Residence times of Manukau Harbour,New Zealand

Residence times of the three main channel systems of Manukau Harbour were calculated by methods based on the salinity measured in 10 tidal excursion segments: the freshwater replacement technique and a volume exchange model. The amount of freshwater present in the segments at high water was low (< 11% throughout the year), so salinities were high, with minimum values (winter) in each segment being in the range 30.1–34.0 (compared with a median value of 34.5 in the nearby coastal waters). The proportion of each segments’ volume which was exchanged with an adjacent segment during a tidal cycle varied markedly across the harbour, from ≤ 5 % in several shallow inner harbour segments to 65% in a deep segment adjacent to the entrance channel. For annual average conditions the freshwater replacement times of the channels were 11–18 days. Slightly longer residence times—12–26 days—were obtained from the volume exchange model. Calculated replacement times for two non‐conservative tracers— inorganic phosphorus and nitrogen—were approximately half those for freshwater, as 5–12% of these species disappeared from the water column each day.     

Nutrient, sulfur and carbon dynamics in a hypersaline lagoon

We measured benthic and water column fluxes in a hypersaline coastal system (Baffin Bay, Texas) in 1996–1997, a period of decreasing salinity (increased freshwater input) and turbidity. Salinity decreased from a mean of 60 to 32 practical salinity units (psu) and turbidity decreased from a mean of 78 to 25 NTU over the study period. Associated with hydrological changes, there were important changes in nutrient fluxes and metabolism. There was a shift of total respiration from the water column to the sediments and an increased amount of the benthic metabolism (2–67%) was attributed to sulfate reduction in this system when salinity was lowest, perhaps a consequence of increased benthic light levels and photosynthetic production of labile carbon in the sediments. The sediments were a large sink for both N and P. Sediment particulate C:N (9.8) and C:P (119) ratios were lower than those in the water column. However, ammonium:phosphate fluxes increased coincident with increased sulfate reduction rates and porewater sulfide concentrations. Efficient N-retention mediated through dissimilative nitrate reduction to ammonium, and high rates of N-fixation in shallow, hypersaline systems may facilitate transitions from N-limitation to P-limitation. During the most hypersaline period, seston exhibited some of the most extreme nutrient ratios ever reported for a marine ecosystem (C:N 10–37 and C:P 200–1200) and suggest that plankton are likely to be P-limited or are very well adapted to low P availability. When salinity and N:P and C:P ratios were highest, the plankton was dominated by a brown tide alga (Aureoumbra lagunensis), supporting evidence that this organism is adapted to low P, long residence time systems.     

Hydrology and Salt Balance in a Large, Hypersaline Coastal Lagoon: Lagoa de Araruama, Brazil

Lagoa de Araruama in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is a hypersaline coastal lagoon as a result of semi-arid climate conditions, a small drainage basin and a choked entrance channel. The lagoon has been continuously hypersaline for at least 4·5 centuries, but the mean salinity has varied substantially. It has recently decreased from 57 to 52 as indicated by density (salinity) measurements between 1965 and 1990.Analysis of more than 20 years of salinity time series data, in addition to monthly lagoon cruises to measure the spatial salinity distribution, indicate that the lagoon salinity largely fluctuates in response to the difference between evaporation and precipitation. The major factor explaining the long-term trend of decreasing salinity in the lagoon is the constant pumping of 1 m³s⁻¹of freshwater to the communities surrounding the lagoon from an adjacent watershed, and subsequent discharge of this water into Lagoa de Araruama. The net salt budget is primarily a balance between the advective import of salt from the coastal ocean and eddy diffusive export of salt to the ocean, although the extensive mining of salt from the lagoon during past decades is also a small but significant contribution to the salt budget. The flushing half-life is proposed as a useful time scale of water exchange, is calculated based on a combination of hydrological and tidal processes, and is excellent for comparison of lagoons and assessing water quality changes. The flushing half-life measures 83·5 days for Lagoa de Araruama, considerably longer than for most other coastal lagoons. The proposed dredging of a second ocean channel to Lagoa de Araruama is probably not a good idea. It is likely to accelerate the decrease of lagoon salinity and somewhat improve the lagoon water exchange. At the same time, this will eliminate the apparent buffering capacity provided by the hypersaline environment, and thus may potentially cause water quality problems.     

