Of manatees, mangroves, and the Mississippi River: Is there an estuarine signature for the Gulf of Mexico?

Important parameters of estuarine variability include morphology, flushing times, nutrient loading rates, and wetland: water ratios. This variability both reflects and disguises underlying relationships between the physics and biology of estuaries, which this comparative analysis seeks to reveal, using the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) estuaries as a starting point. A question used to focus this analysis is: are the GOM estuaries unique? The GOM receives the Mississippi River, a uniquely large, world-class river, which dominates the freshwater and nutrient inflows to the GOM continental shelf, whose margins include 35 major estuarine systems. These GOM estuaries have 28% and 41% of the U.S. estuarine wetlands and open water, respectively. Within the GOM, estuarine nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended matter loading varies over 2 orders of magnitude. Anoxic estuarine events tend to occur in estuaries with relatively slow freshwater turnover and high nitrogen loading. Compared to estuaries from other regions in the U.S., the average GOM estuary is distinguished by shallower depths, faster freshwater flushing time, a higher wetland area:open water area ratio, greater fisheries yield per area wetland, lower tidal range, and higher sediment accumulation rates. The average GOM estuary often, but not always, has a flora and fauna not usually found in most other U.S. estuaries (e.g., manatees and mangroves). Coastal wetland loss in the GOM is extraordinarily high compared to other regions and is causally linked to cultural influences. Variations in nutrient loading and population density are very large among and within estuarine regions. This variation is large enough to demonstrate that there are insufficient systematic differences among these estuarine regions that precludes cross-system analyses. There are no abrupt discontinuities among regions in the fisheries yields per wetland area, tidal amplitude and vegetation range, salt marsh vertical accretion rates and organic accumulations, nitrogen retention, or wetland restoration rates. These results suggest that a comparative analysis emphasizing forcing functions, rather than geographic uniqueness, will lead to significant progress in understanding how all estuaries function, are perturbed, and even how they can be restored.     

Wetland Loss,Juvenile Salmon Foraging Performance,and Density Dependence in Pacific Northwest Estuaries

During the transition of juveniles from fresh water to estuarine and coastal environments, the survival of Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) can be strongly size selective and cohort abundance is partly determined at this stage. Because quantity and quality of food influence juvenile salmon growth, high rates of prey and energy acquisition during estuarine residence are important for survival. Human activities may have affected the foraging performance of juvenile salmon in estuaries by reducing the area of wetlands and by altering the abundance of salmon. To improve our understanding of the effects of wetland loss and salmon density on juvenile salmon foraging performance and diet composition in estuaries, we assembled Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) diet and density data from nine US Pacific Northwest estuaries across a gradient of wetland loss. We evaluated the influence of wetland loss and density on juvenile Chinook salmon instantaneous ration and energy ration, two measures of foraging performance, and whether the effect of density varied among estuaries with different levels of wetland loss. We also assessed the influence of wetland loss and other explanatory variables on salmon diet composition. There was no evidence of a direct effect of wetland loss on juvenile salmon foraging performance, but wetland loss appeared to mediate the effect of density on salmon foraging performance and alter salmon diet composition. Specifically, density had no effect on foraging performance in the estuaries with less than 50 % wetland loss but had a negative effect on foraging performance in the estuaries with greater than 50 % wetland loss. These results suggest that habitat loss may interact with density to constrain the foraging performance of juvenile Chinook salmon, and ultimately their growth, during a life history stage when survival can be positively correlated with growth and size.     

