La Tour du Valat

Institut de recherche pour la conservation des zones humides méditerranéennes

Titre :	Chesapeake Bay Plume Morphology and the Effects on Nutrient Dynamics and Primary Productivity in the Coastal Zone
Auteurs :	Katherine C. Filippino, Auteur ; Peter W. Bernhardt, Auteur ; Margaret R. Mulholland, Auteur
Type de document :	Article
Dans :	Estuaries and Coasts (32(3) MAY 2009)
Article en page(s) :	410-424
Résumé :	To determine the effects of the Chesapeake Bay outflow plume on the coastal ocean, nutrient concentrations and climatology were evaluated in conjunction with nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) uptake rates during a 3-year field study. Sixteen cruises included all seasons and captured high- and low-flow freshwater input scenarios. Event-scale disturbances in freshwater flow and wind speed and direction strongly influenced the location and type of plume present and thus the biological uptake of N and C. As expected, volumetric primary productivity rates did not always correlate with chlorophyll a concentrations, suggesting that high freshwater flow does not translate into high productivity in the coastal zone; rather, high productivity was observed during periods where recycling processes may have dominated. Results suggest that timing of meteorological events, with respect to upwelling or downwelling favorable conditions, plays a crucial role in determining the impact of the estuarine plume on the coastal ocean.

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