Adjacent Shelf Waters Research Articles

Ecosystem risk from human use of ocean space and resources: A case study from the Norwegian coast

Coastal and adjacent shelf waters are generally highly productive ecosystems harboring important ecological processes and exposed to a range of anthropogenic pressures from land-based and marine sectors. Ensuring that the cumulative pressures from human activities do not cause unacceptable, permanent harm to the ecosystem is challenging but crucial for sustainable management of these regions. Linkage frameworks and ecological risk assessments have proven to be useful tools for holistic evaluations of cumulative human pressures as a guide to managers and policy makers for prioritization of risk factors. Here, we present the first holistic assessment of ecosystem risk from human activities along the Norwegian coast. Pressures from coastal sectors are identified and weighted by the exposure to and potential impact on ecosystem components following the ODEMM (Options for Delivering Ecosystem-based Marine Management) framework. We focus on four coastal regions with contrasting scales of human activities. Two southern regions with multiple anthropogenic activities are associated with higher cumulative risk of negative impacts compared to northern areas where less extensive activities have a lower potential of harming the coastal ecosystems. Despite latitudinal differences in human use of the coastline, the pressures and ecosystem components associated with the greatest risk of cumulative impacts are relatively similar between the regions. Contaminants and underwater noise stand out as high-risk pressures, associated with multiple sectors with a high spatiotemporal footprint and with the potential to negatively impact a range of ecosystem components. Nevertheless, a confidence assessment also highlights the need for more in-depth analysis on the input, spread and effect of these pressures on coastal ecosystems. We discuss strengths and weaknesses of the risk assessment framework and suggest new directions which may enhance the utility and uptake of such assessments for sustainable management of coastal ecosystems.

Clutch fullness index as an early indicator of overexploitation of the Southern King Crab: Implications for fisheries management

Southern king crab is a high-value fishing resource commercially exploited in the Argentine Patagonia (south 44° S) since 2004. The ovigerous mass size of females, estimated as the clutch fullness index (CFI), has been used as a proxy for qualitative fecundity and an indicator of population health. In 2015, the use of CFI allowed the early detection of signs of overexploitation of the Southern king crab. This study aimed to assess temporal variations in the CFI in relation to fishing effort and management measures. Data were collected from commercial vessels between January and May from 2012 to 2020 in the Central Patagonian Sector (comprising the San Jorge gulf and adjacent shelf waters, 43°30′- 48°S). The Correspondence Analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis showed that the CFI varied among years. The variation of the CFI was opposite to the fishing effort. The CFI decreased between 2015 and 2017 (from 80% of females with 100% CFI in 2014 to 43% in 2017), and increased since 2018 (from 57% in 2018 to 78% in 2020). This is probably due to the implementation of two new management measures (extended closed season and the regulation of an annual catch quota). Two indicators of L. santolla reproductive status are proposed based on empirical data. The first one is the proportion of non-ovigerous mature females during the incubation period, which could reflect a male shortage during the mating period must not exceed 10% and the second one is the proportion of females with a complete clutch must be greater than 40%. The CFI variations and the proposed indicators can constitute an alternative to the crabs traditional management.

Formation and Breakdown of an Offshore Summer Cold-Water Zone and Its Effect on Phytoplankton

