Nutrient and Organic Carbon Cycling Processes in Tidal Marshes and

Shallow Water Habitats

Brian Bergamaschi, Bryan Downing, Tamara Kraus, Jon Burau, JohnFranco Saraceno, Scott Nagel, Frank Anderson, Jacob Fleck, Katy O'Donnell, Angela Hansen, Roger Fujii, and many others

Motivation • Can wetland restorations be

implemented to promote export of phytoplankton to the pelagic food web?

• To what extent will wetland nutrient uptake offset pelagic phytoplankton production?

• When, where, and under what conditions are nutrients limiting to phytoplankton production?

0 4 8 12 miles

0 4 8 12 14 kilometers

0 4 8 12 miles

0 4 8 12 14 kilometers

b

Foodweb Dynamics Van den Meersche et al. 2009 Foodweb Dynamics

allochtonous DOC

algal DOC

Zooplankton diet in a iidal estuary

microzooplankton ,__ _ _____.

allochtonous POC

algae

f)J(;

zooplankton

F ig. 7. Schematic pict ure of the lower plankton food web in the tidal Scheidt River and estuary, including main carbon fluxes to mesozooplankton. Thick arrows represent the n1os t important now paths.

Its all about pelagic habitat

• What are the physical, chemical and biological attributes of wetlands that contribute to “good” pelagic aquatic habitat? – More yummy food: phytoplankton and POC/NAP

– More zooplankton –the cool ones.

– Good plumbing; connection and transport to pelagic system.

• Where and when and under what conditions do we observe “good” wetland - pelagic aquatic habitat couplings?

• Study several of them. Together with y’all. For a good long time.

PHYTOPLANKTON •Abundance

•Taxa •Health

Residence time

Nutrients

Hydrodynamics

Light

Seed Populations Contaminants

Hydrodynamics

Death – Phytoplankton detritus

Drivers of Production Drivers of Loss

Clam grazing

•bathymetry •flow/transport •turbulence •interaction w/ benthos

•forms •ratios

•types •conc. •interactions

•bathymetry •flow/transport •turbulence •interaction w/ benthos

•insolation •turbidity

•source water

Temperature

ZOOPLANKTON •abundance

•taxa •health

Figure 1. Conceptual diagram showing drivers of phytoplankton production

and loss as it contributes to zooplankton and fish production, highlighting the role of the

physical environment and physical dynamics. Although not depicted, it is assumed

that there are also links between drivers (e.g. hydrodynamics affect residence time;

residence time affects contaminant exposure and predation pressure).

Station Location Map

Liberty Island

West Upper Liberty Island

Browns Island

Little Holland Tract

East Upper Liberty Island

Methods • Nitrate (SUNA)

• Phosphate and ammonium (Cycle-P&N)

• WQ Parameters (EXO) – Temp, Cond., pH, FDOM,

– CHL, BGA, DO

• Discharge, DOC, etc.

SUNA in situ optical nitrate analyzer.

-2E+11

-1.5E+11

-1E+11

-5E+10

0

5E+10

1E+11

1.5E+11

2E+11

2.5E+11

3E+11

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

13-Mar 15-Mar 17-Mar 19-Mar 21-Mar 23-Mar 25-Mar 27-Mar

Nit

rate

(u

M)

Nitrate at Liberty Island mouth

t t +

t t

t +

t t +

t t

t t

-2E+11

-1.5E+11

-1E+11

-5E+10

0

5E+10

1E+11

1.5E+11

2E+11

2.5E+11

3E+11

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

13-Mar 15-Mar 17-Mar 19-Mar 21-Mar 23-Mar 25-Mar 27-Mar

Nit

rate

(u

M)

Nitrate at Liberty Island mouth

t t +

t +

t t

t t

-2E+11

-1.5E+11

-1E+11

-5E+10

0

5E+10

1E+11

1.5E+11

2E+11

2.5E+11

3E+11

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

13-Mar 15-Mar 17-Mar 19-Mar 21-Mar 23-Mar 25-Mar 27-Mar

Nit

rate

(u

M)

~200 kg/d

Nitrate at Liberty Island mouth

18 20 22 24 26 28 30 2

Cum

ula

tive f

racti

on o

f to

tal

flo

od

nit

rate

flu

x i

n s

pri

ng

0.00

0.02

0.04

0.06

0.08

0.10

Net unfiltered MeHg flux

11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25

Cum

ula

tive f

racti

on o

f to

tal

flo

od

nit

rate

flu

x i

n f

all

0.00

0.03

0.06

0.09

A

B

12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 C

um

ula

tive f

racti

on o

f to

tal

flo

od

nit

rate

flu

x i

n w

inte

r

-0.05

0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20C

April 2005

January 2006

October 2005

May 2005

05 07 09 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25

Nit

rate

(

m)

0

10

20

30

40

50

11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 02 04 06 08

Nit

rate

(

m)

0

10

20

30

40

50

B

C

19 21 23 25 27 29 01 03 05 07 09

Nit

rate

(

m)

0

10

20

30

40

50A

April 2005 May 2005

October 2005

January 2006 February 2006

Figure 1. Continuous concentration for three periods on on left (with stage [dashed], precip [grey bars], and calibration samples [red symbols]). Cumulative flux on right. Cumulative flux over spring-neap cycle did not exceed uncertainty.

BROWNS ISLAND

Matt Brennan r ESA PWA ...I

Liberty Island Exchange Time Scales J,2A.. ,• • • \ " • " • "

' _. .. ,·

J7,.

....

' . . """ .... .. '"'" .. .... .

'

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0 "

l/ , .. ·-··. • . ... . .. · . .. ..

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. 0.

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10 0.

...... ····- ..... , ...... ··-« ......

. . '5 . ............... ................. . •

...... ...... . ..... :······ ..... : ......

Cl 1; 6.16 6.19 6.2

-10000

-5000

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

1/1

1/2

014

2/5

/20

14

3/2

/20

14

3/2

7/2

014

4/2

1/2

014

5/1

6/2

014

6/1

0/2

014

7/5

/20

14

7/3

0/2

014

8/2

4/2

014

9/1

8/2

014

10

/13

/20

14

11

/7/2

014

SOUTH LIBERTY ISLAND

Nit

rate

(

M/L

)

Cu

mu

lati

ve N

itra

te F

lux

0

0.5

1

1.5

Ch

loro

ph

yll (

ug

/L)

2

4

6

0

Ch

loro

ph

yll

Chlo

rop

hyll

(g L

-1)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Wa

ter

de

pth

(m

)

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

Nitra

te (

M)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Wa

ter

de

pth

(m

)

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

Fri 17 Tue 21 Sat 25 Wed 29 Sun 02

Cum

ula

tive

nitra

te f

lux (

M)

-2000

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

Wa

ter

de

pth

(m

)

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

Chlo

rop

hyll

(g L

-1)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Wa

ter

de

pth

(m

)

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

Nitra

te (

M)

-10

-5

0

5

10

15

20

25

Wa

ter

de

pth

(m

)

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

6/3/11 6/7/11 6/11/11 6/15/11 6/19/11

Cum

ula

tive

nitra

te f

lux (

M)

-14

-12

-10

-8

-6

-4

-2

0

Wa

ter

de

pth

(m

)

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

Figure 2. Continuous records of chlorophyll, nitrate and cumulative nitrate flux in northern liberty Island. Winter period on left, summer period on right. Note that the sign changes on the flux direction between measurement periods. Note also that the largest component of the winter flux was due to a regional shift in water height and, thus, storage.

NORTHWESTERN LIBERTY ISLAND

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

1.6

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

10/21/2013 10/25/2013 10/29/2013 11/2/2013 11/6/2013 11/10/2013

NORTHEASTERN LIBERTY ISLAND

NORTH WIND

Nit

rate

(m

g/L

)

Ch

loro

ph

yll (

g/L

)

Matt Brennan r ESA PWA ...I

Liberty Island Exchange Time Scales J,2A.. ,• • • \ " • " • "

' _. .. ,·

J7,.

....

' . . """ .... .. '"'" .. .... .

'

' ' 1;?$3; ...... !""" ..... ~ """ ....... '""" .. ~ ... ..... ~

G.1 1 •.. •. ' 0 10

. .

0 "

l/ , .. ·-··. • . ... . .. · . .. ..

I • 25 .... .. ....... ·· ·-· ......

I • ... --·· :--· -·-· ·-·-I

. 0.

I 20 "' '< I V>

':~ f ;:;

··-·· --·· --· --· ·-·-; r

:.· . v .. J .. i" ·- ·-- --- 15 (1) .... ... \ ' Q .• ~ ; -·~ . V>

"' . .... . .. . . .. . -. ---· --- ;:;

10 0.

...... ····- ..... , ...... ··-« ......

. . '5 . ............... ................. . •

...... ...... . ..... :······ ..... : ......

Cl 1; 6.16 6.19 6.2

Water isotopes as a proxy for residence time

-2

-1

0

1

2

3

0

5

10

15

20

25

9/30/2014 10/2/2014 10/4/2014 10/6/2014 10/8/2014 10/10/2014 10/12/2014

-2

-1

0

1

2

3

0

5

10

15

9/30/2014 10/2/2014 10/4/2014 10/6/2014 10/8/2014 10/10/2014 10/12/2014

-2

-1

0

1

2

3

75

85

95

105

115

125

9/30/2014 10/2/2014 10/4/2014 10/6/2014 10/8/2014 10/10/2014 10/12/2014

-2

-1

0

1

2

3

0

1

2

3

4

9/30/2014 10/2/2014 10/4/2014 10/6/2014 10/8/2014 10/10/2014 10/12/2014

-2

-1

0

1

2

3

200

250

300

350

400

9/30/2014 10/2/2014 10/4/2014 10/6/2014 10/8/2014 10/10/2014 10/12/2014

-2

-1

0

1

2

3

0

100

200

300

400

500

9/30/2014 10/2/2014 10/4/2014 10/6/2014 10/8/2014 10/10/2014 10/12/2014

NITRATE

CHLORO- PHYLL

OXYGEN

CO2

DISSOLVED ORGANIC CARBON

PARTICLE SIZE

LITTLE HOLLAND TRACT

Nitrate uptake on LHT

Chlorophyll production on LHT and export

Net production on LHT Variable over time

DIC drawdown on LHT Aquatic production

DOC production on LHT Export of DOC

Larger particles coming onto LHT; export of smaller particles

Marsh plain subsidy Phytoplankton growth and taxonomy Zooplankton abundance, health and transport Food webs Clam grazing Fish use Etc. Etc.

Conclusions • Wetlands are variable in every dimension

• We are still in the research mode

• Need to be cautious about extrapolating from short-term studies of aquatic processes

• Need to develop new research tools that adequately capture the spatial, temporal and parameter variability so we can better understand them

• Need to find ways to work better together at similar temporal and spatial scales

Thank you