Chl increases were observed after sediment resuspension with a lag time of ˜1–2 days, probably due to release of bottom nutrients and optimal light conditions associated with sediment resuspension and settling. Two large increases in Chl with one Chl > 12.0 mg m⁻³ over ˜2 days, were observed at neap tides. For the study site and period, because of the high temporal variability in phytoplankton and sediment concentrations, a monthly snapshot can be different by −50% to 200% from the monthly “mean” chlorophyll and sediment conditions. The combination of high-frequency observations from automated sensors and synoptic satellite imagery, when available, is an excellent complement to limited field surveys to study and monitor water quality parameters in estuarine environments.     

Late Holocene estuarine–inner shelf interactions; is there evidence of an estuarine retreat path for Tampa Bay, Florida?

The purpose of this study was to determine if and how a large, modern estuarine system, situated in the middle of an ancient carbonate platform, has affected its adjacent inner shelf both in the past during the last, post-glacial sea-level rise and during the present. An additional purpose was to determine if and how this inner shelf seaward of a major estuary differed from the inner shelves located just to the north and south but seaward of barrier-island shorelines. Through side-scan sonar mosaicking, bathymetric studies, and ground-truthing using surface grab samples as well as diver observations, two large submarine sand plains were mapped – one being the modern ebb-tidal delta and the other interpreted to be a relict ebb-tidal delta formed earlier in the Holocene. The most seaward portion of the inner shelf studied consists of a field of lobate, bathymetrically elevated, fine-sand accumulations, which were interpreted to be sediment-starved 3D dunes surrounded by small 2D dunes composed of coarse molluscan shell gravel. Additionally, exposed limestone hardbottoms supporting living benthic communities were found as well. This modern shelf sedimentary environment is situated on a large, buried shelf valley, which extends eastward beneath the modern Tampa Bay estuary. These observations plus the absence of an incised shelf valley having surficial bathymetric expression, and the absence of sand bodies normally associated with back-tracking estuarine systems indicate that there was no cross-shelf estuarine retreat path formed during the last rise in sea level. Instead, the modern Tampa Bay formed within a mid-platform, low-relief depression, which was flooded by rising marine waters late in the Holocene. With continued sea-level rise in the late Holocene, this early embayment was translated eastward or landward to its present position, whereby a larger ebb-tidal delta prograded out onto the inner shelf. Extensive linear sand ridges, common to the inner shelves to the north and south, did not form in this shelf province because it was a low-energy, open embayment lacking the wave climate and nearshore zone necessary to create such sand bodies. The distribution of bedforms on the inner shelf and the absence of seaward-oriented 2D dunes on the modern ebb-tidal delta indicate that the modern estuarine system has had little effect on its adjacent inner shelf.     

Holocene evolution of Apalachicola Bay,Florida

A program of geophysical mapping and vibracoring was conducted to better understand the geologic evolution of Apalachicola Bay. Analyses of the geophysical data and sediment cores along with age control provided by 34 AMS ¹⁴C dates on marine shells and wood reveal the following history. As sea level rose in the early Holocene, fluvial deposits filled the Apalachicola River paleochannel, which extended southward under the central part of the bay and seaward across the continental shelf. Sediments to either side of the paleochannel contain abundant wood fragments, with dates documenting that those areas were forested at 8,000 ¹⁴C years b.p. As sea level continued to rise, spits formed of headland prodelta deposits. Between ∼6,400 and ∼2,500 ¹⁴C years b.p., an Apalachicola prodelta prograded and receded several times across the inner shelf that underlies the western part of the bay. An eastern deltaic lobe was active for a shorter time, between ∼5,800 and 5,100 ¹⁴C years b.p. Estuarine benthic foraminiferal assemblages occurred in the western bay as early as 6,400 ¹⁴C years b.p., and indicate that there was some physical barrier to open-ocean circulation and shelf species established by that time. It is considered that shoals formed in the region of the present barrier islands as the rising sea flooded an interstream divide. Estuarine conditions were established very early in the post-glacial flooding of the bay.     