Estuarine plume frontal zones typically form a vertical two-layer structure with low-salinity and a high-temperature plume during the summertime. However, two field surveys in the Changjiang River Estuary and its adjacent shelf waters identified a significant surface cold-water zone (CWZ) formation in the summers of 2014 and 2015. The sea surface temperature of the CWZ was 4°C lower than the multi-year summer average. Satellite images showed that the CWZ mainly appeared in the Yangtze Shoal during the periods of July 1–17, 2014, and July 3–19, 2015. A three-dimensional physical-biogeochemical coupled model was used to explore the formation mechanism of the CWZ. Our investigation revealed that an uncharacteristic northerly wind during the southerly monsoon resulted in a significant onshore retreat of the plume front. Vertical tidal mixing is stronger than the decreased stratification in the former plume-covered region, which resulted in the formation of the CWZ. This process was accompanied by relatively lower net heat flux, which also promoted CWZ formation. The formation of CWZ had a strong ecological impact; enhanced vertical mixing transported nutrients from the lower layer to the surface column, relaxing the CWZ’s phosphate limitation. CWZ formation also increased the depth of the mixed layer and turbidity level in the water column, forming a temporary light limitation in the center. At the margin of the CWZ, it formed a patch with a high concentration of chlorophyll a. The underwater light was sufficient once the plume was restored and the CWZ was stratified again, and the phytoplankton grew rapidly in the center of the CWZ.

Climate Change Impacts on the Patagonian Shelf Break Front

AbstractWe characterize long‐term trends of sea surface temperature (SST), absolute dynamic topography, and chlorophyll‐a (CHL) in the Patagonian shelf break front (SBF) using 27 years (1993–2019) of satellite data. Warming of the Argentinean shelf waters and the southwestward displacement of the Brazil‐Malvinas Confluence (BMC) impact the northernmost extension of the SBF. Cooling of the Malvinas Current (MC) and the concurrent warming of the adjacent shelf waters lead to a significant increase of SST gradients along the outer shelf. The southwestward displacement of the BMC implies a similar shift of the SBF. An increase in CHL trend appears to be associated with southerly wind anomalies along the shelf break. We estimate a southward shift of the northernmost penetration of the MC of −0.11 ± 0.076°/decade.

Multi-year assessment of immature bull shark Carcharhinus leucas residency and activity spaces in an expansive estuarine nursery

Although portions of the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), Florida (USA), serve as essential fish habitat for US Atlantic coast bull sharks Carcharhinus leucas, past studies were short-term (days to months) and encompassed only small parts of this expansive estuarine system. In this study, 29 immature bull sharks were tracked in the IRL between Port St. John and Port Salerno, Florida, and in adjacent shelf waters for up to 4 yr using passive acoustic telemetry. Dynamic Brownian bridge movement models showed small daily (50% utilization distribution [UD] = 1.00 km2, 95% UD = 4.36 km2) and monthly (50% UD = 4.88 km2, 95% UD = 24.67 km2) mean activity spaces that seasonally shifted (October-March) to include adjacent coastal waters. Tracked bull sharks were found to display residency in the IRL and in distinct subregions of the system. Analysis confirmed that bull shark nursery habitat extends south of Sebastian Inlet to Port Salerno, approximately 86 km farther south than previously described, and that adjacent shelf waters, which had not been studied, are important to immature bull sharks during cooler months. This study provides the first multi-year assessment of bull shark space use in the IRL, with improved resolution and over a greater expanse of the system than past studies. These movement data will be important to understanding how young bull sharks may be affected by anthropogenic stressors in this highly impacted lagoonal estuary.

Phytoplankton dynamics based on satellite inherent optical properties and oceanographic conditions in a patagonian gulf frontal system in relation to the adjacent continental shelf waters

The dynamics of phytoplankton across a seasonal frontal system formed in San José Gulf (SJG, Patagonia Argentina) and in neighbouring shelf waters was assessed based on bio-optical satellite data (2003–2018) and spring and summer in situ samplings. Bio-optical properties of the water masses on the eastern (ED) and western (WD) domains of the seasonal frontal system of SJG showed clear differences: the year-round-vertically-mixed waters from the WD, strongly connected with the adjacent shelf waters, evidenced a brief and strong single phytoplankton bloom, while those from the ED, showing lower exchange with shelf waters and a strong vertical stratification during the warm season, displayed an earlier and long-lasting spring phytoplankton bloom, followed by a late-summer and autumn bloom, both associated with the development and erosion of the seasonal thermocline. Waters from the entire system are optically influenced by the absorption of coloured dissolved organic matter and detritus (cdom + detritus), suggesting a strong sediment load contribution from the continent and the seabed. To remark, a strong correlation between satellite chlorophyll-a (Chla-sat) and absorption by phytoplankton (aphy443) in the outer shelf waters differs from the weak correlation of those variables in the gulf's water masses, whose optical parameters are more complex. In situ Chla records may indicate wind-driven upwelling and downwelling areas in the northern and southern coasts of the ED. Dissolved nitrogen was identified as the limiting macronutrient for phytoplankton growth in the ED during summer. This work contributes relevant ecological information that may support management actions on the SJG shellfish artisanal fishery.

