Horizontal patterns of water temperature and salinity in an estuarine tidal channel: Ria de Aveiro

This work presents results from two complementary and interconnected approaches to study water temperature and salinity patterns in an estuarine tidal channel. This channel is one of the four main branches of the Ria de Aveiro, a shallow lagoon located in the Northwest coast of the Iberian Peninsula. Longitudinal and cross-sectional fields of water temperature and salinity were determined by spatial interpolation of field measurements. A numerical model (Mohid) was used in a 2D depth-integrated mode in order to compute water temperature and salinity patterns. The main purpose of this work was to determine the horizontal patterns of water temperature and salinity in the study area, evaluating the effects of the main forcing factors. The field results were depth-integrated and compared to numerical model results. These results obtained using extreme tidal and river runoff forcing, are also presented. The field results reveal that, when the river flow is weak, the tidal intrusion is the main forcing mechanism, generating saline and thermal fronts which migrate with the neap/spring tidal cycle. When the river flow increases, the influence of the freshwater extends almost as far as the mouth of the lagoon and vertical stratification is established. Results of numerical modelling reveal that the implemented model reproduces quite well the observed horizontal patterns. The model was also used to study the hydrology of the study area under extreme forcing conditions. When the model is forced with a low river flow (1 m³ s⁻¹) the results confirm that the hydrology is tidally dominated. When the model is forced with a high river flow (1,000 m³ s⁻¹) the hydrology is dominated by freshwater, as would be expected in such an area.     

Effects of the Black River (Cape,South Africa) on the distribution and survival of marine psammofauna

The physicochemistry of the Black River and adjacent marine beach, in terms of tidal, daily and seasonal fluctuations of temperature and salinity, presents a highly stressed environment exacerbated by canalization of the river mouth. Riverine pollution further stresses this environment, producing low densities and diversities of marine infauna adjacent to the river. No fauna were found in the river mouth where typical estuarine conditions exist only during high tide. Tolerance of the dominant marine species, Cerebratulus fuscus, to temperature, salinity and river water combinations showed that mortality was more rapid after exposure to river water dilutions than after exposure to distilled water dilutions. Computer-generated models suggested that this species should survive conditions closer to the river than were observed. This confirmed additional stress due to pollution carried in the river from urban and industrial drainage. Lower river water temperatures during winter appear to ameliorate pollution stress, enhancing survivability of the infauna.     

Effects of channel regulation on salt intrusion and residual circulation of Keelung River

A vertical (laterally integrated) two‐dimensional numerical model was applied to study the hydrodynamic characteristics, salt‐water intrusion and residual circulation in the Danshuei River estuarine system. The cross‐sectional profiles measured in 2001 and 1990 respectively represent the conditions after and before channel regulation in the Keelung River. The model was re‐verified with the available hydrological data measured in 2001. Detailed model re‐verification has been conducted with water surface elevations, tidal current, and salinity distributions measured. The overall performance of the model is in qualitative agreement with the available field data. The model was then used to investigate the change in tidal ranges, salt‐water intrusion, and residual circulation as a result of channel regulation in the Keelung River. The model simulations indicate that more tidal energy propagates into the estuarine system before channel regulation because of the substantial increase in river cross‐sections. The residual circulations before channel regulation are greater than those after channel regulation and result in the limits of the salt intrusion before channel regulation being extended farther inland than those after channel regulation. This may show that channel regulation for flood control in the Keelung River did not contribute to the expansion of the mangrove areas and the disappearance of freshwater marshes at the Kuan‐Du wetlands. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Validation and Application of the Second Generation Three Dimensional Hydrodynamic Model of Chesapeake Bay

The validation and subsequent application of the current three-dimensional numerical hydrodynamic model of Chesapeake Bay is presented. The numerical model solves conservation equations for water mass, momentum, salinity, and heat on a boundary-fitted grid in the horizontal plane and a Cartesian z-grid in the vertical. A generalized ADI finite difference scheme is employed in conjunction with mode splitting technique, solving external and the internal modes. The 10-year boundary conditions including tide, slinity, temperature, wind, heat exchange coefficient, river and non-point source flows were constructed. Model validation was accomplished by demonstrating the model's ability to reproduce observed data over time scales ranging from tidal to seasonal periods. The major parameters compared include tidal elevation, intra-tidal and residual velocities, salinity, temperature, stratification, and flux calculated through the Bay mouth.After validation, the model was applied to simulate bay hydrodynamics for the 10 years of 1985–94. These results were used to drive the three-dimensional water quality model of Chesapeake Bay, which is discussed in a companion paper.     

