The AMANDES tidal model for the Amazon estuary and shelf

The AMANDES project aims to study transports from the Andean mountains to the Atlantic Ocean through the Amazon system. This requires realistic estuarine modelling in this area strongly forced by tides and river discharge. As none of the existing models for this region would fit the actual needs of the project, a specific new generation model has been implemented.The model is based on the hydrodynamic finite element model T-UGOm. In a first step, we limit our investigations to tidal dynamics. As the Amazon estuary is a very shallow macro-tidal area, it is necessary to improve the available bathymetries and to develop a precise bottom friction parametrisation.In this paper, we discuss the implementation of a high resolution regional model. This allows us to develop a precise and accurate tidal model: for instance, the overall root mean square error on complex differences is reduced from 54 cm in a standard model to 27 cm in our best model. Such precise and accurate tidal modelling is a prerequisite for modelling particle transport.     

Modelling Salt Intrusion and Nitrate Concentrations in the Ythan Estuary

A one-dimensional salt intrusion model is used to investigate the hydrography of the Ythan estuary, a small shallow macrotidal estuary in the north-east of Scotland. The model simulates the longitudinal distributions of water level, salinity and total oxidized nitrogen (TON) in the estuary. The model employs upstream differencing and the Smolarkiewicz anti-diffusion scheme to avoid the numerical difficulties typically encountered when modelling strong tidal flows using centred differences. The physical mechanisms driving the simulations are the tide at the entrance to the estuary and freshwater discharge at the head. The model was calibrated against measurements of water level made at three locations in the estuary, salinity observations made at a central platform and axial salinity distributions. At both spring and neap tides, the full range of salinity observed at the central platform was simulated. However, at the midway stage between springs and neaps, the simulated peak salinity was less than that observed. This was probably due to the sensitivity of the model to the digitisation of the estuarine bathymetry.The model successfully simulated salinity distributions for periods of high and low river flow, and was used to illustrate how TON concentrations fluctuated in response to variations in river flow. The potential implications of variations in the bathymetry of the estuary on salinity and nutrient distributions were predicted to be slight. However, the four fold increase in riverine TON concentrations that has occurred over the past 30 years was shown to increase TON distributions along the entire length of the estuary. The calculated estuary flushing time was strongly dependent on river flow and varied between 11–60 h.     

Sedimentary processes on an intertidal mudflat in the upper macrotidal Seine estuary, France

In order to understand the hydrodynamic parameters that control the fluvial sediment dynamics on an intertidal mudflat located in a sheltered zone in the upper part (fluvial part) of the macrotidal Seine estuary (France), a two-year field study of high-frequency field measurements was carried out. The bed-level evolution of the mudflat surface was measured from the semi-diurnal period to annual time scales using a high-resolution altimeter. The data showed that the sedimentary patterns on the mudflat were mainly controlled by river flows and tides. During high river flows in winter, sedimentation dominated; suspended particulate matter concentrations were higher, submersion was constant and at semi-diurnal scale, sedimentation duration was more important than erosion due to an asymmetrical tide. By contrast during low river flows in summer, erosion dominated mainly as a result of immersion/emersion of tidal flats during semi-diurnal cycle. From this annual sedimentation–erosion cycle we identify a temporary storage of 10–30% of the fine-grained (<63 μm) river-borne particles on mudflats in the upper section of the fluvial Seine estuary during high river flows.River-related sediment fluxes were estimated from the measurement of fine-grained sedimentation zones in the fluvial part of the estuary. The erosion/sedimentation processes were perennial, and the amounts of contributing sediments were directly related to the solid river load. Our results indicate that mudflats in the fluvial part of the Seine estuary play an important role in the downstream transfer of fine-grained suspended particulate matter (SPM) towards the turbidity maximum and the Rouen docks particularly during low river flows, when roughly 30–50% of the SPM originates from the eroded intertidal flats.     