Abundance estimates and habitat preferences of bottlenose dolphins reveal the importance of two gulfs in South Australia

Informed conservation management of marine mammals requires an understanding of population size and habitat preferences. In Australia, such data are needed for the assessment and mitigation of anthropogenic impacts, including fisheries interactions, coastal zone developments, oil and gas exploration and mining activities. Here, we present large-scale estimates of abundance, density and habitat preferences of southern Australian bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.) over an area of 42,438km2 within two gulfs of South Australia. Using double-observer platform aerial surveys over four strata and mark-recapture distance sampling analyses, we estimated 3,493 (CV = 0.21; 95%CI = 2,327-5,244) dolphins in summer/autumn, and 3,213 (CV = 0.20; 95%CI = 2,151-4,801) in winter/spring of 2011. Bottlenose dolphin abundance and density was higher in gulf waters across both seasons (0.09-0.24 dolphins/km2) compared to adjacent shelf waters (0.004–0.04 dolphins/km2). The high densities of bottlenose dolphins in the two gulfs highlight the importance of these gulfs as a habitat for the species. Habitat modelling associated bottlenose dolphins with shallow waters, flat seafloor topography, and higher sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in summer/autumn and lower SSTs in winter/spring. Spatial predictions showed high dolphin densities in northern and coastal gulf sections. Distributional data should inform management strategies, marine park planning and environmental assessments of potential anthropogenic threats to this protected species.

An empirical remote sensing algorithm for retrieving total suspended matter in a large estuarine region

The Río de la Plata is a large, shallow estuary located at approximately 35°S and flowing into the southwestern Atlantic Ocean. It carries a high amount of nutrients and suspended particulate matter, both organic and inorganic, to the adjacent shelf waters and is considered among the most turbid estuarine systems in the world. Knowledge of the concentration and spatial and temporal variability of these materials is critical for any biological study in the Río de la Plata. In this work, the relationship between suspended particulate matter and turbidity is empirically established in order to derive suspended particulate matter maps from satellite data (MODIS-Aqua) for the Río de la Plata region. A strong correlation between suspended particulate matter and turbidity was found (Pearson correlation coefficient =0.91) and the linear regression (slope =0.76 and intercepts =12.78, R2=0.83) explained 83% of the variance. The validation of the empirical algorithm, using co-located and coincident satellite and in situ measurements, showed good results with a low mean absolute error (14.60%) and a small and positive bias (3.04%), indicating that the estimated suspended particulate matter values tend to slightly overestimate the field values.

Balance of Catchment and Offshore Nutrient Loading and Biogeochemical Response in Four New Zealand Coastal Systems: Implications for Resource Management

