Analytical solution for salt intrusion in multiple-freshwater-source estuaries: application to Humen Estuary

Salt intrusion has some negative impact on the estuarine eco-environment as well as the water resource potential. The paper proposes an analytical model to describe salt intrusion in the estuaries with multiple freshwater sources. The impact of river discharge on the salinity distribution changes along the multiple-fresh-source estuaries, which is different from estuaries with single source of freshwater. Our analytical model is derived from the advection–dispersion equation for salinity while taking into account the hydrodynamic variation along the estuary. In this paper, we take the Humen Estuary, a strongly tide-dominated estuary with two major source of freshwater, as an example to illustrate the model. By testing against eight surveys over a complete spring-neap tidal cycle, the analytical model’s capacity to describe salt intrusion in the Humen Estuary is calibrated and validated. The results show that the analytical method can be used to compute the salinity distribution in the multiple-freshwater-source estuaries. In comparison with the field data in the Humen Estuary, the calculated results indicate that the salt intrusion process exhibits remarkable segmentation in the multiple-freshwater-source estuary, although the estuary’s inherent characteristic remains the same throughout the estuary. Moreover, by analyzing the multi-segmental features of the Humen Estuary, an efficient and effective model to predict the salt intrusion length of the Humen Estuary is presented and satisfactory results are obtained to illustrate its practical application.     

Transport of Crustacean Larvae Between a Low-Inflow Estuary and Coastal Waters

The effectiveness of larval behavior in regulating transport between well-mixed, low-inflow estuaries and coastal waters in seasonally arid climates is poorly known. We determined the flux of an assemblage of benthic crustacean larvae relative to physical conditions between a shallow estuary and coastal waters on the upwelling coast of northern California (38°18′N, 123°03′W) from 29 to 31 March 2006. We detected larval behaviors that regulate transport in adjacent coastal waters and other estuaries for only two taxa in the low-inflow estuary, but they were apparent for taxa outside the estuary. Vertical mixing in the shallow estuary may have overwhelmed larvae of some species, or salinity fluctuations may have been too slight to cue tidal vertical migrations. Nevertheless, all larval stages of species that complete development in nearshore coastal waters were present in the estuary, because they remained low in the water column reducing seaward advection or they were readily exchanged between the estuary and open coast by tidal flows. Weak tidal flows and gravitational circulation at the head of the estuary reduced seaward transport during development for species that completed development nearshore, whereas larval release during nocturnal ebb tides enhanced seaward transport for species that develop offshore. Thus, nonselective tidal processes dominated larval transport for most species back and forth between the low-inflow estuary and open coastal waters, whereas in adjacent open coastal waters, larval behavior in the presence of wind-induced shear was more important in regulating migrations between adult and larval habitats along this upwelling coast.     

The effect of freshwater inflow on meiofaunal and macrofaunal populations in the Guadalupe and Nueces Estuaries,Texas

Two estuaries with very different inflow characteristics were compared to test the hypothesis that benthic standing crops are enhanced by freshwater inflow. Assuming predation pressure is similar in both estuaries, this would imply that freshwater inflow enhances secondary production. The Guadalupe Estuary had 79 times more freshwater inflow than the Nueces Estuary, and a third of the salinity. The Guadalupe had higher macrofaunal densities and biomass than the Nueces, and both parameters increased with decreasing salinity within the Guadalupe Estuary. Macrofauna density increased with increasing salinity in the Nueces Estuary, due to invasion by marine species. However, meiofauna population size responds differently than macrofauna. Meiofaunal densities were higher in the low-inflow Nueces Estuary, and increased with increasing salinity in both estuaries. Macrofauna diversity increased with salinity, both within and between estuaries. The macrofauna response supports the hypothesis that increased freshwater inflow stimulates secondary production. A review of past benthic studies in these estuaries and the historical climatic patterns indicate that wet years with high inflow result in increased macrofaunal productivity. Since, macrofaunal diversity decreased with lower salinity both within and between the estuaries, the enhanced productivity is due to increases by freshwater and estuarine species that can tolerate low salinities. Increased macrofaunal densities are associated with decreasing meiofaunal densities. The latter result could be due to either increased macrofaunal competition with or predation on meiofauna, or a lack of low-salinity tolerance by meiofauna.     

