Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Decadal weakening of the wind-induced upwelling reduces the impact of nutrient pollution in the Bay of Málaga (western Mediterranean Sea)

  • Primary Research Paper
  • Published:
Hydrobiologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The hypothesis that nitrate versus phosphate regulates the coastal primary production has been assessed at different time scales in the northwest Alboran Sea. Time series of temperature, salinity, nutrients and chlorophyll a obtained at three stations located off Málaga city (the greatest coastal urban core along the Alboran Sea shoreline) from 1992 to 2006 have been analysed. At the decadal scale, temperature increased linearly while salinity decreased. These changes were related to a shift in the wind regime suggesting that coastal upwelling became steadily weaker. In contrast to phosphate, nitrate was positively correlated with salinity at the seasonal scale and decreased linearly from 1992 to 2006. Seasonal and decadal changes in chlorophyll a were correlated with nitrate (and uncorrelated with phosphate). However, non-regular variability in chlorophyll a was correlated with phosphate. Consequently, the results demonstrate that nitrate controls the phytoplankton biomass at the inter-annual scale while both nitrate and phosphate do so at a shorter time scale. The Bay of Málaga receives elevated entries of domestic waste waters that release high loads of phosphate compared to nitrate. Our analysis indicates that the expected impact of this pollution on chlorophyll a at the inter-annual scale is reduced in comparison with the effects of atmospheric forcing.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alpine, A. E. & J. E. Cloern, 1992. Trophic interactions and direct physical effects control phytoplankton biomass and production in an estuary. Limnology and Oceanography 37: 946–955.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bakun, A., 1990. Global climate change and intensification of coastal ocean upwelling. Science 247: 198–201.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bakun, A. & V. N. Agostini, 2001. Seasonal patterns of wind-induced upwelling/dowelling in the Mediterranean Sea. Scientia Marina 65: 243–257.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baldacci, A., G. Corsini, R. Grasso, G. Manzella, J. T. Allen, P. Cipollini, T. H. Guymer & H. M. Snaith, 2001. A study of the Alboran Sea mesoscale system by means of empirical orthogonal function decomposition of satellite data. Journal of Marine System 29: 293–311.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Balls, P. W., A. Macdonald, K. Pugh & A. C. Edwards, 1995. Long-term nutrient enrichment of an estuarine system: Ythan, Scotland (1958–1993). Environmental Pollution 90: 311–321.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Béthoux, J. P., P. Morin & D. P. Ruiz-Pino, 2002. Temporal trends in nutrient ratios: chemical evidence of Mediterranean ecosystem changes driven by human activity. Deep-Sea Research II 49: 2007–2016.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brzezinski, M. A., 1985. The Si:C:N ratio of marine diatoms: interspecific variability and the effect of some environmental variables. Journal of Phycology 21: 347–357.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cloern, J. E., 2001. Our evolving conceptual model of the coastal eutrophication problem. Marine Ecology Progress Series 210: 223–253.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Consejeria de Medio Ambiente, 2008. Informe Ambiental de Andalucía. Ed. Junta de Andalucía, Seville, 401 pp.

  • Costé, B., P. Le Corre & H. J. Minas, 1988. Re-evaluation of the nutrient exchanges in the Strait of Gibraltar. Deep-Sea Research 35: 767–775.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Echevarría, F., J. García-Lafuente, M. Bruno, G. Gorsky, M. Goutx, N. González, C. M. García, F. Gómez, J. M. Vargas, M. Picheral, L. Striby, M. Varela, J. J. Alonso, A. Reul, A. Cozar, L. Prieto, T. Sarhan, F. Plaza & F. Jiménez-Gómez, 2002. Physical and biological coupling in the Strait of Gibraltar. Deep-Sea Research II 49(19): 4115–4130.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garcia-Gorriz, E. & M. E. Carr, 2001. Physical control of phytoplankton distributions in the Alboran Sea: a numerical and satellite approach. Journal of Geophysical Research 106(C8): 16795–16805.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gardner, E. S., 1985. Exponential smoothing: the state of the art. Journal of Forecasting 4: 1–28.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gascard, J. C. & C. Richez, 1985. Water masses and circulation in the western Alboran Sea and in the Straits of Gibraltar. Progress in Oceanography 15: 157–216.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gil, J. & D. Gomis. 1994. Circulación geostrófica, dinámica de mesoescala y fertilización de los niveles superficiales en el sector norte del Mar de Alborán. Julio 1991. Boletín Instituto Español de Oceanografía 10:95–117