Influence of the nodal tide on the morphological response of estuaries

The nodal tide causes a periodic variation in the mean tidal range, with a period of 18.6 years and amplitude of about 4% of the mean range. As the cross-sectional area of the channel in an estuary has been observed to be related to the tidal prism, such a variation of the tidal range can significantly influence the morphological development of tide-dominated estuaries. Field observations from the Humber Estuary in England confirm that there is indeed an 18.6 year cycle in the total water volume of the estuary. In this estuary, with a relatively small morphological time scale, the response to the nodal tide variation appears to dominate the long-term large-scale sediment budget changes of the estuary. The semi-empirical model ESTMORF was able to reproduce these observations, in terms of the observed amplitude and phase lag (relative to the variation of the tidal amplitude) of the morphological response. It also showed good agreement with the along estuary variation in both the magnitude and phase of the response. To examine the character of the response in more detail, a simplified analytical solution has been derived from the governing non-linear equations. This has been investigated in terms of the sensitivity of the model to the various model parameters and by comparison with the historic data. The results demonstrate how the system response is strongly dependent on the morphological time scale of the estuary. Furthermore, the response is not uniform but varies along the length of the estuary, being most marked at the mouth and decaying up estuary. When examining changes in geomorphological features, such as the intertidal area, an appreciation of the role of the nodal tide is shown to be essential if historic data are to be properly interpreted.     

Dynamics of the turbidity maximum zone in a macrotidal estuary (the Gironde,France): Observations from field and MODIS satellite data

Over a 1-year period, field and satellite measurements of surface water turbidity were combined in order to study the dynamics of the turbidity maximum zone (TM) in a macrotidal estuary (the Gironde, France). Four fixed platforms equipped with turbidity sensors calibrated to give the suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentration provided continuous information in the upper estuary. Full resolution data recorded by the moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors onboard the Terra and Aqua satellite platforms provided information in the central and lower estuary twice a day (depending on cloud cover). Field data were used to validate a recently developed SPM quantification algorithm applied to the MODIS ‘surface reflectance’ product. The algorithm is based on a relationship between the SPM concentration and a reflectance ratio of MODIS bands 2 (near-infrared) and 1 (red). Based on 62 and 75 match-ups identified in 2005 with MODIS Terra and Aqua data, the relative uncertainty of the algorithm applied to these sensors was found to be 22 and 18%, respectively.Field measurements showed the tidal variations of turbidity in the upper estuary, while monthly-averaged MODIS satellite data complemented by field data allowed observing the monthly movements of the TM in the whole estuary. The trapping of fine sediments occurred in the upper estuary during the period of low river flow. This resulted in the formation of a highly concentrated TM during a 4-month period. With increasing river flow, the TM moved rapidly to the central estuary. A part of the TM detached, moved progressively in the lower estuary and was finally either massively exported to the ocean during peak floods or temporary trapped (settled) on intertidal mudflats. The massive export to the ocean was apparently the result of combined favorable environmental conditions: presence of fluid mud near the mouth, high river flow, high tides and limited wind speeds. The mean SPM concentration within surface waters of the whole estuary showed strong seasonal variations but remained almost unchanged on a 1-year-basis. These observations suggest that the masses of suspended sediments exported toward the ocean and supplied by the rivers were almost equivalent during the year investigated (2005). Results show the usefulness of information extracted from combined field and current ocean color satellite data in order to monitor the transport of suspended particles in coastal and estuarine waters.     

A three-dimensional hydrodynamic and salinity transport model of estuarine circulation with an application to a macrotidal estuary