Nutrient budgets and trophic state in a hypersaline coastal lagoon: Lagoa de Araruama, Brazil

Lagoa de Araruama in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is a hypersaline lagoon with salinity varying spatially from 45 to 56. We collected water samples during monthly cruises throughout the lagoon, and along the streams feeding the system, from April 1991 to March 1992. Nutrients and other water quality parameters exhibited great spatial and temporal variations. Mass balance calculations indicate large amounts of anthropogenic nutrient inputs. The data indicate that the lagoon currently is oligotrophic but is in a state of transition to become a mesotrophic system. Molar dissolved inorganic nitrogen:dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIN/DIP) varied between 2.2:1 and 659:1 with a volume-weighted average of 22:1. The high DIN/DIP ratio contrasts with that found in nearby lagoons, suggesting that phytoplankton primary production is limited by phosphorus in Lagoa de Araruama. The major loss of DIP is apparently driven by biological assimilation and diagenic reactions in the sediments. Calculations indicate that the lagoon is slightly net autotrophic at +0.9 mol C m⁻² yr⁻¹. This suggests that the biomass of the primary producers is restricted by phosphorus availability. Phosphorus retention in the sediment and the hypersaline state of the lagoon prevent changes in autotrophic communities and the formation of eutrophic conditions.     

Correspondence between the distribution of hydrodynamic time parameters and the distribution of biological and chemical variables in a semi-enclosed coral reef lagoon

Hydrodynamic modeling can be used to spatially characterize water renewal rates in coastal ecosystems. Using a hydrodynamic model implemented over the semi-enclosed Southwest coral lagoon of New Caledonia, a recent study computed the flushing lag as the minimum time required for a particle coming from outside the lagoon (open ocean) to reach a specific station [Jouon, A., Douillet, P., Ouillon, S., Fraunié, P., 2006. Calculations of hydrodynamic time parameters in a semi-opened coastal zone using a 3D hydrodynamic model. Continental Shelf Research 26, 1395–1415]. Local e-flushing time was calculated as the time requested to reach a local grid mesh concentration of 1/e from the precedent step. Here we present an attempt to connect physical forcing to biogeochemical functioning of this coastal ecosystem. An array of stations, located in the lagoonal channel as well as in several bays under anthropogenic influence, was sampled during three cruises. We then tested the statistical relationships between the distribution of flushing indices and those of biological and chemical variables. Among the variables tested, silicate, chlorophyll a and bacterial biomass production present the highest correlations with flushing indices. Correlations are higher with local e-flushing times than with flushing lags or the sum of these two indices. In the bays, these variables often deviate from the relationships determined in the main lagoon channel. In the three bays receiving significant riverine inputs, silicate is well above the regression line, whereas data from the bay receiving almost insignificant freshwater inputs generally fit the lagoon channel regressions. Moreover, in the three bays receiving important urban and industrial effluents, chlorophyll a and bacterial production of biomass generally display values exceeding the lagoon channel regression trends whereas in the bay under moderate anthropogenic influence values follow the regressions obtained in the lagoon channel. The South West lagoon of New Caledonia can hence be viewed as a coastal mesotrophic ecosystem that is flushed by oligotrophic oceanic waters which subsequently replace the lagoonal waters with water considerably impoverished in resources for microbial growth. This flushing was high enough during the periods of study to influence the distribution of phytoplankton biomass, bacterial production of biomass and silicate concentrations in the lagoon channel as well as in some of the bay areas.     

