Composition of particulate organic matter in the southern Chesapeake Bay: Sources and Reactivity

The distribution of two classes of lipid biomarker compounds (fatty acids and sterols) was used in conjunction with several bulk parameters (total suspended solids, chlorophyll a, and particulate carbon and nitrogen concentrations) to examine spatial and temporal variability in the sources of particulate organic matter (POM) important to southern Chesapeake Bay. Based on these geochemical parameters, we found that suspended and sedimentary organic matter in the southern Chesapeake Bay is derived from autochthonous sources including a mixture of fresh and detrital phytoplankton, zooplankton, and bacteria. The dominant factor contributing to temporal variability during our study was phytoplankton productivity. Enrichments in particulate organic carbon, chlorophyll a, total fatty acids, total sterols, and a number of biomarkers specific to phytoplankton sources were found in particles collected from surface (1 m) and deep (1 m above the bottom) portions of the water column at several sites during the spring bloom in March 1996 and during a localized bloom in July 1995. Comparison of sites at the mouths of two tributaries (York and Rappahannock rivers) to southern Chesapeake Bay with two sites located in the bay mainsterm indicates spatial variation in the composition of POM was not significant in this region of the bay. The energetic nature of this region of the Chesapeake Bay most likely contributes to the observed homogeneity. Comparison with biomarker studies conducted in other estuaries suggests the high levels of productivity characteristic of the Chesapeake Bay contribute to high background levels of POM.     

Wind Modulation of Dissolved Oxygen in Chesapeake Bay

A numerical circulation model with a simplified dissolved oxygen module is used to examine the importance of wind-driven ventilation of hypoxic waters in Chesapeake Bay. The model demonstrates that the interaction between wind-driven lateral circulation and enhanced vertical mixing over shoal regions is the dominant mechanism for providing oxygen to hypoxic sub-pycnocline waters. The effectiveness of this mechanism is strongly influenced by the direction of the wind forcing. Winds from the south are most effective at supplying oxygen to hypoxic regions, and winds from the west are shown to be least effective. Simple numerical simulations demonstrate that the volume of hypoxia in the bay is nearly 2.5 times bigger when the mean wind is from the southwest as compared to the southeast. These results provide support for a recent analysis that suggests much of the long-term variability of hypoxia in Chesapeake Bay can be explained by variations in the summertime wind direction.     

Distribution of particulate organic carbon in the central Bay of Bengal

Particulate organic carbon (POC) was measured for 77 water samples collected over a 3000 m water column along 88° E in the central Bay of Bengal. The POC values varied from 80 to 895 μg per litre at the surface and 171 to 261 μg per litre at 2000 m. The POC decreased with increasing water depth at all the stations. Deep water concentrations of POC were higher than those reported from other oceanic waters. Distribution of POC was not influenced by water masses. The POC was not significantly correlated with chlorophylla.     

Wind-Driven Dissolved Organic Matter Dynamics in a Chesapeake Bay Tidal Marsh-Estuary System

Controls on organic matter cycling across the tidal wetland-estuary interface have proved elusive, but high-resolution observations coupled with process-based modeling can be a powerful methodology to address shortcomings in either methodology alone. In this study, detailed observations and three-dimensional hydrodynamic modeling are used to examine biogeochemical exchanges in the marsh-estuary system of the Rhode River, MD, USA. Analysis of observations near the marsh in 2015 reveals a strong relationship between marsh creek salinity and dissolved organic matter fluorescence (fDOM), with wind velocity indirectly driving large amplitude variation of both salinity and fDOM at certain times of the year. Three-dimensional model results from the Finite Volume Community Ocean Model implemented for the wetland system with a new marsh grass drag module are consistent with observations, simulating sub-tidal variability of marsh creek salinity. The model results exhibit an interaction between wind-driven variation in surface elevation and flow velocity at the marsh creek, with northerly winds driving increased freshwater signal and discharge out of the modeled wetland during precipitation events. Wind setup of a water surface elevation gradient axially along the estuary drives the modeled local sub-tidal flow and thus salinity variability. On sub-tidal time scales (>36 h, <1 week), wind is important in mediating dissolved organic matter releases from the Kirkpatrick Marsh into the Rhode River.     