Historical contamination of PAHs, PCBs, DDTs, and heavy metals in Mississippi River Delta, Galveston Bay and Tampa Bay sediment cores

Profiles of trace contaminant concentrations in sediment columns can be a natural archive from which pollutant inputs into coastal areas can be reconstructed. Reconstruction of historical inputs of anthropogenic chemicals is important for improving management strategies and evaluating the success of recent pollution controls measures. Here we report a reconstruction of historical contamination into three coastal sites along the US Gulf Coast: Mississippi River Delta, Galveston Bay and Tampa Bay. Within the watersheds of these areas are extensive agricultural lands as well as more than 50% of the chemical and refinery capacity of the USA. Despite this pollution potential, relatively low concentrations of trace metals and trace organic contaminants were found in one core from each of the three sites. Concentrations and fluxes of most trace metals found in surface sediments at these three sites, when normalized to Al, are typical for uncontaminated Gulf Coast sediments. Hydrophobic trace organic contaminants that are anthropogenic (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, DDTs, and polychlorinated biphenyls) are found in sediments from all locations. The presence in surface sediments from the Mississippi River Delta of low level trace contaminants such as DDTs, which were banned in the early 1970's, indicate that they are still washed out from cultivated soils. It appears that the DDTs profile in that sediment core was produced by a combination of erosion processes of riverine and other sedimentary deposits during floods. Most of the pollutant profiles indicate that present-day conditions have improved from the more contaminated conditions in the 1950-1970's, before the advent of the Clean Water Act.     

Subtidal Flow Patterns in Western Florida Bay

Recent observations using moored current meters, shipboard ADCP transects, salinity mapping and drifters have been used to study the residual circulation including wind drift in western Florida Bay.Rapid, nearly synoptic surveys of salinity over a large area was an effective tracer-mapping technique, when salinity gradients were sufficiently strong, and provided qualitative information on Lagrangian water motion for the entire study area. The salinity maps indicated a general south-eastward advection, which was only subordinate to tidal mixing in a narrow zone adjacent to the Florida Keys.Drifter data collected simultaneously, allowed quantitative estimates to be added to the transport pattern suggested by salinity maps. The selectively deployed drifters yielded estimates of total drift velocities. In addition, moored current meters and shipboard current profiling were used to determine the distribution of flow across the mouth of the bay facing the Gulf of Mexico and the transport through Long Key Channel, a major connection between the bay and the Atlantic Ocean.Analysis showed that from 64 to over 92% of the drifter trajectory variances could be explained by the combination of a local wind drift, expressed in terms of a wind drift factor multiplied by the surface shear velocity, and an ambient current. For a 1 m high drifter deployed at the surface of the water column, the wind drift factor was found to be approximately 0·125m, making the drift speed roughly equal to 0·45% of wind speed. The mean drifter speeds were linearly proportional to mean transport estimates derived from the current meter observations in Long Key Channel, enhancing confidence in both data sets.The total south-eastward directed residual current varied between 100 and 5000 m day⁻¹and was weaker in summer than in winter, when southward winds associated with periodic passage of cold fronts boost the residual flow. The estimated contribution from local wind drift varied between 500 m day⁻¹in summer to 1000 m day⁻¹in winter. The remaining contribution to the observed Lagrangian residual circulation in western Florida Bay is caused by other forcing, including tidal rectification, remote wind forcing and large-scale current systems (the Gulf Stream and Florida Current systems).     

