Trends in nitrogen isotope ratios of juvenile winter flounder reflect changing nitrogen inputs to Rhode Island, USA estuarine systems

Pruell, Richard J.; Taplin, Bryan K.; Miller, Kenneth M.

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.02.009

Cited by 6 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…We propose that the stable isotope data provide the necessary insight to assess changes as bioavailable N is quickly incorporated into primary and secondary production. Spatial trends in δ 15 N values in juvenile winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) are consistent with our hypothesis that biota in the Providence River Estuary would have elevated δ 15 N values after the treatment plant upgrades (Pruell et al 2017). Higher δ 15 N values in the Providence River Estuary where DIN concentrations were also high (>10 μM) were likely due to both the elevated δ 15 N values of the source (sewage) N and the decrease in the abundance of bioavailable N. In the latter case, less N available would reduce the ability of the primary producers to preferentially select the metabolically more favorable 14 N over 15 N (e.g., York et al 2007;Oczkowski et al 2008;Thornber et al 2008;Pruell et al 2017).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

“…The isotopically lighter values measured in the Providence River Estuary could have been reflecting preferential uptake of the lighter 14 N over 15 N in this nutrient rich environment. Lower δ 15 N values in the Providence River Estuary, relative to Upper Narragansett Bay, were also measured in PM, macroalgae, fish, and shellfish prior to the WWTF upgrades (e.g., Oczkowski et al 2008;Pruell and Taplin 2015;Pruell et al 2017). Chaves (2004) also suggested that the lower δ 15 N values measured at the mouth of Narragansett Bay were reflecting shelf N influences in this N-limited environment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…While the N load from the WWTFs decreased by more than half, the δ 15 N of the DIN load increased. Recent work has shown that δ 15 N values in juvenile flounder in Upper Narragansett Bay increased significantly between 2002-2014(Pruell et al 2017.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

How the Distribution of Anthropogenic Nitrogen Has Changed in Narragansett Bay (RI, USA) Following Major Reductions in Nutrient Loads

Oczkowski

Schmidt

Santos

et al. 2018

Estuaries and Coasts

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Over the past decade, nitrogen (N) loads to Narragansett Bay have decreased by more than 50%. These reductions were, in large part, the direct result of multiple wastewater treatment facility upgrades to tertiary treatment, a process which employs N removal. Here we document ecosystem response to the N reductions and assess how the distribution of sewage N in Narragansett Bay has changed from before, during, and shortly after the upgrades. While others have observed clear responses when data were considered annually, our seasonal and regional comparisons of pre-and post-tertiary treatment dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) concentrations and Secchi depth data, from bay-wide surveys conducted periodically from the early 1970s through 2016, resulted in only a few subtle differences. Thus we sought to use stable isotope data to assess how sewage N is incorporated into the ecology of the Bay and how its distribution may have changed after the upgrades. The nitrogen (δ 15 N) and carbon (δ 13 C) stable isotope measurements of particulate matter served as a proxy for phytoplankton, while macroalgae served as short-term integrators of water column bio-available N, and hard clams (Mercenaria mercenaria) as integrators of water column production. In contrast to other estuarine stable isotope studies that have observed an increased influence of isotopically lower marine N when sewage N is reduced, the opposite has occurred in Narragansett Bay. The tertiary treatment upgrades have increased the effluent δ 15 N values by at least 2‰. The plants and animals throughout Narragansett Bay have similarly increased by 1-2‰, on average. In contrast, the δ 13 C values measured in particulate matter and hard clams have declined by about the same amount. The δ 15 N results indicated that, even after the N-reductions, sewage N still plays an important role in supporting primary and secondary

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

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How the Distribution of Anthropogenic Nitrogen Has Changed in Narragansett Bay (RI, USA) Following Major Reductions in Nutrient Loads

