Assessment of Terrigenous Nutrient Loading to Coastal Ecosystems along a Human Land-Use Gradient, Tutuila, American Samoa

Christopher Shuler,Daniel Amato,Celia Smith,Veronica Veronica Gibson,Ashley Olguin,Rosanna Alegado,Henrietta Dulai,Lydia Baker

doi:10.3390/hydrology6010018

Abstract

Anthropogenic nutrient loading is well recognized as a stressor to coastal ecosystem health. However, resource managers are often focused on addressing point source or surface water discharge, whereas the impact of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) as a nutrient vector is often unappreciated. This study examines connections between land use and nutrient loading through comparison of four watersheds and embayments spanning a gradient of human use impact on Tutuila, a high tropical oceanic island in American Samoa. In each study location, coastal radon-222 measurements, dissolved nutrient concentrations, and nitrogen isotope values (δ15N) in water and in situ macroalgal tissue were used to explore SGD and baseflow derived nutrient impacts, and to determine probable nutrient sources. In addition to sampling in situ macroalgae, pre-treated macroalgal specimens were deployed throughout each embayment to uptake ambient nutrients and provide a standardized assessment of differences between locations. Results show SGD-derived nutrient flux was more significant than baseflow nutrient flux in all watersheds, and δ15N values in water and algae suggested wastewater or manure are likely sources of elevated nutrient levels. While nutrient loading correlated well with expected anthropogenic impact, other factors such as differences in hydrogeology, distribution of development, and wastewater infrastructure also likely play a role in the visibility of impacts in each watershed.

Highlights

Coastal ecosystems on oceanic islands provide critical ecological services to geographically isolated populations
The primary objective of this study is to develop a better understanding of how different land uses interact with local hydrogeology to deliver nutrients or other contaminants to the nearshore environment
To compare water quality between study locations, water samples were grouped by sample type, and study location before taking arithmetic means of each group (Figure 5)

Summary

Introduction

Coastal ecosystems on oceanic islands provide critical ecological services to geographically isolated populations. Hydrology 2019, 6, 18 drives persistent and harmful algal blooms [1,2]. Terrigenous nitrogen (N) loading, linked to variability in anthropogenic land use, provides a strong control on phytoplankton, turf algae and macroalgae growth in coastal environments [2,3]. Excessive algal growth is an economic and environmental concern, as the health of coastal areas is directly linked to tourism, a primary economic driver in tropical island locales [4]. Harmful macroalgal blooms in coastal environments are common in many urban reefs [2,6,7,8] and in the extreme, have been tied with the onset of fibropapillomatosis, a disease in herbivorous green sea turtles [9,10]

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Conclusion