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Biological and isotopic changes in coastal waters induced by Hurricane Gordon
Author(s) -
Fogel Marilyn L.,
Aguilar Carmen,
Cuhel Russell,
Hollander David J.,
Willey Joan D.,
Paerl Hans W.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
limnology and oceanography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.7
H-Index - 197
eISSN - 1939-5590
pISSN - 0024-3590
DOI - 10.4319/lo.1999.44.6.1359
Subject(s) - water column , biogeochemistry , particulates , environmental chemistry , oceanography , chlorophyll a , nutrient , storm , environmental science , surface water , phytoplankton , dissolved organic carbon , hydrology (agriculture) , geology , chemistry , biochemistry , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry , environmental engineering
The effects of a major storm event (Hurricane Gordon) on the biogeochemistry of Atlantic coastal and Gulf Stream waters were investigated during a research cruise in November 1994. Prestorm, NH 4 + , NO 3 + , and PO 4 −3 concentrations were consistently well below 1 μM, whereas after the storm, nutrient concentrations were higher in the surface‐water samples: >2 μM, in some instances. Primary and secondary (bacterial) production were stimulated by factors of 5 and 2, respectively, up to 4 d following the storm. Bioassay experiments showed that additions of inorganic N stimulated chlorophyll a (Chl a ) concentrations, 14 CO 2 fixation, and stable isotope fractionations both before and after the storm, but the addition of phosphate had a greater impact in post‐storm experiments. The δ 15 n of particulate nitrogen (PN) varied from +5 to +1.5‰ before Gordon, then afterward attained a consistent value of +3.0‰. Sedimentary organic δ 15 n values were similar to water‐column organic N, and the δ 15 n of dissolved NH 4 + from surface sediments (+4.0‰) almost matched the δ 15 n of water‐column particulates. These results indicate that storm‐generated winds mixed sediments along with dissolved nutrients into surface waters, which supported a rapid increase in water‐column primary production.