Regularities of hydrological processes in the Chesapeake Bay (USA): Case study of a classical estuary

The main regularities of hydrological and hydrological-environmental processes occurring within the complex estuary, the Chesapeake Bay and the mouths of its tributaries, are discussed. The peculiarities of the estuary morphological structure, including the structures of tidal and net currents, salinity and water turbidity fields and their variability, the environmental conditions, and their human-induced changes. Using the Chesapeake Bay as an example, it became possible to reveal the basic features of classical estuaries subject to a considerable impact of river runoff and featuring mixing of river and sea water and moderate stratification of the water mass. It is shown that the regularities of hydrological processes in the Chesapeake Bay are typical of many mouth water bodies of estuarine type (inlets, drowned river valleys, lagoons, and tidal estuaries proper).     

A simple approach to estimating freshwater discharge in branched estuarine systems

In tidal estuaries, quantifying freshwater discharge is still a difficult problem that has not yet been overcome due to the inherent difficulty in measuring and analysing the tidal discharge, especially during periods of low river flow. Because observations are often made in the stations further upstream, where the ratio of river to tidal discharge is large, it remains difficult to determine the discharge rate in the saline region. Freshwater discharge estimation is even more difficult in a branched estuary system having multiple diversion channels that connect with each other at a junction. To date, several methods have been developed for estimating freshwater discharge in estuaries. The most widely used are analytical and conceptual models that employ salinity as the principal trace and numerical simulations. However, these methods are very time consuming and costly as they require large sets of observations before the computations can take place. This paper presents a simple approach to investigating the discharge distribution over branched channels by considering the energy loss due to friction. We develop an analytical model that can obtain the discharge rate quantitatively at a junction where the main flow bifurcates into two branches. The model uses the bed roughness, tidal water level, and cross‐sectional profile under tidally averaged conditions as input data. Two selected estuarine systems in the Hiroshima delta in Japan and the Mekong delta in Vietnam have been investigated. Computations of the newly developed model show good agreement with earlier published results computed by sophisticated analytical and numerical models.     

Coupled 1D–3D hydrodynamic modelling,with application to the Pearl River Delta

Within the hydrodynamic modelling community, it is common practice to apply different modelling systems for coastal waters and river systems. Whereas for coastal waters 3D finite difference or finite element grids are commonly used, river systems are generally modelled using 1D networks. Each of these systems is tailored towards specific applications. Three-dimensional coastal water models are designed to model the horizontal and vertical variability in coastal waters and are less well suited for representing the complex geometry and cross-sectional areas of river networks. On the other hand, 1D river network models are designed to accurately represent complex river network geometries and complex structures like weirs, barrages and dams. A disadvantage, however, is that they are unable to resolve complex spatial flow variability. In real life, however, coastal oceans and rivers interact. In deltaic estuaries, both tidal intrusion of seawater into the upstream river network and river discharge into open waters play a role. This is frequently approached by modelling the systems independently, with off-line coupling of the lateral boundary forcing. This implies that the river and the coastal model run sequentially, providing lateral discharge (1D) and water level (3D) forcing to each other without the possibility of direct feedback or interaction between these processes. An additional disadvantage is that due to the time aggregation usually applied to exchanged quantities, mass conservation is difficult to ensure. In this paper, we propose an approach that couples a 3D hydrodynamic modelling system for coastal waters (Delft3D) with a 1D modelling system for river hydraulics (SOBEK) online. This implies that contrary to off-line coupling, the hydrodynamic quantities are exchanged between the 1D and 3D domains during runtime to resolve the real-time exchange and interaction between the coastal waters and river network. This allows for accurate and mass conserving modelling of complex coastal waters and river network systems, whilst the advantages of both systems are maintained and used in an optimal and computationally efficient way. The coupled 1D–3D system is used to model the flows in the Pearl River Delta (Guangdong, China), which are determined by the interaction of the upstream network of the Pearl River and the open waters of the South China Sea. The highly complex upstream river network is modelled in 1D, simulating river discharges for the dry and wet monsoon periods. The 3D coastal model simulates the flow due to the external (ocean) periodic tidal forcing, the salinity distribution for both dry and wet seasons, as well as residual water levels (sea level anomalies) originating from the South China Sea. The model is calibrated and its performance extensively assessed against field measurements, resulting in a mean root mean square (RMS) error of below 6% for water levels over the entire Pearl River Delta. The model also represents both the discharge distribution over the river network and salinity transport processes with good accuracy, resolving the discharge distribution over the main branches of the river network within 5% of reported annual mean values and RMS errors for salinity in the range of 2 ppt (dry season) to 5 ppt (wet season).     

