Effects and impacts of the Northeast Pacific marine heatwave of 2014–2016 on the inner coastal estuarine waters of the Salish Sea were examined using a combination of monitoring data and an established three-dimensional hydrodynamic and biogeochemical model of the region. The anomalous high temperatures reached the U.S. Pacific Northwest continental shelf toward the end of 2014 and primarily entered the Salish Sea waters through an existing strong estuarine exchange. Elevated temperatures up to + 2.3°C were observed at the monitoring stations throughout 2015 and 2016 relative to 2013 before dissipating in 2017. The hydrodynamic and biogeochemical responses to this circulating high-temperature event were examined using the Salish Sea Model over a 5-year window from 2013 to 2017. Responses of conventional water-quality indicator variables, such as temperature and salinity, nutrients and phytoplankton, zooplankton, dissolved oxygen, and pH, were evaluated relative to a baseline without the marine heatwave forcing. The simulation results relative to 2014 show an increase in biological activity (+14%, and 6% Δ phytoplankton biomass, respectively) during the peak heatwave year 2015 and 2016 propagating toward higher zooplankton biomass (+14%, +18% Δ mesozooplankton biomass). However, sensitivity tests show that this increase was a direct result of higher freshwater and associated nutrient loads accompanied by stronger estuarine exchange with the Pacific Ocean rather than warming due to the heatwave. Strong vertical circulation and mixing provided mitigation with only ≈+0.6°C domain-wide annual average temperature increase within Salish Sea, and served as a physical buffer to keep waters cooler relative to the continental shelf during the marine heatwave.
The feasibility of reducing nutrient pollution impact by redirecting the effluent to depths below the euphotic zone was investigated for the deep estuarine Puget Sound region of the Salish Sea in the Pacific Northwest of America. The hypothesis tested was that the thickness of the outflow layer in deep estuaries may be greater than the euphotic zone depth, allowing a fraction of nutrients to be exported out passively through the layers immediately below. The euphotic zone depth in Puget Sound varies from 8 to 25 m while the depth of the outflow layer can reach up to ≈ 60 m. Outfall relocation strategies were tested on 99% of the anthropogenic nutrient loads currently delivered to Puget Sound. The impact was quantified using the previously established biophysical Salish Sea Model, using gross primary production and exposure to low dissolved oxygen (DO) levels as the metric (< 2 mg/L for hypoxia and < 5 mg/L for impairment). Eliminating nutrient pollution (above natural) from rivers and wastewater reduced hypoxia exposure by 8.1% and 11.2%, respectively. Relocating the outfalls to deeper waters resulted in improvements, but only in the sill-less sub-basins such as Whidbey, where hypoxia and DO impairment exposure decreased (7.9% and 6.8%, respectively). The presence of multiple sills and circulation cells in Puget Sound resulted in increased exposure and rendered nutrient bypass goals unfeasible as originally envisioned. However, an alternate nutrient export pathway was identified through bottom exchange flow out of Puget Sound via Whidbey Basin and Deception Pass. An unexpected reduction in the exchange outflow magnitude (≈ 4%) due additional (22%) freshwater discharged to the estuary bottom was also noted. The potential loss in circulation strength due to rerouting of natural surface freshwater through submerged deep-water outfalls is identified as a new unforeseen anthropogenic impact.
<p>The feasibility of reducing nutrient pollution impacts by redirecting excess nutrient flux away from the photic zone is investigated. Alternate effluent discharge strategies to avoid or bypass the euphotic zone were tested under the hypothesis that in deep estuaries, depth of the surface exchange outflow layer may be greater than euphotic zone depth, providing opportunity for a fraction of the nutrient pollution to be exported out passively. We used the Salish Sea region in the Pacific Northwest as a test bed for this assessment. Euphotic zone depth in the Puget Sound basin of Salish Sea in U.S waters varies from 8 m to 25 m while the depth of outflow layer is approximately 60m. Sensitivity of biological response and water quality impact were quantified using an established biophysical model of the system, using exposure to low DO levels as the metric (< 2 mg/L hypoxia and < 5 mg/L impairment). Opportunity to reduce nutrient pollution impact was tested through outfall relocation strategies, applied to 99% of the anthropogenic loads currently delivered to the Puget Sound. The results show that relative to natural impairment levels, marine wastewater outfalls are responsible for 36% of increase, while loads from upstream watersheds that enter Puget Sound via river flows, are responsible for 70% of increase in impairment. Results were consistent with the hypothesis in that moving the outfalls to deeper waters resulted in reduced primary production. However, in some basins, the benefits of lower water column respiration were offset by reduced DO production and were accompanied by some loss in the strength of circulation. Puget Sound basin results indicate worsening of DO impairment hours (average +3.0%), while Whidbey Basin showed improvement in DO impairment hours (-6.8%) relative to existing conditions. The results indicate that presence of multiple sills and the associated reflux flows / circulation obstruct the export of nutrients out of the system. The efforts to relocate outfalls to achieve euphotic zone bypass and improve DO impairment were therefore not as effective as hypothesized.</p>
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.