Abstract
Concentrations of ammonium, nitrite, nitrate, inorganic phosphate, and dissolved oxygen were measured at 15 stations in the Gulf of Nicoya during rainy and dry seasons. Results allowed division of the gulf into three areas. The upper gulf is an area greatly affected by changes in rainfall as levels of nutrients varied by an order of magnitude seasonally. The lower gulf shows less seasonal variation and is characterized by low concentrations of nutrients and high concentrations of oxygen at the surface and high concentrations of nutrients and low concentrations of oxygen at the bottom. Nutrient-rich bottom water in the lower gulf appears to be entrained from offshore by the positive estuarine character of the gulf. This process is facilitated by the extremely narrow shelf along the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. These oceanic waters are mixed vertically in the mid-gulf region and carried into the upper gulf by estuarine circulation.
Published Version
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