Oczkowski

Schmidt

Santos

et al. 2018

Estuaries and Coasts

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“…Although previous research has validated the use of δ 15 N ratios in vertebrates (Lake et al, 2001; Pruell et al, 2017), invertebrates (McKinney et al, 2001), and macrophytes (Wigand et al, 1999; Cole et al, 2004) as indicators of wastewater inputs and development in aquatic environments, our focus on mudsnails advances their use as a potential indicator of water quality. In concert with earlier work (Pruell et al, 2006; Johnson and Short, 2013), this study suggests that the eastern mudsnail, N. obsoletus , may act as an indicator of nutrient enrichment both in terms of its stable isotopic composition and abundance.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Cultural Eutrophication Is Reflected in the Stable Isotopic Composition of the Eastern Mudsnail, Nassarius obsoletus

et al. 2018

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In aquatic ecosystems, biological indicators are used in concert with nutrient concentration data to identify habitat impairments related to cultural eutrophication. This approach has been less commonly implemented in coastal areas due to the dominance of physical conditions in structuring biological assemblage data. Here, we describe the use of the stable isotopic composition of (Say), the eastern mudsnail, as an indicator of cultural eutrophication for 40 locations in coastal estuaries in New York. We found N enrichment in mudsnail tissue where watersheds had high population densities, land use patterns were more urbanized, and when sampling sites were adjacent to wastewater treatment plant discharges. Stable carbon isotopes were responsive to salinity and watershed forest cover, with more saline sites reflecting a predominantly C or algal carbon isotopic signature and more forested sites a lighter isotopic signature reflecting greater inputs of C terrestrial detrital carbon. Mudsnail nitrogen isotopic composition had a high level of separation between more affected and pristine watersheds (from 6.6 to 14.1‰), highlighting its utility as an indicator. We thus propose that stable isotope values of estuarine biota, such as the eastern mudsnail, can be used in concert with water quality data to identify areas where improvements in water quality are needed and can also be used to identify sources of detrital carbon to estuarine environments.

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“…Atmospheric deposition and groundwater transportation are of growing importance, together accounting for 20%-50% of total exogenous loading among accelerating nitrogen inputs (Paerl et al, 2002;Troost et al, 2014;Xing et al, 2017). Regionally, they may be the largest single source of nitrogen pollution (Rodellas et al, 2015;Yadav et al, 2016;Pruell et al, 2017). Climate change and land use change may accelerate nutrient flux and coastal eutrophication (Brookes and Carey, 2011;Wells et al, 2015).…”

Section: Sources and Drivers Of Nutrientsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Major threats of pollution and climate change to global coastal ecosystems and enhanced management for sustainability

Lü¹,

Yuan²,

Lu³

et al. 2020

Preprint

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<p>Coastal zone is of great importance in the provision of various valuable ecosystem services. However, it is also sensitive and vulnerable to environmental changes due to high human populations and interactions between the land and ocean. Major threats of pollution from over enrichment of nutrients, increasing metals and persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and climate change have led to severe ecological degradation in the coastal zone, while few studies have focused on the combined impacts of pollution and climate change on the coastal ecosystems at the global level. A global overview of nutrients, metals, POPs, and major environmental changes due to climate change and their impacts on coastal ecosystems was carried out in this study. Coasts of the Eastern Atlantic and Western Pacific were hotspots of concentrations of several pollutants, and mostly affected by warming climate. These hotspots shared the same features of large populations, heavy industry and (semi-) closed sea. Estimation of coastal ocean capital, integrated management of land-ocean interaction in the coastal zone, enhancement of integrated global observation system, and coastal ecosystem-based management can play effective roles in promoting sustainable management of coastal marine ecosystems. Enhanced management from the perspective of mitigating pollution and climate change was proposed.</p>

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Trends in nitrogen isotope ratios of juvenile winter flounder reflect changing nitrogen inputs to Rhode Island, USA estuarine systems

Cited by 6 publications

References 31 publications

How the Distribution of Anthropogenic Nitrogen Has Changed in Narragansett Bay (RI, USA) Following Major Reductions in Nutrient Loads

How the Distribution of Anthropogenic Nitrogen Has Changed in Narragansett Bay (RI, USA) Following Major Reductions in Nutrient Loads

Cultural Eutrophication Is Reflected in the Stable Isotopic Composition of the Eastern Mudsnail, Nassarius obsoletus

Major threats of pollution and climate change to global coastal ecosystems and enhanced management for sustainability

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