Role of Flood Disturbance in Natural Oyster (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Crassostrea virginica</Emphasis>) Population Maintenance in an Estuary in South Texas,USA

A 2-year period with flood versus drought conditions provided the opportunity to examine the effects of flood disturbance on subtidal eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica biology and population dynamics in a south Texas estuary. Oysters were sampled monthly in 2007 and 2008 to examine the impacts of changing environmental conditions on oyster populations. Oysters were also examined quarterly for the presence of Perkinsus marinus. Filtration rates were calculated as a function of oyster size, temperature, salinity, and total suspended solids. Flood events in 2007 caused temporary reductions in salinity and were associated with reductions in oyster abundance, spat settlement, disease levels (weighted prevalence and percent infection), and filtration rates. Oyster populations had generally recovered within 1 year’s time—the oysters were younger and smaller but were just as abundant as pre-flood levels. The rapid return of oysters to pre-flood abundance levels is attributed in part to the ability of oysters in Gulf coast estuaries to spawn multiple times in a single season and in part to their relatively high growth rates. Although flood disturbance may temporarily reduce or destroy oyster populations, the ability of the Mission–Aransas Estuary to retain freshwater pulses within the system and maintain low salinities that are unfavorable for predators and disease can facilitate oyster population recovery. Episodic flood events appear to play a critical role in promoting long-term oyster population maintenance in the Mission–Aransas Estuary. The response of oysters to changing environmental conditions over the short term provides some insights into the potential long-term effects of changing climate.     

Will lowering estuarine salinity increase Gulf of Mexico oyster landings?

Previous studies provide conflicting opinions on whether lower than average salinities in Gulf of Mexico (GOM) estuaries are likely to increase or decrease oyster harvests (Crassostrea virginica), which represented 69% and 54% of the United States oyster landings by weight, and dockside value, respectively, in 2003. The present study examined a 54-yr record (1950–2003) of oyster harvests and river discharge in five major estuaries in GOM states (Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas). Oyster landings were inversely related to freshwater inflow. Peaks in landings, 21 of 23 in West Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas combined, were coincidental with lows in river discharge from the major rivers in the estuaries. Lows in landings in these states (17 of 19) coincided with peaks in discharge of the major rivers feeding their estuaries. Landings in Breton Sound, Louisiana, were also inversely related to river discharge. The only exception to this pattern was for landings in the Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, part of the Breton Sound estuary, where there were higher landings following increased Mississippi River discharge. The Bonnet Carré spillway, completed in 1931, diverts flood waters from the Mississippi River to Lake Pontchartrain, and it has been opened to reduce flood heights in 1937, 1950, 1973, 1975, 1979, 1983, and 1997. Twenty-five of 28 times after the spillway was opened, oyster landings in Mississippi were lower than in the other four states. The inverse relationship between freshwater inflow and oyster landings suggests that the proposed Bonnet Carré Freshwater Project, designed to reduce estuarine salinity, cannot be justified on the basis of anticipated higher oyster yields in Mississippi or Louisiana. Manipulating estuarine salinity in the GOM should be done within the context of the whole estuary and not just part of the estuary.     

Sediment salt-load in the St Lucia Estuary during the severe drought of 2002–2006

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there was a sufficiently high residual salt load in the dry sediments of the St Lucia Estuary to cause salinity problems should it later fill up with either freshwater or seawater. The estuary lakes have suffered the effects of a severe drought since 2002 with the result that many areas were dry, and the salinity of the residual water varied between 4 psu and up to five times that of seawater. Measurements of the salts content in the sediments to a depth of 20 cm showed that more than 2 million tonnes of salt was held in this layer of the sediment in 2006. Recent management of the estuary (since 1970) has ensured that the mouth was not artificially opened. This was to prevent the inflow of seawater, with its salts, that would otherwise enter while the drought was in place. The results of the sediment salinity data showed that if the drought had been broken and the lake area filled with rain and river water, the resulting salinity would be about 6 psu. In March 2007, Cyclone Gamede in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of South Africa produced a wave climate at sea that resulted in the mouth breaching; thus introducing an estimated 12 million tonnes of salts. The high salinity in the system resulting from this breach is expected to have an adverse effect on the ecology of the system, whereas the residual salinity in the sediments would not have caused an environmental problem. If the estuary and lake system were to fill completely with seawater, the residual salts together with seawater will raise the salinity to an initial value higher than 40 psu, which will have the effect of suppressing much of the important submerged vegetation that is vital for sustaining juvenile fish in the system. Many of the large fauna will also suffer from a shortage of freshwater.     

