Diatom succession and silicon removal from freshwater in estuarine mixing zones: From experiment to modelling

Estuaries act as filters for land derived material reducing the river input to the coastal zone. Silicon (Si) removal from freshwater which is tightly linked to the growth of diatoms was studied in the estuarine mixing zone where the mixing of freshwater and seawater results in a salinity gradient. Three planktonic diatom species with different origin and salinity tolerance were grown in an artificial salinity gradient. Salinity stress and nutrient depletion led to a specific succession of the three diatoms along the salinity gradient. When available light was increased, diatoms reached higher biomass and the Si removal from water column was more efficient along the mixing. From this experiment, a conceptual model of Si transformations and removal from freshwater was build and applied to an idealized stratified estuary. Sensitivity analysis with varying initial conditions and parameter values pointed transit time of freshwater in the estuary, freshwater and seawater mixing rate and river turbidity as important interactive factors influencing Si removal from freshwater. Other factors like the total amount and the salinity tolerance of diatoms in the upstream river were shown to significantly affect riverine Si removal from the surface layer of an estuary. Finally it appears that Si removal from freshwater in estuarine mixing zones proceeds in two ways: a first rapid death and sedimentation of planktonic stenohaline diatoms imported from the river and second, the growth and subsequent settling of planktonic euryhaline diatoms of either freshwater or marine origin.     

Cultural eutrophication in the Changjiang (Yangtze River) plume: History and perspective

The Changjiang (Yangtze River) is known to contribute significantly to the eutrophication that has caused drastic changes to the ecosystem of the East China Sea. However, evidence for historical changes in nutrient concentrations and composition and the consequent effects on the ecosystem in the coastal water is sparse. In this paper we present some long-term data for nutrient concentrations and Si:N:P ratios in the freshwater and the river plume and the long-term response of the ecosystem structure in the river plume. These data reveal increases in the dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphate concentrations in the Changjiang freshwater by a factor of five from the1960s to the end of the 1990s and a reduction in dissolved silicate by two thirds over the same period. Concomitantly, an increase in DIN concentration and a reduction in silicate concentration both by a factor of two were observed in the surface water of the Changjiang plume. As an ecological consequence to such nutrient changes, the chlorophyll a concentration increased by a factor of four since the 1980s and harmful algal blooms increased rapidly since 1985 in the Changjiang estuary and adjacent sea areas. The macrozoobenthic biomass decreased sharply from the mid 1980s to the present, suggesting that the Changjiang estuary has been in a high eutrophication state since that time. We predict that, due to the continuously increasing nutrient pressure, the symptoms of eutrophication associated with nutrients will worsen in the Changjiang plume in the near future.     

Potential impacts of Three Gorges Dam in China on the ecosystem of East China Sea

The Changjiang River in China was dammed in 2003. The possible changes in matters fluxes from the river downstream after the completion of Three Gorges Dam and their potential impacts on the ecosystem of the East China Sea are discussed . The estuarine and coastal waters in the East China Sea were heavily fertilized by the inflow of nutrient-rich freshwater from the Changjiang River, which has led to severe eutrophication and frequent harmful algal blooms ,thus worsening the ecosystem health in this area. Analy- sis showed that the nutrient loadings are very likely to be reduced in the lower Changjiang River due to the construction of Three Gorges Dam. Especially for the total phosphorus, the discharges to the East China Sea will be reduced by one-third, which would relieve the severe eutrophication in this area. However, the expected decrease in the riverine silicate discharge would lead the ratio of silicon to nitrogen to be much less than 1 in the estuarine and coastal waters and thus may cause an elevation of flagellate growth. The changes in the annual water discharges and their seasonal distributions below the dam will be minor. Reduction of suspended particulate matter loading, due to the sedimentation behind the dam, will reduce the nutrient loadings of the particulate form especially for phosphorus, and decrease the turbidity of estuarine and coastal waters. On the other hand, this may enhance the erosion of the delta and the coasts as well as modifythe benthic ecosystem.     

