Effect of sewage nutrients on algal production, biomass and pigments in tropical tidal creeks

MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN

卷:64

Article

Burford, M. A.¹  Revill, A. T.²  Smith, J.³  Clementson, L.² 

[1] Griffith Univ, Australian Rivers Inst, Nathan, Qld 4111, Australia

[2] CSIRO Marine & Atmospher Res, Hobart, Tas 7001, Australia

[3] Geosci Australia, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia

关键词: Phytoplankton;    Benthic microalgae;    Microphytobenthos;    Sewage markers;    Coprostanol;    Nitrogen;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.marpolbul.2012.10.008

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

Microalgal blooms can result from anthropogenic nutrient loadings in coastal ecosystems. However, differentiating sources of nutrients remains a challenge. The response of phytoplankton and benthic microalgae (BMA) to nutrient loads was compared across tropical tidal creeks with and without secondary treated sewage. Primary productivity in the water column was limited by nitrogen availability in absence of sewage, with nitrogen saturation in the presence of sewage. Phytoplankton primary productivity rates and chlorophyll a concentrations increased in response to sewage, and there was a greater response than for BMA. There was no change in algal pigment proportions within the phytoplankton or BMA communities. Concentrations of the sewage marker, coprostanol, were higher near sewage discharge points decreasing downstream, correlating with a decline in nutrient concentrations. This suggests that sewage was the main source of nitrogen and phosphorus. This study highlights the scale and type of response of algal communities to sewage nutrients. Crown Copyright (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

【 授权许可】

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