Landward Propagation of Saline Waters Following Closure of a Bar-Built Estuary: Russian River (California,USA)

We investigate the evolution of the salt field in a bar-built estuary after the tidal inlet is closed by sediment, isolating the estuary from the ocean. We show that seawater trapped by inlet closure in the Russian River Estuary, CA, undergoes a two-stage landward intrusion process that leads to widespread salt stratification throughout the estuary. This salinity intrusion extends to distances of several kilometers from the beach—into the “inner estuary” that is separated from the “outer estuary” by shallow sills and typically devoid of saline waters during tidal conditions when the mouth is open. We describe landward movement of saline waters during six closure events in 2009 and 2010, based on repeat boat-based conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) surveys and bottom-mounted acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs). While sills block the initial landward motion of dense saline waters due to gravitational adjustment (first stage of intrusion), these same sills facilitate a wind-induced, one-direction valve mechanism through which saline waters are pumped into the inner estuary. Saline waters that crest the shallow sill can drain into deeper pools in the inner estuary as a pulsed gravity current (second stage of intrusion). We use empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis to identify an internal seiche in the outer estuary that results in uplift of pycnocline waters during the night at the boundary to the inner estuary. EOF analysis of inner estuary currents and a horizontal Richardson number are used to suggest that nocturnal gravity current events in the inner estuary (beyond the blocking sill) occur as pulses initiated by the internal seiche in the outer estuary.     

Climatic Influences on Autochthonous and Allochthonous Phytoplankton Blooms in a Subtropical Estuary, St. Lucie Estuary, Florida, USA

The St. Lucie Estuary, located on the southeast coast of Florida, provides an example of a subtropical ecosystem where seasonal changes in temperature are modest, but summer storms alter rainfall regimes and external inputs to the estuary from the watershed and Atlantic Ocean. The focus of this study was the response of the phytoplankton community to spatial and temporal shifts in salinity, nutrient concentration, watershed discharges, and water residence times, within the context of temporal patterns in rainfall. From a temporal perspective, both drought and flood conditions negatively impacted phytoplankton biomass potential. Prolonged drought periods were associated with reduced nutrient loads and phytoplankton inputs from the watershed and increased influence of water exchange with the Atlantic Ocean, all of which restrict biomass potential. Conversely, under flood conditions, nutrient loads were elevated, but high freshwater flushing rates in the estuary diminished water residence times and increase salinity variation, thereby restricting the buildup of phytoplankton biomass. An exception to the latter pattern was a large incursion of a cyanobacteria bloom from Lake Okeechobee via the St. Lucie Canal observed in the summer of 2005. From a spatial perspective, regional differences in water residence times, sources of watershed inputs, and the proximity to the Atlantic Ocean influenced the composition and biomass of the phytoplankton community. Long water residence times in the North Fork region of the St. Lucie Estuary provided an environment conducive to the development of blooms of autochthonous origin. Conversely, shorter residence times in the mid-estuary limit autochthonous increases in biomass, but allochthonous sources of biomass can result in bloom concentrations of phytoplankton.     

A comparative study of nutrient behavior along the salinity Gradient of tropical and temperate estuaries