Nutrient loading and macrophyte growth in Wilson Inlet,a bar-built southwestern Australian estuary

Wilson Inlet is a ‘bar-built’ estuary, open to the ocean only when a sandbar has been breached after river flow. estimates are presented of phosphorus and nitrogen loadings from rivers, losses to the ocean, and amounts present in estuarine components during a particular year. Following bar opening, a volume of water equivalent to 35% of estuarine volume at the time was lost, providing a major loss of dissolved nutrients from the estuary. While the bar was open (51 days) water was displaced through river flow, but there was little tidal exchange. There was net retention of phosphorus (about 60% of river input) and some loss of nitrogen (less than 15%).Much of the nutrient held in the estuary was in surface sediments, but concentrations have shown little change with time and are similar to other southwestern estuaries. In contrast there have been massive increases in the biomass of Ruppia megacarpa Mason in recent years; this constitutes more than 90% of plant biomass. The nutrient bank in this plant is large compared to the water column, and amounts recycled through plant material greatly exceeded riverine loading in the year of the study. Tissue N concentrations were relatively high and constant, tissue P relatively low and seasonally variable, suggesting P limitation of plant biomass.Estimates of nutrient loading from streams showed relatively higher nutrient inputs from catchments cleared for agriculture. These are in higher rainfall areas, have high drainage densities, large proportions of sandy soils and are subjected to phosphatic fertilizer application.     

Silica,diatoms and a freshwater productivity maximum in Atlantic Coastal Plain estuaries,Chesapeake Bay

Monthly data collected in 1981 from the James, York and Rappahannock rivers show that dissolved silica (= silicic acid) exhibits two distinct types of longitudinal distributions in these estuaries during the year. Conservative behavior was observed during winter or when river discharge was high. The second distribution occurs when uptake by planktonic diatoms reduces concentrations below the levels attributable to dilution by seawater. In all three systems, the non-conservative behavior is characterized by rapid uptake of silicic acid in the tidal freshwater portion, just upstream of the limit of salt intrusion, and corresponds to a chlorophyll maximum shown to contain bloom densities of diatoms. Silicic acid is exhausted below detectable concentrations in the vicinity of the diatom maximum, representing more than 98% removal of the riverine source. Non-conservative distributions of total silica (= silicic acid + biogenic silica) in this same region indicate deposition of biogenic silica to the sediments.At the same time the riverine source is depleted by the diatoms in the freshwater reaches, silicic acid is resupplied to the water column in the oligohaline portion of the estuaries. This resupply is shown to be significant, nearly equal to the amount of silicic acid entering the estuary in river input, suggesting complete mineralization of biogenic silica produced in the freshwater zone.The spatial distributions described above were observed regularly in all three systems, indicating that enhanced phytoplankton production and nutrient regeneration in the vicinity of the transition zone is a natural feature of these partially-mixed estuarine rivers. Possible mechanisms contributing to the accumulation of phytoplankton biomass and the enhanced cycling of silicon are discussed.     

Peculiar features of the thermohaline and hydrochemical water structure in the southeastern Laptev Sea

The thermohaline and hydrochemical characteristics of the Lena River’s estuarine zone were investigated in the Buor-Khaya Bay and the southeastern Laptev Sea in September of 2005. A tongue of river water with high nutrient content and increased turbidity was identified in the bay. It is shown that the two-layer structure in the bay is disturbed by warm freshwater lenses. The strong vertical stratification in the shelf zone results in sharply contrasting characteristics of the surface and bottom waters. It is established that the concentrations of biogenic elements regularly change depending on the thermohaline characteristics of the waters and their stratification degree. Stagnant bottom waters with low dissolved oxygen contents and high concentrations of phosphates, nitrates, and ammonium are recorded in the eastern part of the bay. The bottom waters have different hydrochemical characteristics due to their different origin.     

Sea ice,hydrological, and biological processes in the Churchill River estuary region,Hudson Bay

A conceptual scheme for the transition from winter to spring is developed for a small Arctic estuary (Churchill River, Hudson Bay) using hydrological, meteorological and oceanographic data together with models of the landfast ice. Observations within the Churchill River estuary and away from the direct influence of the river plume (Button Bay), between March and May 2005, show that both sea ice (production and melt) and river water influence the region's freshwater budget. In Button Bay, ice production in the flaw lead or polynya of NW Hudson Bay result in salinization through winter until the end of March, followed by a gradual freshening of the water column through April–May. In the Churchill Estuary, conditions varied abruptly throughout winter–spring depending on the physical interaction among river discharge, the seasonal landfast ice, and the rubble zone along the seaward margin of the landfast ice. Until late May, the rubble zone partially impounded river discharge, influencing the surface salinity, stratification, flushing time, and distribution and abundance of nutrients in the estuary. The river discharge, in turn, advanced and enhanced sea ice ablation in the estuary by delivering sensible heat. Weak stratification, the supply of riverine nitrogen and silicate, and a relatively long flushing time (∼ 6 days) in the period preceding melt may have briefly favoured phytoplankton production in the estuary when conditions were still poor in the surrounding coastal environment. However, in late May, the peak flow and breakdown of the ice-rubble zone around the estuary brought abrupt changes, including increased stratification and turbidity, reduced marine and freshwater nutrient supply, a shorter flushing time, and the release of the freshwater pool into the interior ocean. These conditions suppressed phytoplankton productivity while enhancing the inventory of particulate organic matter delivered by the river. The physical and biological changes observed in this study highlight the variability and instability of small frozen estuaries during winter–spring transition, which implies sensitivity to climate change.     

