Chemistry and Water Quality

Transcription

1 Chemistry and Water Quality Overview of sediment and water quality conditions and implications for biological systems including highlights of current research and data gaps. Facilitator: Christopher Krembs, Washington Department of Ecology Speakers: 1. Sediment Quality in Bellingham Bay Decadal Trends and Current Patterns, Valerie Partridge, Washington Department of Ecology 2. Bacteria and Fecal Coliform Jean Snyder, State Department of Health 3. Stormwater Data Characterization: Results from Phase I Monitoring , Brandi Lubliner, Washington Department of Ecology

2 Bellingham Bay, influences on many spatial and temporal scales Sediment transport (Samish River) and fronts

3 Bellingham Bay, influences on many spatial and temporal scales Algal mats and intense phytoplankton blooms

4 Bellingham Bay, influences on many spatial and temporal scales River plumes (Nooksack) and phytoplankton blooms interact

5 Bellingham Bay, influences on many spatial and temporal scales Water is stratified, internal waves interacting with surface

6 Bellingham Bay, influences on many spatial and temporal scales Phytoplankton blooms inside river plume, low light

7 Hypoxic waters typically cover a substantial portion of the central Bay and appear to be related to an area of highest residence time. Apple, J., DeLand, S., Brockie, L., Clausing, C., and J. Green, Spatial and temporal patterns in seasonal hypoxia in Bellingham Bay. Abstract, Proceedings of the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference, Vancouver BC, October 25-27, 2011.

8 The ocean influences water quality How much is Bellingham Bay influenced?

9 Measuring long-term trends in eutrophication, dissolved oxygen and physical variables Greater Puget Sound region Water Quality variables measured monthly at 27 stations Physical variables Temperature Salinity Density Seaplane Ferry Satellite Moorings Chemical variables Oxygen Nitrate Silicate Phosphate Ammonium Nutrient ratios ph Bio-optical variables Water clarity Chlorophyll a Euphotic depth Monthly Baselines

10 Ocean boundary conditions impact PS water quality A-B C-D Sea Surface Temperature - Pacific Decadal Oscillations Index Upwelling - Upwelling Index (anomalies) Anomalies in Thermal Energy Content, 0-50m Spearman Rank Corr. Coef. p=<0.05 Spearman Rank Corr. Coef. p=<0.05 ) Anomalies in Dissolved Oxygen Deficit, >20m

11 Something else is going on in Puget Sound

12 Nitrate concentrations are increasing (non-oceanic cause) Nitrate anomalies ( µm, 0-30m) y = x R² = Spearman Rank Corr. Coef. p=< Phosphate is also increasing! Si:N anomalies (0-30m) Spearman Rank Corr. Coef. p=<0.05 y = x R² =

13 Si:N ratio trends in Puget Sound A shift in the Si:N atomic ratio <1:1 increases the proportion of flagellate algae, (Officer and Ryther, 1980). Independent of the ocean, the Si:N ratios continue to fall! In some places the projected 1:1 ratio is reached in few years! Month Delta 14-y Years ADM ADM PSB GRG EAP GOR ADM ELB CMB NSQ DNA SIN PSS SAR BLL OAK HCB BUD

14 Aerial photography Navigate Field log Weather Water column Aerial photos Ferry and Satellite Moorings Shellfish farm Jellyfish Red-brown bloom mixed into sediment-rich river plume. Jellyfish patches. Location: Deepwater Point, Totten Inlet (South Sound), 10:27 AM.

15 Aerial photography Navigate Field log Weather Water column Aerial photos Ferry and Satellite Moorings Boat Boat Patches of red-brown bloom diverging around Jack Island due to tides. Location: North of Guemes Island (North Sound), 3:31 PM.

16 P U G E T Indications of changes in the lower food web y = x R² = Chlorophyll [mg m -2 ] y = x R² = Nitrate : DIN S O U N D Transmissivity [%] 2004 y = x R² = Depth of Phytoplankton [m]

17 Noctiluca blooms are large (eutrophication indicator) A strong competitor to copepods that feed on diatoms! Food : No food preference! (Diatoms, flagellates, detritus, nauplii, copepod and fish eggs ) sail boat Poster Noctiluca rapidly recycles sinking fecal pellets and retains nutrients in the surface. (Kiørboe, Thomas 2003)

18 How does BHB fit into the larger pattern of Puget Sound? Trends: Puget Sound Nitrate increasing Phosphate increasing Nutrient ratio Si:DIN decreasing Bellingham Bay NH 4 increasing Water is getting clearer Phytoplankton biomass decreasing Nitrogen speciation changing - - Status: Variable Annual Median RANK ALL STATIONS N:P NO PO

19 B E L L I N G H A M B A Y Ammonium [µm] y = x R² = Ranks no. 7 for yearly avg but no. 1 for trends in monitoring station network

20 Chemistry and Water Quality Overview of sediment and water quality conditions and implications for biological systems including highlights of current research and data gaps. Facilitator: Christopher Krembs, Washington Department of Ecology Speakers: 1. Sediment Quality in Bellingham Bay Decadal Trends and Current Patterns, Valerie Partridge, Washington Department of Ecology 2. Bacteria and Fecal Coliform Jean Snyder, State Department of Health 3. Stormwater Data Characterization: Results from Phase I Monitoring , Brandi Lubliner, Washington Department of Ecology

21 Inter-annual variability in phytoplankton biomass could explain changes in macro-nutrients? Chlorophyll a anomalies (mg Chl a m -2, 0-50m) Chl a anomalies (micro gram m-2) Nitrate and Chl a Spearman Rank Corr. Coef. p=<0.05 y = x R² = Nitrate Nitrate anomalies (micro (µm, Molar) 0-30m) Micro-zooplankton (<200 µm) Micro-zooplankton grazers can remove the entire diatom standing stock each day! Balance between microzooplankton grazing and phytoplankton growth in Dabob Bay (Hood Canal) Leising et al., The balance between microzooplankton grazing and phytoplankton growth in a highly productive estuarine fjord. Progress in Oceanography 67: What controls phytoplankton inter-annual variability could also control nutrients in Puget Sound?