A three-dimensional semi-implicit finite volume numerical model has been developed and applied to study tidal circulation and salinity stratification in the region of Oujiang River Estuary, China. The model employs horizontally unstructured grids and boundary-fitted coordinate system in the vertical direction. Governing equations consisting of continuity, momentum, and transport equations are all solved in the integral form of the equations, which provides a better representation of the conservative laws for mass, momentum, and transport in the coastal region with complex geometry and bottom bathymetry. The model performance was firstly quantified with skill assessment statistics on the choice of different parameters and validated with observed tidal elevation, current velocity, direction and salinity data over a spring–neap tidal cycle collected in 2006. Numerical results show that the model with wetting–drying capability successfully simulated the tidal currents and salinity fields with a reasonable accuracy and indicate that the Oujiang River Estuary is a macrotidal estuary with strong tidal mixing. In addition, the model results also show that the Oujiang River Estuary is a well-mixed estuary during spring tide. Then, the numerical simulations were performed to compare the hydrodynamic process and salinity distribution before and after a river training, which was conducted by blocking the south branch of the Oujiang River mouth. The results reveal that with the only north access to the sea, the influence of the blocking project on the flood discharge capacity is limited and the incremental velocity is beneficial to the navigation channel maintenance, although it will cause some scour to the embankment. Furthermore, the redistribution of tidal prism passing in or out the north branch makes a little severe salinity intrusion during high tide or low tide. However, the salinity intrusion is still within acceptable range, although it can cause some adverse effect on water intaking of production and life. The variations of salinity levels in Yueqing Bay situated at the north of the river mouth are not obvious, so the blocking project will not bring damage to local aquiculture. However, significant changes of salinity happen inside or outside of the south branch, so enough attention need to be paid to the changes of environment caused by the salinity variation after the blocking project. Overall, by weighing advantages and disadvantages of the blocking project, it is feasible and the model can be considered as a tool for managing and studying estuarine circulation.     

A note on salt intrusion in funnel-shaped estuaries: Application to the Incomati estuary,Mozambique

Salt intrusion in estuaries is important for ecological reasons as well as water extraction purposes. The distance salt intrudes upstream depends on a number of factors, including river discharge, tidal and wind mixing and gravitational circulation. In this paper, an analytical solution is presented for the salt intrusion in a well mixed, funnel-shaped estuary whose cross sectional area decreases exponentially (with decay coefficient β) with distance, x, inland, and in which longitudinal mixing is constant along the length of the estuary. The solution predicts that a graph of the logarithm of salinity against exp (βx) should be a straight line, with slope proportional to the mixing coefficient K_x. The solution is tested against observations from 15 surveys over a four-year period in the Incomati estuary. Good straight line fits, as predicted, are observed on all surveys, with a mean R² = 0.97. The average value of K_x for all surveys is 38 m² s⁻¹. The solution is used to make predictions about the minimum river flow required to prevent salt intruding to an extent where it causes a detrimental effect on water extraction. The minimum recommended river flow required to prevent this is 35 m³ s⁻¹. In recent years, flow has fallen below this level for several months each year.     

Computations of the energy flux to mixing processes via baroclinic wave drag on barotropic tides

The geographical distribution of barotropic to baroclinic transfer of tidal energy by baroclinic wave drag in the abyssal ocean is estimated. Using tidal velocities from a state-of-the-art numerical tidal model, the total loss of barotropic tidal energy in the deep ocean (between 70°S and 70°N and at depths greater than 1000 m) is estimated to be about 0.7 TW (M₂) corresponding to a mean value of the energy flux (e) of 2.4×10⁻³ W/m². The distribution of e is however highly skewed with a median of about 10⁻⁶ W/m². Only 10% of the area is responsible for more than 97% of the total energy transfer.To assess the possible influence of the relatively coarse bathymetry representation upon the present estimate, complementary calculations using better resolved sea floor topography are carried out over a control area around the Hawaiian Ridge. There are no major differences between the results achieved using the two different bathymetry databases. Fluxes of about 16 GW or 6×10⁻³ W/m² are computed in both cases, and the main contributions to the total fluxes originate in the same range of e-values and cover equally large parts of the total area.It is not clear whether the present model is valid at flat or subcritical bottom slopes. However, for the Hawaiian region, only 2% of the total energy flux as calculated in the present study originates in areas of critical and subcritical slopes.     