Recent trends in estuarine fisheries: Predictions of fish production and yield

Trends in global and United States fish catches were examined to determine the status of estuarine fisheries yields relative to those from other ecosystems. Potential marine fish production, based upon primary production relationships, was estimated globally and for specific marine ecosystems, including estuaries. While global fish catches increased substantially during the past two decades and continued to increase through 1989, catches of estuarine-dependent species have peaked or stabilized. In the United States, total catches have increased but many estuarine-dependent fisheries have declined, although the declines in catches are no more dramatic than those of heavily-fished continental shelf species. Overfishing probably is the primary cause of declines in estuarine and shelf fisheries. A few estuarine-dependent species of the United States have experienced substantial increases in harvests since 1970, for example, Pacific salmons, menhaden, and penaeid shrimps. The percentage contribution of major estuarine fisheries to the United States commercial catch declined between 1970 and 1990, although the yield of these species increased substantially. Global marine fisheries production at trophic level 2.5 was estimated to be 1,359 million tons. Potential yield was estimated to be 307 million tons, but the 1989 world marine catch was only 86.5 million tons. The major fraction, 196 million tons, of the estimated potential yeild was for the open ocean where technological constraints may prevent its full realization. Of the remaining 111 million tons of the potential, 18.0 million tons (16.2%) may come from estuaries and probably already is fully exploited. The potential catches from shelves, 68.5 million tons (61.6%), and upwelling areas, 24.8 million tons (22.2%), while considerably larger than those from estuaries, are lower in a relative sense (per unit area) than fisheries production and potential catch in estuarine zones. Relationships between fish production, fish harvest, and primary production were examined in specific estuaries. The developing role of aquaculture and its effect on estuarine fisheries are discussed.     

The Importance of Regional,System-Wide and Local Spatial Scales in Structuring Temperate Estuarine Fish Communities

An extensive literature base worldwide demonstrates how spatial differences in estuarine fish assemblages are related to those in the environment at (bio)regional, estuary-wide or local (within-estuary) scales. Few studies, however, have examined all three scales, and those including more than one have often focused at the level of individual environmental variables rather than scales as a whole. This study has identified those spatial scales of environmental differences, across regional, estuary-wide and local levels, that are most important in structuring ichthyofaunal composition throughout south-western Australian estuaries. It is the first to adopt this approach for temperate microtidal waters. To achieve this, we have employed a novel approach to the BIOENV routine in PRIMER v6 and a modified global BEST test in an alpha version of PRIMER v7. A combination of all three scales best matched the pattern of ichthyofaunal differences across the study area (ρ?=?0.59; P?=?0.001), with estuary-wide and regional scales accounting for about twice the variability of local scales. A shade plot analysis showed these broader-scale ichthyofaunal differences were driven by a greater diversity of marine and estuarine species in the permanently-open west coast estuaries and higher numbers of several small estuarine species in the periodically-open south coast estuaries. When interaction effects were explored, strong but contrasting influences of local environmental scales were revealed within each region and estuary type. A quantitative decision tree for predicting the fish fauna at any nearshore estuarine site in south-western Australia has also been produced. The estuarine management implications of the above findings are highlighted.     

Research Advance in Air-Water CO2 Exchange of Estuaries

Estuary holds a key position in linking the four geo-spheres, i.e., atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere. Figuring out the transfer mechanisms of estuarine carbon, especially the exchange ofCO₂ at the air water interface is conducive to understanding the carbon pattern in coastal oceans. To date, many fruitful studies have been conducted on the control mechanism towards the partial pressure of CO₂ (pCO₂) in different estuarine areas around the world. By a thorough research on the latest studies of estuarineCO₂ exchange with the atmosphere, it is concluded as follows: ①A common pattern is found on the spatial distribution of pCO₂in different estuarine areas. However, the concrete seasonal change of pCO₂ shows great differences, and the corresponding control factors also vary considerably. ②Estuaries are believed to be large sources ofCO₂ to the atmosphere. It is estimated that the global estuarineCO₂ degassing fluxes, although the global surface area of estuariesis small, are up to 0.25×10¹⁵~0.50×10¹⁵g C/a; and about 1/3 of riverine carbon is released into the atmosphere during the estuarine transit. ③Degradation of organic matter, lateral transfer of marsh derivedCO₂ , mineral deposits in water and turbulence in the liquid phase are the main factors that are responsible for the emission of estuarineCO₂ . At present, this estimate of estuarineCO₂ exchange with the atmosphere is based on limited spatial data, therefore problems such as the limitation in the depth and scope of studies still exist. There are also varieties of uncertainties in the estimation of gas transfer velocity and the whole areas of global estuaries, all of them make it difficult to reach an accurate evaluation ofCO₂ fluxes at the air water interface. It is difficult to predict the future trend of theCO₂ exchange at the air-water interface due to the complexities of the driving forces and feedback mechanisms in estuarine carbon cycle and the intense anthropogenic disturbance. Investigating the mechanism of pCO₂ in estuarine areas, improving the accuracy of evaluation ofCO₂ fluxes and comparing studies of different estuaries would be new scopes in the future researches on the exchange ofCO₂ at the air-water interface in estuaries.     