The differences and similarities between near-pristine estuaries of different latitudinal regions were examined by selecting three tropical systems from North Queensland, Australia (Jardine, Annan, Daintree) and three temperate systems from Scotland, United Kingdom (Inverness, Cromarty, Dornoch Firths) for comparison. Although estuaries from the different regions have a number of unifying features, such as salinity gradients, tidal variations and terrestrial inputs they also have a number of important differences. The most distinct of these is the timing and variability of the major physical forcings on the estuary (e.g., river flow, insolation). The three tropical estuaries were much more episodic than their temperate counterparts, with a much more dynamic salinity structure and more variable riverwater concentrations, so that delivery of material to the estuary is dominated by short-lived flood events. In contrast, seawater concentrations were more stable in the tropical estuaries due to a more constant input of insolation, resulting in year round biological activity. There was biological removal of dissolved inorganic phosphorus in the low salinity region of the tropical Jardine and Daintree estuaries and a low salinity input of nitrate in the tropical Annan estuary most likely due to nitrification in the bottom sediments, and the biological reaction zone in the tropical Annan Estuary was flushed out of the estuarine basin to the edge of the offshore plume during a flood. Similar effects were not seen in the temperate Inverness, Cromarty, and Dornoch Firths. Similarities between estuaries include mid-estuary inputs of ammonium which were seen in both the temperate and tropical estuaries, although they occur under vastly contrasting conditions of low river discharge and periods of flood, respectively. Five of the estuaries show a general increase in dissolved inorganic phosphorus concentrations towards the sea during low flows, reflecting their pristine condition, and all six estuaries had low salinity silicate maxima probably sourced from the dissolution of freshwater biogenic silicate that has been carried seaward, except in the tropical estuaries during the dry season when a benthic source is proposed.     

Distribution and abundance of hydrobiid snails in a mixed estuary and a coastal lagoon,Argentina

This study examined the environmental factors influencing the distribution and abundance of hydrobiid snails in two estuaries on the northeastern coast of Argentina in a coastal lagoon (Mar Chiquita, 37°40′S, 57°20′W) and a partially mixed estuary (Quequén Grande, 38°30′S, 58°45′W). Five intertidal study sites in each estuary represented a gradient in environmental conditions. Variations in the main environmental factors and in the abundance of hydrobiids were assessed both spatially and seasonally. The three species wereHeleobia australis, Heleobia conexa, andHeleobia parchappii, and they were primarily distributed across a salinity gradient. This pattern was clearly recognizable in the partially mixed estuary, where the abundance ofH. australis decreased as salinity decreased, and the abundance ofH. conexa gradually increased towards the inner reaches of the estuary.H. parchappii was restricted to areas far away from the influence of the tide. Slight differences in the distribution patterns of these species between Quequén Grande and Mar Chiquita were refated to the different dynamics of environmental factors in each estuary.     

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.     

Sedimentation in a river dominated estuary

The Mgeni Estuary on the wave dominated east coast of South Africa occupies a narrow, bedrock confined, alluvial valley and is partially blocked at the coast by an elongate sandy barrier. Fluvial sediment extends to the barrier and marine deposition is restricted to a small flood tidal delta. Sequential aerial photography, sediment sampling and topographical surveys reveal a cyclical pattern of sedimentation that is mediated by severe fluvial floods which exceed normal energy thresholds. During severe floods (up to 10x 10³ m³ s^?1), lateral channel confinement promotes vertical erosion ofbed material. Eroded material is deposited as an ephemeral delta in the sea. After floods the river gradient is restored within a few months through rapid fluvial deposition and formation of a shallow, braided channel. Over an extended period (approximately 70 years) the estuary banks and bars are stabilised by vegetation and mud deposition. Subsequent downcutting in marginal areas transforms the channel to an anastomosing pattern which represents a stable morphology which adjusts to the normal range of hydrodynamic conditions. This cyclical pattern of deposition produces multiple fill sequences in such estuaries under conditions of stable sea level. The barrier and adjacent coastline prograde temporarily after major floods as the eroded barrier is reformed by wave action, but excess sediment is ultimately eroded as waves adjust the barrier to an equilibrium plan form morphology. Deltaic progradation is prevented by a steep nearshore slope, and rapid sediment dispersal by wave action and shelf currents. During transgression, estuarine sedimentation patterns are controlled by the balance between sedimentation rates and receiving basin volume. If fluvial sedimentation keeps pace with the volume increase of a basin an estuary may remain shallow and river dominated throughout its evolution and excess fluvial sediments pass through the estuary into the sea. Only if the rate of volume increase of the drowned river valley exceeds the volume of sediment supply are deep water environments formed. Under such conditions an estuary becomes a sediment sink and infills by deltaic progradation and lateral accretion as predicted by evolutionary models for microtidal estuaries. Bedrock valley geometry may exert an important control on this rate of volume increase independently of variations in the rate of relative sea level change. If estuarine morphology is viewed as a function of the balance of wave, tidal and fluvial processes, the Mgeni Estuary may be defined as a river dominated estuary in which deltaic progradation at the coast is limited by high wave energy. It is broadly representative of other river dominated estuaries along the Natal coast and a conceptual regional depositional model is proposed. Refinement of a globally applicable model will require further comparative studies of river dominated estuaries in this and other settings, but it is proposed that river dominated estuaries represent a distinct type of estuarine morphology.     