Long-term displacement of intertidal seagrass and mussel beds by expanding large sandy bedforms in the northern Wadden Sea

On aerial photographs, sandy tidal flats display (1) large sandy bedforms (> 10 m long, > 3 m wide), indicating effects of strong hydrodynamics on sediment relief, and (2) beds of seagrass and mussels, indicating stable sediment conditions. These physical and biogenic structures have been mapped from aerial photographs taken in a back-barrier tidal basin of the North Sea coast at low tide between 1936 and 2005. Fields of large intertidal sandy bedforms show a consistent spatial distribution in the central part of the basin, and have increased in area from 7.2 to 12.8 km², corresponding now to 10% of the tidal flats. Areal expansion may be linked to a rise in average high tide level and an increase of the expansion rate from the 1960s to the mid 1990s might be traced back to an increased frequency of storm tides during this period. It is shown that expanding fields of large sandy bedforms have replaced mussel beds in the low tidal zone and displaced seagrass beds in the mid tidal zone. Fields of intertidal large sandy bedforms are expected to expand further with an accelerating rise in sea level, and it is recommended to monitor these physical indicators of sediment instability and disturbance of biogenic benthic structures by analysing aerial photographs.     

Modeling the effect of late Quaternary interglacial sea levels on wave-cut shore platforms

A mathematical wave erosional model was used to study the effect of high sea levels during the penultimate (oxygen isotopic stage 7) and last interglacials (substage 5e), and in the late Holocene (stage 1), on the present morphology of wave-cut shore platforms. Sea level was considered to have been either the same as today or 2.25 m lower during the penultimate interglacial, and 2.25, 4.5 or 6.75 m higher than today during the last interglacial stage. The model suggested that inherited, gently sloping shore platforms in resistant rocks may be essentially protected today from erosion by high storm waves. The lowest platform gradients were in runs with mesotidal (3 m) range, and usually with low wave periods, low surf attenuation rates and weak rocks. Modern platform gradients increased with the difference in elevation between sea levels during successive interglacial stages. Shore platforms were widest in runs in which sea level was the same as today in the penultimate interglacial and 4.5 m higher than today during the last interglacial. Constant sea level, and high, last interglacial sea levels with considerable overlapping between the zones of high duration values between the mean neap high and low tidal levels in stages 7, 5e and 1, were conducive to the development of wide shore platforms, whereas sea levels lower than today's in stage 7 tended to produce narrower platforms. In general, higher sea levels during the last interglacial tended to produce higher cliff–platform junctions than constant sea level, unless the sea was lower than today during the penultimate interglacial stage. There was a lack of supratidal ledges in macrotidal (9 m) model runs with high initial gradients; this suggests that gently sloping, inherited shore platforms are essential for the subsequent development of supratidal, nonstructural ledges in high tidal environments during periods of higher sea level. Intertidal ledges developed in the upper portion of the modern intertidal zone, under a variety of tidal and sea level conditions. These ledges can develop independently of lithological or structural influences, and without any change in sea level. A single high sea level may also simultaneously produce two ledges at different supratidal elevations in mesotidal environments.     

Scale of temperature variability in the maritime Antarctic intertidal zone

The Antarctic Peninsula is currently considered as one of the fastest changing regions on Earth yet temperature variability in some of its environments and habitats is not well-documented. Given the increased glacier retreat, summer melts, sea level rise and ozone losses the intertidal zone is likely to be one of the most rapidly altering of environments but also one of the least investigated in polar waters. This study aims to quantify summer temperature variability in some habitats of the intertidal zone at King George Island. Three transects were selected across tidal flat. Four temperature loggers were deployed at each of them from extreme low water spring tide level to extreme high water spring tide level between 07.12.2010 and 18.03.2011. All the loggers were deployed at the rocky substratum. The temperature range across the study tidal flat was between − 2.26 °C and + 21.18 °C. The average (summer) temperature obtained from 12 loggers varied from + 1.89 to + 3.26 °C. In all the three transects average temperature increased with tidal height. Much higher temperature variability was recorded at higher than at lower tide locations. Differences in temperature between the three study transects existed. Results obtained from the studied tidal flat show that several factors combined altogether, including: water movement by tidal forces, wave action, air temperature, sun light intensity, shore lithology and the presence of ice and snow in the area, seem to influence its temperature.     