Spatial changes in a macrozoobenthic community along environmental gradients in a shallow brackish lagoon facing Sendai Bay, Japan

The spatial distribution, abundance, and assemblage structure of macrozoobenthos were examined at 45 stations in a brackish lagoon (Idoura Lagoon, Japan) to examine the animal–environmental relations in estuarine soft-bottom habitats. We found a total of 23 taxa; the polychaetes Heteromastus sp., Hediste spp., and Prionospio japonica and the isopod Cyathura muromiensis numerically dominated the community. Cluster analysis and one-way analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) identified seven groups of stations that had significantly different macrozoobenthic communities; these were subsequently consolidated into five habitat groups according to their association with environmental characteristics. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that salinity, silt-clay content, and the oxidation–reduction potential (ORP) of the sediment strongly affected the macrozoobenthos distribution pattern in the lagoon, whereas other factors (e.g., relative elevation of the habitat and sediment organic content) had much weaker effects. Similarity percentages (SIMPER) procedures indicated that the polychaete Notomastus sp. and the bivalve Macoma contabulata were specific to habitats with low salinity and reduced mud, whereas the bivalve Nuttallia olivacea was specific to sandy bottoms. Heteromastus sp. and Hediste spp. achieved their highest densities in rather oxidized sediments. The acid-volatile sulfide (AVS) content in the sediment was suggested as another possible factor affecting macrozoobenthic density. Our results clearly demonstrate that macrozoobenthic assemblages in estuarine soft-bottoms have high spatial heterogeneity on a small scale (e.g., hundreds of meters) related to physical and chemical environmental changes. Our data also suggested the importance of sediment redox condition (e.g., ORP and AVS content) and sediment grain size as structuring factors in estuarine soft-bottom communities as well as the salinity in the habitat.     

Effects of tidal flushing on phytoplankton in a eutrophic tropical lagoon in Taiwan

The effects of tidal flushing on the abundance, productivity, and community structure of phytoplankton in response to eutrophication were examined every 2–3 months for more than 2 years in Tapong Bay, a tropical lagoon with only 1 tidal inlet connecting it to the sea in southern Taiwan. Water flushing time ranged from 4–12 d (8–25% d⁻¹) in the outer region subject to fast flushing to 8–24 d (4–12% d⁻¹) in the inner region subject to poor flushing. Chlorophyll a, cell number, and gross production (GP) rate of phytoplankton were significantly greater in the inner region than in the outer region. However, while GP rate was normalized by chlorophyll a (P^B) and was expressed as photosynthetic intensity, no significant differences were detected among the study sites. These parameters exhibited a unimodal seasonal pattern across all study sites, with greater values in summer and lower values in winter. No significant differences in species richness or Shannon–Wiener diversity were detected among the study sites. Nevertheless, diversity indices were significantly higher in winter and lower in summer. Classification of phytoplankton communities showed that the grouping patterns were primarily determined by sampling time. Ordination by non-metric multidimensional scaling (MDS) revealed a clear temporal continuum of changes in species composition across all study sites, suggesting that the communities were primarily structured by time, but that it was little affected by study site. Analyses of similarities (ANOSIM) showed that phytoplankton communities sampled in winter could be separated from those in summer, but others were barely separable at all. In summer, the most frequently observed species were the diatom Skeletonema costatum and the cyanobacterium Oscillatoria sp., and these shifted to the diatoms S. costatum and Cylindrotheca closterium in winter. Our results suggest that tidal flushing is an important factor for regulating responses of phytoplankton abundance and productivity to eutrophication in tropical lagoons, but the community structure was little affected due to horizontal mixing by the tidal circulation.     

Long-term fish and macro-crustacean community variation in a Mediterranean lagoon

The fish and macro-crustacean community of the Vaccarès lagoon (Rhône River delta, South France) was sampled monthly from 1993 to 2002. The lagoon salinity shifted from 15 in 1993 to 5 in 1994–1997 and went back to 15 in 1999–2002. Connections with the sea also varied during the study period with larger openings in 1996–1997. During the study period, the community changed to revert in 2002 to a state similar to 1993. These changes consisted of a sequence of increased and decreased patterns of freshwater species and some marine species. Typical lagoon species tended to resist to salinity changes. Freshwater species colonised the lagoon when the salinity was low. Marine species may have varied both in relation to connections with the sea and to indirect effects of freshwater outflow. This study shows that community changes following environmental variations can be delayed in time, and emphasises the need for long-term studies.     