Dissolved organic carbon in ridge-axis and ridge-flank hydrothermal systems

The circulation of hydrothermal fluid through the upper oceanic crustal reservoir has a large impact on the chemistry of seawater, yet the impact on dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the ocean has received almost no attention. To determine whether hydrothermal circulation is a source or a sink for DOC in the oceans, we measured DOC concentrations in hydrothermal fluids from several environments. Hydrothermal fluids were collected from high-temperature vents and diffuse, low-temperature vents on the basalt-hosted Juan de Fuca Ridge axis and also from low-temperature vents on the sedimented eastern flanks. High-temperature fluids from Main Endeavour Field (MEF) and Axial Volcano (AV) contain very low DOC concentrations (average = 15 and 17 μM, respectively) compared to background seawater (36 μM). At MEF and AV, average DOC concentrations in diffuse fluids (47 and 48 μM, respectively) were elevated over background seawater, and high DOC is correlated with high microbial cell counts in diffuse fluids. Fluids from off-axis hydrothermal systems located on 3.5-Ma-old crust at Baby Bare Seamount and Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Hole 1026B had average DOC concentrations of 11 and 13 μM, respectively, and lowered DOC was correlated with low cell counts. The relative importance of heterotrophic uptake, abiotic sorption to mineral surfaces, thermal decomposition, and microbial production in fixing the DOC concentration in vent fluids remains uncertain. We calculated the potential effect of hydrothermal circulation on the deep-sea DOC cycle using our concentration data and published water flux estimates. Maximum calculated fluxes of DOC are minor compared to most oceanic DOC source and sink terms.     

The contribution of inorganic compounds to the particulate carbon,nitrogen, and phosphorus in suspended matter and surface sediments of Chesapeake Bay

Particulate carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus samples from the water column and surficial sediments of the Maryland portion of Chesapeake Bay were thermally partitioned into their organic and inorganic components. During periods of both high and low fluvial input and high and low phytoplanktonic production, particulate organic carbon accounted for a mean of 99.3% of the total particulate carbon and particulate organic nitrogen accounted for a mean of 99.1% of the total particulate nitrogen. The particulate organic phosphorus contribution was variable both seasonally and spatially, accounting for 14–77% of the total pool of particulate phosphorus. The highest concentrations were found in the surface waters during maximum phytoplanktonic production and low fluvial input. The contribution of particulate inorganic phosphorus to the seston and to total particulate phosphorus decreased as distance from the primary fluvial source increased, reflecting a greater relative inclusion of particulate phosphorus in the biologically bound component in the higher salinity zone seaward of the turbidity maximum. Organic carbon and nitrogen constituted over 99% of the surficial sediment carbon and nitrogen, and organic phosphorus was 10–40% of the surficial sediment phosphorus.     

Dissolved and particulate organic carbon in the North Inlet estuary,South Carolina: What controls their concentrations?

Water samples have been taken daily at 1030 EST from three locations within North Inlet (South Carolina) since June of 1980 in order to evaluate the tidal, seasonal, and eventually annual variability in carbon concentrations within this system and generate hypotheses explaining the observed trends. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations within North Inlet (South Carolina) vary inversely with salinity (r²=0.65), suggesting the main source of DOC in North Inlet is freshwater entering from the adjacent forested watershed. This assertion is supported by an observed decrease of tidal water salinity with the onset of streamflow. DOC variability is also associated with (1) groundwater advection and/or runoff and seepage from the marsh surface; (2) removal from tidal water via either physical sorption or biological uptake; (3) sampling location; and (4) origin of water mass. Particulate organic carbon (POC) concentrations vary seasonally, higher values found during the summer. POC variability is controlled by a series of physical and biological factors. Evidence suggests that in the smaller tidal creeks, POC concentrations are associated with (1) rain events scouring the marsh surface, (2) phytoplankton concentrations varying as a function of tidal stage, and (3) removal of particulate material from the marsh surface on the ebb tide. In the larger tidal creeks tidal water velocity appears to be the main factor influencing POC values.     

Seasonal oxygen depletion in Chesapeake Bay

The spring freshet increases density stratification in Chesapeake Bay and minimizes oxygen transfer from the surface to the deep layer so that waters below 10 m depth experiece oxygen depletion which may lead to anoxia during June to September. Respiration in the water of the deep layer is the major factor contributing to oxygen depletion. Benthic respiration seems secondary. Organic matter from the previous year which has settled into the deep layer during winter provides most of the oxygen demand but some new production in the surface layer may sink and thus supplement the organic matter accumulated in the deep layer.     