Variable Nitrification Rates Across Environmental Gradients in Turbid,Nutrient-Rich Estuary Waters of San Francisco Bay

Understanding rates of nitrogen cycling in estuaries is crucial for understanding their productivity and resilience to eutrophication. Nitrification, the microbial oxidation of ammonia to nitrite and nitrate, links reduced and oxidized forms of inorganic nitrogen and is therefore an important step of the nitrogen cycle. However, rates of nitrification in estuary waters are poorly characterized. In fall and winter of 2011–2012, we measured nitrification rates throughout the water column of all major regions of San Francisco Bay, a large, turbid, nutrient-rich estuary on the west coast of North America. Nitrification rates were highest in regions furthest from the ocean, including many samples with rates higher than those typically measured in the sea. In bottom waters, nitrification rates were commonly at least twice the magnitude of surface rates. Strong positive correlations were found between nitrification and both suspended particulate matter and ammonium concentration. Our results are consistent with previous studies documenting high nitrification rates in brackish, turbid regions of other estuaries, many of which also showed correlations with suspended sediment and ammonium concentrations. Overall, nitrification in estuary waters appears to play a significant role in the estuarine nitrogen cycle, though the maximum rate of nitrification can differ dramatically between estuaries.     

The relative importance of biotic and abiotic vectors in nutrient transport

The mass of nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and calcium) imported during 1984 and 1985 to the North. Inlet Estuary, Georgetown County, South Carolina, by precipitation and runoff was compared with that imported by a colonial-nesting wading bird, the white ibis (Eudocimus albus). From late March through late June of both years, breeding ibises imported nutrients to the North Inlet Estuary study site from freshwater bottomland forest swamps, where they fed on crayfishes (Procambaridae). Although 1984 was a relatively wet year, in 1985 the ibis breeding season was preceded by a severe winter-spring drought. In 1984 ibises nested in higher numbers, had higher per-pair breeding success, and imported 11 times more nutrients than in 1985. Nutrient input from atmospheric sources was substantially lower in 1984 than in 1985. The 1984 ibises imported 9% as much nitrogen, 33% as much phosphorus, 0.4% as much potassium, and 0.3% as much calcium to the estuary as did atmospheric sources. In 1985 nutrient input from ibises amounted to only 0.2% of the nitrogen, 2.9% of the phosphorus, and ?1% of the potassium and calcium imported by atmospheric sources. Our results show that nutrient inputs to estuaries from colonial-nesting wading birds can be substantial when compared, with those from atmospheric sources and can vary considerably among years. They also suggest that nutrient regimes in estuaries with large assemblages of wading birds may differ significantly from those lacking such colonies. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** A01BY058 00006     

Distribution and abundance of ichthyoplankton in the Manicouagan River estuary,a tributary of the lower St. Lawrence estuary

The species composition and relative abundance of ichthyoplankton were investigated during summer 1986 at four stations along the salinity gradient in the Manicouagan River estuary, a tributary of the lower St. Lawrence estuary. Physical characteristics of water masses indicated the presence of a strong saline front (>10‰ per km) delineating the freshwater and marine section of the Manicouagan estuary. The estuary supports a depauperate ichthyoplankton community, including four species of pelagic fish eggs and eight species of fish larvae. Species richness increased with salinity. The ichthyoplankton fauna can be divided into two distinct groups: freshwater and marine. These two groups result initially from spawning preferences exhibited by the different species abundance of freshwater larvae was maximal at the head of the estuary and marine larvae were most abundant at the most saline station. The length frequency distribution suggests that marine larvae are not effectively retained within the estuary. The Manicouagan estuary cannot be considered as a major spawning site nor an important nursery zone for any fish found in this area.     