Comparison of Estuarine Salinity Gradients and Associated Nekton Community Change in the Lower St. Johns River Estuary

Salinity is an important determinant of estuarine faunal composition; previous studies, however, have indicated conflicting accounts of continuous vs. relatively rapid change in community structure at certain salinities from geographically distinct estuaries. This study uses a large fisheries monitoring database (n?>?5,000 samples) to explore evidence for estuarine salinity zonation by nekton in the lower St. Johns River estuary (LSJR). There was little evidence to support the presence of estuarine salinity zones except at the extremes of the salinity gradient (i.e., 0.1?C1.0 and 34?C39). The LSJR estuarine nekton community exhibits progressively slow ecological change throughout most of the salinity gradient with rapid change at the interfaces with fresh and marine waters??an ecoline bounded by ecotones. This study affirms the rapid change that occurs at the extremes of the salinity spectrum in certain estuaries and is relevant to efforts to manage surface water resources and estuarine ecosystems. Given the disparity in the results of the studies examining biological salinity zones in estuaries, it would be wise to have, at minimum, a regional understanding of how communities are structured along the gradient from freshwater to marine.     

The Arctic Ocean Estuary

Large freshwater contributions to the Arctic Ocean from a variety of sources combine in what is, by global standards, a remarkably small ocean basin. Indeed, the Arctic Ocean receives ∼11% of global river discharge while accounting for only ∼1% of global ocean volume. As a consequence, estuarine gradients are a defining feature not only near-shore, but throughout the Arctic Ocean. Sea-ice dynamics also play a pivotal role in the salinity regime, adding salt to the underlying water during ice formation and releasing fresh water during ice thaw. Our understanding of physical–chemical–biological interactions within this complex system is rapidly advancing. However, much of the estuarine research to date has focused on summer, open water conditions. Furthermore, our current conceptual model for Arctic estuaries is primarily based on studies of a few major river inflows. Future advancement of estuarine research in the Arctic requires concerted seasonal coverage as well as a commitment to working within a broader range of systems. With clear signals of climate change occurring in the Arctic and greater changes anticipated in the future, there is good reason to accelerate estuarine research efforts in the region. In particular, elucidating estuarine dynamics across the near-shore to ocean-wide domains is vital for understanding potential climate impacts on local ecosystems as well as broader climate feedbacks associated with storage and release of fresh water and carbon.     

Deltaic and estuarine environments and their Late Quaternary dynamics on the Sunda and Sahul shelves

Deltaic and estuarine environments have been, and continue to be, some of the most rapidly changing environments. Those associated with the Sunda shelf generally receive large volumes of sediment and were characterised by a diverse and productive vegetation before much of it was cleared and converted for agriculture, silviculture or urban development. By contrast estuaries in northern Australia receive far less sediment supply, and record a much less modified pattern of landform change during the Holocene. Three periods of change are discussed: first, the long-term geological development and response of deltaic–estuarine plains to eustatic cycles of sea-level change, particularly postglacial sea-level rise to present; second, Holocene development of deltaic–estuarine environments, dominated by patterns of coastal progradation and distributary migration, under relatively stable sea level; and third, the impact of human modifications. These observations provide a framework within which response of the deltaic–estuarine environments to future, anticipated environmental change can be assessed.     

