A simulation of the process of sedimentation of suspended solids in the Yoshii River estuary

A vertical plane 2D model has been applied to the Yoshii River estuary, Japan, as a means of simulating the process of sedimentation. The current velocity and isohaline distributions were well reproduced in the estuary and the model simulated the concentration distribution of suspended solids for 8 particle size classes by using a transport equation based only on physical processes. The changes of the particle size distribution in surface water were well reproduced by the model. The vertical velocity component plays an important role in the behaviour of suspended solids.     

Shock,Stress or Signal? Implications of Freshwater Flows for a Top-Level Estuarine Predator

Physicochemical variability in estuarine systems plays an important role in estuarine processes and in the lifecycles of estuarine organisms. In particular, seasonality of freshwater inflow to estuaries may be important in various aspects of fish lifecycles. This study aimed to further understand these relationships by studying the movements of a top-level estuarine predator in response to physicochemical variability in a large, temperate south-east Australian estuary (Shoalhaven River). Mulloway (Argyrosomus japonicus, 47–89 cm total length) were surgically implanted with acoustic transmitters, and their movements and migrations monitored over two years via fixed-position VR2W acoustic receivers configured in a linear array along the length of the estuary. The study period included a high degree of abiotic variability, with multiple pulses (exponentially high flows over a short period of time) in fresh water to the estuary, as well as broader seasonal variation in flow, temperature and conductivity. The relative deviation of fish from their modal location in the estuary was affected primarily by changes in conductivity, and smaller fish (n = 4) tended to deviate much further downstream from their modal position in the estuary than larger fish (n = 8). High-flow events which coincided with warmer temperatures tended to drive mature fish down the estuary and potentially provided a spawning signal to stimulate aggregation of adults near the estuary mouth; however, this relationship requires further investigation. These findings indicate that pulse and press effects of freshwater inflow and associated physicochemical variability play a role in the movements of mulloway, and that seasonality of large freshwater flows may be important in spawning. The possible implications of river regulation and the extraction of freshwater for consumptive uses on estuarine fishes are discussed.     

A Numerical Study of Local Variations in Tidal Regime of Tagus Estuary,Portugal

Tidal dynamics of shallow estuaries and lagoons is a complex matter that has attracted the attention of a large number of researchers over the last few decades. The main purpose of the present work is to study the intricate tidal dynamics of the Tagus estuary, which states as the largest estuary of the Iberian Peninsula and one of the most important wetlands in Portugal and Europe. Tagus has large areas of low depth and a remarkable geomorphology, both determining the complex propagation of tidal waves along the estuary of unknown manner. A non-linear two-dimensional vertically integrated hydrodynamic model was considered to be adequate to simulate its hydrodynamics and an application developed from the SIMSYS2D model was applied to study the tidal propagation along the estuary. The implementation and calibration of this model revealed its accuracy to predict tidal properties along the entire system. Several model runs enabled the analysis of the local variations in tidal dynamics, through the interpretation of amplitude and phase patterns of the main tidal constituents, tidal asymmetry, tidal ellipses, form factor and tidal dissipation. Results show that Tagus estuary tidal dynamics is extremely dependent on an estuarine resonance mode for the semi-diurnal constituents that induce important tidal characteristics. Besides, the estuarine coastline features and topography determines the changes in tidal propagation along the estuary, which therefore result essentially from a balance between convergence/divergence and friction and advection effects, besides the resonance effects.     

CIRCULATION IN HIGHLY STRATIFIED SOUTHERN AFRICAN ESTUARIES

Summary

The nature of estuarine circulation under highly stratified conditions is reviewed in the context of southern African estuaries that are small and have a constricted connection to the ocean. While the focus is on the generic hydrodynamic processes and features, attention is given to field observations from a particular estuary as a way of illustrating these processes and features. Notable features are the tidal intrusion front, the bottom density current and the long-residence deep water in the upper estuary. The important hydrodynamic processes, which account for these features, are internal hydraulic control of exchange through the mouth, buoyancy-driven landward intrusion of sea water, upward shear-driven entrainment and ebb tidal outflow.