Patterns of variability in ichthyoplankton occurrence and abundance in Biscayne Bay,Florida

Within-day variability in ichthyoplankton and microzooplankton abundances was examined at a single station in Biscayne Bay using replicate tows of 61-cm bongo nets and Niskin bottles to determine if patchiness occurred on the 10–1000 m scale and on the minutes to hours time scale. Fish eggs and larvae often were patchy but copepod nauplii, the predominant food of larvae, usually were randomly distributed at the scales examined and over the 3.15 m-depth water column. Mean patchiness index values were of similar magnitude for fish eggs and larvae but fish eggs were patchy more often than were larvae. Individual taxa of larvae had extremely high patchiness index values on some dates. Variability in fish egg catches often reflected increasing or decreasing abundance trends during the 2.5h sampling period while fish larvae catches often appeared to be clumped within the repetitive series of tows. There was no tendency for patchiness to be correlated among taxa on collection dates nor was it correlated with abundances or wind speeds. Patchiness indices of bay anchovy Anchoa mitchilli eggs and larvae were not significantly correlated, indicating little concordance in tendency to be aggregated, suggesting that distributions were influenced by biological processes related to spawning of adults and behaviour of larvae, in addition to physical processes. Although ichthyoplankton patchiness often did exist at the 10–1000 m scale, on many days ichthyoplankton was uniformly or randomly distributed. Copepod nauplii were abundant ($\text{x}\text{=90.41}{}^{\mathrm{?1}}$), randomly distributed on most dates, and apparently readily available as fish larvae food in Biscayne Bay.     

Seasonality of occurrence,foods and food preferences of ichthyoplankton in Biscayne Bay,Florida

Ichthyoplankton and microzooplankton were collected twice monthly for one year at a single station in Biscayne Bay, Florida. Based on approximate 10-m³, 333-μm mesh bongo net samples, the mean annual densities were 17·7 m^?3 and 1·8 m^?3 for fish eggs and larvae, respectively. Ichthyoplankton was most abundant in spring-summer. The most common fish larvae were bay anchovy (Anchoa mitchilli), spotted dragonet (Callionymus pauciradiatus), thread herring (Opisthonema oglinum) and gobies (Gobiidae), which comprised 50% of all larvae collected. A comparison of 35-μm and 333-μm mesh, bongo net collections revealed that mean densities of fish larvae were 8·5 times higher in the smaller mesh. The most abundant microzooplankton, based on 35-μm bongo net collections, were copepod nauplii, <100 μm in width, which averaged 90·41^?1 and tintinnids which averaged 168·51^?1. The mean density of microzooplankton <100 μm wide, potentially suitable food for first-feeding fish larvae, was 104·91^?1, exclusive of tintinnids, and 273·41^?1 including tintinninds. Excepting tintinnids, seasonal variability in microzooplankton abundance was low relative to that for ichthyoplankton. High microzooplankton densities, combined with low seasonal variability, indicated that feeding conditions for fish larvae were usually good in Biscayne Bay. Copepods, especially nauplii, were the predominant food of fish larvae (71% of all food items). Only mollusc veliger larvae (18% of all food items) were highly preferred prey but they were a small component of most larval fish diets. Average width of prey eaten by first-feeding larvae was 74 μm. Prey size increased in relation to larval length.     

Late Holocene sea-level rise in Tampa Bay: Integrated reconstruction using biomarkers,pollen, organic-walled dinoflagellate cysts,and diatoms

A suite of organic geochemical, micropaleontological and palynological proxies was applied to sediments from Southwest Florida, to study the Holocene environmental changes associated with sea-level rise. Sediments were recovered from Hillsborough Bay, part of Tampa Bay, and studied using biomarkers, pollen, organic-walled dinoflagellate cysts and diatoms. Analyses show that the site flooded around 7.5 ka as a consequence of Holocene transgression, progressively turning a fresh/brackish marl-marsh into a shallow, restricted marine environment. Immediately after the marine transgression started, limited water circulation and high amounts of runoff caused stratification of the water column. A shift in dinocysts and diatom assemblages to more marine species, increasing concentrations of marine biomarkers and a shift in the Diol Index indicate increasing salinity between 7.5 ka and the present, which is likely a consequence of progressing sea-level rise. Reconstructed sea surface temperatures for the past 4 kyrs are between 25 and 26 ° C, and indicate stable temperatures during the Late Holocene. A sharp increase in sedimentation rate in the top ∼50 cm of the core is attributed to human impact. The results are in agreement with parallel studies from the area, but this study further refines the environmental reconstructions having the advantage of simultaneously investigating changes in the terrestrial and marine environment.     

