Abstract
The transport of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) between shallow banks and deep basins in the Bahamas was the focus of this study. Hydrographic and CDOM absorption measurements made on the Bahamas Banks and in Exuma Sound during the spring of 1999 and 2000 showed that values of salinity and CDOM absorption at 440 nm were higher on the banks (37.18 psu, 0.06 m–1), compared to Exuma Sound (37.04 psu, 0.03 m–1). Spatial patterns of CDOM absorption in Exuma Sound revealed that plumes of CDOM-rich water flow into Exuma Sound from the surrounding banks. These patterns were determined using Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) data processed using a Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) algorithm to derive CDOM absorption estimates. These data, along with time-series data collected in a channel between the banks and sound, suggest that bank water rich in CDOM and salinity leaves the banks during ebb tide, whereas sound water, with lower levels of CDOM and salinity, extends onto the banks during flood tide. Because CDOM absorbs ultraviolet radiation, a causal factor of reef organism bleaching, we discuss the meaning of our findings in terms of susceptibility to coral bleaching in the Exuma region.
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Acknowledgements
This study is supported by grants N00014-97-1-0006 and N00014-96-1-5013 to the University of South Florida by the Office of Naval Research and by NASA grant NAS5-31716. The authors would also like to thank Emmanuel Boss for his helpful insights and the use of data that he collected with Ron Zaneveld.
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Otis, D.B., Carder, K.L., English, D.C. et al. CDOM transport from the Bahamas Banks. Coral Reefs 23, 152–160 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-003-0356-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-003-0356-8