Characterizing light attenuation within Northwest Florida Estuaries: Implications for RESTORE Act water quality monitoring.

ABSTRACT: Water Quality (WQ) condition is based on ecosystem stressor indicators (e.g. water clarity) which are biogeochemically important and critical when considering the Deepwater Horizon oil spill restoration efforts under the 2012 RESTORE Act. Nearly all of the proposed RESTORE projects list restoring WC as a goal, but 90% neglect water clarity. Here, dynamics of optical constituents impacting clarity are presented from a 2009-2011 study within Pensacola, Choctawhatchee, St. Andrew and St. Joseph estuaries (targeted RESTORE sites) in Northwest Florida. Phytoplankton were the smallest contribution to total absorption (a_t-wPAR) at 412nm (5-11%), whereas colored dissolved organic matter was the largest (61-79%). Estuarine a_t-wPAR was significantly related to light attenuation

SUBMITTER: Conmy RN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7315315 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature