Abstract:

This study showed the effect of hydrological variability on the biogeochemistry of estuaries across a regional climatic gradient as seen data obtained from 2013-07-02 to 2016-07-18. A climatic gradient exists along the Texas coast where freshwater inflow balance ranges from hydrologically positive to negative (where evaporation exceeds inflow) within a narrow latitudinal band, providing a natural experiment for examining inflow effects. Four Texas estuaries ranging from mesosaline to hypersaline were studied for 3 years to determine how hydrological changes alter the biogeochemistry within and among the estuaries. Physical, nutrient, and carbon constituents were measured. Hydrological changes over spatial gradients are analogous to climatic changes over time, meaning climate change forecasts of higher temperatures and decreased precipitation can make the biogeochemistry of fresher estuaries change to the patterns of saltier estuaries. This dataset supports the publication Montagna, P.A., Hu, X., Palmer, T.A. and Wetz, M. (2018), Effect of hydrological variability on the biogeochemistry of estuaries across a regional climatic gradient. Limnol. Oceanogr., 63: 2465-2478. https://doi.org/10.1002/lno.10953

Suggested Citation:

Montagna, Paul A., Xinping Hu, Terence A. Palmer, and Michael M. Wetz. 2023. Effect of hydrological variability on the biogeochemistry of estuaries across a regional climatic gradient as seen data obtained from 2013-07-02 to 2016-07-18. Distributed by: GRIIDC, Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/e5zsz0sh

Publications:

Montagna, P. A., Hu, X., Palmer, T. A., & Wetz, M. (2018). Effect of hydrological variability on the biogeochemistry of estuaries across a regional climatic gradient. Limnology and Oceanography, 63(6), 2465–2478. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/lno.10953

Purpose:

The purpose of this data is to determine how hydrological changes alter the biogeochemistry of water quality within and among estuaries.

Data Parameters and Units:

Temperature (C), Conductivity (mS/cm), Salinity (psu), Dissolved Oxygen saturation (%), Dissolved Oxygen concentration (mg/L), pH by Sonde (pH units), Secchi Disk depth (m), Phosphate (μmol/L), Silicate (μmol/L), Ammonium (μmol/L), Nitrite+Nitrate (μmol/L), Chlorophyll a (μg/L), Dissolved organic carbon (μmol/L), Total dissolved nitrogen (μmol/L), Total organic carbon (μmol/L), Total nitrogen (μmol/L), Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen (NH4+NO23) (μmol/L), Dissolved organic nitrogen (μmol/L), Dissolved Inorganic carbon (μmol/L), Total alkalinity (μmol/kg), Calcium ion = Ca2+ (mmol/kg), Laboratory derived total pH (pH units), Carbonate saturation state with respect to aragonite (Ωarag), pH titrated (pH units), inflow (ac-ft/month and million cubic meter/month)

Methods:

The study was conducted in the following estuaries in Texas: Baffin Bay (BB), Nueces Estuary (NC), Guadalupe Estuary (GE), and Lavaca-Colorado Estuary (LC). Samples were collected within 10 cm of the surface for chlorophyll a (Chl a), inorganic nutrients, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), calcium concentration, and carbonate system variables quarterly from 2013-07-02 to 2016-07-18. Analysis was conducted as described in Limnology and Oceanography (2018) 63(6): 2465-2478, https://doi.org/10.1002/lno.10953.

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