Modeling on adsorption–desorption of trace metals to suspended particle matter in the Changjiang Estuary

The uptake and release of trace metals (Cu, Ni, Zn, Cd, and Co) in estuaries are studied using river and sea end-member waters and suspended particulate matter (SPM) collected from the Changjiang Estuary, China. The kinetics of adsorption and desorption were studied in terms of environmental factors (pH, SPM loading, and salinity) and metal concentrations. The uptake of the metals studied onto SPM occurred mostly within 10 h and reached an asymptotic value within 40 h in the Changjiang Estuary. As low pH river water flows into the high pH seawater and the water become more alkaline as it approaches to the seaside of estuary, metals adsorb more on SPM in higher pH water, thus, particulate phase transport of metal become increasingly important in the seaward side of the estuary. The percentage of adsorption recovery and the distribution coefficients for trace metals remained to be relatively invariable and a significant reduction only occurred in very high concentrations of metals (>0.1 mg L⁻¹). The general effect of salinity on metal behavior was to decrease the degree of adsorption of Cu, Zn, Cd, Co, and Ni onto SPM but to increase their adsorption equilibrium pH. The adsorption–desorption kinetics of trace metals were further investigated using Kurbatov adsorption model. The model appears to be most useful for the metals showing the conservative behavior during mixing of river and seawater in the estuary. Our work demonstrates that dissolved concentration of trace metals in estuary can be modeled based on the metal concentration in SPM, pH and salinity using a Kurbatov adsorption model assuming the natural SPM as a simple surfaced molecule.     

Spatiotemporal changes in cadmium contamination in the Seine estuary (France)

Cadmium (Cd) is among the major contaminants in the Seine estuary. In the biota, the RNO (Réseau National d’Observation, the French Mussel-Watch) has shown that Cd concentrations in mussels living at the mouth of the estuary are related to changes in inputs to this area of phosphogypsum, a calcium sulphate that is a by-product of the phosphoric acid naturally enriched with Cd. In the water column, Cd concentrations at several key estuary sites show a very marked trend toward decreased contamination in the particles as well as in the dissolved phase. The behavior of Cd in the estuary has been studied between 1991 and 1998 in the framework of the scientific program Seine-Aval. This program has highlighted punctual Cd inputs in the estuarine water column. The partition of Cd between the dissolved and the particulate phase, previously described in various estuaries, is characterized by an intense phenomenon of solubilization in the mixing zone freshwater-seawater, but the colloidal Cd fraction remains low along the whole salinity gradient, about 5% to 10% of the apparent dissolved fraction. Although the decrease of inputs induced a fall of Cd concentrations in the water column, laboratory experiments show that the estuarine particles are far from being exhausted in Cd. Despite continuous efforts to reduce the urban and industrial inputs into the estuarine and coastal waters, the Seine estuary still remains very contaminated by Cd.     

Distribution of carbon in a tropical hypersaline estuary,the Casamance (Senegal,West Africa)

The Casamance estuary, on the coast of Senegal, is an inverse hypersaline estuary: salinity increases landward, and dry season salinity values are up to 172 psu due to the evaporation of seawater. Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentrations decreased landward as a negative linear function of salinity. Thermodynamic modelling and the absence of CaCO₃ in the sediments indicate that this loss of DIC was not due to calcite precipitation in the main water body. The innermost, almost landlocked, waters contained high phytoplankton biomass (50–300 μg chl I^?1) and high concentrations of allochthonous dissolved organic carbon. Photosynthetic uptake of DIC and subsequent particulate organic carbon sedimentation is proposed as hypothetical explanation of the relationship between DIC and salinity; localized overheating in shallow waters might also be involved.     