The context in which these processes and features are expected to occur is addressed through a discussion of seasonal variations in the prototype and through a discussion of these features observed in other southern African estuaries. A distinction is made between those systems that are permanently highly stratified and those that display highly stratified phases. The ecological and management implications of strong stratification in an estuary are discussed briefly.     

Biomanipulation: retrospective and future development

Contaminants discharged to an estuary usually become associated with the near surface brackish waters and on an ebb tide these waters form a plume which streams away from the estuary mouth. As the plume mixes downwards, a localised region of minimum dilution may form at the sea-bed, depending on the rates of transverse and vertical mixing.A modelling study of the outflow from the Tees estuary suggests that regions of minimum dilution at the sea-bed could occur between 1.5 and 4.0 km from the estuary mouth, the latter corresponding to a tide of spring range. An estimate for the Humber outflow on a spring tide indicates that a similar impact region could occur at a distance of some 9 km from the entrance to the estuary. At the Tyne and Wear estuaries, the vertical mixing of contaminants is likely to be too slow for the regions of minimum dilution to form before the discharge plumes are cut off from the estuary mouths by the reversal of tidal flow.     

三峡正常蓄水后长江口叶绿素a和溶解氧变化及其成因

根据2010年8月、10月和2011年5月的现场监测数据,对长江口水域在三峡水库175m试验蓄水实施后一个水文年中叶绿素a和溶解氧(DO)的分布特征及其影响因素进行分析。结果表明,叶绿素a平面分布夏季有两个高值中心,春季有一个高值中心;在口门北缘夏季表层叶绿素浓度值最高。垂向上,夏季叶绿素a浓度表层和底层高;春季和秋季叶绿素a浓度中层高。夏季表层和底层DO浓度相差较大,秋季和春季表、底层DO浓度分布比较均匀;整体上秋季和春季的DO浓度高于夏季。工程蓄水后DO低值区和叶绿素a峰值区向口门内位移,对生态系统结构将产生影响。     

Occurrence of calcareous foraminifera and calcite-carbonate equilibrium conditions – a case study in Minho/Coura estuary (Northern Portugal)

The Minho/Coura estuary, northern Portugal, has been studied for the influence of hydrochemical and geochemical parameters on living (Rose Bengal stained) foraminiferal assemblages. Our previous works showed a prevalence of agglutinated species in the inner estuary and tidal marsh and significant abundance of calcareous species only in the estuary mouth. The new results clarify syndepositional aspects of the calcareous species related to calcite dissolution, such as thin tests that frequently lack the carbonate layer and show typical destruction features. Sites from the estuary mouth, tidal marsh and river were sampled, under Spring and Autumn conditions, in order to describe physical-chemical features and to allow the geochemical modelling of the solution in which calcification occurs. In particular, the chemical equilibrium regarding calcite was evaluated from the saturation index (SI). Such modelling suggests strongly undersaturated conditions at the majority of the sampling sites, in both sampling periods. The water quality data revealed strong spatial and temporal variability, mainly in the tidal marsh environment, and also the existence of a stressed medium regarding calcite saturation state. The observed geochemical trends provide a plausible explanation for (1) the scarcity and distribution of living calcareous foraminifera in the Minho/Coura estuary and (2) the destruction features observed in the carbonate tests. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi: ) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Fish habitat use response to anthropogenic induced changes of physical processes in the Elwha estuary, Washington, USA

The Elwha River estuary has been significantly influenced by anthropogenic changes to the river, including two large dams upriver and rock dikes installed in the estuary. Together these have disrupted hydrodynamic processes and subsequent sediment delivery throughout the watershed. This article defines the functional response of fish distribution within the estuary as a result of these changes. We assessed fish distribution of three main areas of the Elwha estuary using standard beach seining techniques from March to August 2007. Species composition, ecological indices, and relative proportion of all salmonids, and in particular Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), were consistently significantly different across the estuary. Differences corresponded to a rock dike installed 30 years ago, and a sediment lens that was observed to form at the entrance to the east estuary. Sediment lenses are documented to be a common occurrence in the Elwha nearshore, and symptomatic of documented, severely disrupted sediment processes of the Elwha River. Combining the fish distribution documented in this study with the rock dike and observed sediment lens and the sediment processes documented by other researchers we, therefore, conclude: (1) Fish use within the Elwha River estuary is complex, and even fragments of connected estuary are critically important for migrating salmon; (2) Anthropogenic effects, including in river damming and diking of the estuary, can be an important ecological driver in nearshore habitat function that should be appropriately considered in estuary habitat research, management, and restoration; and (3) Juvenile salmonids appear to be able to respond to dynamic sediment environments if there are habitat options available.     

