Analysis of interdecadal trends in chlorophyll and temperature in the Central Basin of Long Island Sound

Abstract

Few coastal systems have time series data that allow researchers to examine the impact of two important stressors on estuarine ecosystems: climate change and eutrophication. The Central Basin of Long Island Sound (LIS), between New York and Connecticut, is one such system. LIS has seen annual average surface temperatures increase at a rate of 0.03 °C/yr since 1976, with increases most pronounced during summer and early fall. Over the past 15 years, annual stratification (difference between mean annual surface and bottom temperatures) has also increased at the same rate. Despite expansion of waste-water treatment and declining point-source nutrient input, LIS remains eutrophic. An increase toward historic mean annual chlorophyll concentration has occurred since a minimum in the early 1990s, driven in part by higher fall chlorophyll values. There is also an apparent shift in the seasonality of phytoplankton blooms, with more frequent fall chlorophyll peaks and reduced early spring peaks relative to the 1950s. Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) analysis of phytoplankton communities from fall and summer 2002–8 indicated that cyanobacteria and flagellates are associated with higher amounts of chlorophyll at higher temperatures during these two seasons. These results suggest that as surface temperatures continue to increase, smaller cells and flagellates may maintain chlorophyll values at higher levels despite decreased or static surface nutrient concentrations in this system.