Temporal and spatial variability in the Guadalquivir estuary: a challenge for real-time telemetry

The influence of the Guadalquivir river on spatio-temporal variability in the pelagic ecosystem of the eastern Gulf of Cádiz

“…The nLw555 first mode appeared to be explained by a combination of rainstorm events and river discharge (Díez-Minguito et al, 2012;Navarro et al, 2011Navarro et al, , 2012bCaballero et al, 2014), both strongly correlated with the NAO index. This index, which also correlates with prevailing winds, has previously been show to be an important indicator of the inter-annual variability in the Gulf of Cadiz .…”

“…As vertical water structure breaks down in autumn-winter and nutrients become available again, phytoplankton blooms are formed, especially in spring as light availability increases. The correlation of [Chl] first mode with precipitation and discharges, suggests that inputs of nutrients from the major rivers, fertilizing the surrounding waters (Peliz & Fiúza, 1999;Navarro & Ruiz, 2006;Navarro et al, 2011), modulate this general pattern. These high-flow events have important consequences for the neighbouring coastal zone, pumping large quantities of nutrients and stimulating the growth of phytoplankton that sustains the food chain .…”

Tidal Wave Reflection From the Closure Dam in the Guadalquivir Estuary (Sw Spain)

“…The alongchannel mean water depth is about 7 m. This is maintained by periodic dredging works in order to allow ships to reach the Port of Seville, which is separated from the main channel by a lock. Tides are mesotidal and semidiurnal (Álvarez et al 2001) In 2008, a real-time remote monitoring network, operated by the Instituto de Ciencias Marinas de Andalucía (ICMAN-CSIC), was deployed all along the main course of the estuary and the inner continental shelf (Navarro et al, 2011). The ultimate purpose of the network was to assess the impact of possible human interventions and natural forcings in the morpho-hydrodynamics of the estuary.…”

“…They take measurements from the free water surface to the bottom, and provide one data set per meter every 15 min, with an integration period of 2 min. Additional details on the monitoring network can be found elsewhere (Navarro et al, 2011;Navarro et al, 2012; …”

Multiparametric observation and analysis of the sea

“…Several papers in the special issue describe recent efforts in the monitoring of estuaries, regarding physical and biochemical variables (Garel and Ferreira 2011;Navarro et al 2011) and geomorphology aspects (Vousdoukas et al 2011). Estuaries are a challenging environment for automated measuring stations because of their specific characteristics (strong tidal dynamics, large changes in salinity, high turbidity and high sediment dynamics), and these papers serve as a demonstration on the capabilities that are nowadays available to set up a successful monitoring program in an estuary.…”