Interannual variability in dissolved inorganic nutrients in northern San Francisco Bay estuary

Nearly two decades of seasonal dissolved inorganic nutrient-salinity distributions in northern San Francisco Bay estuary (1960–1980) illustrate interannual variations in effects of river flow (a nutrient source) and phytoplankton productivity (a nutrient sink). During winter, nutrient sources dominate the nutrient-salinity distribution patterns (nutrients are at or exceed conservative mixing concentrations). During summer, however, the sources and sinks are in close competition. In summers of wet years, the effects of increased river flow often dominate the nutrient distributions (nutrients are at or less than conservative mixing concentrations), whereas in summers of dry years, phytoplankton productivity dominates (the very dry years 1976–1977 were an exception for reasons not yet clearly known). Such source/sink effects also vary with chemical species. During summer the control of phytoplankton on nutrient distributions is apparently strongest for ammonium, less so for nitrate and silica, and is the least for phosphate. Furthermore, the strength of the silica sink (diatom productivity) is at a maximum at intermediate river flows. This relation, which is in agreement with other studies based on phytoplankton abundance and enumeration, is significant to the extent that diatoms are an important food source for herbivores.The balance or lack of balance between nutrient sources and sinks varies from one estuary to another just as it can from one year to another within the same estuary. At one extreme, in some estuaries river flow dominates the estuarine dissolved inorganic nutrient distributions throughout most of the year. At the other extreme, phytoplankton productivity dominates. In northern San Francisco Bay, for example, the phytoplankton nutrient sink is not as strong as in less turbid estuaries. In this estuary, however, river effects, which produce or are associated with near-conservative nutrient distributions, are strong even at flows less than mean-annual flow. Thus, northern San Francisco Bay appears to be an estuary in between the two extremes and is shifted closer to one extreme or the other depending on interannual variations in river flow.     

Nitrogen dynamics in the Westerschelde estuary (SW Netherlands) estimated by means of the ecosystem model MOSES

A tentative nitrogen budget for the Westerschelde (SW Netherlands) is constructed by means of a simulation model with thirteen spatial compartments. Biochemical and chemical processes in the water column are dynamically modeled; fluxes of dissolved constituents across the water-bottom interface are expressed by means of diagenetic equations.The model is calibrated on a large amount of observed variables in the estuary (1980–1986) with relatively fine temporal and spatial detail. Additional constraints are imposed by the stoichiometric coupling of carbon, nitrogen and oxygen flows and the required conservation of mass. The model is able to reproduce rather well the observed distributions of nitrate, ammonium, oxygen and Kjeldahl nitrogen both in time and space. Also, model output of biochemical oxygen demand and total organic carbon falls within observed ranges.By far the most pervasive process in the nitrogen cycle of the estuary is nitrification which mainly takes place in the water column of the upper estuarine part. On average about three times as much nitrate is leaving the estuary at the sea side compared to what enters from the river and from waste discharges. Ammonium on the other hand is consumed much faster (nitrification) than it is regenerated and only about one third of the total import leaves the estuary at the sea side. The budget for detrital nitrogen reveals import from the river, from wastes and from the sea. Phytoplankton uptake of inorganic nitrogen is negligible in the model.About 21% of total nitrogen, 33% of inorganic nitrogen, is removed from the estuary (mainly to the atmosphere through denitrification) and the load of nitrogen net exported to the sea amounts to about 51 000 tonnes per year. Total denitrification in our model is lower than what was estimated in the literature from the late seventies, where a nitrogen removal up to 40–50% of the total inorganic load was reported. Part of the differences could be methodological, but inspection of the nutrient profiles that led to these conclusions show them to be different to the ones used in our study. The oxygen deficient zone has moved upstream since the late seventies, entrailing the zone of denitrification into the riverine part of the Schelde. The nitrification process now starts immediately upon entering the estuary.     

