An overview of physical and ecological processes in the Rio de la Plata Estuary

Marcelo, Eduardo; Mianzán, Hermes; Guerrero, Ricardo; Carreto, José I.; Giberto, Diego; Montoya, Norma; Carignan, Mario O.

doi:10.1016/j.csr.2007.01.031

Cited by 185 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…There is a growing body of research that indicates the importance of physical dynamics of different origins and scales acting in concert to structure phytoplankton ecosystems across a wide range of oceanographic settings, including wind-forced upwelling systems (Rutllant and Montecino 2002;Herrera and Escribano 2006;Montecino et al 2006), areas dominated by river plumes (Acha et al 2008;Hickey et al 2010), and continental shelf ecosystems inshore of western boundary currents . The fundamental message of such studies is that the longterm variability of oceanic ecosystems, oceanic biogeochemistry, and fisheries resources depends directly on the nuanced and detailed interplay between physical dynamics on widely disparate scales.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The green ribbon: Multiscale physical control of phytoplankton productivity and community structure over a narrow continental shelf

Lucas

Dupont

Tai

et al. 2011

Limnology & Oceanography

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Chlorophyll concentration, phytoplankton biomass, and total and nitrate-fueled primary productivity increase toward the coast over the 12-km-wide continental shelf of the southern portion of the Southern California Bight. These gradients are accompanied by changes in phytoplankton community composition: the outer shelf is characterized by offshore assemblages including pelagophytes and oligotrophic Synechococcus ecotypes while the inner shelf is dominated by diatoms, coastal Synechococcus ecotypes, and the picoeukaryote Ostreococcus. Across the small horizontal scale of the shelf, large changes in the vertical distribution and flux of nitrate maintain elevated productivity, driving variability in the vertical distribution of biomass and the integrated biomass and productivity of the entire shelf. Temporal variability from hours to days in chlorophyll fluorescence as measured by an autonomous profiling vehicle demonstrates that phytoplankton respond vigorously and rapidly to physical variability. The interaction of physical processes at different temporal and spatial scales is responsible for the observed biological gradients. These dynamics include: (1) vertical shear in the alongshore currents, (2) local wind forcing, (3) the internal tide, and (4) remote, large-scale variability. Individually, these mechanisms rarely or never explain the phytoplankton community composition and metabolic rate gradients. These results and a reanalysis of historical data suggest that monitoring thermal stratification at the shelf break and the tilt of the thermocline across the shelf will augment our ability to predict phytoplankton productivity, community composition, and biomass, thereby improving our understanding of fisheries dynamics and carbon cycling in the coastal ocean.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The green ribbon: Multiscale physical control of phytoplankton productivity and community structure over a narrow continental shelf

Lucas

Dupont

Tai

et al. 2011

Limnology & Oceanography

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“…Margalef, 1997). In shallow estuaries, short-term and transient gradients of river outflows (Acha et al, 2008), tide regimes, vertical mixing and turbidity (Baek et al 2008), and nutrient inputs (Heil et al 2005;Glibert et al, 2006), especially in areas with intense human occupation, hamper the attempts for structure determination of phytoplankton communities, either taxonomic or as functional groups. Human induced eutrophisation can trigger harmful algal blooms, so the development of conceptual models for phytoplankton dominance is imperative (Cloern, 1996).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in phytoplankton composition in response to tides, wind-induced mixing conditions, and freshwater outflows in an urbanised estuarine complex

et al. 2012

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Recent reports have shown an increase in potentially harmful phytoplankton in Santos bay (Southeastern Brazilian Coast), located in a highly urbanised estuarine complex. Prediction of blooms is, thus, essential but the phytoplankton community structure in very dynamic regions is difficult to determine. In the present work, we discriminate bloom forming microphytoplankton dominance and their relationship to physical and meteorological variables to look for patterns observed in different tides and seasons. Comparing 8 distinct situations, we found five scenarios of dominance that could be related to winds, tides and rainfall: i) Surfers, diatoms occurring during high surf zone energies; ii) Sinkers, represented by larger celled diatoms during spring tide, after periods of high precipitation rates; iii) Opportunistic mixers, composed of chain forming diatoms with small or elongate cells occurring during neap tides; iv) Local mixers, microplanktonic diatoms and dinoflagellates which occurred throughout the 298 sampling stations; and v) Mixotrophic dinoflagellates, after intense estuarine discharges. Results suggest alterations in the temporal patterns for some bloom-forming species, while others appeared in abundances above safe limits for public health. This approach can also illustrate possible impacts of changes in freshwater discharge in highly urbanised estuaries.Keywords: phytoplankton composition, winds, tides, Santos bay, rainfall.Variações na composição da comunidade fitoplanctônica em resposta às marés, à mistura induzida pelo vento e à descarga de água doce em um sistema estuarino urbanizado ResumoEstudos recentes na baía de Santos (sudeste do Brasil), localizada em um sistema estuarino altamente urbanizado, mostraram o aumento de espécies fitoplanctônicas potencialmente nocivas. Apesar da importância da previsão das florações algais nocivas, é difícil determinar a estrutura da comunidade fitoplanctônica em ambientes extremamente dinâmicos. O presente estudo analisa florações dominadas pelo microfitoplâncton e sua relação com variáveis físicas e meteorológicas, a fim de determinar padrões associados às marés e às estações do ano. Foram comparadas oito situações e obtidos cinco cenários de dominância relacionados aos ventos, marés e pluviosidade: i) Surfers, diatomáceas associadas à zona de surfe, de alta energia; ii) Sinkers, diatomáceas de tamanho grande que ocorrem nas marés de sizígia, depois de períodos de alta pluviosidade; iii) Opportunistic mixers, diatomáceas pequenas ou alongadas, formadoras de cadeia, que ocorrem durante períodos de quadratura; iv) Local mixers, diatomáceas e dinoflagelados microplanctônicos que foram abundantes em todas as 298 estações amostradas, e v) Mixotrophic dinoflagellates, que ocorrem após intensas descargas estuarinas. Os resultados sugerem uma alteração no padrão temporal de algumas espécies formadoras de florações, enquanto outras apresentaram abundâncias superiores aos valores seguros para a saúde publica. Esta abordagem ilustra também os possíveis impactos ...