Hydrodynamic modeling of flushing time in a small estuary of North Bay, Florida, USA

Freshwater fraction method is popular for cost-effective estimations of estuarine flushing time in response to freshwater inputs. However, due to the spatial variations of salinity, it is usually expensive to directly estimate the long-term freshwater fraction in the estuary from field observations. This paper presents the application of the 3D hydrodynamic model to estimate the distributions of salinity and thus the freshwater fractions for flushing time estimation. For a case study in a small estuary of the North Bay in Florida, USA, the hydrodynamic model was calibrated and verified using available field observations. Freshwater fractions in the estuary were determined by integrating freshwater fractions in model grids for the calculation of flushing time. The flushing time in the North Bay is calculated by the volume of freshwater fraction divided by the freshwater inflow, which is about 2.2 days under averaged flow conditions. Based on model simulations for a time series of freshwater inputs over a 2-year period, a power regression equation has been derived from model simulations to correlate estuarine flushing time to freshwater inputs. For freshwater input varying from 12 m³/s to 50 m³/s, flushing time in this small estuary of North Bay changes from 3.7 days to 1.8 days. In supporting estuarine management, the model can be used to examine the effects of upstream freshwater withdraw on estuarine salinity and flushing time.     

坦帕湾河口计划对水环境治理的影响机制及其启示

为促进我国海湾环境保护和提升水环境治理水平,文章在介绍坦帕湾河口计划（TBEP）的发展历程、组织架构及其政策目标的基础上,运用社会网络分析的方法比较分析坦帕湾和圣安德鲁斯湾水环境治理网络的定量数据和内在运作机制,并针对我国相关实践提出启示。研究结果表明:TBEP通过治理网络中参与者的个体选择和各类组织的集体行动影响流域水环境治理,使治理网络的发育更加成熟和完善;在个体选择层面,TBEP减少参与者的行为风险、拓展参与者的连接方式和信息资源获取渠道以及创造参与者之间更多的信任基础;在集体行动层面,TBEP实现科学研究与管理行为的整合、多层级政府及其部门的整合以及各类组织和个体的整合;在借鉴TBEP运作的成功经验时,应注意TBEP适用于政策目标明确、手段模糊且须整合多方利益主体的治理问题,合理的经费来源和机构设置是TBEP取得良好治理绩效的前提条件,TBEP在水环境治理中的整合力来自其在治理网络中所发挥的强大作用,科学化和多样化的治理方式是TBEP成为治理网络核心的有力保障。     

Distribution of yttrium and rare earths in Florida Bay sediments

The distribution of yttrium and rare earth elements (YREEs) in surface sediments was measured on samples collected from 40 stations in Florida Bay (June 2000 and February 2001). Florida Bay is the largest shallow carbonate estuary in South Florida with nearly pristine conditions. It receives fresh waters from some rivers and several canals from the Everglades which contribute rare earth elements and metals to the Bay. This paper is the first extensive study of YREEs in Florida Bay. Concentrations of YREEs (Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu) were determined by ICP-MS. The YREEs show a similar distribution pattern for the two months studied. The maximum concentrations were found in the western and north-central zones (near the Everglades) and the minimum concentrations were found in the south-central zone near the Florida Keys. The pattern of YREEs in Florida Bay sediments correlated strongly with those in the North American Shale Composite, indicating a dominant crustal source for these elements. However, the REE concentrations in Florida Bay sediments are depleted with respect to NASC. All REEs exhibited a strong correlation with Fe and Al from continental input and river runoff from the Everglades. The heavy REEs and Y showed a strong correlation with Al (R² > 0.84). The light and medium REEs showed a strong correlation with Fe (R² > 0.9). Correlations of all the YREEs with Mn were slightly lower (R²  0.7–0.75). The concentration of all the YREEs, Al and Fe are dependent on the bottom types and zones in the Bay, except Mn which decreases as it moves from the land to the sea.     