Origin and significance of mud-filled incised valleys (Upper Cretaceous) in southern Alberta, Canada

Seven mud-filled incised valleys (MFIVs) in the paralic facies of the Dinosaur Park and Horseshoe Canyon formations (Upper Cretaceous) of southern Alberta were studied to better understand their morphology, geometry and depositional histories in an estuarine context. Two preservational geometries occur: simple, U-shaped forms; and internally complex forms. Both types of MFIV record deposition in the central zone of low energy (turbidity) in an estuarine setting. Simple, U-shaped MFIVs have sharp basal erosional surfaces and consist of mudstone-dominated heterolithic fills of channel-wide, concave-up laminae. Associated fossil assemblages are marine to brackish. Each simple MFIV records a cut-and-fill history associated with a cycle of relative sea-level drop and rise. Low-energy depositional settings, loss of channel form during infilling, and associated shoreface deposits, as well as the absence of clear tidal indicators suggest a coastal plain estuarine setting, along a wave-dominated, barred coastline. Complex MFIVs are rarer, and consist of imbricated, wedge-shaped sets of inclined-to-horizontal heterolithic strata. Tidal deposits and/or nonmarine-to-marine macrofossils occur locally. Complex MFIVs were infilled in meandering reaches of the central zone of low energy in tide-dominated estuaries. Their rarity compared to simple MFIVs and their freshwater palaeontological content suggest that they were contiguous landward with extensive fluvial channels. A complex MFIV near Onefour comprises three in-channel depositional cycles. Each cycle consists of an erosional surface overlain by lateral accretion bedding and a conformable transition to vertically aggraded strata. Each cycle reflects a cut-and-fill event under the control of changes in relative sea-level that culminated in overbank flooding. All MFIVs formed in low-gradient settings (≤0.03%) where estuarine zones were stretched out over many tens of kilometres. Tide-dominated estuaries apparently exhibited simple, straight-to-meandering upstream transitions and extensive landward penetration (≥200 km) of tidal backwater effects. Few modern estuaries serve as adequate modern analogues to these ancient, tide-dominated estuaries. Radiometric data indicate that MFIV cut-and-fill cycles were 100 000-400 000 years in maximum duration and thus, equivalent to 4th order sea-level cycles. However, negative evidence tentatively suggests that these cycles took place over time intervals 1-2 orders of magnitude smaller (5th order or higher sea-level cycles).     

Influence of Hydrological Regime in Determining the Response of Macroalgal Blooms to Nutrient Loading in Two Irish Estuaries

Eutrophication and the development of persistent opportunistic macroalgal blooms are recognised as one of the main detrimental effects of increased anthropogenic pressures on estuarine and coastal systems. This study aimed to highlight the interplay between pressures and controlling physical factors on ecosystem functioning. The hypothesis that hydrological regime can control the growth of opportunistic macroalgae was tested with the study of two Irish estuaries, the Argideen and the Blackwater, with similar nutrient loading sources but divergent hydrological regimes. Seasonal monitoring data was initially examination, while the application of a pre-existing box model allowed a further analysis of the influence of residence time and nutrient load modifications on macroalgal growth. Seasonal oscillations in monitored river flow rates altered nutrient transfer from the catchments to the estuaries in both cases, as is shown through differences between winter and summer nutrient concentrations. In the Argideen, however, the relative contribution of phosphorus (P) from adjacent marine waters was high due to the shorter residence times and greater influx of marine water into the estuary. Modelling studies showed that in the Argideen Estuary, P load reduction would have potentially minimal impact on macroalgal growth due to the shorter residence time which increased the influx of P from marine sources. Nitrogen (N) load reduction of 60 % had a significant, albeit limited, impact on macroalgae and was insufficient in achieving the environmental objectives for this waterbody. For the more river-dominated Blackwater Estuary, modelled reductions in P resulted in a considerable decrease in biomass. Any further P decreases would accentuate the existing disparity in estuarine N:P ratios with possible repercussions for N transport to the coastal system. Hence, the hydrological complexity of estuarine systems demonstrated dictates that a portfolio of separate, but complimentary, management approaches may be required to address eutrophication in these estuaries.     

