Monitoring nitrogen pollution in seasonally-pulsed coastal waters requires judicious choice of indicator species

Daniel Gorman; Alexander Turra; Rod M Connolly; Andrew D Olds; Thomas Schlacher

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.06.042

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Monitoring nitrogen pollution in seasonally-pulsed coastal waters requires judicious choice of indicator species

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Monitoring nitrogen pollution in seasonally-pulsed coastal waters requires judicious choice of indicator species

Daniel Gorman, Alexander Turra, Rod M Connolly, Andrew D Olds and Thomas Schlacher

Marine Pollution Bulletin, Vol.122(1-2), pp.149-155

2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.06.042

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Abstract

wastewater

stable isotope

marine monitoring

sentinel

spatial subsidy

We compared the sensitivity of algae and hermit crabs to seasonal shifts in the dominance of continuous sewage discharge vs. pulsed inputs of terrestrial material to a subtropical bay. During periods of low rainfall, when sewage was proportionately more important than diffuse loads from adjacent catchments, algae and crabs provided comparable information on the spatial distribution of N pollution. Conversely, during the wet season, when diffuse nitrogen loads from the catchment were of greater importance, the isotope signal of algae decoupled from that of crabs, indexing a greater magnitude of change and a more pronounced spatial gradient. Overall, algae better indexed the short-term impacts of anthropogenic nitrogen pollution whereas the signals provided by crabs provided a longer-term integrated measure of N inputs. Our results demonstrate the value of including multiple taxa with variable traits when monitoring the spatial and temporal extent of nitrogen inputs to coastal waters.

Details

Title: Monitoring nitrogen pollution in seasonally-pulsed coastal waters requires judicious choice of indicator species
Authors: Daniel Gorman (Author) - University of São Paulo, Brazil
Alexander Turra (Author) - University of São Paulo, Brazil
Rod M Connolly (Author) - Griffith University
Andrew D Olds (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering
Thomas Schlacher (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering
Publication details: Marine Pollution Bulletin, Vol.122(1-2), pp.149-155
Publisher: Elsevier Ltd.
Date published: 2017
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.06.042
ISSN: 0025-326X
Organisation Unit: School of Science and Engineering - Legacy; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Science, Technology and Engineering
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99450916102621
Output Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Web Of Science research areas: Environmental Sciences; Marine & Freshwater Biology