Decadal changes in nutrient fluxes and environmental effects in the Jiulong River Estuary.
Estuaries are areas of both freshwater and seawater that are partially enclosed with contact to the open sea and a flow of fresh water. Although the Jiulong River Estuary has a relatively small catchment, this area was found to exhibit high nutrient fluxes. The nutrient fluxes showed obvious fluctuations for different years. The Jiulong River Estuary was predominantly P-limited, and was slowly moving towards higher DIN:DIP and DSi:DIP ratios as the nitrate concentrations increased. The high nutrient fluxes into the estuary may affect estuarine ecosystems by the alteration of DO concentrations in bottom waters, causing harm to benthic fauna due to a lack of oxygen, triggering algal blooms. Additionally, the Jiulong River Estuary was slowly moving towards lower DSi:DIN and DSi:DIP ratios along with the change of time scales, which caused nutrient limitation of phytoplankton growth as P and Si levels decreased and became more limiting.
State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal Wetland Ecosystems, College of Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China.
Gaojie
G
Wu
State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal Wetland Ecosystems, College of Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China. Electronic address: wzcao@xmu.edu.cn.
Wenzhi
W
Cao
State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal Wetland Ecosystems, College of Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China.
Zheng
Z
Huang
Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 70, Lienhai Road, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan.
Chih-Ming
CM
Kao
Department of Environmental Engineering, National I-Lan University, No. 1, Sheen Lung Road, I-Lan 26047, Taiwan.
Chang-Tang
CT
Chang
Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Taiwan University, No. 71, Chou-Shan Road, Taipei 10673, Taiwan.
Pen-Chi
PC
Chiang
State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal Wetland Ecosystems, College of Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China.
Feifei
F
Wang
D002681:China; D002980:Climate; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D063366:Estuaries; D005068:Eutrophication; D009566:Nitrates / Q000032:analysis; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D010839:Phytoplankton / Q000254:growth & development; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry*
D009566:Nitrates
Eutrophication; Jiulong River Estuary; Nutrient fluxes; Nutrient limitation