  • Gómez, F., N. Gonzalez, F. Echevarría & C. M. García, 2000. Distribution and fluxes of dissolved nutrients in the Strait of Gibraltar and its relationships to microphytoplankton biomass. Esturine Coastal and Shelf Science 51: 439–449.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gómez, F., G. Gorsky, L. Striby, J. M. Vargas, N. González, M. Picheral, J. García-Lafuente, M. Varela & M. Goutx, 2001. Small-scale temporal variations in biogeochemical features in the Strait of Gibraltar, Mediterranean side—the role of NACW and the interface oscillation. Journal of Marine System 30: 207–220.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gómez, F., G. Gorsky, E. Garcia-Gorriz & M. Picheral, 2004. Control of phytoplankton distribution in the Strait of Gibraltar by wind and fortnightly tides. Esturine Coastal and Shelf Science 59: 85–497.

    Google Scholar 

  • Howarth, R. W., 2008. Coastal nitrogen pollution: a review of sources and trends globally and regionally. Harmful Algae 8: 14–20.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Howarth, R. W., & R. Marino, 2006. Nitrogen as the limiting nutrient for eutrophication in coastal marine ecosystems: evolving views over three decades. Limnology and Oceanography 51:364–376

    Google Scholar 

  • Kendall, M. & J. K. Ord, 1990. Time Series, 3rd edn. Edward Arnold, Suffolk.

    Google Scholar 

  • LaViolette, P. E., 1984. The advection of submesoscale thermal features in the Alboran Sea gyre. Journal of Physical Oceanography 14: 550–565.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lemos, R. T. & H. O. Pires, 2004. The upwelling regime off the West Portuguese Coast 1941–2000. International Journal of Climatology 24: 511–524.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, W. K. W., M. R. Lewis & W. G. Harrison, 2010. Multiscalarity of the nutrient–chlorophyll relationship in coastal phytoplankton. Estuaries and Coasts 33: 440–447.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lucaya, N. C. & J. G. Lafuente, 1991. Corrientes en el litoral malagueño. Baja frecuencia. Boletín del Instituto Español de Oceanografía 7: 59–77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Macías, D., C. M. García, F. Echevarría, A. Vázquez & M. Bruno, 2006. Tidal induced variability of mixing processes on Camarinal sill (Strait of Gibraltar): a pulsating event. Journal of Marine System 60: 177–192.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Macías, D., G. Navarro, F. Echevarría, C. M. García & J. L. Cueto, 2007. Phytoplankton pigment distribution in the Northwestern Alboran Sea and meteorological forcing: a remote sensing study. Journal of Marine Research 65: 523–543.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Makridakis, S. & S. Wheelwright, 1989. Forecasting Methods for Management, 5th edn. Wiley, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • McGregor, H. V., M. Dima, H. W. Fischer & S. Mulitza, 2007. Rapid 20th-century increase in coastal upwelling off Northwest Africa. Science 315: 637–639.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McQuatters-Gollop, A., A. J. Gilbert, L. D. Mee, J. E. Vermaat, Y. Artioli, C. Humborg & F. Wulff, 2009. How well do ecosystem indicators communicate the effects of anthropogenic eutrophication? Esturine Coastal Shelf Science 82: 583–596.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mercado, J. M., T. Ramírez, D. Cortés, M. Sebastián & M. Vargas-Yañez, 2005. Seasonal and inter-annual variability of the phytoplankton communities in an upwelling area of the Alboran Sea (SW Mediterranean Sea). Scientia Marina 69: 451–465.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mercado, J. M., D. Cortés, A. García & T. Ramírez, 2007. Seasonal and inter-annual changes in the planktonic communities of the northwest Alboran Sea (Mediterranean Sea). Progress in Oceanography 74: 273–293.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mercado, J. M., T. Ramírez & D. Cortés, 2008a. Changes in nutrient concentration induced by hydrological variability and its effect on light absorption by phytoplankton in the Alborán Sea (Western Mediterranean Sea). Journal of Marine System 71: 31–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mercado, J. M., T. Ramírez, D. Cortés, M. Sebastián, E. Liger & B. Bautista, 2008b. Partitioning the effects of changes in nitrate availability and phytoplankton community structure on relative nitrate uptake. Marine Ecology Progress Series 359: 51–68.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mercado, J. M., T. Ramírez, D. Cortés & E. Liger, 2009. Effect of carbonic anhydrase inhibitors on the inorganic carbon uptake by phytoplankton natural assemblages. Journal of Phycology 45: 8–15.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Minas, H. J., B. Costé, P. Le Corre, M. Minas & P. Raimbault, 1991. Biological and geochemical structures associated with the water circulation through the Strait of Gibraltar and in the Western Alboran Sea. Journal of Geophysical Research 96(C5): 8755–8771.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Monbet, Y., 1992. Control of phytoplankton biomass in estuaries: a comparative analysis of microtidal and macrotidal estuaries. Estuaries 15: 563–571.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Montgomery, D. C., L. A. Johnson & J. S. Gardiner, 1990. Forecasting and Time Series Analysis, 2nd edn. McGraw-Hill, Inc., New York, NY.

