Thermal, mixing, and oxygen regimes of the Salton Sea, California, 1997–1999

Physiological, biochemical and morphological indicators of osmoregulatory stress in `California' Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus×O. urolepis hornorum) exposed to hypersaline water

“…This inland sea has a high evaporation rate and lacks outflow; consequently, salinity has continually risen since its formation. The current salinity is approximately 43·g·l -1 , but is continually increasing by 0.3·g·l -1 ·year (Watts et al, 2001). Because reproductive failures and high larval mortality among introduced marine fish species have been partially attributed to high salinity (Costa-Pierce and Riedel, 2000), the continual salinity increase has generated concern due to the threat it places on the current fishery.…”

Periodic sulfide irruptions impact microbial community structure and diversity in the water column of a hypersaline lake

“…Periodic wind storms mix oxygen-depleted, sulfide-rich bottom waters to the surface, causing mass mortality of plankton (Tiffany et al , 2007a, benthic invertebrates (Detwiler et al 2002), and fish (Riedel et al 2002), as well as the precipitation of gypsum (Tiffany et al 2007c). Previously referred to as 'green tides' (Watts et al 2001) and 'greening events' (Swan et al 2007), sulfide irruption events in the Salton Sea mainly occur in late summer to early fall and can be detected and tracked remotely using satellite imagery (Tiffany et al 2007c). Although the affects of sulfide irruptions on the macroecology of the Salton Sea have been documented, investigations of changes within the microbial community have not been conducted.…”

“…Also, Watts et al (2001) estimated that hypoxic/anoxic conditions could remain in surface waters of the Salton Sea for several days to weeks after an irruption event. This is primarily a function of sulfide-rich (>1 mM) bottom waters acting as source water during mixing, reduced solubility of oxygen in the warm (30 to 35°C) hypersaline water column (Watts et al 2001), and the relatively slow rate of abiotic sulfide oxidation in saline waters (Millero et al 1987). Therefore, it is not possible to separate the factors of sulfide concentration and hypoxia/ anoxia in causing mortality of plankton, benthic invertebrates, and fish populations.…”

“…The formation of hypoxia/anoxia and accumulation of sulfide in bottom waters due to eutrophication, shifts in climatic forcing, or both has been documented in freshwater (Effler et al 1988) and saline lakes (Watts et al 2001, Barić et al 2003, and the coastal ocean (Seliger et al 1985, Turner & Rabalais 1994, Malakoff 1998, Naqvi et al 2000, Weeks et al 2004, Lavik et al 2009). In some instances, toxic levels of sulfide mix into shallower waters via storm events and changes in currents, leading to increased mortality of organisms due to long-term deoxygenation of the water column (Weeks et al 2002, Luther et al 2004, Ciglene<ki et al 2005, Tiffany et al 2007a).…”

“…1). During a reconnaissance study from 1997 to 1999, the seasonal formation of anoxia and sulfide in bottom waters after thermal stratification developed was documented (Watts et al 2001). Periodic wind storms mix oxygen-depleted, sulfide-rich bottom waters to the surface, causing mass mortality of plankton (Tiffany et al , 2007a, benthic invertebrates (Detwiler et al 2002), and fish (Riedel et al 2002), as well as the precipitation of gypsum (Tiffany et al 2007c).…”