A conceptual model of estuarine freshwater inflow management

As humans continue to influence the quantity, timing, and quality of freshwater input to estuaries, it is becoming increasingly common for policies to be enacted that mandate the establishment of freshwater inflow criteria that will serve to preserve and protect estuarine ecosystems. This paper reviews the scientific literature describing how changes in freshwater inflow affect estuaries, proposes a conceptual model that explores the roles of scientists, citizens, politicians, and managers in the management of freshwater inflow to estuaries, and uses the model to explore the ways in which freshwater inflow is managed in a variety of estuaries. The scientific review is organized to provide an overview of the connections between freshwater inflow (in terms of the quantity, quality, and timing of water delivery), estuarine conditions (such as salinity and concentrations of dissolved and particulate material), and estuarine resources (such as the distribution and abundance of organisms), and to highlight our understanding of the causative mechanisms that underlie the relationships among these variables. The premise of the conceptual model is that the goal of estuarine freshwater inflow policy is to protect those resources and functions that we as a society value in estuaries, and that management measures use scientific information about the relationships among inflow, conditions, and resources to establish inflow standards that can meet this goal. The management approach can be inflow-based (flow is kept within some prescribed bounds under the assumption that taking too much away is bad for the resources), condition-based (inflow standards are set in order to maintain specified conditions in the estuary), or resource-based (inflow standards are set based on the requirements of specific resources), but each of these is carried out by regulating inflow. This model is used as a framework to describe the development of freshwater inflow criteria for estuaries in Texas, Florida, and California.     

Estuaries of the past and present: A biofacies perspective

Estuaries are complex sedimentary and ecological systems, where controlling factors are variable largely depending on wave vs. tidal dominance and fluvial processes. Paleoenvironmental reconstruction of their ancient counterparts in the form of coastal valley deposits in the subsurface or outcrop requires a multidisciplinary approach. Microfossils can play an integral part in identifying estuarine subenvironments. Foraminifera can be abundant in modern estuaries and resemble characteristics of brackish ichnofaunal communities in featuring low species diversity, but high abundances of opportunistic species, different feeding strategies and common infaunal species. Whereas sediment distribution is highly controlled by energy regimes, foraminifera seem to respond to salinities and tidal exposure. Whereas individual taxa can widely range bathymetrically, the combination of certain taxa becomes diagnostic for estuarine environments. Fossil marginal marine assemblages are dominated by agglutinated species due to taphonomic loss of the calcareous component that is often dominant in modern estuaries. When comparisons between fossil and modern assemblages are undertaken it is advisable to compare with Recent subsurface or remnant assemblages for a more accurate basis of paleoenvironmental interpretation. More integrated research with detailed taphonomic observations is needed on ancient coastal valley deposits to find the paleoecological requirements of extinct taxa and their link to sedimentary facies and ichnofacies.     

Nekton community change along estuarine salinity gradients: Can salinity zones be defined?

Organisms tend to inhabit predictable portions of estuaries along salinity gradients between the ocean inlets (salinity > 35 psu) and the freshwater tributaries (salinity = 0). Previous studies have suggested that the continuous change in biological community structure along this gradient is relatively rapid at certain salinities. This is the basis for estuarine salinity zonation schemes similar to the classic Venice System (i.e., 0–0.5, 0.5–5, 5–18, 18–30, 30–40, > 40). An extensive database (n > 16,000 samples) of frequency of occurrence of nekton was used to assess evidence for estuarine salinity zones in two southwest Florida estuaries: Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor. Rapid change in nekton community structure occurred at each end of the estuarine salinity gradient, with comparatively slow (but steady) change in between. There was little strong evidence for estuarine salinity zones at anything other than low salinities (0.1–1). As previously suggested by other authors, estuaries may be regarded as ecoclines, because they form areas of relatively slow but progressive ecological change. The ends of the estuarine salinity gradient appear to be ecotones (areas of rapid change) at the interfaces with adjacent freshwater and marine habitats. This study highlights the rapid change that occurs in nekton community structure at low salinities, which is of relevance to those managing freshwater inflow to estuaries.     

