title: Baseline nutrient dynamics in shallow well mixed coastal lagoon with seasonal harmful algal blooms and hypoxia formation.
abstract: Weekly inorganic nutrient and chlorophyll-a concentrations were measured to establish baseline conditions in Corpus Christi Bay, Texas during seasonal hypoxia and harmful algal bloom (HAB) formation. Two fixed stations along the southern shoreline were sampled weekly for a continuous year at the same time each day. Weekly shoreline observations were found to be statistically similar to quarterly observations in the bay center, but with a greater power to detect seasonal trends. Dissolved Oxygen (DO)<4 mg/L was measured in June, 2012 along the southern shoreline of Corpus Christi Bay, which places lower DO conditions west of previous estimates. During a bay-wide HAB event in November of 2011 no changes were observed in any of the nutrient or chlorophyll-a observations. This study documents a baseline of nutrients and chlorophyll-a in Corpus Christi Bay during a dry (average salinity>36 PSU) year.
authors.affiliation: Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, 6300 Ocean Drive, Unit 5869, Corpus Christi, TX 78412, USA. Electronic address: evan.turner@tamucc.edu.
authors.forename: Evan L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.affiliation: Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA. Electronic address: bhanu.paudel@drexel.edu.
authors.forename: Bhanu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Paudel
authors.affiliation: Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, 6300 Ocean Drive, Unit 5869, Corpus Christi, TX 78412, USA. Electronic address: paul.montagna@tamucc.edu.
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Montagna
mesh_terms: D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000032:analysis*; D000077194:Chlorophyll A; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D063366:Estuaries; D057097:Harmful Algal Bloom; D007287:Inorganic Chemicals / Q000032:analysis*; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis; D010100:Oxygen / Q000032:analysis*; D010710:Phosphates / Q000032:analysis; D054712:Salinity; D012621:Seasons; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry*; D013781:Texas
chemical_list: D007287:Inorganic Chemicals; D010710:Phosphates; D002734:Chlorophyll; D009584:Nitrogen; D010100:Oxygen; D000077194:Chlorophyll A
keywords: Estuary; HAB; Hypoxia; Lagoon; Nutrients