Temporal and spatial changes of macroalgae and phytoplankton in a Mediterranean coastal area: the Venice lagoon as a case study

Since the late 1980s the lagoon of Venice, a shallow Mediterranean coastal area, has experienced strong environmental changes. Macroalgae, which were the predominant primary producers of the lagoon, reduced markedly, but neither phytoplankton nor seagrasses replaced them. Temporal and spatial changes in macroalgal standing crop (SC) and phytoplankton concentration were investigated between 1987 and 1998. Maps of macroalgal SC show a marked declining trend. Biomass in fresh weight decreased from: 558 ktonnes in 1987, to 85 ktonnes in 1993 and to 8.7 ktonnes in 1998. As a whole, the biomass in 1998 was only 1.6% of the biomass recorded in 1987. Similarly the macroalgal net (NPP) and gross (GPP) primary production decreased from ca. 1502 and 9721 ktonnes year(-1) to ca. 44 and 229 ktonnes year(-1), respectively. In the early 1990s the clam Tapes philippinarum Adams & Reeve and seagrasses, especially Zostera marina Linnaeus, colonised the bottoms free of macroalgae, but the development of intense clam-fishing activities prevented both phytoplankton blooms and seagrass spreading. Maps of chlorophyll a drawn according to data collected in parallel to macroalgal standing crop show unchanged concentrations. Macroalgae changes are enhanced by comparing annual trends in four areas of the central lagoon during 1989-1992 and 1998-1999. In those areas phytoplankton also decreased significantly. Marked changes of some environmental variables strongly associated with the primary production were recorded both during the lagoon mapping and in the areas studied on a yearly basis.     

温盐度对厦门港春季主要桡足类呼吸率影响的实验

作者对2000年4～6月的厦门港春季主要桡足类中华哲水蚤(Calanussinicus)、太平洋纺锤水蚤(Acartiapacifica)和真刺唇角水蚤(Labidoceraeuchaeta)的呼吸率(以Vo     

Exergy,ecosystem functioning and efficiency in a coastal lagoon: The role of auxiliary energy

Exergy, as the sum of energy and information contained in a given system due to living organisms, can act as a quality indicator of ecosystems. Here, we investigated the exergy of Marsala Lagoon (Mediterranean Sea), along with microbial (prokaryotic and heterotrophic nanobenthos) biomass, prokaryotic heterotrophic production and extracellular enzymatic activities, and the biochemical composition of sediment organic matter. The aim of the study was to assess the role of auxiliary energy (e.g. hydrodynamic stress) in the ecosystem functioning and efficiency of a ‘detritus sink’ lagoon. Samples were collected at sites characterized by contrasting hydrodynamic and trophic conditions. Exergy transfer through the benthic microbial loop was influenced by two main factors: (1) organic matter bioavailability; and (2) hydrodynamic forcing. At both sites, the values of total exergy were higher in summer than in winter, and the specific exergy decreased from winter to autumn, along with increasing auxiliary energy. Our data indicate that in coastal ‘detritus sink’ systems, auxiliary energy sources can have a crucial role in exergy transfer and ecosystem functioning through modifying the efficiency of transfer to higher trophic levels of the refractory organic detritus, which is otherwise lost by burial in the sediment. As coastal lagoons are often intensively modified by human activities, we conclude that maintenance of the natural hydrodynamic regimes is a key factor in the preservation of the functioning of lagoon ecosystems and of their provision of goods and services to humans.     

Hydrodynamic modeling of flushing time in a small estuary of North Bay, Florida, USA

Freshwater fraction method is popular for cost-effective estimations of estuarine flushing time in response to freshwater inputs. However, due to the spatial variations of salinity, it is usually expensive to directly estimate the long-term freshwater fraction in the estuary from field observations. This paper presents the application of the 3D hydrodynamic model to estimate the distributions of salinity and thus the freshwater fractions for flushing time estimation. For a case study in a small estuary of the North Bay in Florida, USA, the hydrodynamic model was calibrated and verified using available field observations. Freshwater fractions in the estuary were determined by integrating freshwater fractions in model grids for the calculation of flushing time. The flushing time in the North Bay is calculated by the volume of freshwater fraction divided by the freshwater inflow, which is about 2.2 days under averaged flow conditions. Based on model simulations for a time series of freshwater inputs over a 2-year period, a power regression equation has been derived from model simulations to correlate estuarine flushing time to freshwater inputs. For freshwater input varying from 12 m³/s to 50 m³/s, flushing time in this small estuary of North Bay changes from 3.7 days to 1.8 days. In supporting estuarine management, the model can be used to examine the effects of upstream freshwater withdraw on estuarine salinity and flushing time.     

