Effect of sewage nutrients on algal production, biomass and species composition in tropical tidal creeks

Authors / CoAuthors

Burford, M.A. | Revill, A.T. | Smith, J. | Clementson, L.

Abstract

Microalgal blooms are one of the most visible responses to anthropogenic nutrient loadings in coastal ecosystems. However, differentiating sources of nutrients causing blooms remains a challenge. The response of phytoplankton and benthic microalgae (BMA) to nutrient loads was compared across tidal creeks with and without secondary treated sewage in a tropical estuary. Concentrations of the sewage marker, coprostanol, were higher near sewage discharge points and decreased downstream. This was commensurate with a decline in nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations suggesting that sewage was the main source of nitrogen and phosphorus. Primary productivity in the water column was limited by nitrogen availability in absence of sewage, with nitrogen saturation in the presence of sewage. Phytoplankton primary productivity rates and chlorophyll a concentrations increased in response to sewage, and there was a greater response than for BMA. There was no evidence of a change in algal pigment proportions within the phytoplankton or BMA communities. This study highlights the scale and type of response of algal communities to sewage nutrients in situ.

Product Type

nonGeographicDataset

eCat Id

74428

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

External PublicationScientific Journal Paper

( Theme )

coasts

( Theme )

environmental

( Theme )

geochemistry

( Theme )

marine

AU-NT

Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)

Earth Sciences

Published_External

Publication Date

2012-01-01T00:00:00

Creation Date

Security Constraints

Australian Government Security ClassificationSystem

Classification - unclassified

Legal Constraints

Non-Exclusive licence to publish copyright (please provide TRIM link)

Access - license

Use - license

Status

Purpose

Maintenance Information

unknown

Topic Category

geoscientificInformation

Series Information

Lineage

Unknown

Parent Information

Extents

[-13.0, -12.0, 130.5, 132.0]

Reference System

Spatial Resolution

Service Information

Associations

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