杭州湾的沉积结构与沉积环境分析

漏斗状的地形、强劲的潮流和长江入海泥沙的输入是制约杭州湾沉积作用的主要因素。根据沉积结构特征可将杭州湾划分为五种不同的沉积环境:东部湾底、西部湾底、庵东浅滩、近岸深槽和水下沙脊。杭州湾内潮流脊发育不好的原因在于没有足够的粗屑物质。     

钱塘江河口盐度数值模拟

强潮河口盐水入侵对饮用水源地危害极大。基于平面二维水动力盐度模型, 对典型强潮河口—钱塘江的水动力及盐水入侵过程进行了数值模拟研究。结果表明枯水径流时盐度变化与潮位过程曲线类似, 潮差对盐度大小影响显著, 径流量的增加将逐渐减小其相似程度。当流量增加到一定程度后, 继续增加的一定径流量所产生的抑咸效果减弱, 水资源有效利用率降低, 此时允许水源地盐度超标并改从蓄淡避咸水库取水可有效节约水资源。盐度平面分布显示, 盐水入侵在强潮河口弯道处受涨潮流主流线影响明显, 靠近主流线一岸的盐度大于对岸, 单从盐水入侵角度考虑, 强潮河口弯道段的取水口应设置在远离涨潮流主流线一岸。钱塘江河口盐度数值模拟对于研究减轻盐水入侵对水源地危害的措施具有指导意义。     

How does multiscale modelling and inclusion of realistic palaeobathymetry affect numerical simulation of the Storegga Slide tsunami?

The ∼8.15 ka Storegga submarine slide was a large (∼3000 km³), tsunamigenic slide off the coast of Norway. The resulting tsunami had run-up heights of around 10–20 m on the Norwegian coast, over 12 m in Shetland, 3–6 m on the Scottish mainland coast and reached as far as Greenland. Accurate numerical simulations of Storegga require high spatial resolution near the coasts, particularly near tsunami run-up observations, and also in the slide region. However, as the computational domain must span the whole of the Norwegian-Greenland sea, employing uniformly high spatial resolution is computationally prohibitive. To overcome this problem, we present a multiscale numerical model of the Storegga slide-generated tsunami where spatial resolution varies from 500 m to 50 km across the entire Norwegian-Greenland sea domain to optimally resolve the slide region, important coastlines and bathymetric changes. We compare results from our multiscale model to previous results using constant-resolution models and show that accounting for changes in bathymetry since 8.15 ka, neglected in previous numerical studies of the Storegga slide-tsunami, improves the agreement between the model and inferred run-up heights in specific locations, especially in the Shetlands, where maximum run-up height increased from 8 m (modern bathymetry) to 13 m (palaeobathymetry). By tracking the Storegga tsunami as far south as the southern North sea, we also found that wave heights were high enough to inundate Doggerland, an island in the southern North Sea prior to sea level rise over the last 8 ka.     

Internal tide generation by seamounts

The generation of internal tidal wave fields by barotropic tidal flow past a representative seamount is computed by modelling the seamount as a pillbox, and linearising the equations for internal wave dynamics. This is justifiable for mid-ocean seamounts, which constitute steep topography for internal waves of tidal frequency. For linearly polarised barotropic tidal flow, the resulting flow field consists of conical beams radiating from the region above the seamount, with largest velocities aligned with the barotropic flow. These beams vary with azimuthal angle but resemble the corresponding beams from two-dimensional steep topography, particularly in the barotropic flow direction. They are primarily forced by the barotropic flow over the seamount, which is amplified by the topography and is independent of the stratification if the radius of the seamount is sufficiently large. In a barotropic tidal flow of 1 cm/s amplitude, energy fluxes from individual seamounts are of order 10⁶ W. Summing this over all seamounts higher than 1 km gives baroclinic energy generation of order 5.10⁹ W, a number that is less than estimates of baroclinic energy flux from the continental slopes and the Hawaiian ridge, but is comparable with them.     