Some features of ocean currents in Gulf of Nicoya, Costa Rica

The spatial and vertical structure of the water currents and its relationship with the tidal cycles were studied using current meters in the Gulf of Nicoya. In the upper gulf, the vertical marine current differences increase as the depth increases. The water column at the station near Chira Island (upper gulf) shows the smaller changes in currents and in temperature. The flow at the station between San Lucas Island and Puntarenas (middle gulf) is the most stratified in this region. Currents with magnitudes over 100 cm/seg were measured during spring tides. Changes in the lags of the surface and bottom tidal flows were measured on the order of 100 minutes. In general, in this upper region the flows are toward the head of the gulf when the tide is flooding and toward the mouth when the tide is ebbing. In the lower gulf the circulation is more complex. Along an axis between Tárcoles and Negritos Islands, changes of velocity vectors are identified between surface and bottom. The current rotates in a different way in the water column in this region and their patterns cannot be explained only by the tidal cycles predicted for Puntarenas. These results demonstrate that the spatial and vertical variation of the marine currents of the Gulf of Nicoya is not only related to the thermohaline structure, but also to the tidal cycles and tide ranges that take place in this estuary.     

The influence of freshwater flows on two estuarine resident fish species show differential sensitivity to the impacts of drought,flood and climate change

Estuaries are particularly susceptible to climate change and drought resulting in atypical changes to freshwater flows. How such changes in flow impact on the ecology of estuarine fishes may depend on how a species moves in response to changing flow conditions. Acoustic telemetry was used to interpret fine-scale movements of two co-inhabiting estuarine fish species, black bream, Acanthopagrus butcheri and estuary perch, Macquaria colonorum in relation to freshwater flows, season and moon phase. We found black bream to be highly mobile, regularly travelling the length of the estuary and into the neighbouring estuaries. In contrast, estuary perch had particular home ranges and made occasional, upstream or downstream movements. Possibly influenced by freshwater flows, estuary perch moved at greater rates in the Tambo compared to fish in the Mitchell. Black bream resided in the upper estuary during winter and spring and the lower estuary during summer and autumn, whereas estuary perch remained in the upper estuary throughout the year, with occasional downstream movements in winter and spring. This study revealed 1) significantly large increases in freshwater flows result in mass downstream movements in both species, 2) fish moved upstream during full moons and 3) there are contrasting spatio-temporal patterns in movement between species. The results from this study highlight that estuarine fishes are likely to show differential sensitivity to the impacts of drought and climate change and illustrate how acoustic telemetry methods can be used to determine the environmental needs of fishes and help efforts to conserve and manage estuaries worldwide.     

The Sankey Diagram in Energy and Material Flow Management

The Sankey diagram is an important aid in pointing up inefficiencies and potential for savings in connection with resource use. This article, the second of a pair, examines the use of Sankey diagrams in operational material flow management. The previous article described the development of the diagram and its use in the past.
Simple Sankey diagrams follow the requirement of conservation of energy or mass and allow a physical view of production systems. Advanced diagrams integrate stocks of materials beside the flows or show the different (ecological) quality of the materials. For the purpose of management, however, a further step is necessary: to illustrate the economic value of the energy and material flows and to use information from cost accounting. The use of flow charts showing added value or the costs of energy and material flows is particularly important for production systems. This article describes examples of each of these uses as well as assumptions that must be taken into account for Sankey diagrams to be used as an effective aid for decision-making in business and public policy.     

The Benthic Macrofauna Associated with the Oyster Reefs of the James River Estuary,Virginia, U.S.A.

Productive, natural oyster reefs within the James River estuary, were quantitatively sampled for associated macrofauna for a year. The 192 samples yielded 142 taxa. Mean faunal density on these reefs ranged from 5,757 to 57,857 m⁻². Over 770/0 of the individuals collected belonged to 11 taxa. The number of species and informational diversity (H') decreased up the estuarine gradient. The quality of available shell surface was deemed important in determining density. The spatial heterogeneity provided by the shell surface allowed development of a densely populated, diverse faunal assemblage which differs from soft-bottom assemblages principally in quantitative aspects. The assemblage is not spatially or temporally homogeneous and undergoes significant changes in community structure both seasonally and along the estuarine gradient.     