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“…Por debajo de la haloclina y en la punta de la cuña salina se producen densas agregaciones de plancton. El misidáseo Neomysis americana, una presa clave para peces juveniles, ocurre en todo lo largo del frente de turbidez (Acha et al 2008). La retención de los primeros estadios de vida de los peces que ponen huevos pelágicos en un estuario depende de la interacción de las características dinámicas del sistema y el comportamiento de las larvas (Acha 1999).…”

Section: Discussionunclassified

“…Al igual que lo observado en el presente trabajo, estos autores notaron que el área de desove coincide con la máxima penetración de la wedge. The mysid Neomysis americana, a key prey for juvenile fishes, occurs all along the turbidity front (Acha et al 2008). Retention of the first life stages of fishes that lay pelagic eggs in an estuary depends on the interaction of the dynamic characteristics of the system and larval behavior (Acha 1999).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of environmental factors on the spawning of sciaenids in the Buenos Aires Coastal Zone, Argentina

et al. 2013

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ABSTRACT. The fish community in coastal waters of the Buenos Aires Province is dominated by seven sciaenid species: Micropogonias furnieri, Cynoscion guatucupa, Macrodon ancylodon, Pogonias cromis, Umbrina canosai, Paralonchurus brasiliensis, and Menticirrhus americanus. The relation between sciaenid spawning females and environmental factors was examined in order to describe the spawning strategy of these species in Argentine coastal waters. Sciaenid species were classified into three groups according to the thermohaline range of the spawning areas: (a) estuarine spawners associated with the bottom salinity front comprised those species that spawned in the inner area of the estuary in accordance with the main horizontal salinity gradients at the bottom (M. furnieri, M. ancylodon, and P. chromis); (b) estuarine spawners not associated with the bottom salinity front comprised those species that spawned mainly in the middle of the estuary, in brackish water with salinities ranging from 24 to 30 (P. brasiliensis and M. americanus); and (c) marine spawners comprised those species that always spawned in salt water (salinity values higher than 30) in the outer area of the Río de la Plata Estuary or El Rincón, in the southern part of Buenos Aires Province (C. guatucupa, U. canosai, and M. furnieri). Micropogonias furnieri, the most abundant sciaenid in Argentina that presents the highest latitudinal distribution, can behave as a marine or estuarine spawner depending on the environmental characteristics. This allows it to make better use of each ecosystem and thus increase its survival chances.Key words: Sciaenidae, spawning, environmental factors, Río de la Plata estuary.RESUMEN. La ictiofauna de las aguas costeras de la provincia de Buenos Aires está dominada por siete especies de esciénidos: Micropogonias furnieri, Cynoscion guatucupa, Macrodon ancylodon, Pogonias cromis, Umbrina canosai, Paralonchurus brasiliensis y Menticirrhus americanus. Con el propósito de describir la estrategia de desove de estas especies en las aguas costeras de Argentina, se analizó la relación entre las hembras de esciénidos en puesta y los factores ambientales. Las especies de esciénidos fueron clasificadas en tres grupos de acuerdo con el intervalo termohalino de las áreas de puesta: (a) desovante estuarino asociado al frente salino de fondo, incluyó las especies que desovaron principalmente en el área interna del estuario en concordancia con los mayores gradientes horizontales de salinidad de fondo (M. furnieri, M. ancylodon y P. cromis); (b) desovante estuarino no asociado al frente salino de fondo, incluyó las especies que desovaron principalmente en la zona media del estuario, en aguas salobres con salinidades que oscilaron entre 24 y 30 (P. brasiliensis y M. americanus); y (c) desovante marino, incluyó las especies que desovaron siempre en aguas marinas (valores de salinidad superiores a 30) tanto en la zona externa del estuario del Río de la Plata como en El Rincón, al sur de la provincia de Buenos Aires (C. guatucupa, U. canosai y ...

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An overview of physical and ecological processes in the Rio de la Plata Estuary

Cited by 185 publications

References 31 publications

The green ribbon: Multiscale physical control of phytoplankton productivity and community structure over a narrow continental shelf

The green ribbon: Multiscale physical control of phytoplankton productivity and community structure over a narrow continental shelf

Changes in phytoplankton composition in response to tides, wind-induced mixing conditions, and freshwater outflows in an urbanised estuarine complex

Influence of environmental factors on the spawning of sciaenids in the Buenos Aires Coastal Zone, Argentina

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