Water chemistry and nutrients of the Bahía Blanca Estuary

FREIJE, R.H.; SPETTER, C.; MARCOVECCHIO, J.E.; POPOVICH, C.A.; BOTTÉ, S.E.; NEGRIN, V.; ARIAS, A.; DELUCCHI, F.; ASTEASUAIN, R.

Perspectives on Integrated Coastal Zone Management in South America

IST Scientific Publishers

Lugar: Lisbon; Año: 2008; p. 243 - 256

Different characteristics of the estuarine environments (i.e. geo-morphological, hydrographical, climatic or chemical ones) strongly condition the biodiversity within those systems (Harrison 2004). So, the range of values of the different parameters involved (temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, inorganic nutrients, organic matter, etc) as well as their corresponding seasonality or anomalies would directly determine the scenario where the whole biological processes will occur also including populations movement along different spatial gradients due to physiological problems (Laprise and Dodson 1994). In addition, the distribution and availability of non-conservative constituents such as oxygen, nutrients or organic carbon determine the potential primary production of the system, and consequently the potential transfer of energy to higher trophic levels (Cantoni et al. 2003, Rydberg et al. 2006). The main goal of the present chapter is to summarize the available information on the physicochemical condition of Bahia Blanca estuary, including the corresponding range of values of the considered parameters (temperature, salinity, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, inorganic nutrients (DIN, Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen; DIP, Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorous and DSi, Dissolved Silicates), particulate organic matter and photosynthetic pigments (Chl-a and phaeopigments), and to identify seasonal variations, as well as the influence of external sources.