The artisanal fishery of Cynoscion guatucupa in Argentina: Exploring the possible causes of the collapse in Bahía Blanca estuary

Cynoscion guatucupa Cuvier 1829 is a migratory pelagic fish species, which has a wide geographical distribution. It is the most important fishing resource for local communities in Bahía Blanca estuary and has been captured by artisanal fishermen since the 1900s. The industrial fleet has been fishing this species in the coastal area of Buenos Aires province since the 1950s, and, since 1970, landings have increased sharply. Between 2000 and 2004, the artisanal fishery in the estuarine waters of Bahía Blanca collapsed. Variations in total landings of the artisanal fleet might have arisen from the environmental variables within the estuary, fishing activity in the surrounding sea region, local pressure within the estuary and/or several other variables. Our results suggest that neither oceanographic parameters nor local pressure seem to have influenced the artisanal fishery of C. guatucupa in the estuarine region. Instead, this fishery seems to have been partially influenced by the increasing fishing pressure exerted by the industrial fishing fleet operating in open waters around the estuary. This study emphasizes the need to take into account fisheries data from both the estuarine environment and the surrounding sea region, particularly when designing management plans for the sustainable use of migrating fish resources.     

Modeling residual circulation and stratification in Oujiang River estuary

A 3D,time-dependent,baroclinic,hydrodynamic and salinity model was implemented and applied to the Oujiang River estuarine system in the East China Sea.The model was driven by the forcing of tidal elevations along the open boundaries and freshwater inflows from the Oujiang River.The bottom friction coefficient and vertical eddy viscosity were adjusted to complete model calibration and verification in simulations.It is demonstrated that the model is capable of reproducing observed temporal variability in the water surface elevation and longitudinal velocity,presenting skill coefficient higher than 0.82.This model was then used to investigate the influence of freshwater discharge on residual current and salinity intrusion under different freshwater inflow conditions in the Oujiang River estuary.The model results reveal that the river channel presents a two-layer structure with flood currents near the bottom and ebb currents at the top layer in the region of seawater influenced on north shore under high river flow condition.The river discharge is a major factor affecting the salinity stratification in the estuarine system.The water exchange is mainly driven by the tidal forcing at the estuary mouth,except under high river flow conditions when the freshwater extends its influence from the river’s head to its mouth.     

The influence of catchment management on salinity,nutrient stochiometry and phytoplankton biomass of Eastern Cape estuaries,South Africa

Three estuaries with differing catchment use and freshwater input were investigated in terms of their nutrient status, phytoplankton biomass, freshwater inflow and salinity between 1993 and 1995. The nutrients analysed include phosphate, nitrate, nitrite, ammonia and total particulate nitrogen. All the parameters were investigated for their relationship with land-use and freshwater abstraction. The Kromme River catchment area is relatively pristine, the river is impounded for ca. 133% of its mean annual runoff, and consequently, freshwater input into the estuary is only episodic. Nutrient and chlorophyll-a concentrations are low, but become elevated when freshwater does reach the estuary. The Geelhoutboom tributary contributes nutrients to the Kromme estuary during high freshwater inflow conditions, but is not a viable nutrient contributor during low flow conditions. Freshwater abstraction from the Swartkops River catchment is limited, and it is characterised by urbanisation and industrial development. The Swartkops River was the main source of phosphate in the estuary, whereas other small tributaries along the estuary were additional point sources for nitrate, ammonia and nitrite. The third system, the Sundays estuary, has no tributaries or other point sources except the Sundays River, where the catchment is extensively used for agriculture and freshwater input relatively high. The phytoplankton biomass (in terms of chlorophyll-a) was highest in the Sundays estuary, although phosphate concentrations were as low as in the Kromme estuary. Trends over time indicated a decrease in phosphate concentrations and showed variations for inorganic dissolved nitrogen concentrations since the previous 15 years in all the three estuaries. Nutrient stochiometry had changed in favour of inorganic dissolved nitrogen.     

