Monitoring and Analysis of Water,Salt and Nutrient Fluxes at the Mouth of a Lagoon

An intensive sampling program of physical and chemical parameters has been undertaken at Vassova lagoon, northeast Greece, in order to examine water circulation and estimate the instantaneous and residual fluxes of water, salt, nutrients and chlorophyll-a through the entrance canal of this lagoon. Field data of hydrographic and water quality parameters were collected under neap and spring tidal cycles, and under winter and summer conditions, to account for the fortnight and seasonal effects in the lagoon. The analysis showed that the Eulerian residual transport is positive in direction during both tidal cycles, thus pushing water, salt, nitrate-nitrogen, phosphate-phosphorus and chlorophyll-a inward Vassova lagoon. Tidal pumping was mostly positive during the neap tide and negative during the spring tidal cycle, thus pushing water, salt, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a outwards of Vassova lagoon.