Residence time in a semi-enclosed domain from the solution of an adjoint problem

The residence time measures the time spent by a water parcel or a pollutant in a given water body and is therefore a widely used concept in environmental studies. While many previous studies rely on severe hypotheses (assuming stationarity of the flow and/or neglecting diffusion) to evaluate the residence time, the paper introduces a general method for computing the residence time and/or the mean residence time without such simplifying hypotheses. The method is based on the resolution of an adjoint advection–diffusion problem and is therefore primarily meant to be used with numerical models.The method and its implications are first introduced using a simplified one-dimensional analytical model. The approach is then applied to the diagnostic of the three-dimensional circulation on the Northwest European Continental Shelf.     

The effect of submarine groundwater discharge on nutrient and salinity regimes in a coastal lagoon off Perth, Western Australia

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) into a coastal lagoon off Perth, Western Australia, contains nitrate and silicate in concentrations two orders of magnitude higher than those of the receiving waters. This discharge delivers enough nitrate to replace that dissolved in the lagoon water mass about every eight days and enough silicate to replace the lagoon silicate in about 48 days. The delivery rate of nitrate nitrogen by SGD is equal to about 48% of that required for observed growth rates of lagoon macrophytes. Surface salinity is lower close to the shore as a result of SGD. During calm conditions a salinity front was observed in the lagoon, with a nearshore pool of nutrient-enriched water floating above the more saline ocean water.     

Simultaneous solution for water,heat and salt balances in a Mediterranean coastal lagoon (Mar Menor,Spain)

A modelling approach is proposed to evaluate the environmental dynamics of coastal lagoons. The water, heat and salt balances are addressed simultaneously, providing a better estimation of evaporation and water exchanges. Compared to traditional approaches, the model presented accounts for the effects of water salinity, heat storage and net energy advected in the water body. The model was applied daily to the Mar Menor coastal lagoon (SE Spain) from 2003 through 2006. Water exchanges with the Mediterranean Sea were estimated based on the monthly trend of the lagoon salinity and were correlated with monthly averages of wind speed. The mean daily water exchange with the sea was 1.77 hm³ d⁻¹. This exchange accounted for only 1% of the heat losses in the lagoon heat balance, and it is the most important flow in the water balance. The mean annual evaporation flux amounted to 101.3 W m⁻² (3.55 mm d⁻¹), while the sensible heat flux amounted to 19.7 W m⁻², leading to an annual Bowen ratio on the order of 0.19. To validate the model, daily water temperatures were predicted based on the daily heat balance of the water body and were compared with remote sensing data from water surface standard products.     

Geochemical and hydrodynamic constraints on the distribution of trace metal concentrations in the lagoon of Nouméa, New Caledonia

Seawater samples were collected in the lagoon of Nouméa (southwest New Caledonia) along two transects from eutrophic coastal bays to the oligotrophic barrier reef. Land-based emissions to the lagoon were measured with dissolved and particulate concentrations of chromium (Cr) and nickel (Ni), used as tracers of both terrigenous and industrial (Ni ore treatment) activities, as well as dissolved and particulate concentrations of zinc (Zn), used as a tracer of urban effluents. The spatial variability of metal concentrations was related to geochemical and hydrodynamic conditions, i.e., respectively: (1) natural and anthropogenic emission sources, and chemical processes occurring in the water column; and (2) water residence times. The parameter used to describe the residence time of water masses was the local e-flushing time, i.e. the time required for a tracer mass contained within a given station to be reduced by a factor 1/e. High metal concentrations were found in coastal areas (up to 9000 ng dissolved Ni L⁻¹), and steeply decreased with distance from the coast (down to 101 ng dissolved Ni L⁻¹ near the barrier reef) to reach levels similar to those found in remote Pacific waters, suggesting a rapid renewal of waters close to the barrier. Distributions of metals in the lagoon are controlled upstream by land-based emission sources and later chemical processes. Then hydrodynamics constrain metal distributions, as shown by the observed relationship between local e-flushing times and the spatial variability of metal concentrations. In addition, a change in the direction of prevailing winds yielded a decrease of dissolved metal concentrations at the same site by a factor of 2.5 (Cr and Ni) and 2.9 (Zn). It is suggested that the residence time is a key parameter in the control of elemental concentrations in the lagoon waters, as much as land-based emission sources.     