Estuaries of the northeastern United States: Habitat and land use signatures

Geographic signatures are physical, chemical, biotic, and human-induced characteristics or processes that help define similar or unique features of estuaries along latitudinal or geographic gradients. Geomorphologically, estuaries of the northeastern U.S., from the Hudson River estuary and northward along the Gulf of Maine shoreline, are highly diverse because of a complex bedrock geology and glacial history. Back-barrier estuaries and lagoons occur within the northeast region, but the domiant type is the drowned-river valley, often with rocky shores. Tidal range and mean depth of northeast estuaries are generally greater when compared to estuaries of the more southern U.S. Atlantic coast and Gulf of Mexico. Because of small estuarine drainage basins, low riverine flows, a bedrock substrate, and dense forest cover, sediment loads in northeast estuaries are generally quite low and water clarity is high. Tidal marshes, seagrass meadows, intertidal mudflats, and rocky shores represent major habitat types that fringe northeast estuaries, supporting commercially-important fauna, forage nekton and benthos, and coastal bird communities, while also serving as links between deeper estuarine waters and habitats through detritus-based pathways. Regarding land use and water quality trends, portions of the northeast have a history of over a century of intense urbanization as reflected in increased total nitrogen and total phosphorus loadings to estuaries, with wastewater treatment facilities and atmospheric deposition being major sources. Agricultural inputs are relatively minor throughout the northeast, with relative importance increasing for coastal plain estuaries. Identifying geographic signatures provides an objective means for comparing the structure, function, and processes of estuaries along latitudinal gradients.     

Challenges and strategies for better use of scientific information in the management of coastal estuaries

Numerous studies have concluded that better use of scientific information could improve the quality of coastal and estuarine environmental management. Approaches for effecting such a change include ecosystem-based, integrated, and adaptive management, but such basic re-orientation of estuarine and coastal management has proved difficult to achieve. Even environmental indicators, seemingly straightforward ways of injecting scientific information into decision making, have achieved broad on-the-ground use in relatively few instances—principally the largest estuary management programs. A conceptual framework useful for examining environmental management systems affecting the five PNCERS (Pacific Northwest coastal Ecosystems Regional Study) estuaries conceives of environmental managers, researchers, and interested and affected parties in the public as interacting through the multi-layered institutional arrangements that currently promote the utilization, management, or protection of coastal and estuarine resources. Considerable variation exists in the approach and effectiveness of the region's environmental management organizations. Interaction between science and management in the region appears to be limited to an extent by high transaction costs; a cultural divide between environmental scientists and environmental managers is perceived by members of both groups who work with the PNCERS estuaries as inhibiting communications between them. Mechanisms that both groups identify as useful for improving the flow of information between science and management are little used, perhaps as a result. The two groups have very different patterns of information dissemination and acquisition, and though both chose agency archives and databases as their top methods for disseminating information, neither group relies much on these vehicles for information they seek. Both residents' and practitioners' perceptions of threats to the PNCERS estuaries show patterns of estuary-to-estuary variation. One theme that emerges is that problems associated with poor land management in adjacent uplands are common to most of these estuaries, potentially providing a sense of commonality through which a more regional approach to estuary management could emerge. A common set of estuarine environmental indicators implemented for all estuaries could help instigate such a regional approach, but resource constraints, especially at the local level, will have to be overcome for that to occur. There is currently substantial lack of common vision among coastal practitioners as to the purpose and desirability of indicators, and relatively little experience or knowledge of their use, particularly at the local level. Use of estuarine science in the management of these estuaries appears to be greatest during periods in which the largest programmatic shifts in environmental management approaches occur, an observation consistent with other studies that have concluded that the use of environmental science in environmental management tends to be episodic.     

