Anthropogenic influence of the sedimentary regime of an urban estuary, Boston Harbor
Fitzgerald MG. 1980. Anthropogenic influence of the sedimentary regime of an urban estuary, Boston Harbor. WHOI 80-38. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Woods Hole, MA
Boston Harbor (and its approches) is a glacially carved, tidally dominated estuary in western Massachusetts Bay. Characterized by low river discharge and significant human impact, the harbor is typical of many bays and estuaries along the New England coast. Modern organic-rich sediments are accumulating in several depocenters at an estimated rate of 0.2-0.3 cm/yr. The high organic matter content (greater than 10%) of these modern sediments is attributed in part of anthropogenic wastes. Wastes rich in trace metals are discharged into the harbor from the sewage treatment facility at Deer Island and from numerous point sources in the Inner Harbor. Trace metal profiles in the bottom sediments reflect the increasing use and discharge of these metals during the past 100 years. Large variations in several cores may be related to circulation changes accompanying the closing of Shirley Gut in 1936. In the water column, silt and clay sized mineral grains are suspended together in organically bound agglomerates. The organic film binding these particles is a by-product of biological activity and aids in the deposition of particulates and pollutants
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Fitzgerald, Michael
- Date of Issue
- 1980-09
- Publisher
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
- Units
- BOHA
- Keywords
- Boston Harbor, Environmental Impact, Estuaries, Heavy Metals, Industrial wastes, Marine Pollution, Massachusetts Coast, Oceanography, Organic Compounds, Organic Matter, River discharges, Sediment, Sediments, Sewage, Tidal estuaries, Trace Metals, Waste effluents, Water Quality