Abstract
Chemical and isotopic (δ13C and δ15N) investigation of the Mandovi estuary along the Indian west coast affected strongly by the seasonal monsoon cycle was carried out. The Mandovi estuary is a major waterway for Goa and extensively used for transportation of iron and manganese ore. In addition, with large population centers as well as agricultural fields located on its shores, the estuary is assumed to have been influenced by human activities. Measurements of chemical and isotopic parameters made in the lower part of the estuary during the southwest (SW) monsoon and post-monsoon seasons reveal distinct changes, and it is observed that despite considerable enrichment of macronutrients during the SW monsoon, productivity of the estuary (phytoplankton biomass), as inferred from the chlorophyll-a content, is not as high as expected. This is due to occurrences of high turbidity and cloud cover that limits photosynthetic productivity. The isotopic characterization (C and N isotopes) of suspended organic matter produced/transported during the monsoon and post-monsoon seasons of year 2007 provides a baseline dataset for future isotopic studies in such type of tropical estuaries.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alagarsamy, R. (2006). Distribution and seasonal variation of trace metals in surface sediments of the Mandovi estuary, west coast of India. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 67, 333–339.
Altabet, M. A. (2007). Constraints on oceanic N balance/ imbalance from sedimentary 15N records. Biogeosciences, 3, 75–86.
Altabet, M. A., & Francois, R. (1994). Sedimentary nitrogen isotopic ratio records surface ocean nitrate utilization. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 8, 103–116.
Banse, K. (1959). On upwelling and bottom trawling off the South west coast off India. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of India, 1, 33–49.
Banse, K. (1968). Hydrography of the Arabian Sea shelf of India and Pakistan and effects on demersal fishes. Deep-Sea Research, 15, 45–79.
Bratton, J. F., Colman, S. M., Seal, I., & Robert, R. (2003). Eutrophication and carbon source in Chesapeake Bay over the last 2700 yr: Human impacts in context. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 67, 3385–3402.
Bronk, D. A., See, J. H., Bradley, P., & Killberg, L. (2007). DON as a source of bioavailable nitrogen for phytoplankton. Biogeosciences, 4, 283–296.
Burford, M. A., Alongi, D. M., McKinnon, A. D., & Trott, L. A. (2008). Primary production and nutrients in a tropical macrotidal estuary, Darwin Harbour, Australia. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 79, 440–448.
Cauwet, G. (1994). HTCO method for dissolved organic carbon analysis in seawater: Influence of catalyst on blank estimation. Marine Chemistry, 47, 55–64.
Coastal Ocean Monitoring and Prediction System (COMAPS) (1996). Annual report 1995–1996 (pp. 65–67). Dona Paula: National institute of Oceanography, TR7297.
Coastal Ocean Monitoring and Prediction System (COMAPS) (2002). Annual report 2001–2002 (pp. 34–38). Dona Paula: National institute of Oceanography, TR8847.
Codispoti, L. A. (1995). Is the ocean losing nitrate? Nature, 376, 724.
Codispoti, L. A., Brandes, J. A., Christensen, J. P., Devol, A. H., Naqvi, S. W. A., Pearl, H. W., et al. (2001). The oceanic fixed nitrogen and nitrous oxide budgets: Moving targets as we enter the anthropocene? Scientia Marina, 65, 85–105.
Dagg, M., Benner, R., Lohrenz, S., & Lawrence, D. (2004). Transformation of dissolved and particulate material on continental shelves influenced by large rivers: Plume processes. Continental Shelf Research, 24, 833–858.
Davies, P. (2004). Nutrient processes and chlorophyll in the estuaries and plume of the Gulf of Papua. Continental Shelf Research, 24, 2317–2341.
De Sousa, S. N. (1983). Studies on the behaviour of nutrients in the Mandovi estuary during Premonsoon. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 16, 299–308.
