Toward Reversal of Eutrophic Conditions in a Subtropical Estuary: Water Quality and Seagrass Response to Nitrogen Loading Reductions in Tampa Bay, Florida, USA

Coastal waters have been significantly influenced by increased inputs of nutrients that have accompanied population growth in adjacent drainage basins. In Tampa Bay, Florida, USA, the population has quadrupled since 1950. By the late 1970s, eutrophic conditions including phytoplankton and macroalgal blooms and seagrass losses were evident. The focus of improving Tampa Bay is centered on obtaining sufficient water quality necessary for restoring seagrass habitat, estimated to have been 16,400 ha in 1950 but reduced to 8800 ha by 1982. To address these problems, targets for nutrient load reductions along with seagrass restoration goals were developed and actions were implemented to reach adopted targets. Empirical regression models were developed to determine relationships between chlorophyll a concentrations and light attenuation adequate for sustainable seagrass growth. Additional empirical relationships between nitrogen loading and chlorophyll a concentrations were developed to determine how Tampa Bay responds to changes in loads. Data show that when nitrogen load reduction and chlorophyll a targets are met, seagrass cover increases. After nitrogen load reductions and maintenance of chlorophyll a at target levels, seagrass acreage has increased 25% since 1982, although more than 5000 ha of seagrass still require recovery. The cooperation of scientists, managers, and decision makers participating in the Tampa Bay Estuary Program’s Nitrogen Management Strategy allows the Tampa Bay estuary to continue to show progress towards reversing many of the problems that once plagued its waters. These results also highlight the importance of a multi-entity watershed management process in maintaining progress towards science-based natural resource goals.     

福建省兴化湾大气重金属的干湿沉降

在兴化湾周围采集1年的大气颗粒物及降雨样品,测定分析了Cd,Pb,Zn和Cu 4种重金属的含量及其大气干湿沉降通量随季节的变化规律,并利用Pb同位素对大气颗粒物的来源进行了解析.结果表明:大气重金属的干沉降通量随季节变化不大,而湿沉降通量随季节变化明显.大气干沉降通量中,Cd,Cu随季节变化很小,而Pb,Zn有一定的季节变化,主要是因为降雨对大气颗粒物的去除作用.大气湿沉降通量中,所有重金属元素受降雨量影响显著,另外还与季节和风速有关.除Pb外,Cd,Zn和Cu的湿沉降通量均大于干沉降通量,说明湿沉降在大气对兴化湾重金属的输入过程中起主导作用.而Pb的输入则以颗粒态为主.根据Pb稳定同位素分析,兴化湾大气颗粒物中的重金属主要来源于工业活动.      

NH3-N在大连湾的水环境行为模拟研究

应用三维水质模型对大连湾中的主要污染物NH3-N的行为进行了模拟,对NH3-N浓度的时空变化规律以及其影响因素进行了研究,选择主要的模型参数进行了灵敏度分析。由空间分布的模拟结果可知,在大连湾,NH3-N浓度主要集中在排污口附近区域,灵敏度分析显示,在排污口区水体的扩散能力对NH3-N浓度的影响较大。由季节变化模拟结果可知,在湾顶部的排污口区NH3-N浓度显示明显的季节变化趋势。在湾中部和朝海边界的湾口区NH3-N浓度较低,变化平缓。模拟结果可以为大连湾的污染控制、水质规划和管理提供科学依据。     

藻类在大连湾的水环境行为数值模拟研究

应用三维水质模型对大连湾水体中的藻类碳浓度的时空变化规律以及其影响因素进行了研究,选择主要的模型参数进行了灵敏度分析。由空间分布的模拟结果可知,在大连湾,藻类主要集中在排污口附近区域。由季节变化模拟结果可知,在湾顶部的排污口区藻类生产显示明显的季节变化趋势,在夏季,主要受到磷酸盐浓度的限制。灵敏度分析显示,在排污口区水体的扩散能力对藻类生产的影响较大,在湾中部和湾口区主要受到磷酸盐负荷的影响。模拟结果可以为大连湾的污染控制、水质规划和管理提供科学依据。     

Changes Of Hydrological Environment And Their Influences On Coastal Wetlands InThe Southern Laizhou Bay, China

The structure and function of the coastal wetland ecosystem in the southern Laizhou Bay have been changed greatly and influenced by regional hydrological changes. The coastal wetlands have degraded significantly during the latest 30 years due to successive drought, decreasing of runoff, pollution, underground saline water intrusion, and aggravating marine disasters such as storm tides and sea level rising. Most archaic lakes have vanished, while artificial wetlands have been extending since natural coastal wetlands replaced by salt areas and ponds of shrimps and crabs. The pollution of sediments in inter-tidal wetlands and the pollution of water quality in sub-tidal wetlands are getting worse and therefore “red tides” happen more often than before. The biodiversity in the study area has been decreased. Further studies are still needed to protect the degraded coastal wetlands in the area.     