滨海地区基于避咸蓄淡模式的供水安全临界流量研究——以粤港澳大湾区珠澳供水为例

枯水期咸潮入侵已经严重威胁到了感潮河流区域供水安全.本文通过构建避咸蓄淡供水模型,耦合了咸度预测、河库联合供水调度和供水安全分析模块,为依赖感潮河流为水源地的区域供水安全管理提供了一种整体思路和决策方法.以面向粤港澳大湾区珠海东部及澳门的珠江三角洲磨刀门水道取供水为例,基于潮汐、径流和风等因子及咸度实测数据,较好地拟合了基于BP神经网络的咸度预测模型,及含氯度与超标时间的曲线函数,建立了上游来水和咸度超标时间之间的联系,得到了避咸蓄淡取水时机.咸度预测与当地河库联合供水调度相结合,得到了上游枯水期来水过程的当地区域供需平衡状况.枯水期不考虑水库调蓄的资源性缺水临界需水量为3.22亿m³,水库参与调蓄的工程性缺水临界需水量为3.75亿m³.通过供水安全分析模块,基于设定的风险阈值和临界阈值识别出了不同需水规模的上游来水临界流量特征.对于当地规划的需水规模4.23亿m³,期望上游枯水期临界流量均值约为3372 m³/s.整体上来说,需水规模越大,对上游来水期望的临界流量越大,但同时还与枯水期流量分布有关.     

Multivariate Analysis of Species Distribution: A Survey on Occurence of Mangrove Molluscs in the Bonny and New Calabar Rivers of the Niger Delta Multivariate Analyse von Verbreitungsmustern: Ein Überblick über das Vorkommen von Mangroven-Mollusken im Bonny River und New Calabar River des Niger-Deltas

Studies on distribution and habitats of mangrove molluscs of the Bonny and New Calabar rivers (Niger Delta) were made at ten shore stations from the river mouth to the tidal fresh water zone. Forty-three species were collected and thirty-nine were identified. Investigations into tidal zonation patterns showed that molluscs inhabited the high, mid and low intertidal stretches of the shore. In the tidal fresh water and low-salinity brackish water zone, the low intertidal is poor in molluscs. Many species have restricted salinity ranges occuring either in the high or low salinity limits. The collected data on occurence of species were analyzed by different methods from multivariate data analysis, namely cluster analysis, principal component analysis and partial least squares. These allowed to visualize structures among mollusc species and stations according to distribution patterns and to estimate the degree of relation between these patterns and salinity.     

Seasonal variation in water column conditions in the upper Gulf of Thailand

Seasonal variation in water column conditions in the upper Gulf of Thailand (UGoT) was analyzed by considering four major factors including surface heat flux, freshwater discharge, tidal and wind stirrings. The coincidence of surface heat loss, low river discharge and strong wind resulted in vertical well-mixing in December. Strong stratification developed in September and October due to large river discharge and moderate heat flux. Strong surface heating in April and May has a potential to generate strong stratification, although not as large as that in September and October due to low river discharge. Although no factors are prominent during January and March, and June and August, weak to moderate stratification results, because the influences of river discharge and surface heating are still larger than those of tidal and wind stirrings. The results of water column analysis based on monthly average data agree well with analyses derived from cruise data in the same months. Most analytical results correspond to the distributions of temperature and salinity from field observations. Disagreement, however, was found in December 2003 (cruise CU-2) when stratification in some small regions occurs in the distribution of water properties, but the water column analysis suggests vertical well-mixing. This phenomenon is triggered by non-uniform distribution of freshwater over UGoT, which is related to river discharge, monsoonal wind and current. Compared to a previous study regarding surface chlorophyll dynamics, water column conditions may be used to explain the occurrence of phytoplankton bloom in this region.     