Nutrient mass balance analyses are a way of obtaining ‘whole system’ viewpoints on coastal biogeochemical functions and their forcing. Seasonal mass balances are presented for four large bay systems in New Zealand (NZ), with the aim of showing how they can inform coastal management. Freshwater volumes, and surface and groundwater, wastewater and atmospheric inorganic and organic nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) were balanced with levels of salinity, N and P from ocean surveys, used to determine non-conservative N and P fluxes and, via stoichiometry, carbon (C) fluxes. For Golden and Tasman Bays and Hauraki Gulf, exchange with adjacent shelf waters usually dominated total N supply (80–85%). In contrast, for the Firth of Thames, 51% of total N and 85% of dissolved inorganic N supply originated from its agricultural catchment. Net ecosystem metabolism (NEM; balance of autotrophy and heterotrophy) of Golden and Tasman Bays and Hauraki Gulf was usually nearly balanced. In contrast, Firth NEM was highly seasonally variable, often exhibiting strong heterotrophy coincident with expression of respiration-related stressors (low O2 and high DIC/low pH). Denitrification accounted for about 51% of total N export across the four systems, signifying its importance as a eutrophication-regulating ecosystem service. Budgets made 12 years apart in the Firth showed decreased denitrification efficiency, coincident with large increases in system N and phytoplankton. The findings for land-ocean nutrient balance, NEM and denitrification showed how mass balance budgeting can inform coastal management, including inventories of nutrient inputs, balances of oceanic and terrestrial nutrient loading, and potential for risk associated with biogeochemical responses.

Cross-Shelf Exchange Associated With the Gulf Stream in the South Atlantic Bight: Direct Observations Using an Autonomous Underwater Glider

AbstractAn autonomous underwater glider was deployed in March 2014 to sample the Gulf Stream and its adjacent shelf waters in the South Atlantic Bight, providing a new look at cross-shelf exchange associated with Gulf Stream dynamics. Observations collected over 4 weeks reveal significant cross-shelf exchange (up to 0.5 Sv) at the shoreward edge of the Gulf Stream, which was 2 orders of magnitude larger than estimates from long-term mean hydrographic conditions. Gulf Stream frontal eddies may have contributed to some of the largest fluxes of heat (0.5°C Sv) and salt (0.03 Sv g/kg) onto the shelf. We estimate that the largest upwelling event during the mission could have brought nitrate concentrations over 20 μM to within 125 m of the surface. This study demonstrates clear capabilities of autonomous underwater gliders for sampling in and near fast moving boundary currents to obtain unique and critical in situ observations effectively.

Spatio-temporal variability of ichthyoplankton and its relationship with oceanographic conditions at the shelf break off Chilean Patagonia (43°S–51°S)

ABSTRACTLarval fish composition and abundance have been studied in fjords of south Patagonia. However, the ichthyoplankton of the adjacent shelf and slope waters of the Pacific Ocean, which is an important spawning and nursery ground for demersal fishery species (e.g. austral hake and Patagonian grenadier), remains largely unknown. To compare ichthyoplankton occurrence with environmental conditions in August 2013 and 2014 (austral winter), two bio-oceanographic cruises were carried out between 43° and 51°S. Conductivity, temperature and depth (CTD) data and ichthyoplankton samples were collected. The highest frequency of occurrence (FO) was observed for eggs of lightfish Maurolicus parvipinnis (84 and 91% FO in 2013 and 2014, respectively) and larvae of the myctophid Lampanyctodes hectoris (60 and 94% FO, respectively). Ichthyoplankton composition and abundance varied significantly between years, and richness varied from 10 (2013) to 18 taxa (2014). Only larval L. hectoris showed a significant increase in abundance during the winter of 2014. Water column temperature and salinity were significantly different between years; the water was warmer and saltier in 2013. Canonical Correspondence Analysis detected positive relationships between temperature and salinity with egg abundance and larval distribution of Merluccius australis. The highest abundance of eggs of M. australis was found at ∼6–10°C, mainly off south Guafo Island. Additionally, ichthyoplankton from the shelf-break area off south Patagonia showed a wider latitudinal distribution in the winter of 2014 than in 2013.

