Contrasting nutrient distributions during dry and rainy seasons in coastal waters of the southern Gulf of Mexico driven by the Grijalva-Usumacinta River discharges

Cardoso-Mohedano, Jose-Gilberto; Canales-Delgadillo, Julio; Sanchez-Muñoz, Wendy-Nahomy; Sánchez-Cabeza, Joan-Albert; Esqueda-Lara, Karina; Gómez-Ponce, Mario Alejandro; Ruíz-Fernández, Ana Carolina; Alonso-Rodrı́guez, Rosalba; González, J. A. Lestayo; Merino–Ibarra, Martín

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113584

Cited by 12 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Interestingly, TN:TP in the Grijalva at Site 5 and in the Usumacinta at Site 7 only differ during the dry season, probably reflecting greater contribution of urban wastewater in the Grijalva during that period. Ratios calculated based on the combined nutrient loads of the Grijalva and Usumacinta at sites 5 and 7, respectively (Figure 6), were similar to those reported by Cardoso‐Mohedano et al (2022) for coastal areas adjacent to the Grijalva–Usumacinta mouth during the rainy season; however, our values for the dry season are lower and most likely driven by the greater contribution of low TN:TP water from the Grijalva River, in addition to decreased freshwater inputs into the ocean during that period.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

“…More disturbed rivers with greater TP concentrations like the Coatzacoalcos, Papaloapan, and Brazos (Figure 9) may represent important phosphorus sources for the Gulf of Mexico, after the Mississippi and Lower Atchafalaya (Table 4). Recent transport estimates for the Grijalva–Usumacinta are greater than our results, likely because they were based on nutrient measurements in coastal waters during the rainy season (Cardoso‐Mohedano et al, 2022). In addition, discharge at the Grijalva sites during the study period were lower than long‐term averages (Figure 3), suggesting that our results for the Grijalva River (Site 5) likely are underestimating the nutrient contribution of this river to the Gulf of Mexico.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 77%

“…Although our results are the first estimates based on monthly concentration measurements for the Grijalva-Usumacinta system and will contribute to build a nutrient budget for the Gulf of Mexico, data from other rivers draining the Mexican portion of the Gulf of Mexico watershed are required to estimate the amount of nutrients entering the Gulf of Mexico. Particularly, daily discharge and frequent nutrient concentration data (at least on monthly interval) on a multiannual basis are needed to accurately calculate annual nutrient loading and identify main sources.Nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in coastal areas adjacent to the Grijalva-Usumacinta mouth suggest hypereutrophic state during the rainy season(Cardoso-Mohedano et al, 2022), that can be associated to the higher nutrient loading measured during the rainy and nortes season in this study (Figure8). Although current knowledge indicates that hypoxia events in the Grijalva-Usumacinta mouth only occur during flood events(Cardoso-Mohedano et al, 2020;Machain-Castillo et al, 2020), increase in nutrient transport due to land use changes and population growth in the Grijalva-Usumacinta Basin could contribute to the seasonal presence of hypoxic waters in the southern Gulf of Mexico.…”

mentioning

confidence: 49%

“…Recent findings indicate that the formation of this hypoxia zone does not occur on a recurrent or annual basis and rather could be associated with periods of high flow or floods in the Grijalva-Usumacinta system, which is the second fresh water input to the Gulf after the Mississippi-Atchafalaya (Cardoso-Mohedano et al, 2020;Cardoso-Mohedano et al, 2022;Signoret et al, 2006). Thus, understanding seasonal patterns in nutrient transport of the Grijalva-Usumacinta can help to predict responses in primary productivity and oxygen concentrations in coastal areas of the southern Gulf of Mexico.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although the hypoxia zone in the northern Gulf of Mexico, associated to nutrient inputs from the Mississippi River have been extensively documented (Rabalais, 2011; Turner et al, 2013), studies on the hypoxia area detected in the southern Gulf of Mexico in 1999 are limited (Signoret et al, 2006). Recent findings indicate that the formation of this hypoxia zone does not occur on a recurrent or annual basis and rather could be associated with periods of high flow or floods in the Grijalva–Usumacinta system, which is the second fresh water input to the Gulf after the Mississippi‐ Atchafalaya (Cardoso‐Mohedano et al, 2020; Cardoso‐Mohedano et al, 2022; Signoret et al, 2006). Thus, understanding seasonal patterns in nutrient transport of the Grijalva–Usumacinta can help to predict responses in primary productivity and oxygen concentrations in coastal areas of the southern Gulf of Mexico.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Transport of nutrients into the southern Gulf of Mexico by the Grijalva–Usumacinta rivers