A model study of tide- and wind-induced mixing in the Columbia River Estuary and plume

A numerical simulation of circulation in the Columbia River estuary and plume during the summer of 2004 is used to explore the mixing involved as river water is transformed into shelf water. The model is forced with realistic river flow, tides, wind stress, surface heat flux, and ocean boundary conditions. Simulated currents and water properties on the shelf near the mouth are compared with records from three moorings (all in 72 m of water) and five CTD sections. The model is found to have reasonable skill; statistically significant correlations between observed and modeled surface currents, temperature, and salinity are all 0.42–0.72 for the mooring records. Equations for the tidally averaged, volume-integrated mechanical energy budget (kinetic and potential) are derived, with attention to the effects of: (i) Reynolds averaging, (ii) a time varying volume due to the free surface, and (iii) dissipation very close to the bottom. It is found that convergence of tidal pressure work is the most important forcing term in the estuary. In the far field plume (which has a volume 15 times greater than that of the estuary), the net forcing is weaker than that in the estuary, and may be due to either tidal currents or wind stress depending on the time period considered. These forcings lead to irreversible mixing of the stratification (buoyancy flux) that turns river water into shelf water. This occurs in both the plume and estuary, but appears to be more efficient (17% vs. 5%), and somewhat greater (4.2 MW vs. 3.3 MW), in plume vs. estuary. This demonstrates the importance of both wind and tidal forcing to watermass transformation, and the need to consider the estuary and plume as part of a single system.     

A coupled analytical model for salt intrusion and tides in convergent estuaries

ABSTRACT

In this paper we develop a coupled analytical model for salinity and tidal propagation in estuaries where the cross-sectional area varies exponentially. A simple analytical model for tidal dynamics has been used to estimate the tidal excursion, which has an important influence on the salt intrusion process since it determines the extreme salinities (i.e. salinity distribution for high water slack and low water slack). The objective of the coupling is to reduce the number of calibration parameters, which subsequently strengthens the reliability of the salt intrusion model. Moreover, the coupling enables us to assess the potential impacts of external changes, both human-induced interventions (e.g. dredging) and natural changes (e.g. global sea level rise), on the salt intrusion process. In addition, the fully analytical solution for hydrodynamics allows immediate estimation of the tidally averaged depth and friction coefficient for given water level recordings and salinity measurements. This is particularly useful when a geometric survey is not available. The coupled model has been applied to six previously unsurveyed estuaries in Malaysia and the results show that the correspondence between analytical estimations and observations is very good. Thus, the coupled model proves to be a useful tool to obtain estimates of salt intrusion in estuaries based on a minimum amount of information required and for assessing the effect of human-induced or natural changes.

EDITOR D. Koutsoyiannis ASSOCIATE EDITOR B. Dewals     

Fate of three major rivers in the Bohai Sea: A model study

Huanghe (Yellow River), Haihe and Liaohe are three major rivers flowing into the Bohai Sea and account for more than 80% of the freshwater and land-drained material inputs annually. The fate of three rivers in the seawaters correlates with the transport and distribution of the riverine sediments and nutrients, and further exerts a profound influence on the local marine ecosystem dynamics. Therefore, the evolution of the river plumes under the influence of the freshwater buoyancy, the tidal forcing and the wind stress are examined using a three-dimensional primitive equation ocean circulation model, independently and jointly. It is found that both tide and wind stirring can deteriorate the stabilization of the water column caused by the freshwater buoyancy; however, the processes are different. The tide stirring originates from the seafloor due to the bottom friction as the tidal wave propagates into the shallow waters, and then the turbulent kinetic energy dissipates upward. On the other hand, the wind stirring proceeds in the up-down direction. The influences of different winds on the evolution of the river plumes are also examined. Since the situation of each river mouth is different, the wind influence is also distinct. At last, the fate of three major rivers driven by the combined tidal forcing and climatology winds is reproduced, and the simulated salinity distribution shows a reasonable agreement with that observed, meaning that the river plume evolution plays a crucial role in shaping the salinity distribution in BS.     