Spatial and temporal trophic transfer dynamics of mercury and methylmercury into zooplankton and phytoplankton of Long Island Sound

AbstractThe foundation of methylmercury (MeHg) bioaccumulation in aquatic systems is uptake and trophic transfer into phytoplankton and zooplankton. Phytoplankton and zooplankton samples were collected seasonally from Long Island Sound (LIS) and its adjacent shelf waters, located along the northeast coast of the United States. Phytoplankton samples were size fractioned into 0.2–5 μm, 5–20 μm, and seston of > 20 μm. Average phytoplankton MeHg concentrations were 0.01–1.5 pmol g−1 (wet weight), and MeHg bioconcentration factors (logBCF) ranged from 2.5 to 5.5. There was higher MeHg concentration and logBCF values with increasing phytoplankton size. Zooplankton samples were size fractioned into 0.2–0.5 mm, 0.5–1.0 mm, 1.0–2.0 mm, and > 2.0 mm classes and analyzed for Hg and MeHg as well as carbon (δ13C), nitrogen (δ15N), and sulfur (δ34S) isotopes. The %MeHg in organisms was highest in the > 2.0 mm size class for coastal LIS and shelf species, indicating higher MeHg bioaccumulation with increasing zooplankton sizes. Eastern LIS zooplankton populations yielded higher overall Hg accumulation than western LIS populations, in alignment with phytoplankton fractions. Seasonal differences were evident for plankton %MeHg, although only ELIS displayed an increase in summertime %MeHg throughout the fractions. The results suggest the importance of biodilution in determining plankton MeHg concentrations. The δ13C values infer that zooplankton were opportunistically feeding on food containing variable levels of Hg and MeHg. The δ15N isotopes indicated enrichment characteristic of anthropogenic input in populations at the western end of LIS. The δ34S isotopes signified that organisms were primarily feeding on pelagic plankton.

Estuary-ocean connectivity: fast physics, slow biology.

Estuaries are connected to both land and ocean so their physical, chemical, and biological dynamics are influenced by climate patterns over watersheds and ocean basins. We explored climate-driven oceanic variability as a source of estuarine variability by comparing monthly time series of temperature and chlorophyll-a inside San Francisco Bay with those in adjacent shelf waters of the California Current System (CCS) that are strongly responsive to wind-driven upwelling. Monthly temperature fluctuations inside and outside the Bay were synchronous, but their correlations weakened with distance from the ocean. These results illustrate how variability of coastal water temperature (and associated properties such as nitrate and oxygen) propagates into estuaries through fast water exchanges that dissipate along the estuary. Unexpectedly, there was no correlation between monthly chlorophyll-a variability inside and outside the Bay. However, at the annual scale Bay chlorophyll-a was significantly correlated with the Spring Transition Index (STI) that sets biological production supporting fish recruitment in the CCS. Wind forcing of the CCS shifted in the late 1990s when the STI advanced 40days. This shift was followed, with lags of 1-3years, by 3- to 19-fold increased abundances of five ocean-produced demersal fish and crustaceans and 2.5-fold increase of summer chlorophyll-a in the Bay. These changes reflect a slow biological process of estuary-ocean connectivity operating through the immigration of fish and crustaceans that prey on bivalves, reduce their grazing pressure, and allow phytoplankton biomass to build. We identified clear signals of climate-mediated oceanic variability in this estuary and discovered that the response patterns vary with the process of connectivity and the timescale of ocean variability. This result has important implications for managing nutrient inputs to estuaries connected to upwelling systems, and for assessing their responses to changing patterns of upwelling timing and intensity as the planet continues to warm.

Spatial distribution and feeding of dominant zooplankton species in the Ob River estuary

