Fixed-station water quality monitoring at Canaveral National Seashore: 2011 data summary.
Wright W , Gregory MB, Rinehart A. 2012. Fixed-station water quality monitoring at Canaveral National Seashore: 2011 data summary.. Natural Resource Data Series. NPS/SECN/NRDS—2012/389. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado. https://doi.org/10.36967/2190431
In 2007 the National Park Service (NPS) Southeast Coast Network (SECN) began collecting water quality data in the estuarine waters of Canaveral National Seashore as part the NPS Vital Signs monitoring program. The scope of the monitoring program includes Mosquito Lagoon and is comprised of continuous water-quality monitoring conducted by the SECN at one site and is augmented with monthly data collected at five stations by St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD). This report includes data from January through December, 2011. Information collected by this monitoring program will be used to help managers make better-informed decisions by understanding trends and variability related to water-quality conditions in park waters. High levels of total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) were the most common cause of poor water-quality ratings across all sites and months. Higher concentrations of nutrients and chlorophyll a were most commonly observed during the late spring and summer months at all sites. Dissolved oxygen concentrations measured during monthly sampling were all rated good although continuous data indicated a period between June and September when mean daily values commonly dropped below 5 mg/L. Mean daily values observed during these periods were primarily due to low dissolved oxygen levels during the night and early morning. Water clarity conditions ranged from poor to good across all sites with all of the poor observations occurring during late summer and fall. Poor and fair water clarity conditions tended to occur during periods with elevated nutrients and chlorophyll a levels. Mean daily turbidity readings made at the continuous recording station were less than 15 nephelometric turbidity units (NTUs). Salinity ranged from 27 to 44 parts per thousand (ppt) with the higher values occurring during the summer months. pH values ranged between 7.54 and 8.75 throughout the year with the most acidic conditions occurring episodically throughout the summer months.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Wright, Wendy; Gregory, M.; Rinehart, Aaron
- Date of Issue
- 2012-10
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- DOI
- 10.36967/2190431
- Units
- CANA , NRSS , SECN
- Keywords
- Canaveral National Seashore, chlorophyll a, Depth, Dissolved Oxygen, Marine Water Quality Monitoring, pH, Salinity, Southeast Coast Network, specific conductance, Temperature, total dissolved nitrogen, total dissolved phosphorus, Turbidity, Water Quality
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Water | Water Quality | Water Chemistry