Phytoplankton Community Indicators of Short- and Long-term Ecological Change in the Anthropogenically and Climatically Impacted Neuse River Estuary, North Carolina, USA |
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| Authors: | Hans W Paerl Karen L Rossignol S Nathan Hall Benjamin L Peierls and Michael S Wetz |
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| Institution: | (1) Institute of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 3431 Arendell Street, Morehead City, NC 28557, USA;(2) Department of Oceanography, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4320, USA |
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| Abstract: | Estuarine and coastal systems represent a challenge when it comes to determining the causes of ecological change because human
and natural perturbations often interact. Phytoplankton biomass (chlorophyll a) and group-specific photopigment indicators were examined from 1994 to 2007 to assess community responses to nutrient and
climatic perturbations in the Neuse River Estuary, NC. This system experienced nutrient enrichment and hydrologic variability,
including droughts, and an increase in hurricanes. Freshwater input strongly interacted with supplies of the limiting nutrient
nitrogen (N) and temperature to determine the location, magnitude, and composition of phytoplankton biomass. Multi-annual,
seasonal, and episodic hydrologic perturbations, including changes in the frequency and intensity of tropical storms, hurricanes
and droughts, caused significant shifts in phytoplankton community structure. Climatic oscillations can at times overwhelm
anthropogenic nutrient inputs in terms of controlling algal bloom thresholds, duration, and spatial extent. Eutrophication
models should incorporate climatically driven changes to better predict phytoplankton community responses to nutrient inputs
and other anthropogenic perturbations. |
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