Influence of fluvial discharge on the dynamics of Chlorophyll-alpha in the continental shelf adjacent to the Recife Port Basin (Pernambuco-Brazil)

Author(s)

Otsuka, Amanda Yumi ^[1] ; do Nascimento Feitosa, Fernando Antonio ^[1] ; Flores Montes, Manuel de Jesus ^[1] ; da Silva, Alex Costa ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Fed Pernambuco, Dept Oceanog, Av Arquitetura S-N, BR-50740550 Recife, PE - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Brazilian Journal of Oceanography; v. 66, n. 1, p. 91-103, JAN-MAR 2018.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

This study was undertaken in the coastal zone of the state of Pernambuco adjacent to the Recife port area, which corresponds to the inner shelf This research armed to analyze the dynamics of chlorophyll-a and several other environmental variables. Sampling was undertaken bimonthly on the surface from September 11th to May 10th, thus including the rainy and dry periods, and during low tide in spring tide The parameters analyzed were chlorophyll-a, salinity, temperature, transparency, dissolved oxygen, oxygen saturation rate, pH, suspended solids, dissolved inorganic nutrients Phytoplankton biomass ranged from 13.48 to 145.09 mg m(-3) in the estuarine area and on the inner shelf, the variation being from 0.24 to 19.29 mg m(-3) in the dry season and from 0.78 to 5.20 mg m(-3) in the rainy season PCA showed a direct relationship of chlorophyll-a with ammonia, phosphate and transparency and an inverse relationship with suspended particulate matter and nitrate. Biomass did not vary significantly different as a result of seasonal or spatial dynamics The estuary of the Capibaribe River is considered highly impacted, and as it forms the Recife port basin, it joins with two more strongly eutrophic water bodies, the Beberibe River and the Pina Basin, leading to an amplification of its influence on the adjacent shelf In terms of the river plume's dispersion in the Port of Recife, the presence of a dike causes some disturbance in the direction of the current, limiting the plume to the area close to the coast and influences the oceanographic variables on the inner continental shelf. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 11/50582-0 - Balance study of the carbon cycle in the coastal region and its potential ocean transportation: with emphasis on the coast of Pernambuco (Carecos)
• Grantee: Elisabete de Santis Braga da Graça Saraiva
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants