The impact of changing climate on phenology, productivity, and benthic–pelagic coupling in Narragansett Bay

Nixon, Scott W.; Fulweiler, Robinson W.; Buckley, Betty A.; Granger, Stephen; Nowicki, Barbara L.; Henry, Kelly M.

doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2008.12.016

Cited by 167 publications

(135 citation statements)

References 98 publications

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“…Because we observe a net BSi import in all six of our tidal cycle measurements, we hypothesize that a similar pattern holds true during the fall and winter seasons, especially since strong fall and winter storms could deposit large amounts of BSi on the marsh platform during this period. However, BSi imports will also vary depending on the timing and intensity of the winter-spring diatom bloom, which has been shown to be highly variable in recent decades (Nixon et al 2009). With regard to estimating DSi Fulweiler 2013a).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Salt marsh tidal exchange increases residence time of silica in estuaries

Carey

Fulweiler

2014

Limnology & Oceanography

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We present flux measurements of dissolved silicon (DSi), biogenic Si (BSi), and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and phosphorus (DIP) on a temperate salt marsh in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, over neap, mid, and spring tide cycles during the spring and the summer seasons to determine the stoichiometry of marsh tidal export and the potential effect on Si availability in the receiving estuary. During the spring, when incoming waters were depleted in DSi (average 1.7 mmol L 21 ), the marsh was a net sink of BSi (132 mol h 21 ) and a source of DSi (31 mol h 21 ) to the estuary. During this period, the DIN : DSi ratio of ebbing water was more than five times lower than that of flood water. Together, these data indicate that marsh nutrient fluxes ''outwell'' nutrients in ratios that support spring diatom growth in Narragansett Bay. However, during the entire sampling period the marsh served as a net sink for both DSi and BSi, importing, on average, 14 mol DSi h 21 and 86 mol BSi h 21 . We hypothesize that the net import and retention of Si by salt marshes provides a previously overlooked ecosystem service of increasing the residence time of Si in estuarine systems. In the absence of salt marshes, we calculate that 5.1 3 10 4 kmol of Si would be exported from the estuary during the growing season, decreasing the availability of Si in the system and having direct repercussions for phytoplankton species composition in nearby estuarine waters.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Salt marsh tidal exchange increases residence time of silica in estuaries

Carey

Fulweiler

2014

Limnology & Oceanography

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“…The timing of the annual-cycle of phytoplankton has shifted from a prolonged, bay-wide, large winter-spring bloom to a less consistent, less intense, shorter winter bloom with short intense blooms in the spring, summer, or fall (Oviatt 2004, Nixon et al 2009). Data show that at least since the 1970s, the biomass of phytoplankton has decreased significantly in Narragansett Bay (Li and Smayda 1998, Smayda 1998, Nixon et al 2009. It has been hypothesized that these changes have been induced by climate change, specifically warming waters (Keller et al 1999;Oviatt et al 2003) and an increase in cloudy days (Nixon et al 2009).…”

Section: Plankton the Base Of The Marine Food Web Will Changementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Data show that at least since the 1970s, the biomass of phytoplankton has decreased significantly in Narragansett Bay (Li and Smayda 1998, Smayda 1998, Nixon et al 2009. It has been hypothesized that these changes have been induced by climate change, specifically warming waters (Keller et al 1999;Oviatt et al 2003) and an increase in cloudy days (Nixon et al 2009). Warmer waters allow for higher rates of grazing of phytoplankton by zooplankton (Keller et al 1999).…”

Section: Plankton the Base Of The Marine Food Web Will Changementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Warmer waters allow for higher rates of grazing of phytoplankton by zooplankton (Keller et al 1999). The above factors are projected to decrease food availability to juvenile bottom-dwelling fish due to declines in the bottom filter-and depositfeeders that readily consume dead phytoplankton and zooplankton (Nixon et al 2009). …”

Section: Plankton the Base Of The Marine Food Web Will Changementioning

confidence: 99%

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Multidecadal Trends in Atmospheric and Ocean Conditions in Offshore Waters Near Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Smith

2017

Northeastern Naturalist

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“…Krumholz (2012) measured a 15-20% decrease in nitrogen concentrations in the Bay, between 2000 and 2010. How the Narragansett Bay ecosystem will respond when the planned upgrades to the WWTFs and CSOs are completed is a question of much interest (e.g., Nixon et al, 2008;Oviatt, 2008;Nixon et al, 2009), but the effect of this on hypoxia intensity, extent, and duration is not yet clear.…”

Section: Recovery Of Benthic Ecosystem Functions and Future Prospectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eutrophication and Hypoxia Diminish Ecosystem Functions of Benthic Communities in a New England Estuary

2016

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Excessive input of nitrogen to estuaries and coastal waters leads to eutrophication; the resulting organic matter over-enrichment of sediments and seasonal hypoxia of bottom water have significant deleterious effects on benthic community biodiversity, abundance, and biomass. Our goal was to better understand how these losses carry through to impairment of key ecosystem functions of benthic communities. Recent management efforts to address eutrophication have reduced nitrogen loading to several estuaries of the Virginian Biogeographic Province (northeast United States). How the ecosystems will respond remains to be seen. Using Narragansett Bay as an example estuary within this Province, we compared measures of community structure and function from stations in seasonally hypoxic areas with stations in normoxic areas. We analyzed a benthic data set spanning 20 years and 155 stations, along with ancillary data from other sources. Hypoxic areas had half the species richness, many fewer rare species, lower biomass, and lower secondary production. Benthic communities in the hypoxic areas had a significantly different abundance structure, were at an earlier successional stage, and bioturbated the sediments to a depth about one-fifth that of the normoxic areas. On average, sediments in the hypoxic areas took up more oxygen-used for aerobic metabolism and oxidation of reduced compounds from anaerobic metabolism. Sediments in hypoxic areas released into the overlying water two to three times more ammonium and phosphate. Mean flux of dissolved oxygen into the sediments of hypoxic areas and mean net flux of nitrogen gas (from sediment denitrification) out were slightly higher. Eutrophication-driven over-enrichment of organic matter, along with seasonal hypoxia in the northern part of the Bay have led to degradation of benthic community structure and function, which have serious implications for sustainable provision of ecosystem services. We quantified fifteen stressor-response relationships that can help understand how, following a reduction in nitrogen inputs, a recovery of benthic ecosystem functions in hypoxic areas could proceed.

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The impact of changing climate on phenology, productivity, and benthic–pelagic coupling in Narragansett Bay

Cited by 167 publications

References 98 publications

Salt marsh tidal exchange increases residence time of silica in estuaries

Salt marsh tidal exchange increases residence time of silica in estuaries

Multidecadal Trends in Atmospheric and Ocean Conditions in Offshore Waters Near Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Eutrophication and Hypoxia Diminish Ecosystem Functions of Benthic Communities in a New England Estuary

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