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A Comparison of Water Quality Between Low- and High-Flow River Conditions in a Tropical Estuary, Hilo Bay, Hawaii

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Abstract

Effects of storms on the water quality of Hilo Bay, Hawaii, were examined by sampling surface waters at 6 stations 10 times during low-flow and 18 times during high-flow (storms) river conditions. The direction of a storm’s impact on water quality parameters was consistent among storms and most stations; however, direction of the impact varied with the parameter. High river flow conditions increased concentrations of nitrate and decreased those of dissolved organic nitrogen (N); effects on ammonium and particulate N were station specific. Storms also increased dissolved organic and particulate carbon (C) concentrations. Dissolved phosphorus (P) concentrations were not affected by high river flow events. Dissolved organic forms dominated the N, C, and P pools under both low- and high-flow river conditions. Soil-derived particles and fecal indicator bacteria increased during storms, while chlorophyll a concentrations and bacterial cell abundances decreased. Our results suggest that an increase in storms with global warming could impact water quality of tropical estuaries.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Lisa Shizuma, Kathy Seiber, Emily Hart, Randee Tubal, Randi Schneider, Jason Turner, Trisha Atwood, Melissa Netze, Trisann Bambico, Andrew Fredell, John Coney, Darren Roberts, Amy Dunn, and Chelsie Settlemier for their assistance in the field and the laboratory. J. Adolf and several anonymous reviews provided comments that helped improve this manuscript. Funding for this project came from Hawaii County Department of Public Works, the National Science Foundation (NSF) under NSF Awards: 0237065 and UHH Research Experience for Undergraduates, a grant and cooperative agreement from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Project RIEL-38, which is sponsored by the University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, under Institutional Grant NA050AR4171048 from NOAA Office of Sea Grant, Department of Commerce. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of NOAA or any of its sub-agencies.

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  1. Lucas H. Mead

    Present address: University of Hawaii at Hilo Analytical Laboratory, University of Hawaii at Hilo, Hilo, HI, 96720, USA

  2. Stephanie L. Molloy

    Present address: Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, East Bay, Hayward, CA, 94542, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Marine Science, University of Hawaii at Hilo, Hilo, HI, 96720, USA

    Tracy N. Wiegner

  2. Graduate Program of Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science, University of Hawaii at Hilo, Hilo, HI, 96720, USA

    Lucas H. Mead

  3. Department of Biology, University of Hawaii at Hilo, Hilo, HI, 96720, USA

    Stephanie L. Molloy

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Wiegner, T.N., Mead, L.H. & Molloy, S.L. A Comparison of Water Quality Between Low- and High-Flow River Conditions in a Tropical Estuary, Hilo Bay, Hawaii. Estuaries and Coasts 36, 319–333 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-012-9576-x

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