Nutrient concentrations and fluxes in the Changjiang Estuary during summer

In June 2003 and 2006 concentrations of nutrient were determined in the Changjiang Estuary. The data indicated that phosphate and nitrate did not behave conservatively in the estuary, but silicate behaved conservatively. An important mobilization of phosphate and nitrate was observed from the river up to halfway in the estuary. Both input flux (from river to estuary) and output flux (from estuary to coastal zone) of phosphate, silicate and nitrate were calculated from statistical interpretations of the salinity profiles. There was a large discrepancy between input and output fluxes of phosphate and nitrate. The river fluxes of silicate, phosphate and nitrate (f_r) are augmented 5.3%, 28.9% and 36.6% in June 2003 and 1.0%, 62.5%, 31.7% in June 2006 by internal inputs (f_i). The phosphate and nitrate fluxes are enhanced through the estuarine process, while silicate flux is unaltered. The authors present some long-term data for nutrient concentrations and the ratios of silicon to nitrogen to phosphorus in the Changjiang Estuary. Silicate level falled in the last two decades, while concentration of nitrate increased. Phosphate concentration had no significant change.     

The hydrodynamic response of the York River estuary to Tropical Cyclone Isabel, 2003

Hurricane Isabel made landfall along the North Carolina coast on September 18, 2003 (UTC 17:00) and the storm surge exceeded 2.0 m in many areas of the Chesapeake Bay and in the York River estuary. River flooding occurred subsequently, and the peak river discharge reached 317 and 104 m³ s⁻¹ in the Pamunkey and Mattaponi rivers, respectively. The York River estuary experienced both storm surge and river flooding during the event and the estuary dynamics changed dramatically. This study investigates the hydrodynamics of the York River estuary in response to the storm surge and high river inflows. A three-dimensional model was used to investigate the changes of estuarine stratification, longitudinal circulation, salt flux mechanisms, and the recovery time required for the estuary to return to its naturally evolved condition without the storm. Results show that the salt flux was mainly caused by advection, which was induced by the barotropic gradient during the storm event. The net salt flux increased by a factor of 30 during the rise of the storm surge. However, the large amount of salt transported into the estuary was quickly transported out of the estuary as the barotropic gradient reversed during the descent of the storm surge. Subsequent high freshwater inflow influenced the estuarine circulation substantially. The estuary changed from a partially mixed estuary to a very stratified estuary for a prolonged period. The model results show that it will take about 4 months for the estuary to recover to its naturally evolved salinity distribution after the impacts of the storm surge and freshwater pulse.     

Nutrient composition and distributions in coastal waters impacted by the Changjiang plume

Four cruises were conducted during 2002--2003 in the Changjiang Estuary and adjacent coastal areas. The data presented show a clear coast to open sea gradient in nutrients related to the river inputs. Maximum values of chlorophyll a were typically observed at intermediate salinities at surface water and coincided with non-conservative decreases in nutrients along the salinity gradient, indicating that removal of nutrients was related to phytoplankton uptake. The seasonal variations of nutrient concentrations were just opposite to those of chlorophyll a, indicating that the seasonal variations of nutrients were mainly controlled by phytoplankton uptake, whereas riverine inputs merely weakened or balanced its extent. During the estuarine mixing, phosphate demonstrated some remobilization during all the four cruises; whereas both conservative and non-conservative behaviors for dissolved inorganic nitrogen and silicate were observed in the study area, indicating that both biotic and abiotic events may affect their behaviors during the estuarine mixing. Under the influence of freshwater inputs with high value of ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus, the estuarine and coastal waters impacted by the Changjiang plume were high （ 〉 30） in ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus, but rates of primary production were apparently not constrained by any kind of nutrient elements. However, the low （ 〈 1 ） ratio of silicate to nitrogen in most of the study area might be linked with the rapidly increasing frequency of harmful algal bloom （HAB） incidents in recent years in the coastal waters impacted by the Changjiang plume.     

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.     