Castillo-Uzcanga

Carrillo

Jarquín-Sánchez

et al. 2023

Hydrological Processes

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Nutrient transport by rivers strongly influences ecosystem productivity and hypoxia zone formation in coastal areas. In this study, we estimated the transport of nitrogen and phosphorus by the Grijalva and Usumacinta rivers that combined represent the second largest source of fresh water into the Gulf of Mexico. Water samples were collected monthly within an annual cycle at different sites (mainstem and tributaries) in the Lower Grijalva and Usumacinta basins to encompass the seasonal variation in discharge. Nitrogen (total nitrogen, nitrate-N, ammonium-N, and nitrite-N), phosphorus (total phosphorus, soluble reactive phosphorus), and chlorophyll concentrations were determined, and annual loads estimated using the Beale ratio approach. Nutrient and chlorophyll concentrations were greater in the Grijalva than in the Usumacinta River. Stronger seasonal patterns in nutrient concentrations and discharge were identified in the Usumacinta, evincing the flow regulation experimented by the Grijalva. In the Grijalva, higher nutrient concentrations were measured at the De la Sierra and Pichucalco rivers, compared to the regulated Carrizal. TN:TP ratios were greater during the dry season in both rivers, and higher TN:TP occurred in the Usumacinta than in the Grijalva.The Usumacinta showed greater nutrient loads (nitrogen, 26790.6 Â 10 3 kg year À1 ; phosphorus, 3056.9 Â 10 3 kg year À1 ) than the Grijalva (nitrogen 19974.7 Â 10 3 kg year À1 ; phosphorus, 1941.8 Â 10 3 kg year À1 ). However, the Grijalva River showed higher soluble reactive phosphorus and ammonium-N loads and yields than the Usumacinta, likely explained by greater delivery of urban wastewater in the lower Grijalva Basin. The Grijalva-Usumacinta represents an important source of nitrogen compared to other rivers draining into the Gulf of Mexico, even though more disturbed rivers can exceed the phosphorus load. This study can contribute to the modelling of nutrient delivery into the Gulf of Mexico and to better understand the influence of tropical rivers in the formation of coastal hypoxia.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 77%

mentioning

confidence: 49%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Transport of nutrients into the southern Gulf of Mexico by the Grijalva–Usumacinta rivers

Castillo-Uzcanga

Carrillo

Jarquín-Sánchez

et al. 2023

Hydrological Processes

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Assessing Southern Gulf of Mexico Resilience: Least Tern Nesting Failure During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Canales-Delgadillo,

Cardoso-Mohedano,

Vázquez-Pérez

et al. 2024

Estuaries and Coasts

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The COVID-19 lockdown opened an opportunity to assess the response of animal populations to diminished human activities. As coastal dunes face many disturbances caused by increasing human activities, we assessed the effect of reduced human mobility on coastal bird diversity and abundance and on the Least Tern nest failure rate on an island in the southern Gulf of Mexico before, during, and after the lockdown to test the hypothesis that diminished tourism and recreational activities can contribute to the conservation of coastal ecosystems by increasing species richness and abundance and decreasing the nest failure rate. We used data from 2016 to 2021 to estimate nesting failure probabilities using Bernard’s cumulative distribution function, Kaplan‒Meier tests, and Cox regression for hazard rates. Bird species richness and abundance were compared using Kruskal‒Wallis rank tests. Factors related to breeding site preference were assessed using the BIOENV method. The lockdown did not affect species richness, but bird abundance was inversely related to pedestrian traffic (rho = − 0.908, p < 0.0001, n = 48). Nest failure decreased during the lockdown in 2020 (p < 0.0001) due to reduced presence of people, which allowed occupancy of sites never used before. During the lockdown, the proportion of nest failure was lower than that in the other sampling years (p < 0.0001, φ range = − 0.445 to − 0.278). Accordingly, diminished pedestrian traffic can increase nest survival (log-rank p < 0.0001). Policies to reduce beach pedestrian traffic will help strengthen wildlife conservation and building coastal resilience.

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Variability of Dissolved Inorganic Carbon in the Most Extensive Karst Estuarine-Lagoon System of the Southern Gulf of Mexico

Martínez-Trejo,

Cardoso-Mohedano,

Sanchez-Cabeza

et al. 2024

Estuaries and Coasts

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Coastal ecosystems with karstic geology have a unique characteristic where the dissolution of carbonate rocks can increase total alkalinity (TA) and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). This results in higher inorganic carbon budgets in coastal areas. One such ecosystem is the Terminos Lagoon, the most extensive tropical estuarine lagoon system in Mexico, located in the karstic aquifer of the Yucatan Peninsula and connected to the southern Gulf of Mexico (sGoM). We measured TA and DIC to evaluate the variability in Terminos Lagoon’s of the carbonate system. We also estimated pH, partial CO2 pressure (pCO2), and aragonite saturation (ΩAr) along two transects from the main lagoon tributaries (Palizada and Candelaria rivers) to the coastal zone during the dry and rainy seasons. During the dry season, TA and DIC concentrations were significantly higher (3092 ± 452 µmol kg-1 TA, 2943 ± 522 µmol kg-1 DIC) than during the rainy season (2533 ± 228 µmol kg−1 TA, 2492 ± 259 DIC µmol kg−1). Our calculations indicate that the rainy season pCO2 (2532 ± 2371 µatm) seems higher than in the dry season (1534 ± 1192 µatm). This leads to a reduction in pH (7.9 ± 0.3 to 7.8 ± 0.3). These significant changes indicate that rain increases the flow of unsaturated river water into the lagoon. The results of this work contribute toward a dissolved inorganic carbon variability baseline in the sGoM and can be helpful to Terminos Lagoon decision-makers.

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Contrasting nutrient distributions during dry and rainy seasons in coastal waters of the southern Gulf of Mexico driven by the Grijalva-Usumacinta River discharges

Cited by 12 publications

References 31 publications

Transport of nutrients into the southern Gulf of Mexico by the Grijalva–Usumacinta rivers

Transport of nutrients into the southern Gulf of Mexico by the Grijalva–Usumacinta rivers

Assessing Southern Gulf of Mexico Resilience: Least Tern Nesting Failure During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Variability of Dissolved Inorganic Carbon in the Most Extensive Karst Estuarine-Lagoon System of the Southern Gulf of Mexico

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