Distinguishing between natural and anthropogenic sources of metals entering the Irish Sea

International agreements (e.g. OSPAR) on the release of hazardous substances into the marine environment and environmental assessments of shelf seas require that concentrations and bioavailability of metals from anthropogenic sources can be distinguished from those originating as a result of natural geological processes. The development of a methodology for distinguishing between anthropogenic and natural sources of metals entering the Irish Sea through river inputs is described. The geochemistry of stream, river and estuarine sediments has been used to identify background geochemical signatures, related to geology, and modifications to these signatures by anthropogenic activities. The British Geological Survey (BGS) geochemical database, based on stream sediments from 1 to 2 km² catchments, was used to derive the background signatures. Where mining activity was present, the impact on the signature was estimated by comparison with the geochemistry of sediments from a geologically similar, but mining free, area. River sediment samples taken upstream and downstream of major towns were used respectively to test the validity of using stream sediments to estimate the chemistry of the major river sediment and to provide an indication of the anthropogenic impact related to urban and industrial development. The geochemistry of estuarine sediments from surface samples and cores was then compared with river and offshore sediment chemistry to assess the importance of riverine inputs to the Irish Sea. Studies were undertaken in the Solway, Ribble, Wyre and Mersey estuaries. The results verify that catchment averages of stream sediments and major river samples have comparable chemistry where anthropogenic influences are small. Major urban and industrial (including mining) development causes easily recognised departures from the natural multi-element geochemical signature in river sediment samples downstream of the development and enhanced metal levels are observed in sediments from estuaries with industrial catchments. Stream sediment chemistry coupled with limited river and estuarine sampling provides a cost-effective means of identifying anthropogenic metal inputs to the marine environment. Investigations of field and laboratory protocols to characterise biological impact (bioaccumulation) of metals in sediments of the Irish Sea and its estuaries show that useful assessments can be made by a combination of surveys with bioindicator species such as clams Scrobicularia plana, selective sediment measurements that mimic the ‘biologically available’ fractions, and laboratory (mesocosm) studies.     

Geographic signatures of North American West Coast estuaries

West Coast estuaries are geologically young and composed of a variety of geomorphological types. These estuaries range from large fjords to shallow lagoons; from large to low freshwater flows. Natural hazards include E1 Niños, strong Pacific storms, and active tectonic activity. West Coast estuaries support a wide range of living resources: five salmon species, harvestable shellfish, waterfowl and marine birds, marine mammals, and a variety of algae and plants. Although populations of many of these living resources have declined (salmonids), others have increased (marine mammals). West Coast estuaries are also centers of commerce and increasingly large shipping traffic. The West Coast human population is rising faster than most other areas of the U.S. and Canada, and is distributed heavily in southern California, the San Francisco Bay area, around Puget Sound, and the Fraser River estuary. While water pollution is a problem in many of the urbanized estuaries, most estuaries do not suffer from poor water quality. Primary estuarine problems include habitat alterations, degradation, and loss; diverted freshwater flows; marine sediment contamination; and exotic species introductions. The growing West Coast economy and population are in part related to the quality of life, which is dependent on the use and enjoyment of abundant coastal natural resources.     