The distribution and feeding of dominant mesozooplankton species were studied in the estuary of the Ob River and adjacent inner Kara Sea shelf waters in September 2013. It was shown that the spatial distributions of Cyclops sp., Senecella siberica, Limnocalanus macrurus, Mysis oculata, Drepanopus bungei, Jashnovia tolli and Pseudocalanus sp. are related to the specific characteristics of the hydrographic regime in the estuarine frontal zone. The distributions of Cyclops sp., Senecella siberica, and Pseudocalanus sp. are mainly limited by salinity, while other species inhabit an area with a wide range of salinity values without clear preferences. Peaks of their abundance could be either consolidated or distanced in space. The populations of Jashnovia tolli, Drepanopus bungei, and Pseudocalanus sp. permanently inhabit the layer under the pycnohalocline; the populations of Cyclops sp. and Mysis oculata inhabit the upper mixed layer. Limnocalanus macrurus demonstrates a different vertical distribution pattern: the copepod undertakes diel vertical migrations in the southern part of the estuarine frontal zone; in its northern part, the population is concentrated below the pycnocline during day and night. The differences in the distributions of the studied species determine their feeding behavior and their role in phytoplankton grazing. The most intense utilization of biomass and production of autotrophic phytoplankton by zooplankton occur in the freshened water zone and the adjacent southern periphery of the estuarine frontal zone: the total daily phytoplankton consumption makes up 10–18% of the biomass and 60–380% of primary production. Daily zooplankton consumption of phytoplankton in the estuarine frontal zone decreases to 2–7% of the biomass and to 14% of primary production; in inner shelf waters, the values do not exceed 1% for both phytoplankton biomass and production.

Nitrogen dynamics in the Irish Sea and adjacent shelf waters: An exploration of dissolved organic nitrogen

Relatively little is known about dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) in the marine environment because research has historically focused on dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN). In this study we combine measurements of dissolved organic matter (DOM), DIN, particulate organic nitrogen (PON), dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) and silicon (DIS), with temperature and salinity data from the western shelf region of the UK and Ireland, and with inorganic and organic nitrogen (N) data from the western Irish Sea to develop an understanding of N dynamics in the Irish Sea and adjacent shelf waters, and investigate the role of DON in the nitrogen budget of the seasonally stratifying western Irish Sea. In January 2013, the sampling area was divided by density fronts into 4 regions of distinct oceanography and homogeneous chemistry. DON concentrations accounted for 25.3 ± 1.8% of total dissolved N (TDN) across all regions. DOM concentrations generally decreased from the freshwater influenced water of Liverpool Bay to the oceanic waters of the Celtic Sea and Malin Shelf. Urea and dissolved free amino acids (DFAA) together made up 27.3 ± 3.1% of DON. Estimated concentrations in the rivers discharging into Liverpool Bay were 8.0 and 2.1 μmol N L−1 respectively: at the high end of reported riverine concentrations. Oceanic nutrient inputs to the Irish Sea only have a small influence on N concentrations. Riverine N inputs to the Irish Sea are substantial but are likely removed by natural N cycling processes. In the western Irish Sea, DON and PON concentrations reached maxima and minima in midsummer and early spring respectively. DIN followed the opposite trend. DON accounted for 38% of the yearly internal N cycling and we estimated that as much as 1.4 ± 1.2 μmol N L−1 of labile DON was available as an N source at the start of the spring bloom. Our study supports the view that DON plays an important role in N cycling in temperate shelf and coastal seas and should be included more often in biogeochemical measurements if we are to have a complete understanding of N dynamics in a changing world.

Occurrences of dissolved trace metals (Cu, Cd, and Mn) in the Pearl River Estuary (China), a large river-groundwater-estuary system