De Sousa, S. N., & Sen Gupta, R. (1986). Variation in dissolved oxygen in Mandovi and Zuari estuaries. Indian Journal of Marine Sciences, 15, 67–71.
Dwivedi, S. N., Bhargava, R. M. S., Parulekar, A. H., Selvakumar, R. A., Singbal, S. Y. S., & Sankaranarayanan, V. N. (1974). Ecology and environmental monitoring of Mandovi, Zuari and Cumbarjua canal complex during monsoon months. Journal of Indian Fisheries Association, 3(4), 113–130.
Eadie, B. J., McKee, B. A., Lansing, M. B., Robbins, J. A., Metz, S., & Trefry, J. H. (1994). Records of nutrient-enhanced coastal productivity in sediments from the Louisiana continental shelf. Estuaries, 17, 754–765.
Galloway, J. N., Dentener, F. J., Capone, D. G., Boyer, E. W., Howarth, R. W., Seitzinger, S. P., et al. (2004). Nitrogen cycles: Past, present, and future. Biogeochemistry, 70, 153–226.
Grasshoff, K., Ehrhardt, M., & Kremling, K. (1983). Methods of seawater analysis (2nd ed., p. 419). Weinheim: Verlag Chemie.
Jaffe, R., Boyer, J. N., Lu, X., Maie, N., Yang, C., Scully, N. M., et al. (2004). Source characterization of DOM in subtropical mangrove dominated estuary by fluorescence analysis. Marine Chemistry, 84, 195–210.
Jiunn-Tzong, W., & Tsan-Lin, C. (2003). Silicate as the limiting nutrient for phytoplankton in a subtropical eutrophic estuary of Taiwan. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 58, 155–162.
Kao, S.-J., & Liu, K.-K. (2000). Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope systematics in a human-disturbed watershed (Lanyang-Hsi) in Taiwan and the estimation of biogenic particulate organic carbon and nitrogen fluxes. Global Biogeochemical Cycle, 14, 189–198.
Kemp, W. M., Smith, E. M., Marvin-DiPasquale, M., & Boynton, W. R. (1997). Organic matter balance and net metabolism in Chesapeake Bay. Marine Ecology, Progress Series, 150, 229–248.
Keyte, F. K. (1965). On the formulas for correcting reversing thermometers. Deep-Sea Research, 12, 163–172.
Kurian, S., Agnihotri, R., Borole, D. V., Naqvi, S. W. A., Ferreira, A. M., & Vale, C. (2009). Possible solar control on primary production along the Indian west coast on decadal to centennial time scales. Journal of Quaternary Science, 24(2), 109–116.
Mei, L. S., Zhang, J., Chen, H. T., & Zhang, G. S. (2005). Factors influencing nutrient dynamics in the eutrophic Jiaozhou Bay, North China. Progress in Oceanography, 66, 66–85.
Naqvi, S. W. A., Jayakumar, D. A., Narvekar, P. V., Naik, H., Sarma, V. V. S. S., D’Souza, W., et al. (2000). Increased marine production of N2O due to intensifying anoxia on the Indian continental shelf. Nature, 408, 346–349.
Naqvi, S. W. A., Naik, H., Jayakumar, D. A., Shailaja, M. S., & Narvekar, P. V. (2006b). Seasonal oxygen deficiency over the western continental shelf of India. In Past and present water column Anoxia. NATO science series, IV. Earth and environmental sciences (Vol. 64, pp 195–224). New York: Springer.
Naqvi, S. W. A., Naik, H., Partihary, A., D’Souza, W., Narvekar, P. V., Jayakumar, D. A., et al. (2006a). Coastal versus open ocean denitrification in Arabian Sea. Biogeosciences, 3, 621–633.
Neill, M. (2005). A method to determine which nutrient is limiting for plankton growth at any salinity. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 50, 945–955.
Owens, N. J. P. (1987). Marine variation in 15N. Advances in Marine Biology, 24, 390–451.
