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.     

岩溶介质非均质性对钻孔水物化指标垂向变化的影响

岩溶介质具有较强的非均质性,其地表及地下的岩溶结构形态多样。通过对钻孔结构描述、钻孔水物化性质分析,不仅能够掌握区域上岩溶含水层的结构特征,而且对于岩溶地下水演化过程的揭示亦有重要作用。文章以桂林岩溶水文地质试验场西南部峰丛山区与峰林平原交界处的钻孔为例,通过野外便携式多参数仪原位测试钻孔垂向水物化指标（pH值、水温T、电导率EC）,探索浅部（地面以下约50 m内）地下岩溶较为发育条件下钻孔水物化指标的垂向变化特征,揭示岩溶介质非均质性对钻孔垂向水物化指标的影响。结果表明:岩溶地区小范围内不同钻孔间的水物化性质有所差异,且岩溶发育相似的钻孔（如ZK4/ZK5、ZK7/ZK8）,其水物化指标垂向变化具有一定的相似性,但不同指标（T、pH、EC）的变化幅度存在差异;钻孔水物化性质受到试验场区岩溶介质结构非均质性的控制,即岩溶介质结构影响了地下水的赋存条件和水力联系而导致水物化性质的差异;在对岩溶地区地下水物化性质进行研究时应充分考虑岩溶介质的非均质性特征,根据实际的水文地质条件选取具有代表性的钻孔含水段进行取样和监测。      

Microbial nitrogen cycling at the saltwater–freshwater interface

Microbial communities inhabiting “subterranean estuaries” along the subsurface freshwater–saltwater continuum determine the fate of nitrogen discharged to coastal waters. Little is known about the microbes that comprise these communities, or what their ecological and biogeochemical responses will be to increased salinity resulting from saltwater intrusion and aquifer salinization. This review covers basic aspects of the nitrogen cycle relevant to the coastal subsurface and provides a framework for predicting the types of microbes and nitrogen transformations that exist in different subterranean estuary systems. Literature concerning the freshwater–saltwater mixing zones of surficial estuaries, where microbial communities are better characterized, is also reviewed to explore what is known about the impact of increasing salinity on both the community composition and biogeochemical function of the microbial assemblage. Collectively, these studies suggest that salinization will alter microbial community composition for all functional groups involved in nitrogen cycling, and may lead to decreases in nitrification and coupled nitrification-denitrification, and increases in dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA). Future collaboration between hydrogeologists and microbial ecologists is needed to fully predict the impact of saltwater intrusion on subsurface microbial communities.     

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.     

Microbial communities in karst groundwater and their potential use for biomonitoring

The structure, diversity and dynamics of microbial communities from a swallow hole draining agricultural land and two connected karst springs (Switzerland) were studied using molecular microbiological methods and related to hydrological and physicochemical parameters. Storm responses and an annual hydrological cycle were monitored to determine the short- and long-term variability, respectively, of bacterial communities. Statistical analysis of bacterial genetic fingerprints (16S rDNA PCR-DGGE) of spring water samples revealed several clusters that corresponded well with different levels of the allochthonous swallow hole contribution. Microbial communities in spring water samples highly affected by the swallow hole showed low similarities among them, reflecting the high temporal variability of the bacterial communities infiltrating at the swallow hole. Conversely, high similarities among samples with low allochthonous contribution provided evidence for a stable autochthonous endokarst microbial community. Three spring samples, representative for low, medium and high swallow hole contribution, were analysed by cloning/sequencing in order to identify the major bacterial groups in the communities. The autochthonous endokarst microbial community was mainly characterized of δ-Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria and Nitrospira species. A high percentage of unknown sequences suggested further that many karst aquifer bacteria are still undiscovered. Finally, the potential use of groundwater biomonitoring using microbial communities is discussed.     