Evaluation of the flushing rates of Apalachicola Bay, Florida via natural geochemical tracers

We used naturally occurring radium isotopes as tracers of water exchange in Apalachicola Bay, a shallow coastal-plain estuary in northwestern Florida. The bay receives fresh water and radium from the Apalachicola River, and mixes with Gulf of Mexico waters through four inlets. We deployed moored buoys with attached Mn-fibers at several stations throughout the estuary during two summer and two winter periods. After deployment for at least one tidal cycle we measured the ratio of the two short-lived radium isotopes ²²³Ra (half-life = 11 d) and ²²⁴Ra (3.6 d) to estimate “radium ages” of the water in the bay.During our four seasonal deployments the river discharge ranged from 338 to 1016 m³ s^− 1. According to our calculations the water turnover time in the bay during these samplings ranged from 6 to 12 days. Age contours in the bay showed that winds and tides as well as river discharge influence the water movement and the residence time of freshwater in the bay. We also calculated the mean age of river water in the bay which was between 5 to 9 days during the studied periods. We suggest that this approach can be used to quantify transport processes of dissolved substances in the bay. For example, soluble nutrient or pollutant transport rates from a point source could be examined. We conclude that the radium age technique is well suited for flushing rate calculations in river dominated shallow estuaries.     

Hydrodynamic modeling and ecohydrological analysis of river inflow effects on Apalachicola Bay,Florida, USA

This paper presents an integrated hydrodynamic modeling and probability analysis approach to assess the long-term effects of changing river inflows on the estuarine ecosystem. The probability analysis method, which is popularly used in advanced hydrological frequency analysis of river flows and rainfalls, has been applied to analyze the effects of changing inflow on salinity and thus on oyster ecology in Apalachicola Bay. Long-term salinity data were predicted through the application of a calibrated 3D hydrodynamic model under two river inflow conditions over a 10-year period. The first flow represents the historic flow. The 2nd flow condition, called Scenario-1, represents a regulated flow scenario to account for the potential increasing upstream water demands. Two stations, Mid Bay and Dry Bar, in the bay were selected to examine the estuarine responses. Under the historic flow condition, the maximum probability salinity at Dry Bar in the rich oyster reef is near 24 ppt, within the optimal salinity range for oyster growth of 16–26 ppt (Harned et al., 1996); the maximum probability salinity at Mid Bay station is 27 ppt, beyond the optimal salinity for oyster growth in mid-bay area where there is no oyster reef around. While it is difficult to examine the difference between two scenarios by conventional time series analysis of river flows and salinity, probability analysis reasonably characterizes and quantifies the changes of river flow and salinity patterns over the 10-year period. The Scenario-1 has caused the increase of the probability in low flows. Higher probability of low flows for the regulated flow scenario shortens the period of optimal salinity in the oyster reef, and cause substantial increase of exceedance probability of higher salinity in the oyster reef to the level beyond the optimal salinity range for oyster growth. The probability analysis approach has demonstrated its advantage for the risk assessments of the long-term estuarine ecohydrological effects under various regulated inflow scenarios to support estuarine water resources managements.     

2001年秋季风对坦帕湾盐度平衡的影响

利用三维高分辨率有限体积的近海海域模型FVCOM来分析2001年秋季期间风作用对坦帕湾区域盐度平衡的影响。为了区分风的影响,分别设计了两个实验：一个由潮汐和河流作为驱动,另一个由潮汐、河流以及风场共同驱动。结论如下：首先,风作用会使盐度产生变化,能够明显地使坦帕湾内的盐度增加,并导致水平和垂直方向上盐度梯度的减少;随后,本文分析了坦帕湾区域内的盐度平衡,主要的盐度平衡来自于全部（水平和垂直方向上）平流的盐度流量分歧以及除去海峡底部的垂直方向上盐度流量分歧;最后,对由风引起的盐度变化进一步进行分析,结果表明风作用不能改变盐度平衡地位的相对重要性,由风引起的盐度平衡改变高度依靠于特殊的地形,除此之外,全部平流盐度流量分歧和垂直散布盐度通量分歧能够抵消,并且两者都远大于水平散步盐度流量分歧。     