This study for the first time examined dissolved metals (Cu, Cd, and Mn) together with dissolved oxygen and carbonate system in the whole Pearl River Estuary system, from the upper rivers to the groundwater discharges until the estuarine zone, and explored their potential impacts in the adjacent northern South China Sea (SCS) during May–August 2009. This river-groundwater-estuary system was generally characterized by low dissolved metal levels as a whole, whilst subject to severe perturbations locally. In particular, higher dissolved Cu and Cd occurred in the North River (as high as 60nmol/L of Cu and 0.99nmol/L of Cd), as a result of an anthropogenic source from mining activities there. Dissolved Cu levels were elevated in the upper estuary near the city of Guangzhou (Cu: ∼40nmol/L), which could be attributable to sewage and industrial effluent discharges there. Elevated dissolved metal levels (Cu: ∼20–40nmol/L; Cd: ∼0.2–0.8nmol/L) also occurred in the groundwaters and parts of the middle and lower estuaries, which could be attributable to a series of geochemical reactions, e.g., chloride-induced desorption from the suspended sediments, oxidation of metal sulfides, and the partial dissolution of minerals. The high river discharge during our sampling period (May–August 2009) significantly diluted anthropogenic signals in the estuarine mixing zone. Of particular note was the high river discharge (which may reach 18.5 times as high as in the dry season) that transported anthropogenic signals (as indicated by dissolved Cu and Cd) into the adjacent shelf waters of the northern SCS, and might have led to the usually high phytoplankton productivity there (chlorophyll-a value >10μg/L).

Surface currents and winds at the Delaware Bay mouth

Knowledge of the circulation of estuaries and adjacent shelf waters has relied on hydrographic measurements, moorings, and local wind observations usually removed from the region of interest. Although these observations are certainly sufficient to identify major characteristics, they lack both spatial resolution and temporal coverage. High-resolution synoptic observations are required to identify important coastal processes at smaller scales. Long observation periods are needed to properly sample low-frequency processes that may also be important. The introduction of high-frequency (HF) radar measurements and regional wind models for coastal studies is changing this situation. Here we analyze synoptic, high-resolution surface winds and currents in the Delaware Bay mouth over an 8-month period (October 2007 through May 2008). The surface currents were measured by two HF radars while the surface winds were extracted from a data-assimilating regional wind model. To illustrate the utility of these monitoring tools we focus on two 45-day periods which previously were shown to present contrasting pictures of the circulation. One, the low-outflow period is from 1 October through 14 November 2007; the other is the high-outflow period from 3 March through 16 April 2008. The large-scale characteristics noted by previous workers are clearly corroborated. Specifically the M2 tide dominates the surface currents, and the Delaware Bay outflow plume is clearly evident in the low frequency currents. Several new aspects of the surface circulation were also identified. These include a map of the spatial variability of the M2 tide (validating an earlier model study), persistent low-frequency cross-mouth flow, and a rapid response of the surface currents to a changing wind field. However, strong wind episodes did not persist long enough to set up a sustained Ekman response.

Bloom dynamics of Dinophysis acuta in an upwelling system: In situ growth versus transport

Blooms of Dinophysis spp. associated with lipophilic shellfish toxin outbreaks are common in Northwestern Iberia waters from spring to autumn. Blooms of Dinophysis acuta are very seasonal (late summer-early autumn); they start earlier in Northern Portuguese waters during the upwelling season, and reach their maximum values in the Galician Rías during downwelling events at the end of the upwelling season. There is controversy about whether sudden increases in cell concentrations in the rías result from cross-shelf transport of populations previously established in adjacent shelf waters, or are due to longshore transport that brings populations located off Portugal to the North. In 2005, record concentrations of D. acuta were observed in Portuguese waters (14 × 10 4 cell L −1) off Aveiro in early September, while concentrations off the Galician coast were very moderate (10 2–10 3 cell L −1). During the autumn transition from upwelling- to downwelling-favourable winds, D. acuta declined abruptly off Portugal while the annual maximum (up to 22 × 10 3 cell L −1) was found in the Galician Rías. A new approach was used that combined physical observations (SST, current measurements); weekly observations from monitoring programmes in Galicia and Portugal; weekly division rate ( μ min ) estimates of D. acuta in Ría de Vigo, together with monthly transects and additional ad hoc sampling in the Ría. During August and early September, division rates were high in Ría de Vigo but concentrations were low, whereas higher SST values in Portugal (a proxy for thermal stratification) seemed to promote the build up of high densities of D. acuta. During the last week of October and the first week of November, populations declined, whereas in Galicia, maximum concentrations were reached while division rate estimates were almost zero. Results presented here confirm that increased numbers in the Galician Rías are not due to intrinsic growth but to physically driven accumulation; a simple cell concentration budget calculated during the accumulation period suggests that the high net growth observed during downwelling, in the absence of cellular division, must be due to cells imported by longshore transport.