    Google Scholar 

  • Narayan, N., A. Paul, S. Mulitza & M. Schulz, 2010. Trends in coastal upwelling intensity during the late 20th century. Ocean Science Discussion 7: 335–360.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pérez-Ruzafa, A., J. Gilabert, J. M. Gutiérrez, A. I. Fernández, C. Marcos & S. Sabah, 2002. Evidence of a planktonic food web response to changes in nutrient input dynamics in the Mar Menor coastal lagoon, Spain. Hydrobiologia 475(476): 359–369.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pérez-Ruzafa, A., A. I. Fernández, C. Marcos, J. Gilabert, J. I. Quispe & J. A. García-Charton, 2005. Spatial and temporal variations of hydrological conditions, nutrients and chlorophyll a in a Mediterranean coastal lagoon (Mar Menor Spain). Hydrobiologia 550: 11–27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramírez, T., D. Cortés, J. M. Mercado, M. Vargas-Yañez, M. Sebastián & E. Liger, 2005. Seasonal dynamics of inorganic nutrients and phytoplankton biomass in the NW Alboran Sea. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science 65: 654–670.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reul, A., V. Rodríguez, F. Jiménez-Gómez, J. M. Blanco, B. Bautista, T. Sarhan, F. Guerrero, J. Ruíz & J. García-Lafuente, 2005. Variability in the spatio-temporal distribution and size–structure of phytoplankton across an upwelling area in the NW-Alboran Sea (W-Mediterranean). Continental Shelf Research 25: 589–608.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rodríguez, V., J. M. Blanco, F. Jiménez-Gómez, J. Rodriguez, F. Echevarría & F. Guerrero, 1997. Distribución espacial de algunos estimadores de biomasa fitoplanctónica y material orgánico particulado en el mar de Alborán, en condiciones de estratificación térmica (julio 1993). Publicaciones Especiales del Instituto Español de Oceanografía 24: 53–64.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sarhan, T., J. García Lafuente, M. Vargas, J. M. Vargas & F. Plaza, 2000. Upwelling mechanisms in the northwestern Alboran Sea. Journal of Marine System 23: 317–331.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Savenkoff, C., J. P. Chanut & A. F. Vézina, 1995. Distribution of biological activity in the Lower St Lawrence Estuary as determined by multivariable analysis. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science 40: 647–664.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tintoré, J., D. Gomis, S. Alonso & G. Parrilla, 1991. Mesoscale dynamics and vertical motion in the Alboran Sea. Journal of Physical Oceanography 21: 811–823.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank the crew of the RV ‘Odón de Buen’ for their invaluable help at sea and AEMET (Agencia Estatal de Meteorología; Observatorio Zonal de Málaga) for kindly providing the wind data. The work at the sea was funded by the Instituto Español de Oceanografía (Project ECOMÁLAGA). The analyses of the data have been performed within the Projects NITROALBORAN CTM2006-00426 and TROFOALBORAN CTM2009-07776 funded by Ministerio de Innovación y Ciencia from Spain (co-funded from FEDER, EU).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga, Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Puerto Pesquero s/n. Apdo. 285, 29640, Fuengirola, Málaga, Spain

    Jesús M. Mercado, Dolores Cortés, Teodoro Ramírez & Francisco Gómez

Authors
  1. Jesús M. Mercado
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Dolores Cortés
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Teodoro Ramírez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Francisco Gómez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jesús M. Mercado.

Additional information

Handling editor: Judit Padisak

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mercado, J.M., Cortés, D., Ramírez, T. et al. Decadal weakening of the wind-induced upwelling reduces the impact of nutrient pollution in the Bay of Málaga (western Mediterranean Sea). Hydrobiologia 680, 91–107 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-011-0906-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-011-0906-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation