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Modeling the impact of natural and anthropogenic nutrient sources on phytoplankton dynamics in a shallow coastal domain, Western Australia

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Abstract

The influence of different nutrient sources on the seasonal variation of nutrients and phytoplankton was assessed in the northern area of the Perth coastal margin, south–western Australia. This nearshore area is shallow, semi-enclosed by submerged reefs, oligotrophic, nitrogen-limited and receives sewage effluent via submerged outfalls. Analysis of 14 year of field observations showed seasonal variability in the concentration of dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phytoplankton biomass, measured as chlorophyll-a. For 2007–2008, we quantified dissolved inorganic nitrogen inputs from the main nutrient sources: superficial runoff, groundwater, wastewater treatment plant effluent, atmospheric deposition and exchange with surrounding coastal waters. We validated a three-dimensional hydrodynamic-ecological model and then used it to assess nutrient-phytoplankton dynamics. The model reproduced the temporal and spatial variations of nitrate and chlorophyll-a satisfactorily. Such variations were highly influenced by exchange through the open boundaries driven by the wind field. An alongshore (south–north) flow dominated the flux through the domain, with dissolved inorganic nitrogen annual mean net-exportation. Further, when compared with the input of runoff, the contributions from atmospheric-deposition, groundwater and wastewater effluent to the domain’s inorganic nitrogen annual balance were one, two and three orders of magnitude higher, respectively. Inputs through exchange with offshore waters were considerably larger than previous estimates. When the offshore boundary was forced with remote-sensed derived data, the simulated chlorophyll-a results were closer to the field measurements. Our comprehensive analysis demonstrates the strong influence that the atmosphere–water surface interactions and the offshore dynamics have on the nearshore ecosystem. The results suggest that any additional nutrient removal at the local wastewater treatment plant is not likely to extensively affect the seasonal variations of nutrients and chlorophyll-a. The approach used proved useful for improving the understanding of the coastal ecosystem.

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Acknowledgments

We are thankful to Clelia Marti and two anonymous reviewers for constructive suggestions that improved this manuscript. D.A. Machado was supported by scholarships schemes from the Centre for Water Research (CWR) at The University of Western Australia (UWA) and Water Corporation of Western Australia (WCWA). The following institutions and personnel are acknowledged for facilitating data provision: wastewater effluent and coastal monitoring data by Bob Humphries, Margaret Domurad, Mark Nener, Leanne Brown (WCWA), Mark Bailey and Glenn Shiell (Oceanica Ltd.); meteorological data Glenn Cook and Arthur Simanjuntak (Australian Bureau of Meteorology), Carol Lam (CWR); groundwater data from the Water INformation (WIN) database of the Department of Water of Western Australia (WA); superficial drainage water quality data from the Department of Health of WA; bathymetric and tidal data from the Department of Transport of WA. We thank the MODIS mission scientists and associated NASA personnel for remote-sensed data production, GeoScience Australia for reception of MODIS raw data, CSIRO Land and Water Environmental Earth Observation Programme for processing the MODIS data to end products, in particular David Blondeau-Patissier and Vittorio Brando for their support in providing these products. Jim Greenwood, Barbara Robson, and Graham Symonds (CSIRO Marine at Atmospheric Research) are acknowledged for facilitating and discussing the Marmion Lagoon Measurement Program data. D.A. Machado acknowledges, Russell Teede (Landgate), Ron Oxburgh (UK Parliament), Anthony Smith (CSIRO – Land and Water), CWR and UWA staff and students for technical support and useful feedback provided during preparation of this manuscript. This work constitutes CWR reference number 2636-DM.

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  1. Centre for Water Research, The University of Western Australia, M023, 35 Stirling Hwy., Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia

    Daniel A. Machado & Jörg Imberger

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  1. Daniel A. Machado
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  2. Jörg Imberger
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Correspondence to Daniel A. Machado.

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Machado, D.A., Imberger, J. Modeling the impact of natural and anthropogenic nutrient sources on phytoplankton dynamics in a shallow coastal domain, Western Australia. Environ Fluid Mech 14, 87–111 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10652-013-9296-1

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