渭北岩溶水的化学特征及其地质背景

渭北东、西部岩溶水的化学特征各不相同。这种不同,是由于含水介质的差异而造成的。东部岩溶水的含水介质为中奥陶统的滨海相、潮间泻湖相与广海陆棚相的灰岩夹膏盐地层,水化学类型为HCO3·SO4、SO4·HCO3或SO·4HCO3·Cl型,矿化度一般为1g／L左右;西部岩溶水的含水介质以中、上奥陶统浅海相或浅海深海相的灰岩、白云质灰岩、粒状灰岩为主,水化学类型为单一的HCO3型,矿化度一般为0．5g／L左右。     

屋顶雨水回灌裂隙岩溶含水层连通示踪试验

雨水回灌后对岩溶水的影响分析和效果需要对回灌井和下游的观测井监测数据说明。由于岩溶含水层中岩溶发育极不均匀,在测定地下水位并判定出地下水流向的基础上,连通示踪试验是选择与回灌井相对应的观测井的有效办法。用氯化钠作为示踪剂,监测不同测井不同埋深地下水电导率随时间变化的方法确定了岩溶水观测井选址、岩溶含水层的结构及水文地质条件。示踪试验结果表明,3#观测井(西院井)可用来监测雨水回灌效果,并计算出该地区的地下水势流速在9 m/h～20 m/h之间。该成果对北方地区岩溶含水层回灌和环境评价具有重要的参考价值。     

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.     

Trace element cycling in a subterranean estuary: Part 1. Geochemistry of the permeable sediments

Subterranean estuaries are characterized by the mixing of terrestrially derived groundwater and seawater in a coastal aquifer. Subterranean estuaries, like their river water-seawater counterparts on the surface of the earth, represent a major, but less visible, hydrological and geochemical interface between the continents and the ocean. This article is the first in a two-part series on the biogeochemistry of the subterranean estuary at the head of Waquoit Bay (Cape Cod, MA, USA). The pore-water distributions of salinity, Fe and Mn establish the salt and redox framework of this subterranean estuary. The biogeochemistry of Fe, Mn, P, Ba, U and Th will be addressed from the perspective of the sediment composition. A second article will focus on the groundwater and pore-water chemistries of Fe, Mn, U and Ba.Three sediment cores were collected from the head of Waquoit Bay where the coastal aquifer consists of permeable sandy sediment. A selective dissolution method was used to measure the concentrations of P, Ba, U and Th that are associated with “amorphous (hydr)oxides of iron and manganese” and “crystalline Fe and Mn (hydr)oxides.” The deeper sections of the cores are characterized by large amounts of iron (hydr)oxides that are precipitated onto organic C-poor quartz sand from high-salinity pore waters rich in dissolved ferrous iron. Unlike Fe (hydr)oxides, which increase with depth, the Mn (hydr)oxides display midcore maxima. This type of vertical stratification is consistent with redox-controlled diagenesis in which Mn (hydr)oxides are formed at shallower depths than iron (hydr)oxides. P and Th are enriched in the deep sections of the cores, consistent with their well-documented affinity for Fe (hydr)oxides. In contrast, the downcore distribution of Ba, especially in core 3, more closely tracks the concentration of Mn (hydr)oxides. Even though Mn (hydr)oxides are 200-300 times less abundant than Fe (hydr)oxides in the cores, Mn (hydr)oxides are known to have an affinity for Ba which is many orders of magnitude greater than iron (hydr)oxides. Hence, the downcore distribution of Ba in Fe (hydr)oxide rich sediments is most probably controlled by the presence of Mn (hydr)oxides. U is enriched in the upper zones of the cores, consistent with the formation of highly reducing near-surface sediments in the intertidal zone at the head of the Bay. Hence, the recirculation of seawater through this type of subterranean estuary, coupled with the abiotic and/or biotic reduction of soluble U(VI) to insoluble U(IV), leads to the sediments acting as a oceanic net sink of U. These results highlight the importance of permeable sediments as hosts to a wide range of biogeochemical reactions, which may be impacting geochemical budgets on scales ranging from coastal aquifers to the continental shelf.     