Surface fCO 2 variability in the Loire plume and adjacent shelf waters: High spatio-temporal resolution study using ships of opportunity

The seasonal and spatial variability of CO 2 uptake across the Loire estuary plume and the adjacent continental shelf was investigated over two years (November 2002 to December 2004). A high-frequency time series of the surface CO 2 fugacity (fCO 2 sw) and the air–water CO 2 exchange is reported and discussed. Continuous measurements of salinity, temperature, fCO 2 sw, dissolved oxygen (O 2) and Chl a were performed, on a commercial route between Vigo (Spain) and St. Nazaire (France). A significant biogeochemical gradient was observed along this hydro-geographical continuum, in both space and time. The inner shelf was influenced by river/estuarine inputs which were enriched in CO 2 and by the relative aerial coverage of the resultant plume in coastal areas. This region was typically oversaturated with CO 2 except when favourable conditions for phytoplankton blooms were created by the availability of light, the inputs of riverine nutrients and the haline stratification of the water column. On an annual scale, the non-thermodynamic processes (biological, riverine inputs, etc.) exerted a greater control on the pattern of CO 2 flux in the inner shelf than thermodynamic changes in temperature and salinity. The biogeochemical imprint of the Loire River was noticeable in the mid-shelf during high river flow events and favourable winds, but any signal was almost negligible in the outer shelf, where temperature was the main mechanism controlling the seasonal variability of the fCO 2 sw. During the two-year study period, the estimated air–water CO 2 flux was − 5.2 mmol m − 2 day − 1 and − 7.5 mmol m − 2 day − 1 , in the middle and outer shelves respectively.

Expansion of potentially harmful algal taxa in a Georgia Estuary (USA)

Evidence is widespread that species of harmful algae are showing up in new locations and that toxic bloom events may be increasing in magnitude and frequency. These trends are sometimes but not exclusively associated with cultural eutrophication. On the southeast coast of the USA, harmful species, bloom events, and deleterious ecosystem impacts were restricted to eutrophic estuaries and adjacent shelf waters of North Carolina and Florida prior to 2000. Specifically, Georgia and South Carolina waters either lacked HAB species or contained unremarkable concentrations. Beginning in 2000, however, numerous HAB taxa were collected in South Carolina coastal ponds and estuaries, and were associated with fish kills there. The present study documents the new appearance of HAB species in Georgia, in the Skidaway estuary, which has been sampled weekly for 22 years. Four HAB taxa were initially present when sampling began in 1986–1987, five new species appeared sporadically over the next 15 years, and then seven additional new taxa appeared between 2002 and 2008. Eleven of the sixteen taxa were dinoflagellates (species of Cochlodinium, Dinophysis, Gyrodinium, Heterocapsa, Karenia, Karlodinium, Kryptoperidinium, and Prorocentrum), four were raphidophytes ( Chattonella, Fibrocapsa, and Heterosigma species), with one diatom ( Pseudo-nitzschia). Notably, only two species occurred at concentrations exceeding 10 3 cells ml −1: Heterosigma akashiwo and Heterocapsa rotundata. One species, H. akashiwo, was present every spring/summer and in sufficient concentrations to discern temporal trends. H. exhibited significant increases in annual mean and peak abundances over the 22-year sample period. This increasing trend was significantly correlated with nutrient concentrations, specifically NH 4 and DON. Whereas factors responsible for the initial appearance of new HAB taxa in these waters are unknown, the evidence suggests their establishment is related to cultural eutrophication. If current trends of increasing number and abundance of HAB species continue, estuaries in Georgia can expect to exhibit the detrimental ecological manifestations commonly observed elsewhere.