Seagrass meadows at the extreme of environmental tolerance: the case of Posidonia oceanica in a semi-enclosed coastal lagoon

Atoll‐like structures of the endemic Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica were encountered in the innermost area of the Stagnone di Marsala, a semi‐enclosed coastal lagoon along the western coasts of Sicily. The area is characterized by limited water exchange with the open sea and by a marked seasonal variation of water salinity and temperature, reaching beyond the theoretical tolerance limits of the species. In the present study we determined the genetic composition of the atoll‐like structures, as well as the growth performance and flowering rate of these stands. We also assessed whether and to what extent the atoll‐like structures are genetically isolated from plants growing in meadows outside the lagoon. For this purpose we utilized 13 microsatellite markers to genotype single shoots sampled inside and outside the lagoon. Lepidochronological analyses were performed on the same shoots to determine the annual rhizome growth rate, the number of leaves and the inflorescences formed as an estimate of growth‐ and reproductive performance over the years. The innermost area of the lagoon showed a lower number of alleles, a lower percentage of polymorphic loci, a lower clonal diversity, but higher heterozygosis excess with respect to the other areas analysed. Spatial autocorrelation was here significant, up to slightly below 300 m. Shoots collected in the atolls exhibited a 25% lower vertical growth rate and 16% lower leaf formation in comparison to those in open‐sea meadows. No flowering events were recorded during 24 years of investigation, whereas inflorescences were observed frequently in meadows outside the lagoon. Results from F_st and factorial correspondence analysis confirmed the expected genetic isolation of the confined atolls with respect to the meadows outside the lagoon and revealed limited gene flow within the lagoon itself. Apparently, the enclosed system of the Stagnone lagoon is genetically isolated, with a possible selection of genotypes adapted to persistent stressful conditions, consistent with reduced growth and lack of flowering events.     

Sea-bed Mixing and Particle Residence Times in Biologically and Physically Dominated Estuarine Systems: a Comparison of Lower Chesapeake Bay and the York River Subestuary

Biologically dominated lower Chesapeake Bay and the physically dominated York River subestuary are contrasted in terms of the dynamics of sediment mixing, strata formation and sea-bed particle residence times. Two lower bay sites were examined; both are located within the bay stem plains and are characterized by muddy sand and an abundance of large, deep-dwelling organisms. X-radiographs indicate extensive biological reworking of sediments, with no long-term preservation of physical stratification.²¹⁰Pb profiles reveal low sediment accumulation rates at both lower bay sites (<0·1 cm year⁻¹), but significant differences in biological mixing depths (25vs40 cm) and biodiffusivity (>80vs6–30 cm²year⁻¹). In contrast, the York River site, located within a partially-filled palaeochannel, is predominantly mud with a depauperate benthic community dominated by small, short-lived, shallow-dwelling organisms. Although²¹⁰Pb accumulation rates at the York River site (<0·2 cm year⁻¹) are similar to those measured in the lower bay, there is little bioturbation. In addition, transient bed forms at the York River site form laterally persistent, linear ridges and furrows sub-parallel to the channel, spaced 10–20 m apart. These observations, coupled with evidence of episodic erosion and deposition from radioisotope and porosity profiles, and X-radiographs, suggest that the upper 60–120 cm of the sea-bed are dominated by physical mixing. Deep mixing and low accumulation rates result in long residence times of particles in the mixed upper portion of the sea-bed (10²year) at both locations, despite different mixing controls [i.e. biological (diffusive)vsphysical (advective)].