Three dimensional water quality modeling of a shallow subtropical estuary

Knowledge of estuarine hydrodynamics and water quality comes mostly from studies of large estuarine systems. The processes affecting algae, nutrients, and dissolved oxygen (DO) in small and shallow subtropical estuaries are relatively less studied. This paper documents the development, calibration, and verification of a three dimensional (3D) water quality model for the St. Lucie Estuary (SLE), a small and shallow estuary located on the east coast of south Florida. The water quality model is calibrated and verified using two years of measured data. Statistical analyses indicate that the model is capable of reproducing key water quality characteristics of the estuary within an acceptable range of accuracy. The calibrated model is further applied to study hydrodynamic and eutrophication processes in the estuary. Modeling results reveal that high algae concentrations in the estuary are likely caused by excessive nutrient and algae supplies in freshwater inflows. While algal blooms may lead to reduced DO concentrations near the bottom of the waterbody, this study indicates that stratification and circulation induced by freshwater inflows may also contribute significantly to bottom water hypoxia in the estuary. It is also found that high freshwater inflows from one of the tributaries can change the circulation pattern and nutrient loading, thereby impacting water quality conditions of the entire estuary. Restoration plans for the SLE ecosystem need to consider both a reduction of nutrient loading and regulation of the freshwater discharge pattern.     

Impact of estuary barrage construction on fish assemblages in the lower part of a river and the role of fishways as a passage

The construction of an estuary barrage, an instream structure in the lower reaches of a river, causes significant physical changes in water flow patterns and river morphology, and results in altered environmental conditions. Here, we examined the impact of the Geum River estuary barrage, completed in 1990, on fish assemblages by using a literature search and fresh surveys of fishways in the barrage. We found that fish assemblages upstream and downstream of the barrage were altered following its completion. After construction, more species were found in the freshwater area, with a particularly great increase in freshwater species. Conversely, estuarine and marine species were only consistently caught in the downstream salt-water area, although the number of species increased. In total, 15,829 fish from 47 species and 20 families were identified at the three types (pool and weir, rubble type, and boat passage) of fishways in the barrage. The dominant species were Chelon haematocheilus, an estuarine species, Coilia nasus, a diadromous species, and Erythroculter erythropterus, a freshwater species. The mean total length of fish (101.9 ± 76.0 mm) in the boat passage fishway was approximately 100 mm lesser than those in the pool and weir (207.2 ± 112.8 mm) and rubble type (205.8 ± 112.7 mm) fishways. The boat passage fishway was the most efficient for fish movements. The current fishway system is not sufficient for fish migration, and thus additional ways are required to improve the system such as the boat passage. Few estuarine or diadromous species were found in both freshwater and salt-water areas, but freshwater fishes that accidently moved to salt-water area actively used fishways. Therefore, fishway management in the Geum River estuary barrage has to focus on freshwater fish; however, this may need to change to a focus on migratory fishes depending on ecological life cycles of migratory fish.     

The geochemistry of trace metals in the Brazos River estuary

A seasonal study of trace metal behavior and transport in the Brazos River estuary was conducted in the winter, spring and fall of 1981. Surface water was analyzed for total dissolved Pb, Cu, Mn and Fe, and particulate Cd, Pb, Cu, Mn and Fe. Ancillary data included river discharge, total suspended matter, pH, major ions, nutrients, dissolved and particulate organic carbon and humic acid.The major ions were generally conservative across the river water-seawater mixing zone; however, a significant input of alkalinity and Ca was measured in the spring, attributable to cation exchange on clays and sediment diagenetic processes. Distinct concentration maxima were found in the 3–10‰ chlorinity range for dissolved Pb (0·06–0·9 nm), Cu (6–42 nm), Mn (2–290 nm) and Fe (5–80 nm). Particulate metal concentrations showed significant seasonal and spatial variations: Cd, 0·09–0·57 ppm; Pb, 15–43 ppm; Cu, 12–32 ppm; Mn, 250–1990 ppm and Fe 0·5–5·4%. Reducing conditions leading to diagenetic remobilization in estuarine sediments are proposed to be an important source of dissolved metals for estuarine water. Calculations of dissolved riverine metal transport to the ocean that include estuarine metal input are as much as 40 times greater than when estuarine processes are ignored.     

Hydrodynamic control of phytoplankton in low salinity waters of the James River estuary,Virginia, U.S.A.