Owens, N. J. P., & Rees, A. P. (1989). Determination of nitrogen-15 at sub-microgram levels of nitrogen using automated continuous-flow isotope ratio mass spectrometer. Analyst, 114, 1655–1657.
Pradeep Ram, A. S., Nair, S., & Chandramohan, D. (2003). Seasonal shift in net ecosystem production in a tropical estuary. Limnology and Oceanography, 48, 1601–1607.
Qasim, S. Z., & Sen Gupta, R. (1981). Environmental characteristics of the Mandovi–Zuari estuarine system in Goa. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Sciences, 13, 557–578.
Sankaranarayanan, N. V., Rao, D. P., & Antony, M. K. (1978). Studies on some hydrographical characteristics of the estuaries & inshore waters of Goa during the south-west monsoon 1972. Mahasagar—Bulletin of the National Institute of Oceanography, 11, 125–136.
Sardessai, S., & Sundar, D. (2007). Variability of nitrate and phosphate. In S. R. Shetye, M. D. Kumar & D. Shankar (Eds.), The Mandovi and Zuari estuaries (pp. 59–66). Dona Paula: National Institute of Oceanography.
Seitzinger, S. P., Kroeze, C., Bouwman, A. E., Caraco, N., Dentener, F., & Styles, R. V. (2002). Global patterns of dissolved inorganic and particulate nitrogen inputs to coastal systems: Recent conditions and future projections. Estuaries, 25, 640–55.
Shetye, S. R., Gouveia, A. D., Singbal, S. Y., Naik, C. G., Sundar, D., Michael, G. S., et al. (1995). Propagation of tides in the Mandovi–Zuari estuarine network. Proceedings of Indian Academy of Sciences (Earth & Planetary Sciences), 104(4), 667–682.
Shetye, S. R., Michael, G. S., & Pradnya Vishwas, C. (2007b). Mixing and intrusion of salt water. In S. R. Shetye, M. D. Kumar, D. Shankar (Eds.), The Mandovi and Zuari estuaries (pp. 49–58). Dona Paula: National Institute of Oceanography.
Shetye, S. R., Shankar, D., Neetu, S., Suprit, K., Michael, G. S., & Chandramohan, P. (2007a). The environment that conditions the Mandovi and Zuari estuaries. In S. R. Shetye, M. D. Kumar, D. Shankar (Eds.), The Mandovi and Zuari estuaries (pp. 3–27). Dona Paula: National Institute of Oceanography.
Sugimura, Y., & Suzuki, Y. (1988). A high temperature catalytic oxidation method for the determination of non-volatile dissolved organic carbon in sea water by direct injection of liquid samples. Marine Chemistry, 24, 105–131.
Sundar, D., & Shetye, S. R. (2005). Tides in the Mandovi and Zuari estuaries, Goa, west coast of India. Journal of Earth System Science, 114, 493–503.
Suprit, K., & Shankar, D. (2008). Resolving orographic rainfall on the Indian west coast. International Journal of Climatology, 28, 643–657.
Thamdrup, B., & Daalsgard, T. (2002). Production of N2 through anaerobic ammonium oxidation coupled to nitrate reduction in marine sediments. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 68, 1312–1318.
Technical Report (2000). Consultancy services for disposal of treated sewage effluents in the Estuary of River Mandovi at Campal, Panjim NIO/SP-21/2000.TR-8658 (pp. 40–42). Dona Paula Goa: National Institute of Oceanography.
Unnikrishnan, K., Shetye, S. R., & Gouveia, A. D. (1997). Tidal propagation in the Mandovi–Zuari estuarine network, west coast of India: Impact of freshwater influx. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 45, 737–744.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Maya, M.V., Soares, M.A., Agnihotri, R. et al. Variations in some environmental characteristics including C and N stable isotopic composition of suspended organic matter in the Mandovi estuary. Environ Monit Assess 175, 501–517 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-010-1547-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-010-1547-8