Short-term (≤2 yrs) estuarine mudflat and saltmarsh sedimentation: High-resolution data from ultrasonic altimetery, rod surface-elevation table, and filter traps

Rates of short-term (up to 2 years) bed elevation change and sedimentation from mudflats to salt marshes were measured in a rapidly infilling macrotidal estuary using an original combination of three high-resolution techniques: an ultrasonic altimeter, the Rod Surface-Elevation Table (RSET) method, and filter traps. The Authie estuary is located on a straight, sand-rich coast and is undergoing rapid infill under the influence of flood-dominant tides reinforced by wave action. The estuarine sediment suite consists of both mud and sand derived from the sea, of sand derived from storm wave erosion of dunes lining the north bank of the estuary, and, to a much smaller extent, of mud from the river catchment. Bed elevation change and sedimentation rates show an expected increase with the duration of tidal flooding (hydroperiod) in both space and time. The estuarine bed sediment suite changes from sandy at the mouth to muddy within the low-energy inner estuary, where mudflats are rapidly accreting, paving the way for the formation of increasingly denser and mature salt marshes from the high-sedimentation pioneer zone to the upper marsh where annual sedimentation is very low. Recorded variability in rates of bed elevation change and sedimentation reflect the influence of estuarine macro-scale and local sediment transport and depositional processes in a macrotidal context dominated by high inputs of allochthonous sediments.     

On-line determination of silver in natural waters by inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry: Influence of organic matter

We investigated interference effects on the analysis of silver in estuarine and oceanic waters using on-line high resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). A mini-column packed with a strong anion exchange resin (Dowex 1-X8) was used in a flow-injection system to separate and concentrate silver from the saline samples prior to on-line determination by ICP-MS. A series of analyses showed the concentrations of silver measured in San Francisco Bay estuary and the North Pacific that had been acidified (pH < 2) and stored for periods of 1–2 years were 10–70% lower than those measured in aliquots of those samples after ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Additional silver released after UV irradiation of the estuarine waters, but not the ocean waters, was positively correlated (r = 0.77, simple linear correlation) with chlorophyll-a concentrations, but not with dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations. Spatial distributions of chlorophyll-a and UV-released silver also exhibited similar patterns along a salinity gradient in the San Francisco Bay estuary, suggesting an in situ biogenic source of the interferent for the silver measurements.     

Morphodynamic behaviour of a mixed sand–gravel ebb-tidal delta: Deben estuary,Suffolk, UK

The morphodynamics of inlets and ebb-tidal deltas reflect the interaction between wave and tidal current-driven sediment transport and significantly influence the behaviour of adjacent shorelines. Studies of inlet morphodynamics have tended to focus on sand-dominated coastlines and reference to gravel-dominated or ‘gravel-rich’ inlets is rare. This work characterises and conceptualises the morphodynamics of a meso-tidal sand–gravel inlet at the mouth of the Deben estuary, southeast England. Behaviour of the inlet and ebb-tidal delta over the last 200 yr is analysed with respect to planform configuration and bathymetry. The estuary inlet is historically dynamic, with ebb-tidal shoals exhibiting broadly cyclic behaviour on a 10 to 30 yr timescale. Quantification of inlet parameters for the most recent cycle (1981–2003) indicate an average ebb delta volume of 1 × 10⁶ m³ and inlet cross-sectional area of 775 m². Bypassing volumes provide a direct indicator of annual longshore sediment transport rate over this most recent cycle of 30–40 × 10³ m³ yr^− 1. Short-term increases in total ebb-tidal delta volume are linked to annual variability in the north to northeasterly wind climate. The sediment bypassing mechanism operating in the Deben inlet is comparable to the ‘ebb delta breaching’ model of FitzGerald [FitzGerald, D.M., 1988. Shoreline erosional–depositional processes associated with tidal inlets, in: Aubrey, D.G., Weishar, L. (Ed.), Hydrodynamics and Sediment Dynamics of Tidal Inlets. Springer-Verlag Inc., New York, pp. 186–225.], although the scales and rates of change exhibited are notably different to sand-dominated systems. A systematic review of empirical models of sand-dominated inlet and ebb-tidal delta morphodynamics (e.g. those of [O'Brien, M.P., 1931. Estuary tidal prisms related to entrance areas. Civil Engineering, 1, 738–739.; Walton, T.L., and Adams, W.D., 1976. Capacity of inlet outer bars to store sand. Proceedings of 15th Coastal Engineering Conference, 1919–1937.; Gaudiano, D.J., Kana, T.W., 2001. Shoal bypassing in mixed energy inlets: geomorphic variables and empirical predictions for nine South Carolina inlets. J. Coast. Res., 17, (2), 280–291.]) shows the Deben system to be significantly smaller yet characterised by a longer bypassing cycle than would be expected for its tidal prism. This is attributed to its coarse-grained sedimentology and the lower efficiency of sediment transporting processes.     

Actinian dominated intertidal mudflats: A new case of an extraordinary rare phenomenon from Southern Chile

Generally, estuarine intertidal mudflats constitute important nurseries for fish and foraging grounds for coastal birds by providing a plenitude of mollusks, worms, and crustaceans as prey, which in turn mostly feed on suspended and benthic microalgae, bacteria, and detritus. Despite the high productivity of such habitats, pronounced variability in both salinity and temperature results typically in low diversity. The only sea anemone reported from estuarine mud is the edwardsiid Nematostella vectensis Stephenson, 1935. It occurs widely in the northern hemisphere, and occasionally in extremely high density. Here we document another sea anemone from estuarine mud and muddy sand found in Southern Chile which has similar ecological attributes. Taxonomic confusion has impeded the reporting on this small but prominent member in a macrozoobenthic assemblage, the brooding Anthopleura hermaphroditica (Carlgren, 1899; Anthozoa: Actiniidae). It differs from N. vectensis by the presence of symbiotic algae. Average density under poly- to euhaline conditions in mud and muddy sand at around mid tide level was about 3 actinians per cm². An average abundance of 11,000 m^? 2, a biovolume of 487 cm³ m^? 2, and a biomass of 35.5 g dry organic weight m^? 2 were found in mud and muddy sand in two surveys 20 years apart. The mean fishing area of fully expanded individuals covers 42 ± 25 mm², corresponding to a circular area with a diameter of 7.3 ± 5.7 mm. Preliminary experiments indicate that associated benthos may be relegated to life below surface by the net of tentacles above the sediment. As no predators on A. hermaphroditica could be found on the mudflat, the success of this mixotrophic sea anemone may entail a trophic dead end.     

Geomorphologic and physical characteristics of a human impacted estuary: Quequén Grande River Estuary,Argentina

Even though the Quequén Grande River Estuary has economic and strategic importance from an oceanographic point of view, it has been ignored until recently. Nevertheless, many anthropogenic modifications (i.e., dredging, jetty and harbour construction, etc.) have taken place in the last 100 years which, most of them, have resulted in significative economic expenses to the harbour and city authorities due to the lack of adequate prior studies. The purpose of this article is to provide a review of the present status of the geomorphology and main physical characteristics of the estuary and describe the effects of these man-made modifications upon the estuary. Data were gathered in several field cruises from 1994 to 2000 plus from continuous recording devices installed at or near the estuary directed to define the present geomorphologic and oceanographic conditions of the estuary and to establish a monitoring program. The ultimate goal is to provide some practical solutions in diminishing the maintenance of the harbour and to provide pollution-control devices.The estuary is classified as a microtidal, primary, coastal-plain system. It can be considered as a partly-mixed system 2 km from the mouth up to its head (15 km inland). Artificial dredging to accommodate the Quequén harbour in the last 2 km of the estuary has induced a highly stratified water column where the upper 2–3 m concentrates low salinity water and the lower layer is filled by water of the same or slightly higher salinity than the inner shelf waters. Due to the presence of a step at the head of the harbour, water circulation is very reduced and in some cases nonexistent, producing strong reductive and even anoxic conditions. The foot of the step is a sediment and organic matter trap that must be dredged periodically to insure adequate navigability.