Impact of seasonality on the nutrient concentrations in Gautami-Godavari Estuarine Mangrove Complex, Andhra Pradesh, India

Spatiotemporal variations of dissolved nutrients were studied along Gautami-Godavari mangrove ecosystem to delineate their sources and fate. Average values of nitrate (NO3−), dissolved silica (DSi) and phosphate (PO43−) is 2.09 mg/l, 12.7 mg/l and 0.16 mg/l in wet season and 0.47 mg/l, 6.96 mg/l and 0.29 mg/l in dry season respectively. In wet season river discharge has significant influence on NO3− and DSi. In dry season, NO3− and PO43− are controlled by groundwater discharge, benthic exchange and various in situ processes owing to sediment redox condition. Mixing model shows net addition of phosphate in Coringa mangroves (95%) and Lower estuary (13%) and net removal of nitrate (24.79%) in Coringa mangrove and in estuary (58.9%). Thus present mangrove acts as net source for phosphate and net sink for nitrate and DSi. Nutrient ratio shows seasonal switching between potential Phosphorus and Nitrogen limitation in wet and dry season respectively.