The Effects of Tidal Export from Salt Marsh Ditches on Estuarine Water Quality and Plankton Communities

Salt marshes are an important transition zone between terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and in their natural state, they often function to cycle or trap terrestrially derived nutrients and organic matter. Many US salt marshes were ditched during the twentieth century, potentially altering their functionality. The goal of this 4-year study was to assess the impact of water from ditches within seven salt marshes on estuarine water quality and plankton communities within four estuaries on Long Island, NY, USA. We found that concentrations of inorganic nutrients (ammonium, phosphate), dissolved and particulate organic nitrogen and carbon (POC, PON, DOC, DON), and total coliform bacteria were significantly enriched in salt marsh ditches compared to the estuaries they discharged into. In addition, concentrations of ammonium and DON became more enriched in ditches as tidal levels decreased, suggesting these constituents were generated in situ. Quantification of nitrogen sources in Flanders Bay, NY, suggested salt marsh ditches could represent a substantial source of N to this estuary during summer months. Experimental incubations demonstrated that water from salt marsh ditches was capable of significantly enhancing the growth of multiple classes of phytoplankton, with large diatoms and dinoflagellates displaying the most dramatic increases in growth. Experiments further demonstrated that salt marsh ditchwater was capable of significantly enhancing pelagic respiration rates, suggesting discharge from ditches could influence estuarine oxygen consumption. In summary, this study demonstrates that tidal draining of salt marsh ditches is capable of degrading multiple aspects of estuarine water quality.     

Activity,Abundance, and Diversity of Nitrifying Archaea and Denitrifying Bacteria in Sediments of a Subtropical Estuary: Bahía del Tóbari,Mexico

Fixed nitrogen (N) removal from estuaries via coupled nitrification–denitrification plays a significant role in the global N cycle and the biogeochemistry of individual estuaries. Much of our understanding of these processes is drawn from temperate estuaries, yet tropical and subtropical estuaries may respond differently to N inputs. I tested the hypothesis that nitrification is limited within subtropical estuaries by comparing nitrification and denitrification potentials, and the abundance of archaeal ammonia monooxygenase (amoA) and bacterial nitrite reductase (nirS) genes, across five sites in Bahía del Tóbari, Mexico. Sampling was conducted when agricultural runoff supplied substantial quantities of N (ca. 20–80 μM ammonium), yet nitrification was detected at a single site. Denitrification was measured at four sites, and three displayed nitrate uptake rather than net nitrification—indicating a N sink within these sediments. Bacterial nirS genes uniformly outnumbered archaeal amoA genes (3- to 49-fold) and were more abundant in the northern part of the estuary. Patterns of community similarity among different sites were also different for nirS and archaeal amoA: similarities between sites based on nirS were often greater than for amoA, and sites were more rarely statistically different from each other. While amoA abundance was inversely related to temperature, neither amoA nor nirS was correlated with nitrification or denitrification potentials. My results are broadly consistent with known and proposed patterns of nitrification and denitrification in subtropical estuarine sediments, including the idea that nitrification is limited within subtropical estuarine sediments.     

Import of coastally-derived chlorophylla to South Slough, Oregon

Material transfer between estuaries and the nearshore zone has long been of interest, but information on the processes affecting Pacific Northwest estuaries has lagged behind other areas. The west coast of the U.S. is a region of seasonally variable upwelling that results in enhanced phytoplankton production in the nearshore zone. We examined estuarine-nearshore links over time by measuring physical oceanographic variables and chlorophylla concentration from an anchor station in South Slough, Oregon. Data was collected during 24-h cruises conducted at approximately weekly intervals during summer 1996 and spring 1997. The results demonstrate that the physical oceanography of this estuarine site was strongly influenced by the coastal ocean. Marine water reached the estuarine site on every sampled tide, and chlorophylla was clearly advected into the estuary with this ocean water. In contrast, phytoplankton concentrations were comparatively reduced in the estuarine water. There were, however, large fluctuations in the import of chlorophyll over the course of the summer. These variations likely reflect upwelling-generated phytoplankton production in the coastal ocean and subsequent cross-shelf transport to the estuary. Suspension feeding organisms in South Slough likely depend on the advection of this coastally-derived phytoplankton. The large allochthonous chlorophyll input measured for this system appears dissimilar from most estuaries studied to date. Previous investigations have focused on the outwelling and inwelling of materials in estuaries. We must now consider the influence of coastal upwelling and downwelling processes on estuarine material exchange.