Coupled radon, methane and nitrate sensors for large-scale assessment of groundwater discharge and non-point source pollution to coastal waters

We constructed a survey system of radon/methane/nitrate/salinity to find sites of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) and groundwater nitrate input. We deployed the system in Waquoit Bay and Boston Harbor, MA where we derived SGD rates using a mass balance of radon with methane serving as a fine resolution qualitative indicator of groundwater. In Waquoit Bay we identified several locations of enhanced groundwater discharge, out of which two (Childs and Quashnet Rivers) were studied in more detail. The Childs River was characterized by high nitrate input via groundwater discharge, while the Quashnet River SGD was notable but not a significant source of nitrate. Our radon survey of Boston Harbor revealed several sites with significant SGD, out of these Inner Harbor and parts of Dorchester Bay and Quincy Bay had groundwater fluxes accompanied by significant water column nitrogen concentrations. The survey system has proven effective in revealing areas of SGD and non-point source pollution.     

Monitoring Regional Riparian Forest Cover Change Using Stratified Sampling and Multiresolution Imagery1

Claggett, Peter R., Judy A. Okay, and Stephen V. Stehman, 2010. Monitoring Regional Riparian Forest Cover Change Using Stratified Sampling and Multiresolution Imagery. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 46(2):334-343. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2010.00424.x Abstract: The Chesapeake Bay watershed encompasses 165,760 km² of land area with 464,098 km of rivers and streams. As part of the Chesapeake Bay restoration effort, state and federal partners have committed to restoring 26,000 miles (41,843 km) of riparian forest buffers. Monitoring trends in riparian forest buffers over large areas is necessary to evaluate the efficacy of these restoration efforts. A sampling approach for estimating change in riparian forest cover from 1993/1994 to 2005 was developed and implemented in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, to exemplify a method that could be applied throughout the Bay watershed. All stream reaches in the county were stratified using forest cover change derived from Landsat imagery. A stratified random sample of 219 reaches was selected and forest cover change within the riparian buffer of each sampled reach was interpreted from high-resolution aerial photography. The estimated footprint of gross change in riparian forest cover (i.e., the sum of gross gain and gross loss) for the county was 1.83% (SE = 0.22%). Stratified sampling taking advantage of a priori knowledge of locations of change proved to be a practical and efficient protocol for estimating riparian forest buffer change at the county scale and the protocol would readily extend to much broader scale monitoring.     

Polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) in riverine and marine sediments of the Laizhou Bay area, North China

PCN congeners were analyzed in marine and riverine sediments of the Laizhou Bay area, North China. Concentrations of PCNs ranged from 0.12 to 5.1 ng g⁻¹ dry weight (dw) with a mean value of 1.1 ng g⁻¹ dw. The levels of PCNs varied largely, with industrial group approximately ten folds higher than those of the rural in riverine sediment. A strong impact by direct discharge from local factories was suggested. Similar compositional profiles were found within groups. High resemblance of compositional profiles between industrial samples and Halowax 1014 was observed. It was indicated that PCNs in riverine sediments were mainly from release of industrial usage, with additional contributions from industrial thermal process at certain sites. In marine sediments, it was suggested that PCNs along the coast of Laizhou Bay were mainly controlled by riverine input. While in the central bay, PCN distributions were possibly impacted by combined multiple factors.     

Pollutants and the health of green sea turtles resident to an urbanized estuary in San Diego, CA

Rapid expansion of coastal anthropogenic development means that critical foraging and developmental habitats often occur near highly polluted and urbanized environments. Although coastal contamination is widespread, the impact this has on long-lived vertebrates like the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) is unclear because traditional experimental methods cannot be applied. We coupled minimally invasive sampling techniques with health assessments to quantify contaminant patterns in a population of green turtles resident to San Diego Bay, CA, a highly urbanized and contaminated estuary. Several chemicals were correlated with turtle size, suggesting possible differences in physiological processes or habitat utilization between life stages. With the exception of mercury, higher concentrations of carapace metals as well as 4,4′-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) and γ chlordane in blood plasma relative to other sea turtle studies raises important questions about the chemical risks to turtles resident to San Diego Bay. Mercury concentrations exceeded immune function no-effects thresholds and increased carapace metal loads were correlated with higher levels of multiple health markers. These results indicate immunological and physiological effects studies are needed in this population. Our results give insight into the potential conservation risk contaminants pose to sea turtles inhabiting this contaminated coastal habitat, and highlight the need to better manage and mitigate contaminant exposure in San Diego Bay.     

长江口及其邻近海域表层沉积物分布特征

根据长江口和杭州湾北部沉积物粒度分析数据,研究表层沉积物类型、分布以及分区特征。结果表明：沉积物的分布特征受水动力条件、地貌类型以及泥沙来源等因素的综合影响,长江口表层沉积物在纵向分布上,自西向东粒径从粗到细、分选程度从好至差,在横向上自北港－北槽－南槽,沉积物粒度逐渐变细;水流动力作用强的河槽和波浪作用强的口门浅滩沉积物粒度较粗,水动力较弱的河口边滩及口外海滨区沉积物则较细。根据沉积物分布特征可将长江口及其邻近海域分为河口分汊河段沉积区、河口拦门沙沉积区、口外海滨沉积区和杭州湾北部沉积区等4个沉积区。