Research article
15 Jan 2016
Research article | 15 Jan 2016
Spatial and temporal trends in summertime climate and water quality indicators in the coastal embayments of Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts
J. E. Rheuban1, S. Williamson1, J. E. Costa2, D. M. Glover1, R. W. Jakuba3, D. C. McCorkle4, C. Neill5, T. Williams3, and S. C. Doney1
J. E. Rheuban et al.
J. E. Rheuban1, S. Williamson1, J. E. Costa2, D. M. Glover1, R. W. Jakuba3, D. C. McCorkle4, C. Neill5, T. Williams3, and S. C. Doney1
- 1Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
- 2Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program, Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, Wareham, MA 02538, USA
- 3Buzzards Bay Coalition, New Bedford, MA 02740, USA
- 4Department of Geology and Geophysics, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
- 5The Ecosystems Center, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
- 1Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
- 2Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program, Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, Wareham, MA 02538, USA
- 3Buzzards Bay Coalition, New Bedford, MA 02740, USA
- 4Department of Geology and Geophysics, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
- 5The Ecosystems Center, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
Correspondence: J. E. Rheuban (jrheuban@whoi.edu)
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Received: 10 Jul 2015 – Discussion started: 14 Aug 2015 – Revised: 04 Dec 2015 – Accepted: 13 Dec 2015 – Published: 15 Jan 2016
Degradation of coastal ecosystems by eutrophication is largely defined by nitrogen loading from land via surface water and groundwater flows. However, indicators of water quality are highly variable due to a myriad of other drivers, including temperature and precipitation. To evaluate these drivers, we examined spatial and temporal trends in a 22-year record of summer water quality data from 122 stations in 17 embayments within Buzzards Bay, MA (USA), collected through a citizen science monitoring program managed by Buzzards Bay Coalition. To identify spatial patterns across Buzzards Bay's embayments, we used a principle component and factor analysis and found that rotated factor loadings indicated little correlation between inorganic nutrients and organic matter or chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentration. Factor scores showed that embayment geomorphology in addition to nutrient loading was a strong driver of water quality, where embayments with surface water inputs showed larger biological impacts than embayments dominated by groundwater influx. A linear regression analysis of annual summertime water quality indicators over time revealed that from 1992 to 2013, most embayments (15 of 17) exhibited an increase in temperature (mean rate of 0.082 ± 0.025 (SD) °C yr−1) and Chl a (mean rate of 0.0171 ± 0.0088 log10 (Chl a; mg m−3) yr−1, equivalent to a 4.0 % increase per year). However, only seven embayments exhibited an increase in total nitrogen (TN) concentration (mean rate 0.32 ± 0.47 (SD) µM yr−1). Average summertime log10(TN) and log10(Chl a) were correlated with an indication that the yield of Chl a per unit total nitrogen increased with time suggesting the estuarine response to TN may have changed because of other stressors such as warming, altered precipitation patterns, or changing light levels. These findings affirm that nitrogen loading and physical aspects of embayments are essential in explaining the observed ecosystem response. However, climate-related stressors may also need to be considered by managers because increased temperature and precipitation may worsen water quality and partially offset benefits achieved by reducing nitrogen loading.