Heavy metals in the Rosetta estuary of the Nile and the adjoining Mediterranean waters: evidence of removal of dissolved heavy metals from waters as a result of possible binding to suspended matter

The Rosetta estuary was partially separated from the Rosetta branch of the Nile by Edfina Barrage, which controls the Nile discharge into the Mediterranean Sea. The study area covers the Rosetta estuary (lotic environment) and the adjoining seawaters (lentic environment) to investigate the local and seasonal distribution of dissolved and particulate copper and zinc, as well as dissolved cadmium in this estuary and to illustrate its influence on the distribution of these metal forms in the inshore seawaters. Besides, emphasis on the removal of dissolved heavy metals from waters by their adsorption onto suspended matter (SM) was also considered. Contrary to particulate copper (PCu), the vertical values of dissolved copper (DCu) decreased generally with depth. Planktonic scavenging and regeneration processes might determine the vertical profiles of the copper forms. The copper data suggest that the surface sources of DCu exceeded the bottom sources, contrary to the sources of PCu. The markedly high and maximum seasonal averages of DCu in the estuary and inshore seawater in July inspite of the high uptake in summer possibly reflect higher amounts of humic materials. The lowest seasonal average value of DCu in the inshore seawater in January suggests removal of copper in presence of maximum value of SM during highest discharge. The highest regional average of DCu at the estuarine mouth coincided with desorption process during mixing of the fresh and salt waters. The vertical values of dissolved zinc (DZn) and particulate zinc (PZn) showed irregular variations and their high concentrations in the surface of the estuarine and inshore seawater indicate possible land-based sources. The high bottom DZn values, however, resulted from its contribution from the interstitial water of the sediments. The data suggest that the surface sources of DZn exceeded the bottom sources and PZn showed the opposite trend in the open sea area. In the estuary, the maximum seasonal average value of DZn accompanied by the lowest seasonal average of PZn in April inspite of the high uptake in spring suggest that desorption was the dominant process. The minimum regional averages of both zinc forms at the estuarine opening and the highest average of PZn near Edfina Barage are correlated with the amounts of SM, which decreased toward the estuarine mouth. The vertical values of dissolved cadmium (DCd) were much lower in the estuary than the other metals. They showed in both environments irregular variations with depth. The bottom maximum value of DCd can be attributed mainly to contamination from the sediments. There was a distinct seasonal variation of DCd. The minimum seasonal average value of DCd in the estuary in April seems to be caused by its specific binding to living plankton found in abundance. The minimum regional average of DCd value was found at the estuarine mouth. The decrease in Cd concentration due to removal from dissolved state is most pronounced in the early stage of mixing. The correlation coefficients of DCd were positive with salinity and negative with SM, indicating that Cd increased seaward. Statistical correlation between Cd and Zn concludes that the factors affecting their distribution are generally the same.     

Cell culture dosimetry for low-frequency magnetic fields

Calculations of the current density and electric field distributions induced in cell cultures by an applied low-frequency magnetic field have assumed that the medium is uniform. This paper calculates these distributions for a more realistic, inhomogeneous, anisotropic model in which the cells are regarded as conducting squares surrounded by insulating membranes. Separate parameters are used to specify the resistivities of the cell interior, the cell membrane parallel to its surface, the cell membrane perpendicular to its surface, and the intercellular junction parallel to the membrane. The presence of gap junctions connecting the interiors of adjacent cells is also considered. For vertical applied magnetic fields, the induced currents and field distributions may deviate considerably from the homogeneous medium model if there is sufficiently tight binding of the cells to each other. The presence of gap junctions can produce relatively large transmembrane electric fields or intracellular current densities. These considerations are generally less important for horizontal applied fields. A simple microscopic model of the cell surface is also discussed. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Suspended matter in the Scheldt estuary