Three‐dimensional hydrodynamic and salinity transport modelling of Danshuei River estuarine system and adjacent coastal sea,Taiwan

A three‐dimensional, time‐dependent hydrodynamic and salinity model was applied to the Danshuei River estuarine system and adjacent coastal sea in Taiwan. The model forcing functions consist of tidal elevations along the open boundary and freshwater flows from the main stem and tributaries in the Danshuei River system. The bottom roughness height was calibrated and verified with model simulation of barotropic flow, and the turbulent diffusivities were calibrated through comparison of time‐series of salinity distributions. The overall model verification was achieved with comparisons of residual current and salinity distribution. The model simulation results are in qualitative agreement with the available field data. The model was then used to investigate the tidal current, residual current, and salinity patterns under the low freshwater flow condition in the modelling domain. The results reveal that the extensive intrusion of saline water imposes a significant baroclinic forcing and induces a strong residual circulation in the estuary. The downriver net velocity in the upper layer increases seaward despite the enlargement of the river cross‐section in that direction. Strong residual circulation can be found near the Kuan‐Du station. This may be the result of the deep bathymetric features there. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

一种水污染的综合控制模型

本文将水质预测及水污染控制措施有机地结合,选取水环境容量和污染指数作为水污染控制的参数,这样,一给对流－扩散水质方程的求解除就是实现本研究目的的关键,本研究彩和的模型在现有的水质模型基础上有所改进,因为其采用四点隐格式对水质进行预测,推求可接给污染物的环境容量值有为保证水质而陷定的污染物浓度值,从而制定相应的水污染控制措施,为整体考虑各种污染物的情况,建议彩和河流的污染指数进而推求综合污染指数,总之,本研究为水质保护提供了科学的计算方法,该法对水污染及污水对河道水质的影响是实用有效的。     

Sill dynamics and fjord deep water renewal: Idealized modeling study

Fjord exchange circulation and its response to abrupt changes in forcing is examined by means of an idealized modeling experiment. Puget Sound, a fjord-type estuary in western North America (State of Washington), is the main context for this study. Parameters of the idealized model are representative of the entrance sill at Admiralty Inlet and the Main Basin of Puget Sound. Sensitivity to some of the model parameters relevant to a 3D realistic model is discussed. An idealized tidal forcing with fortnightly modulation drives a qualitatively realistic cycle of exchange circulation while the other boundary conditions are kept fixed in time. The cycle is characterized by fortnightly pulses of deep water intrusions with a sharp front at the leading edge and reversed circulation cells below the sill depth developing between the intrusions. This basic state is then perturbed and response of the circulation to abrupt changes in oceanic salinity and river discharge is examined.     

The role of salinity in fluvio-deltaic morphodynamics: A long-term modelling study

Salinity difference between terrestrial river discharge and oceanic tidal water plays a role in modifying the local flow field and, as a consequence, estuarine morphodynamics. Although widely recognized, recent numerical studies exploring the long-term morphological evolution of river-influenced estuaries with two-dimensional, depth-averaged models have mostly neglected salinity. Using a three-dimensional morphodynamic model, we aim to gain more insight into the effect of salinity on the morphodynamics of fluvio-deltaic systems. Model results indicate that the resultant estuarine morphology established after 600 years differs remarkably when a salinity gradient is included. A fan-shaped river-mouth delta exhibits less seaward expansion and is cut through by narrower channels when salinity is included. The inclusion of salinity tends to generate estuarine circulation, which favours landward sediment transport and hence limits the growth of the delta while enhancing the development of intertidal areas. The formation of deltaic channel–shoal patterns resulting from morphodynamic evolution tends to strengthen salinity stratification, which is characterized by an increased gradient Richardson number. The direction of the depth-averaged residual sediment transport over a tide may be opposite to the direction of residual velocity, indicating the significant influence of baroclinic effects on the net sediment transport direction (and hence morphological change). The effect of salinity on morphological evolution becomes less profound when the strength of tidal or fluvial forcing is dominant over the other. The effects of sediment type and flocculation, which are particularly important when salinity gradients are present, are also discussed. Overall, this study highlights that neglecting salinity to simulate long-term estuarine morphodynamics requires more careful justification, particularly when the environment is characterized by fine sediment types (favouring suspended transport), and relatively large river discharge and estuarine depth (favouring baroclinic effects). © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Man-induced regime shifts in small estuaries—I: theory

