Nutrient Cycling in St Georges Basin, South Coast NSW  


Authors / CoAuthors

Murray, E.J. | Haese, R.R. | Smith, C.S. | Heggie, D.T.

Abstract

Geoscience Australia conducted a survey of lakebed (benthic) nutrient fluxes in St Georges Basin, November 2003. The objectives were to: 1. determine the nature of nutrient cycling between the sediment and overlying water; and 2. determine the implications of benthic nutrient fluxes for water quality in the estuary. The relevance to management of this work is that it gives an indication of the susceptibility of the estuary to eutrophication from increased nutrient loads from the catchment. The key findings of the study were: - St Georges Basin was mesotrophic to eutrophic at the time of the survey (spring) based on relatively high respiration rates and O2 demand in the sediments measured by in situ benthic chambers. - Respiration rates were linked to phytoplankton biomass (mainly diatoms) where local fluvial discharge of dissolved nutrients created enhanced primary productivity in the water column, which in turn enhanced mineralisation rates. - St Georges Basin had comparatively low denitrification efficiencies (less than 60%). - St Georges Basin is likely to be prone to eutrophication and may have little tolerance for increases in nutrient and organic matter from the catchment due to the low denitrification efficiencies.

Product Type

document

eCat Id

61611

Contact for the resource

  Custodian

EGD  

  Owner

Commonwealth of Australia (Geoscience Australia)  

  Custodian

Commonwealth of Australia (Geoscience Australia)  
Cnr Jerrabomberra Ave and Hindmarsh Dr GPO Box 378
Canberra
ACT
2601
Australia

Keywords

  • GA PublicationRecord
( Theme )
  • coasts
( Theme )
  • environmental
( Theme )
  • geochemistry
( Theme )
  • water resources
( Theme )
  • marine
  • AU-NSW
Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)
  • Earth Sciences
  • Published_External

Publication Date

2004-01-01T00:00:00

Creation Date

Security Constraints

Australian Government Security ClassificationSystem    

Classification - unclassified

Legal Constraints

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence    

Access - license

Use - license

Status

Purpose

Maintenance Information

unknown

Topic Category

geoscientificInformation

Series Information

Record 2005/022

Lineage

Unknown

Parent Information

Extents

[-35.0, -34.0, 150.0, 151.5]

Reference System

Spatial Resolution

Service Information

Associations

Downloads and Links

Download the Record (pdf)  

Source Information

Source data not available.