From Headwaters to Coast: Influence of Human Activities on Water Quality of the Potomac River Estuary

The natural aging process of Chesapeake Bay and its tributary estuaries has been accelerated by human activities around the shoreline and within the watershed, increasing sediment and nutrient loads delivered to the bay. Riverine nutrients cause algal growth in the bay leading to reductions in light penetration with consequent declines in sea grass growth, smothering of bottom-dwelling organisms, and decreases in bottom-water dissolved oxygen as algal blooms decay. Historically, bay waters were filtered by oysters, but declines in oyster populations from overfishing and disease have led to higher concentrations of fine-sediment particles and phytoplankton in the water column. Assessments of water and biological resource quality in Chesapeake Bay and tributaries, such as the Potomac River, show a continual degraded state. In this paper, we pay tribute to Owen Bricker’s comprehensive, holistic scientific perspective using an approach that examines the connection between watershed and estuary. We evaluated nitrogen inputs from Potomac River headwaters, nutrient-related conditions within the estuary, and considered the use of shellfish aquaculture as an in-the-water nutrient management measure. Data from headwaters, nontidal, and estuarine portions of the Potomac River watershed and estuary were analyzed to examine the contribution from different parts of the watershed to total nitrogen loads to the estuary. An eutrophication model was applied to these data to evaluate eutrophication status and changes since the early 1990s and for comparison to regional and national conditions. A farm-scale aquaculture model was applied and results scaled to the estuary to determine the potential for shellfish (oyster) aquaculture to mediate eutrophication impacts. Results showed that (1) the contribution to nitrogen loads from headwater streams is small (about 2 %) of total inputs to the Potomac River Estuary; (2) eutrophic conditions in the Potomac River Estuary have improved in the upper estuary since the early 1990s, but have worsened in the lower estuary. The overall system-wide eutrophication impact is high, despite a decrease in nitrogen loads from the upper basin and declining surface water nitrate nitrogen concentrations over that period; (3) eutrophic conditions in the Potomac River Estuary are representative of Chesapeake Bay region and other US estuaries; moderate to high levels of nutrient-related degradation occur in about 65 % of US estuaries, particularly river-dominated low-flow systems such as the Potomac River Estuary; and (4) shellfish (oyster) aquaculture could remove eutrophication impacts directly from the estuary through harvest but should be considered a complement—not a substitute—for land-based measures. The total nitrogen load could be removed if 40 % of the Potomac River Estuary bottom was in shellfish cultivation; a combination of aquaculture and restoration of oyster reefs may provide larger benefits.     

The paleoecological development of a late holocene,tidal freshwater marsh of the Upper Delaware River estuary

Changes in groundwater tables brought about by sea level increases in the Delaware River Basin (near Philadelphia) about 2,500 years B.P., initiated wetland development at the Princeton-Jefferson Branch of the Woodbury Creek marshes. Continual increases in sea level pushed groundwater tables further upward, and by approximately 800 years B.P., groundwater tables had risen to the upper limits for woody vegetation at the site. By the time European settlers arrived in the late 1600s nontidal sedge marshes dominated the site. Upon arriving colonists began manipulating the hydrology of the Delaware River Basin by constructing dams and dikes for flood control. Soon many areas were cut off from direct contact with the river. During the next one and one-half centuries sea level continued to rise, and because of channelization of the Delaware River the tidal range doubled. During the early 1900s flood control structures began to fail allowing tidal waters to periodically inundate these protected sites. At that time the site was dominated by a Quercus-Castanea swamp forest with hummocks of Cyperaceae interspersed throughout. In 1940 the dike surrounding the Princeton-Jefferson marsh collapsed and the site was immediately inundated with tidal waters on a regular basis. Within a short period of time tidal freshwater marsh developed and has continued to the present day. It is clear from this investigation that changes in hydrology brought about by cultural modifications have been directly responsible for the ontogeny of this tidal marsh. The influence cultural impacts have had on wetland development at the Princeton-Jefferson marsh suggest that it may be necessary to reevaluate the extent humans have modified the development and structure of the present day upper Delaware River estuary. Although the ability to discern historic vegetation zonation patterns is limited, these marshes can record individual events that have shaped these wetlands through time. Due to differences in the structure of the plant community, rates of decomposition, and processes of accretion, Redfield’s model (1972) of tidal salt marsh development does not apply to the Princeton-Jefferson marsh. Along a submerging coast, the development of tidal freshwater marsh in many estuaries may be necessary for the establishment of brackish and salt marshes by creating and maintaining a suitable habitat for the eventual colonization of more salt-tolerant plant species. The roles these wetlands have played in the development of the estuaries has been underestimated in the past.