喀斯特石漠化治理措施对土壤颗粒有机碳与团聚体有机碳的影响

文章以耕地为对照,分析不同石漠化治理措施（花椒林和次生林）对土壤0~20 cm土层有机碳(SOC)、颗粒有机碳(POC)、矿物结合有机碳(MOC)和团聚体有机碳的影响,探讨POC、MOC与SOC、团聚体有机碳的关系。结果表明：与耕地相比,花椒林和次生林均不同程度提高SOC、POC、MOC和团聚体有机碳含量。0~10 cm土层次生林SOC含量和各粒径团聚体有机碳含量均显著高于耕地和花椒林,在10~20 cm土层无显著差异;0~20 cm土层花椒林和次生林土壤POC含量显著高于耕地,MOC无显著差异。POC/SOC范围为20.38%~45.27%,花椒林和次生林显著高于耕地。相反,MOC/SOC为耕地显著高于花椒林和次生林 。退耕为花椒林和次生林后,SOC含量的增加主要以POC含量增加为主。次生林和花椒林>2 mm粒径对SOC贡献率显著高于耕地,但0.25~2 mm粒径、0.053~0.25 mm粒径和 < 0.053 mm粒径对SOC贡献率显著低于耕地。其相关分析表明：POC、MOC与SOC、团聚体有机碳的关系均呈正相关,表现为次生林 > 花椒林 > 耕地。退耕恢复为花椒林和次生林后,SOC、POC和MOC增加量与团聚体有机碳增加量显著相关,其以次生林的相关性较强。石漠化治理措施改变SOC物理组分及其组成以及它们之间的关系,从而促进有机碳的积累。     

Dissolved organic carbon in pore waters from a hypersaline environment

Pore waters were collected from a sea-marginal, hypersaline pond in the Sinai and analyzed for dissolved organic carbon (DOC). The pore water DOC values ranged from 121 to 818 mg 1⁻¹ with maxima between 15 and 54 cm deep. These values are some of the highest observed from recent sediments and probably reflect production via abiotic as well as biotic sources.     

Hydrogeochemistry and transport of organic contaminants in an urban watershed of Chesapeake Bay (USA)

Stream water samples were collected in the two main free-flowing branches of the Anacostia River watershed above the head of tide over a one year time period. Both the Northeast and Northwest Branches drain large suburban and urban land areas that flow into the more urbanized tidal portion of the Anacostia River within Washington, DC. Large volume (40–75 l) water samples were filtered, and the suspended particulate matter and filtrate were analyzed for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) at sub-nanogram per liter concentrations using ultra-trace analytical methods. Higher amounts of PCBs, PAH, and OCPs in the tidal Anacostia River occurred primarily in the particulate phase during high flow events. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the particulate phase within fluvial transport consisted primarily of pyrogenic homologues characteristic of weathered or combusted petroleum products. Fluxes were exceptionally high for PAHs which showed annual fluxes to the tidal Anacostia River comparable to those determined for the much larger mainstem Potomac River. Aromatic hydrocarbons in runoff from urban regions may serve as an important source of PAH fluxes to the tidal waters of Chesapeake Bay.     

Inorganic carbon requirements of natural populations and laboratory cultures of some Chesapeake Bay phytoplankton

The rates of photosynthetic carbon fixation for some natural populations of Chesapeake Bay phytoplankton and for unialgal cultures of species isolated from those populations follow hyperbolic saturation kinetics with respect to total inorganic carbon concentrations. The apparent half-saturation constants, K_c, measured by ¹⁴C uptake are close to and in some cases larger than ambient concentrations of total inorganic carbon, indicating that inorganic carbon can be a limiting nutrient in eutrophic systems. Addition of bicarbonate ion to incubation bottles increased the measured ¹⁴C uptake rates by factors as high as 2.5 for natural samples and 4.5 for laboratory cultures.     

Dissolved organic carbon and volatile fatty acids in marine sediment pore waters

The results of a study of the contribution of microbial metabolic products to total dissolved organic carbon (DOC) levels in coastal sediments are presented. The data indicate that acidic volatile compounds make up a substantial fraction of pore water DOC's in both oxic and anoxic pore waters of coastal marine sediments. Formic, acetic and butyric acids are the principal volatile species identified at levels exceeding 10 μM. Acid concentrations are up to five times higher in anoxic pore waters than in oxic waters. Volatile organic acids show promise as indicators of diagenetic processes in marine sediments and of the ecological succession of microorganisms, in particular.     