Autotrophic biomass and productivity as well as nutrient distributions and phytoplankton cell populations in the James River estuary, Virginia, were quantified both spatially and temporally over a 17-month period. Emphasis was placed on the very low salinity region of the estuary in order to gain information on the fate of freshwater phytoplankters. Differing amounts of freshwater plant biomass are advected into the estuary as living material, DOC or POC and the demonstrated variability of this input must play an important role in marine biogeochemical cycling.Late summer and fall maxima in both chlorophyll a and the photosynthetic production of particulate organic carbon in very low salinity regions were inversely correlated with river discharge.During periods of low river discharge greater than 50% of the chlorophyll a biomass measured at 0‰ disappeared within a narrow range of salinity (0–2‰). Cell enumeration data suggest that species introduced from the freshwater end-member tend to comprise the bulk of the biomass removed. Confounding factors, which may contribute to the regulation of both the abundance and species of phytoplankters mid-river, include the flocculation of colloidal material with phytoplankton cells, the presence of the turbidity maximum and the growth of endemic phytoplankton populations.An inverse relationship exists between the phytoplankton abundance in very low salinity waters and the abundance of biomass measured in the lower portion of the river (estuary). Thus, autotrophic production in the fresh and very low salinity areas may indirectly regulate the onset on the spring bloom in the estuary by controlling the amount of nutrients available.     

River discharges of water and nutrients to the Mediterranean and Black Sea: Major drivers for ecosystem changes during past and future decades?

Rivers are important sources of freshwater and nutrients for the Mediterranean and Black Sea. We present a reconstruction of the spatial and temporal variability of these inputs since the early 1960s, based on a review of available data on water discharge, nutrient concentrations and climatic parameters. Our compilation indicates that Mediterranean rivers suffer from a significant reduction in freshwater discharge, contrary to rivers of the Black Sea, which do not have clear discharge trends. We estimate this reduction to be at least about 20% between 1960 and 2000. It mainly reflects recent climate change, and dam construction may have reduced discharge even further. A similar decrease can also be expected for the fluxes of dissolved silica (Si), strongly controlled by water discharge and potentially reduced by river damming as well. This contrasts with the fluxes of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in Mediterranean and Black Sea rivers, which were strongly enhanced by anthropogenic sources. Their total inputs to the Mediterranean Sea could have increased by a factor of >5. While N still remained at elevated levels in 2000, P only increased up to the 1980–1990s, and then rapidly dropped down to about the initial values of the 1960s. With respect to the marine primary production that can be supported by the riverine nutrient inputs, Mediterranean and the Black Sea rivers were mostly phosphorus limited during the study period. Their anthropogenic nutrient enrichment could only have had a fertilizing effect before the general decline of the P loads. When also considering Si as a limiting element, which is the case for siliceous primary producers such as diatoms, silica limitation may have become a widespread phenomenon in the Mediterranean rivers since the early 1980s. For the Black Sea rivers, this already started the late 1960s. Gross primary production sustained by rivers (PPR) represents only less than 2% of the gross production (PP) in the Mediterranean, and less than 5% in the Black Sea. Possible ecological impacts of the changing river inputs should therefore be visible only in productive coastal areas, such as the Gulf of Lions, where PPR can reach more than two thirds of PP. Reported ecosystem changes both in the Adriatic Sea and the Black Sea are concomitant with major changes in the reconstructed river inputs. Further work combining modelling and data collection is needed to test whether this may also have been the case for coastal ecosystems at other places in the Mediterranean and Black Sea.     

Freshwater phytoplankton in the low salinity region of the River Tamar estuary

An investigation was made into the fate of freshwater algae in the Tamar estuary, south-west England, to examine the hypothesis that oxygen minima, observed at the freshwater-brackish water interface, were a consequence of mass mortality of freshwater algae and the subsequent oxidative degradation of the lysed cells by bacteria. The quantity and species composition of algae in the river and estuary were determined by measurements of chlorophyll and cell numbers. Phytoplankton numbers were transformed into biomass by measuring the volume of the cells and calculating the carbon content. Salinity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, pH and temperature were also recorded. The size of the upper estuarine community was inversely related to freshwater input. During the summer months, very large populations of freshwater algae (up to 8 mg carbon l⁻¹) were observed between 0 and 8‰ salinity, after long periods of low freshwater input. This population was completely dominated by the diatom Cyclotella atomus and was very stable with respect to changing tides, remaining in the estuary until river flow increased. Death of these algae only occurred at salinities greater than 8‰ and oxygen minima were not observed. The oxygen minima were more closely associated with the turbidity maxima than with algal mortality. There is some evidence that the oxygen depletion may be due to decreased photosynthesis as a result of the reduced light availability at the turbidity maxima.