Assessment of recent sediment influence in an urban polluted subantarctic coastal ecosystem. Beagle Channel (Southern Argentina).
In this study, baseline information about the environmental status of Ushuaia (UB) and Golondrina (GB) bays is presented. Surface and bottom seawater and freshwater discharged from land were evaluated. Multivariate analysis identified different water quality zones within the bays, two of them located next to the north and northwest coastlines of UB, where the majority of human activities are developed. Porosity, total organic matter, biochemical components, ammonium, and phytopigments were determined in sediment samples from each quality zone. Benthic fluxes of nutrients and dissolved oxygen were assessed in situ using opaque chambers. In northwest zone of UB, carbon equivalents of proteins and carbohydrates in surficial sediments were the same order as in hypertrophic ecosystems, whereas ammonium and phosphate released from sediment greatly exceeded the allochthonous sources. Management of municipal wastewater is required to remediate this chronic pollution.
Centro Nacional Patagónico (CONICET), Boulevard Brown 2915, 9120 Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina. monicagil@cenpat.edu.ar
M N
MN
Gil
A I
AI
Torres
O
O
Amin
J L
JL
Esteves
D000641:Ammonia / Q000032:analysis; D001118:Argentina; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis; D002947:Cities; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000737:chemistry; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009566:Nitrates / Q000032:analysis; D010100:Oxygen / Q000032:analysis; D010710:Phosphates / Q000032:analysis; D016062:Porosity; D017640:Silicates / Q000032:analysis; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D009566:Nitrates; D010710:Phosphates; D017640:Silicates; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002244:Carbon; D000641:Ammonia; D010100:Oxygen