The Scheldt estuary is characterised by a specific energy pattern resulting from the interaction of wave energy, tidal energy and river energy. It divides the estuary into three parts and governs suspended matter transport and distribution pattern. Observation of suspended matter transport shows the existence of three estuarine turbidity maxima (ETM), a marine-dominated ETM in the lower estuary at the river mouth, a river-dominated ETM in the upper estuary with suspended matter concentration reaching up to 300 mg/l, and the most important tide-dominated ETM in the middle estuary with suspended matter concentrations from several hundred milligrams per litre up to a few grams per litre. Resuspension is the dominant phenomenon in this last ETM due to the tidal related bottom scour, which is initiated when a critical erosion velocity of 0.56 m/s is exceeded. An assessment of residual current along the axis of the estuary shows distinctive pattern between the surface water flow and the near bottom water flow. Also the local morphology of the river, natural or man-made, has a prominent effect on the orientation and strength of the residual currents flowing along either side of the river or river bend. Evaluation of suspended matter concentration in relation to the current flow shows no systematic correlation either because of phenomena as scour lag and settling lag mainly in the middle estuary, or because of the current independency character of uniform-suspension mainly in the upper and lower estuary. Quantification of suspended matter load exhibits a net downstream transport from the upper estuary, a near-equilibrium sustainable status in the middle estuary and a net upstream transport of suspended matter from the lower estuary. The characteristic of suspended matter is induced by and is a function of e.g. tidal phase, spring-neap tide, longitudinal and vertical distribution mechanisms, seasons, short and long terms of anthropogenic influence and/or estuarine maintenance. Suspended matter is dominated by complex and cohesive organo-mineral aggregates. It consists of a variable amount of an inorganic fraction (average of 89%) and an organic fraction and occurs largely as flocs, the size of which is remarkably larger in the upper estuary and smallest within the ETM in the middle estuary. Independent time series measurements (1990–2000) of suspended matter property show an increasing sand fraction, a decreasing organic matter content, a rise in ¹³C as well as a decrease in water transparency. These independent measurements exhibit coherent consequences of estuarine maintenance operations. Maintenance dredging of the shipping channel and harbours and dumping operation in the Scheldt strengthen marine influence further landward, resulting in a sustained tidal range increment and upstream flow and transport of suspended matter.     

Variable growth rates of the tropical estuarine fish barramundi Lates calcarifer (Bloch) under different freshwater flow conditions

Relationships between freshwater flows and growth rates of the opportunistic predatory finfish barramundi Lates calcarifer in a dry tropical estuary were examined using data from a long-term tag-recapture programme. Lagged effects were not investigated. After accounting for length at release, time at liberty and seasonal variation ( e.g. winter, spring, summer and autumn), growth rates were significantly and positively related to fresh water flowing to the estuary. Effects were present at relatively low levels of freshwater flow ( i.e. 2·15 m³ s⁻¹, the 5th percentile of the mean flow rate experienced by fish in the study during time at liberty). The analysis, although correlative, provides quantitative evidence to support the hypothesis that freshwater flows are important in driving the productivity of estuaries and can improve growth of species high in the trophic chain.     

Assembly processes and source tracking of planktonic and benthic bacterial communities in the Yellow River estuary

Estuaries connect rivers with the ocean and are considered transition regions due to the continuous inputs from rivers. Microbiota from different sources converge and undergo succession in these transition regions, but their assembly mechanisms along environmental gradients remain unclear. Here, we found that salinity had a stronger effect on planktonic than on benthic microbial communities, and the dominant planktonic bacteria changed more distinctly than the dominant benthic bacteria with changes in salinity. The planktonic bacteria in the brackish water came mainly from seawater, which was confirmed in the laboratory, whereas the benthic bacteria were weakly affected by salinity, which appeared to be a mixture of the bacteria from riverine and oceanic sediments. Benthic bacterial community assembly in the sediments was mainly controlled by homogeneous selection and almost unaffected by changes in salinity, the dominant assemblage processes for planktonic bacteria changed dramatically along the salinity gradient, from homogeneous selection in freshwater to drift in seawater. Our results highlight that salinity is the key driver of estuarine microbial succession and that salinity is more important in shaping planktonic than benthic bacterial communities in the Yellow River estuary.