Tomales Bay Metabolism: C-N-P Stoichiometry and Ecosystem Heterotrophy at the Land-Sea Interface
Smith SV, Hollibaugh JT, Dollar SJ, Vink S. 1991. Tomales Bay Metabolism: C-N-P Stoichiometry and Ecosystem Heterotrophy at the Land-Sea Interface. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 33(3):223-257
Water and salt budgets have been constructed for Tomales Bay, California, in order to estimate water advective and mixing exchange rates between the bay and coastal ocean over 2 years. Net non-conservative fluxes of dissolved P, N and C were calculated. The bay is a net source for dissolved P, C and total alkalinity, and is a net sink for dissolved fixed N. The dissolved P source is interpreted to be the result of net oxidation of approximately 10 mmol organic C/m super(2)/day. CO sub(2) released by this oxidation largely escapes to the atmosphere. This net respiration is about 12% of the total system respiration. Most dissolved inorganic N liberated during the oxidation is not exported hydrographically; rather, the bay is a net sink of dissolved fixed N. This N is assumed to be lost from the water via denitrification. Sulphate reduction is also an important component of respiration in this system. Denitrification is a minor component of gross C metabolism, but is the major sink of N in this system. The organic matter driving this net heterotrophy may be of either terrestrial or marine origin.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Smith, S; Hollibaugh, J; Dollar, S; Vink, S
- Units
- PORE
- Keywords
- brackish, California, Carbon Cycle, Estuaries, estuarine dynamics, INE, Metabolism, Nitrogen Cycle, Nutrient Cycles, phosphorus cycle, salt budget, Tomales Bay, USA, Water Budget, water mixing