Modeling nutrients profiles at the sediment–water interface. Calibration and validation from two climatically contrasted estuaries: Seine (France) and Somone (Senegal)

The dialysis porewater sampler, type Hesslein, allows sampling of sediment interstitial water according to a continuous gradient between sediment and the water column. Its equilibration time fluctuates according to the nature of sediment, so it has to be measured in each kind of sediment. The aim of this work is to develop a physical diffusion model in order to determine an equilibration time without using extensive field experiments. The model is validated by real nutrient concentration profiles obtained on two estuaries under different climates, moderate climate (estuary of the Seine) and tropical dry climate (estuary of Somone, Senegal). The results highlight that the equilibration of the dialysis porewater sampler is not homogeneous over the full sediment height investigated. Other sediment characteristics as compaction, rate of bioturbation or bacterial density must be taken into account in order to find a well-calculated value of the equilibration time.     

Hydrological modeling in the karst area,Rižana spring catchment,Slovenia

Karst aquifers are known for their heterogeneity and irregular complex flow patterns which make them more difficult to model and demand specific modeling approaches. This paper presents one such approach which is based on a conceptual model. The model was applied in a karst area of the catchment of Rižana spring (200 km2). It is based on the MIKE SHE code and incorporates the main hydrological processes and geological features of the karst aquifer (diffuse and concentrated infiltration, allogenic recharge, quick and slow groundwater flow, shifting groundwater divides and groundwater outflow from the catchment area). Modeling of evapotranspiration and flow in the upper part of the unsaturated zone is more detailed. For the modeling of groundwater flow in the karst aquifer, a conceptual model was applied which uses drainage function for the simulation of groundwater flow through large conduits (karst channels and large fissures). The model was calibrated and validated against the observed Rižana spring discharge which represents a measured response of the aquifer. The results of validation show that the model is able to adequately simulate temporal evolution of the spring discharge, measured by Nash–Sutcliffe coefficient (0.82) as well as overall water balance.     

Formation and seasonal evolution of Atlantic menhaden juvenile nurseries in coastal estuaries

A hypothesis on the formation and seasonal evolution of Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) juvenile nurseries in coastal estuaries is described. A series of cruises were undertaken to capture postmetamorphic juvenile menhaden and to characterize several biological and physical parameters along estuarine gradients. The two study systems, the Neuse and Pamlico rivers in North Carolina, contain important menhaden nursery grounds. Juvenile menhaden abundance was found to be associated with gradients of phytoplankton biomass as evidenced by chlorophylla levels in the upper water column. Fish abundances were only secondarily associated with salinity gradients as salinity was a factor that moderated primary production in the estuary. The persistence of spatial and temporal trends in the distribution of phytoplankton in the Neuse and Pamlico estuaries was reviewed. The review suggested that postmetamorphic juvenile menhaden modify their distribution patterns to match those created by phytoplankton biomass, which in turn makes them most abundant in the phytoplankton maxima of estuaries. Because the location of these maxima varies with the mixing and nutrient dynamics of different estuaries, so will the location of the nursery.     

The transition of a freshwater karst aquifer to an anoxic marine system

Jewfish Sink is located in the shallow seagrass flats of the Gulf of Mexico in west central Florida. Jewfish Sink was a submarine spring until the drought of 1961–1962 when it ceased flowing. Today, the sink is an anaerobic marine basin and provides the opportunity to study the implications of saltwater intrusion in coastal karstic areas. The biogeochemistry of Jewfish Sink was studied from summer 2001 through spring 2004. A distinct feature of the sink is the uniform cold temperature (16–17°C) of the deeper anoxic water that does not match groundwater found nearshore or onshore (22–24°C). There are four zones within the sink: oxic zone, transition zone, upper anoxic zone, and anoxic bottom water. The anoxic bottom water does not mix with water from above but may be linked to deep Gulf shelf water through ancient aquifer conduits. The other three zones vary seasonally in oxygen, salinity, and temperature because of limited mixing in the winter due to cooding and sinking of surface water. The walls of the anoxic zones have characteristic microbial mats that are found in other sulfidic karstic features in the area. Bacterial activity appears to be carbon, limited in the anoxic zones where sulfate reduction appears to be the major metabolic process. The reduction of sulfate to sulfide appears to be driven by irregular influexes of organic matter including macroalgae, horseshoe crabs, and stingrays that become entrapped within the sink. Bacterial activity in the oxic zones appears to be phosphate limited. Although the system is partially isolated from the overlying marine ecosystem, organic input from above drives the bacterial anaerobic ecosystem, resulting in a sulfide pump. In this model, sulfide percolates up through the karst and removes oxygen from the overlying sediment, which has likely caused changes in the shallow benthic ecosystem. Jewfish Sink appears to be part of an extensive anoxic subterranean estuary that extends under parts of at least three coastal counties in Florida and serve as a model for the effects of rising sea levels or aquifer mining.     

Seasonal cycle and mass balance of cadmium in an estuary with an agricultural catchment: The Morlaix River estuary (Brittany,France)

Cadmium (Cd) variations were investigated over an annual cycle (12 surveys between February 1998–January 1999) in the Morlaix estuary (Brittany, France) in both the water column and the benthic compartment in relation to hydrological conditions. The drainage basin of the Morlaix River estuary is predominantly agricultural in character. Dissolved Cd concentrations in the water column varied from 0.04 to 0.48 nM. Particulate Cd concentrations ranged from 1 to 64 nmol g⁻¹. These concentrations reach levels commonly observed in estuaries affected by heavy industrial activities. Extensive agricultural activities in the drainage basin may be responsible for Cd levels above pristine conditions. Metal concentrations varied significantly over the seasonal cycle and the dissolved fraction exhibited high values in summer months. Particulate concentrations were always lowest during this season. In the benthic compartment, Cd concentrations in surface sediment varied from 0.4 to 5.0 nmol g⁻¹ and from 0.2 to 5.0 nM in porewaters. Concentrations in sediment were slightly affected by Cd contamination and temporal changes were important over the seasonal cycle. The variations seem to be controlled by the succession of sedimentation and erosion processes, which are tightly linked to seasonal changes in river discharge. A box model was constructed based on known Cd sources and sinks in the estuary. Cd is chiefly brought into the estuary by the Morlaix River and accumulates within the estuary. The accumulation within the estuary represents from 6.3 to 7.2 kg yr⁻¹.     

Microbial Nitrogen Cycling in Estuaries: From Genes to Ecosystem Processes

Nitrogen (N) is one of the primary nutrients required to build biomass and is therefore in high demand in aquatic ecosystems. Estuaries, however, are frequently inundated with high concentrations of anthropogenic nitrogen, which can lead to substantially degraded water quality. Understanding drivers of biogeochemical N cycling rates and the microbial communities responsible for these processes is critical for understanding how estuaries are responding to human development. Estuaries are notoriously complex ecosystems: not only do individual estuaries by definition encompass gradients of salinity and other changing environmental conditions, but differences in physical parameters (e.g., bathymetry, hydrodynamics, tidal flushing) lead to a tremendous amount of variability in estuarine processes between ecosystems, as well. Here, we review the current knowledge of N cycling processes in estuaries carried out by bacteria and archaea, including both biogeochemical rate measurements and molecular characterizations of N cycling microbial communities. Particular attention is focused on identifying key environmental factors associated with distinct biogeochemical or microbial regimes across numerous estuaries. Additionally, we describe novel metabolisms or organisms that have recently been discovered but have not yet been fully explored in estuaries to date. While the majority of research has been conducted in the benthos, we also describe data from estuarine water columns. Understanding both the common patterns and the differences between estuaries has important implications for how these critical ecosystems respond to changing environmental conditions.     

