Nutrient flux in the Rhode River: Tidal exchange of nutrients by brackish marshes

Tidal exchanges of nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic carbon by a high and a low elevation marsh in the Rhode River estuary were measured throughout the year. Both marshes tended to import particulate matter and export dissolved matter, although they differed in the fluxes of certain nutrients. Compared with tidal exchanges, bulk precipitation was a major source of ammonia and nitrate and a minor source of other nutrients. There was a net retention of nutrients by the portion of the Rhode River that included both marshes and a mudflat. However, the marshes accounted for only 10% of the phosphorus retention and 1% of the nitrogen retention while they released organic carbon amounting to 20% of the retention. This suggests that the mudflat acted as a sink for nutrients. The primary role of the marshes seems to be transformation of particulate to dissolved nutrients rather than nutrient retention or release.