Authors / CoAuthors
Haese, R.R. | Pronk, G.J.
Abstract
Nutrients dynamics in estuaries are temporarily variable depending on changing physical-chemical conditions and the response of functional primary producer groups such as phytoplankton, microphytobenthos, seagrass and macroalgae. In order to reveal temporal regime shifts in primary producer groups and associated changes in estuarine nutrient dynamics we developed a box-model coupling the hydrology and nitrogen dynamics in Wilson Inlet, a large, central basin dominated, intermittently closed estuary exposed to Mediterranean climate. The model is calibrated and validated with monitoring data, aquatic plant biomass estimates and biogeochemical rate measurements. Macrophytes and their microalgal epiphytes appear to rapidly assimilate first flush nutrients from the catchment in winter, but this buffer capacity then ceases and a phytoplankton bloom develops in response to subsequent river run-off events in spring. In late spring to autumn high light availability stimulates high primary production by microphytobenthos leading to reduced benthic ammonia fluxes particularly in deep basin areas and contributing about 50% of annual whole-system primary production. Significant amounts of bioavailable nitrogen are flushed out, because phytoplankton predominance occurs concurrently with the opening of the bar.
Product Type
nonGeographicDataset
eCat Id
69296
Contact for the resource
Custodian
Point of contact
Cnr Jerrabomberra Ave and Hindmarsh Dr GPO Box 378
Canberra
ACT
2601
Australia
Keywords
-
- External Publication
- ( Theme )
-
- model
- ( Theme )
-
- marine
-
- AU-WA
- Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)
-
- Earth Sciences
-
- Published_Internal
Publication Date
2009-01-01T00:00:00
Creation Date
Security Constraints
Legal Constraints
Status
Purpose
Maintenance Information
unknown
Topic Category
geoscientificInformation
Series Information
Lineage
Unknown
Parent Information
Extents
[-35.0, -34.5, 117.0, 117.5]
Reference System
Spatial Resolution
Service Information
Associations
Downloads and Links
Source Information
Source data not available.