Modeling of wind-induced destratification in Chesapeake Bay

It has been observed that storms in early fall can result in top-to-bottom mixing of Chesapeake Bay. A three-dimensional, time-dependent circulation model is used to examine this destratification process for September 1983, when extensive current and hydrographic data were available. The model bay is forced at the surface by observed hourly winds, at the ocean boundary by observed hourly surface and bottom salinities and sea level fluctuations, and at the head by observed daily discharges for a 28-d period. A second-moment, turbulence-closure submodel, with no adjustments from previous applications to its requisite coefficients, is used to calculate the vertical turbulence mixing coefficients. Comparisons with data inside the model domain indicate relative errors of 7% to 14% for sea level, 7% to 35% for current, and 11% to 21% for salinity. The tidal portion of the spectrum is modeled better than the subtidal portion. The model is used to examine both the mechanisms of wind mixing and the temporal and spatial distribution of vertical mixing within the estuary. Wind-driven internal shear is shown to be a more effective mechanism of inducing destratification than turbulence generated at the surface. The model is also used to show that the vertical temperature inversion which occurs in the fall does not affect the timing of the destratification as much as its completeness. The distribution of mid-depth vertical mixing shows highly variable values in the mid-bay region, where wind-induced mixing is dominant. This suggests that the source of oxygen to mid-bay bottom waters is similarly variable. Vertical turbulence mixing coefficients of 10^?2 cm² s^?1 (background) to 10³ cm² s^?1 were needed to simulate the September period, indicating the need for time-variable mixing in models of dissolved and suspended estuarine constituents.     

Fish biomass size spectra in Chesapeake Bay

Biomass size spectra of pelagic fish were modeled to describe community structure, estimate potential fish production, and delineate trophic relationships in Chesapeake Bay. Spectra were constructed from midwater trawl collections each year in April, June–August, and October 1995–2000. The size spectra were bimodal: the first spectral dome corresponded to small zooplanktivorous fish, primarily bay anchovyAnchoa mitchilli; the second dome consisted of larger fish from several feeding guilds that are supported by multiple prey-predator linkages. Annual production estimates of pelagic fish, derived from a mean production to biomass ratio, varied nearly three-fold, ranging from 162 × 109 kcal (125 × 103 tons) in 1996 to 457 × 109 kcal (352 × 103 tons) in 2000. Seasonally, the biomass level and mean individual sizes of fish in the first dome increased from April to October, while the biomass level of the second dome was relatively stable. Regionally, biomass levels in the second dome were higher than biomasses in the first dome for the upper and lower Bay, but were minimal in the middle Bay where seasonal and episodic hypoxia occurs. To test a benthic-pelagic coupling hypothesis that could explain the higher biomass in the second domes for the lower and upper Bay, a cyclic size-spectrum model was fit that included only species in the zooplanktivorous-piscivorous fish guilds. The mean, normalized slope equaled ?1, indicating that zooplanktivorous fish may support piscivore production, but that a benthic-pelagic linkage is required to fully support fish production in the second dome. Interannual variability in slopes and intercepts of modeled size spectra was related to salinity, recruitment level of bay anchovy, and the primary axis of a correspondence analysis (salinity effect) on fish community structure. The spectral slope and intercept of normalized spectra were lowest in 1996, a near-record wet year. Results suggest that fish size spectra can be developed as useful indicators of ecosystem state and response to perturbations, especially if prey-predator relationships are explicitly represented.     

A pollution history of Chesapeake Bay

Present day anthropogenic fluxes of some heavy metals to central Chesapeake Bay appear to be intermediate to those of the southern California coastal region and those of Narragansett Bay. The natural fluxes, however, are in general higher. On the bases of Pb-210 and Pu-239 + 240 geochronologies and of the time changes in interstitial water compositions, there is a mixing of the upper 30 or so centimeters of the sediments in the mid-Chesapeake Bay area through bioturbation by burrowing mollusks and polychaetes. Coal, coke and charcoal levels reach one percent or more by dry weight in the deposits, primarily as a consequence of coal mining operations.     

Distribution of particulate organic carbon in the central Arabian Sea

Particulate organic carbon (POC) of 161 water samples collected from 8 depths (surface to 1000 m) at 21 stations was measured. The POC concentrations ranged from 154 to 554 ¼g per litre at the surface and decreased in the upper 300 m water column. At greater depths (> 300 m), POC concentrations increased and were similar (145 to 542 ¼g1^?1) to those observed at surface. Deep water POC maximum was embedded within the oxygen minimum layer and was also associated with high phosphate-phosphorus. The POC contents increased, whereas oxygen decreased as the distance away from the shore increased. Phytoplankton biomass was a major source of POC. The observed pattern of POC is discussed with respect to some physicochemical and biological factors.     