Role of karstification and rainfall in the behavior of a heterogeneous karst system

 The complex functioning of karst systems depends on several factors (e.g., geology, karstification status, climate) which influence flow conditions. Understanding a system requires monitoring that includes a sampling interval well adapted to the system's size, and the use of hydrodynamic and geochemical approaches. From our own observations, the general physical and geochemical characteristics of the aquifers are perennial and representative of karst evolution at a given moment. The Notre-Dame-des-Anges karst system, which is situated in France on the rim of the Vaucluse karst region, was studied during 2 water years. This study demonstrates that several parameters are not definitive, and that they do not provide information about the actual status of the karst evolution of the system. We were able to observe that hydrological parameters in particular are dependent on the configuration of the outlets, which can dramatically change. For example, a heavy storm (300 mm of rain in 4 h), which occurred in the intake area on 22 September 1992, produced a piston effect in the aquifer, which was expressed by extensive unclogging of the whole aquifer. The appearance of a new gryphon at the outlet induced a change in the flow rate and added to the unclogging. The other major result of this study is the demonstration of intensive, even preponderant, participation of water originating in the infiltration zone in the behavior of the system. This contribution, often minimized in previous studies, is closely dependent upon flow conditions and especially upon the recharge status of the infiltration zone. Physical and chemical parameters allowed us to trace this water, and to demonstrate the existence of an actual hanging reserve which plays not a negligible part in flow, during both high and low water levels. This paper demonstrates the necessity of coupling a hydrodynamic study with a hydrochemical approach, and of questioning the representativeness of parameters during a given period, for a better understanding of the functioning of the karst system. This is especially true if the infiltration zone of the karst system is heavily developed, and if external factors (e.g., river, landslip, clogging) influence the outlet Received: 10 June 1996 / Accepted: 11 November 1996     

Extreme Eutrophication in Shallow Estuaries and Lagoons of California Is Driven by a Unique Combination of Local Watershed Modifications That Trump Variability Associated with Wet and Dry Seasons

Rapidly growing human populations have caused heavy modifications to the watersheds of many Mediterranean climate estuaries, subjecting them to excessive nutrient enrichment and harmful macroalgal blooms. Despite these impacts, comprehensive studies in these systems are rare and comparisons between systems are lacking. We surveyed five southern California estuaries that ranged in size from 93 to 1,000 ha and incorporated differing land usages and watershed sizes. We sampled environmental variables (sediment redox potential, organic content, total nitrogen and total phosphorus, water column nitrate, ammonium, and salinity) and macroalgal cover and biomass quarterly at three locations within each estuary over 15 months to compare spatial and wet vs. dry season patterns. Maximum mean water column nitrate concentration across all estuaries ranged from 47 to 1,700 μM, showing that all estuaries were highly enriched with nitrogen, at least at some times. Mean macroalgal biomass ranged from 0 to 1,500 g wet wt m^?2. However, neither nutrient concentrations nor algal biomass showed consistent seasonal patterns as maximum values occurred in different seasons in different estuaries. Three-dimensional principal components analysis followed by regression analyses confirmed that macroalgal abundance was not directly related to water or sediment N concentrations. Rather each of these southern California estuaries showed individual patterns in all measured variables, which were most likely induced by a suite of physical modifications unique to each system and its watershed.     

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.     

Functioning of a coastal karstic system with a submarine outlet,in southern Spain

A conceptual model of the functioning of a complex coastal karst aquifer in southern Spain is presented. The system has well developed conduits below sea level and is connected to the Mediterranean Sea. It discharges through two conduits 12 m below sea level, 20 km apart. The Moraig conduit is the main outlet; the discharge to the sea is brackish. The Toix conduit only discharges to the sea during heavy floods and lets in seawater the rest of the time. During the 1999–2000 hydrological year, both conduits were monitored by flowmeters and electrical conductivity-temperature probes. On the basis of the collected data, the hydrological relationship between the functioning of the system and the sea was characterised. The conceptual model assumes the existence of a huge reservoir called an “aquifer reservoir” which is supplied by (1) freshwater from rainfall and (2) seawater flowing into the Toix conduit. In addition, during heavy rainfall events, fast infiltration brings considerable amounts of freshwater into the Moraig conduit. This is typical of a “by-pass” mechanism. Salinity and flow rates were simulated with the use of a rainfall-discharge and a rainfall-salinity model. The simulation of flow and salinity time series can be used for water management purposes.