Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
4536377 | Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography | 2014 | 5 Pages |
Observations on the occurrence of an exceptional phytoplankton bloom in the Lee estuary, Co. Cork, in September 2010 are reported. A thin layer of phytoplankton dominated by the dinoflagellate Akashiwo sanguinea (Dinophyceae), with a cell concentration of 16,900 cells ml−1 and chlorophyll a concentration of 680 μg l−1, was observed at a depth of 1 m. The layer extended over a horizontal distance of 3 km and was located in the estuarine pycnocline. Levels of dissolved oxygen supersaturation were elevated at 190 (%) saturation (15.9 mg O2 l−1 ) and the highest biochemical oxygen demand associated with the bloom was greater than 25 mg O2 l−1. Using biovolume data to calculate carbon content, and a water exchange rate of 0.06 d−1 and dilution factor of 0.1, the potential oxygen demand following bloom collapse was estimated to be 7.22 mg O2 l−1. The potential impact of this thin layer on the water quality of the estuary is discussed.