Eutrophication and carbon sources in Chesapeake Bay over the last 2700 yr: human impacts in context

To compare natural variability and trends in a developed estuary with human-influenced patterns, stable isotope ratios (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) were measured in sediments from five piston cores collected in Chesapeake Bay. Mixing of terrestrial and algal carbon sources primarily controls patterns of δ¹³C_org profiles, so this proxy shows changes in estuary productivity and in delivery of terrestrial carbon to the bay. Analyses of δ¹⁵N show periods when oxygen depletion allowed intense denitrification and nutrient recycling to develop in the seasonally stratified water column, in addition to recycling taking place in surficial sediments. These conditions produced ¹⁵N-enriched (heavy) nitrogen in algal biomass, and ultimately in sediment. A pronounced increasing trend in δ¹⁵N of +4‰ started in about A.D. 1750 to 1800 at all core sites, indicating greater eutrophication in the bay and summer oxygen depletion since that time. The timing of the change correlates with the advent of widespread land clearing and tillage in the watershed, and associated increases in erosion and sedimentation. Isotope data show that the region has experienced up to 13 wet-dry cycles in the last 2700 yr. Relative sea-level rise and basin infilling have produced a net freshening trend overprinted with cyclic climatic variability. Isotope data also constrain the relative position of the spring productivity maximum in Chesapeake Bay and distinguish local anomalies from sustained changes impacting large regions of the bay. This approach to reconstructing environmental history should be generally applicable to studies of other estuaries and coastal embayments impacted by watershed development.     

Long-Term Trends of Nutrients and Phytoplankton in Chesapeake Bay

Climate effects on hydrology impart high variability to water-quality properties, including nutrient loadings, concentrations, and phytoplankton biomass as chlorophyll-a (chl-a), in estuarine and coastal ecosystems. Resolving long-term trends of these properties requires that we distinguish climate effects from secular changes reflecting anthropogenic eutrophication. Here, we test the hypothesis that strong climatic contrasts leading to irregular dry and wet periods contribute significantly to interannual variability of mean annual values of water-quality properties using in situ data for Chesapeake Bay. Climate effects are quantified using annual freshwater discharge from the Susquehanna River together with a synoptic climatology for the Chesapeake Bay region based on predominant sea-level pressure patterns. Time series of water-quality properties are analyzed using historical (1945–1983) and recent (1984–2012) data for the bay adjusted for climate effects on hydrology. Contemporary monitoring by the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) provides data for a period since mid-1984 that is significantly impacted by anthropogenic eutrophication, while historical data back to 1945 serve as historical context for a period prior to severe impairments. The generalized additive model (GAM) and the generalized additive mixed model (GAMM) are developed for nutrient loadings and concentrations (total nitrogen—TN, nitrate?+?nitrate—NO₂?+?NO₃) at the Susquehanna River and water-quality properties in the bay proper, including dissolved nutrients (NO₂?+?NO₃, orthophosphate—PO₄), chl-a, diffuse light attenuation coefficient (K _D (PAR)), and chl-a/TN. Each statistical model consists of a sum of nonlinear functions to generate flow-adjusted time series and compute long-term trends accounting for climate effects on hydrology. We present results identifying successive periods of (1) eutrophication ca. 1945–1980 characterized by approximately doubled TN and NO₂?+?NO₃ loadings, leading to increased chl-a and associated ecosystem impairments, and (2) modest decreases of TN and NO₂?+?NO₃ loadings from 1981 to 2012, signaling a partial reversal of nutrient over-enrichment. Comparison of our findings with long-term trends of water-quality properties for a variety of estuarine and coastal ecosystems around the world reveals that trends for Chesapeake Bay are weaker than for other systems subject to strenuous management efforts, suggesting that more aggressive actions than those undertaken to date will be required to counter anthropogenic eutrophication of this valuable resource.     

Relationship between Hypoxia and Macrobenthic Production in Chesapeake Bay

Human development has degraded Chesapeake Bay's health, resulting in an increase in the extent and severity of hypoxia (≤2 mg O₂ l^-1). The Bay's hypoxic zones have an adverse effect on both community structure and secondary production of macrobenthos. From 1996 to 2004, the effect of hypoxia on macrobenthic production was assessed in Chesapeake Bay and its three main tributaries (Potomac, Rappahannock, and York Rivers). Each year, in the summer (late July???early September), 25 random samples of the benthic macrofauna were collected from each system, and macrobenthic production in the polyhaline and mesohaline regions was estimated using Edgar's allometric equation. Fluctuations in macrobenthic production were significantly correlated with dissolved oxygen. Macrobenthic production was 90 % lower during hypoxia relative to normoxia. As a result, there was a biomass loss of ~7,320–13,200 metric tons C over an area of 7,720 km², which is estimated to equate to a 20 % to 35 % displacement of the Bay's macrobenthic productivity during the summer. While higher consumers may benefit from easy access to stressed prey in some areas, the large spatial and temporal extent of seasonal hypoxia limits higher trophic level transfer, via the inhibition of macrobenthic production. Such a massive loss of macrobenthic production would be detrimental to the overall health of the Bay, as it comes at a time when epibenthic and demersal predators have high-energy demands.