Alkaline phosphatase activity of water column fractions and seagrass in a tropical carbonate estuary, Florida Bay

Few phosphorus-depleted coastal ecosystems have been examined for their ability to hydrolyze phosphomonoesters. We examined seasonal (August 2006–April 2007) alkaline phosphatase activity in Florida Bay, a phosphorus-limited shallow estuary, using fluorescent substrate at low concentrations (≤2.0 μM). In situ dissolved inorganic and organic phosphorus levels and phosphomonoester concentrations were also determined. Water column alkaline phosphatase activity was partitioned into two particulate size fractions (>1.2 and 0.2–1.2 μm) and freely dissolved enzymes (<0.2 μm). Water column alkaline phosphatase activity was also compared to leaf and epiphyte activity of the dominant tropical seagrass Thalassia testudinum. Our results indicate: (1) potential alkaline phosphatase activity in Florida Bay is high compared to other marine ecosystems, resulting in rapid phosphomonoester turnover times (2 h). (2) Water column alkaline phosphatase activity dominates, and is split equally between particulate and dissolved fractions. (3) Alkaline phosphatase activity was highest during cyanobacterial blooms, but not when normalized to chl a. These results suggest that dissolved, heterotrophic and autotrophic alkaline phosphatase activity is stimulated by phytoplankton blooms. (4) The dissolved alkaline phosphatase activity is relatively constant, while the particulate activity is seasonally and spatially dynamic, typically associated with phytoplankton blooms. (5) Phosphomonoester concentrations throughout the bay are low, even though potential hydrolysis rates are high. We propose that bioavailable dissolved organic P is hydrolyzed by dissolved and microbial alkaline phosphatase enzymes in Florida Bay. High alkaline phosphatase activity in the bay is also promoted by long hydraulic residence times. This background activity is primarily driven by carbon and phosphorus limitation of microorganisms, and regeneration of enzymes associated with cell lysis. Pulses of inorganic phosphorus and labile organic phosphorus and nitrogen may stimulate autotrophs, particularly cyanobacteria, which in turn promote biological activity that increase alkaline phosphatase activity of both autotrophs and heterotrophs in the bay.     

Hurricane Katrina induced nutrient runoff from an agricultural area to coastal waters in Biscayne Bay,Florida

Water quality surveys conducted in Biscayne Bay, Florida, indicated enhanced nutrient input coupled with increased runoff as a result of precipitation associated with Hurricane Katrina. Nutrient concentrations before Katrina ranged from 0.06–24.2 μM (mean 3.3 μM) for nitrate and 0.01–0.18 μM (mean 0.1 μM) for soluble reactive phosphate. Five days after Katrina, nitrate concentrations ranged from 0.87–80.0 μM (mean 17.0 μM), with a bay-wide mean increase of 5.2-fold over pre-hurricane levels. Soluble reactive phosphate concentrations ranged from 0.07–0.62 μM (mean 0.2 μM), with a bay-wide mean increase of 2-fold over pre-hurricane levels. The maximum concentrations for both nitrate and soluble reactive phosphate were found at a water quality monitoring station near the mouth of Mowry Canal, which drains an agricultural area in the southern Biscayne Bay watershed near Homestead, Florida. At this station, nitrate and soluble reactive phosphate concentrations increased 7- and 10-fold, respectively. Storm-induced fertilizer runoff from this agricultural area caused a bay-wide increase in nutrient concentrations after Hurricane Katrina. Nutrient concentrations in the bay returned to pre-hurricane levels within three months after Hurricane Katrina, showing the resiliency of the Biscayne Bay ecosystem.