This is Part I of two papers on man-induced regime shifts in small, narrow, and converging estuaries, with focus on the interaction between effective hydraulic drag, fine sediment import, and tidal amplification, induced by river engineering works, e.g., narrowing and deepening. In this part, a simple linear analytical model is derived, solving the linearized shallow water equations in exponentially converging tidal rivers. Distinguishing reflecting and non-reflecting conditions, a non-dimensional dispersion equation is derived which yields the real and imaginary wave numbers as a function of the estuarine convergence number and effective hydraulic drag. The estuarine convergence number describes the major geometrical features of a tidal river, e.g., intertidal area, convergence length, and water depth. This model is used in Part II analyzing the historical development of the tide in four rivers. Part I also presents a conceptual model on the response of tidal rivers to narrowing and deepening. It is argued that, upon the loss of intertidal area, flood-dominant conditions prevail, upon which fine sediments are pumped into the river, reducing its effective hydraulic drag. Then a snowball effect may be initiated, bringing the river into a hyper-turbid state. This state is self-maintaining because of entrainment processes, and favorable from an energetic point of view, and therefore highly stable. We may refer to an alternative steady state.     

Man-induced regime shifts in small estuaries—I: theory

This is Part I of two papers on man-induced regime shifts in small, narrow, and converging estuaries, with focus on the interaction between effective hydraulic drag, fine sediment import, and tidal amplification, induced by river engineering works, e.g., narrowing and deepening. In this part, a simple linear analytical model is derived, solving the linearized shallow water equations in exponentially converging tidal rivers. Distinguishing reflecting and non-reflecting conditions, a non-dimensional dispersion equation is derived which yields the real and imaginary wave numbers as a function of the estuarine convergence number and effective hydraulic drag. The estuarine convergence number describes the major geometrical features of a tidal river, e.g., intertidal area, convergence length, and water depth. This model is used in Part II analyzing the historical development of the tide in four rivers. Part I also presents a conceptual model on the response of tidal rivers to narrowing and deepening. It is argued that, upon the loss of intertidal area, flood-dominant conditions prevail, upon which fine sediments are pumped into the river, reducing its effective hydraulic drag. Then a snowball effect may be initiated, bringing the river into a hyper-turbid state. This state is self-maintaining because of entrainment processes, and favorable from an energetic point of view, and therefore highly stable. We may refer to an alternative steady state.

     

Development and application of a remote sensing-based salinity prediction model for a large estuarine lake in the US Gulf of Mexico coast

Salinity in estuaries is highly variable due to river discharge, tidal motion, and winds. Information on the spatial and temporal changes in salinity can provide important ecological indications, but accurate monitoring of the space–time variability for a large estuary is often costly and time-consuming. This study applied remote sensing techniques to develop a salinity prediction model for Lake Pontchartrain, a large estuarine lake located in the Northern Gulf of Mexico, USA. “Ground truth” salinity was measured along two transects across the lake and near the shoreline. Water-leaving reflectance from the measurement locations was extracted from Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) images pre-processed through “banding” noise reduction and radiometrical correction approaches. Ordinary least square and ridge regression methods were performed to identify model parameters and to determine relationships between salinity and reflectance. Salinity in the lake on eight dates was predicted with the developed model. Difference in salinity level and patterns, and impacts of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on salinity were assessed with ANOVA and Fuzzy Similarity methods. The results showed that the model achieved a high power in prediction of the lake salinity (R² = 0.89 and RMSE of validation = 0.27). Reflectance from TM bands 1, 2, and 4 was positively correlated to salinity levels and explained 1.9%, 20.3%, and 10.2% variance in salinity levels. Reflectance from bands 3 and 5 was negatively correlated to salinity and explained 34.1% and 31.2% variance. Under normal circumstances without the impacts of hurricanes, the lake salinity presented two patterns with average salinity level of 5.5 ppt. After Katrina’s landfall, the average was significantly increased by 1.1 ppt and the spatial patterns were altered. The pattern on 30 August 2005 was the most dissimilar one as compared to the two normal patterns, and then followed by the patterns on 9 and 25 October, and 7 September 2005. This study demonstrated that satellite remote sensing techniques can be applied to monitor salinity in coastal environments, and that freshwater discharge not only affects salinity levels and patterns under normal conditions but also is crucial for the return of salinity patterns to normal conditions after hurricane disturbance.