Chemistry and Water Quality

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 2007-2012, Brandi Lubliner, Washington Department of Ecology

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

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

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

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

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

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, 2011. Spatial and temporal patterns in seasonal hypoxia in Bellingham Bay. Abstract, Proceedings of the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference, Vancouver BC, October 25-27, 2011.

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

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 1999-2008

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

Something else is going on in Puget Sound

Nitrate concentrations are increasing (non-oceanic cause) Nitrate anomalies ( µm, 0-30m) 3 2 1 0-1 -2 y = 0.2007x - 402.49 R² = 0.4003 Spearman Rank Corr. Coef. p=<0.05-3 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 Phosphate is also increasing! Si:N anomalies (0-30m) 25 20 15 10 5 0-5 Spearman Rank Corr. Coef. p=<0.05 y = -0.9223x + 1855.4 R² = 0.3423-10 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014

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 ADM002-0.2 56 ADM001-0.2 83 PSB003-0.6 24 GRG002-1.0 12 EAP001-0.4 39 GOR001-0.4 43 ADM003-3.0 5 ELB015-0.4 43 CMB003-0.7 25 NSQ002-0.5 37 DNA001-0.8 24 SIN001-8.4 2 PSS019-7.2 2 SAR003-3.3 6 BLL009-7.3 2 OAK004-120.6 0 HCB004-43.4 1 BUD005-37.9 1

Aerial photography 7-28-2014 4 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.

Aerial photography 7-28-2014 14 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.

P U G E T Indications of changes in the lower food web 100 80 60 40 20 0-20 -40-60 -80-100 1998 y = -5.4448x + 10943 R² = 0.5267 2000 2002 Chlorophyll [mg m -2 ] 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 0.04 0.03 0.02 0.01 0.00-0.01-0.02-0.03-0.04 1998 y = 0.0017x - 3.3452 R² = 0.263 2000 2002 Nitrate : DIN 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 S O U N D 15 10 5 0-5 -10-15 1998 2000 2002 Transmissivity [%] 2004 y = 0.5973x - 1198.3 R² = 0.7608 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 8 6 4 2 0-2 -4-6 -8 1998 Depth of Phytoplankton [m] 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014

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)

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 11.0 3 NO3 16.9 15 PO4 1.8 18

B E L L I N G H A M B A Y 1.6 1.4 1.2 1 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0-0.2-0.4-0.6 1998 2000 Ammonium [µm] y = 0.0601x - 120.26 R² = 0.2965 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 Ranks no. 7 for yearly avg but no. 1 for trends in monitoring station network

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 2007-2012, Brandi Lubliner, Washington Department of Ecology

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) 100 80 60 40 20 0-20 -40 Nitrate and Chl a Spearman Rank Corr. Coef. p=<0.05 y = -19.507x + 20.642 R² = 0.6486-3 -2-1 0 1 2 3 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., 2005. The balance between microzooplankton grazing and phytoplankton growth in a highly productive estuarine fjord. Progress in Oceanography 67:366 383. What controls phytoplankton inter-annual variability could also control nutrients in Puget Sound?