Marine Biology

, Volume 107, Issue 2, pp 247–254 | Cite as

Stimulation of phytoplankton production in coastal waters by natural rainfall inputs: Nutritional and trophic implications

  • H. W. Paerl
  • J. Rudek
  • M. A. Mallin
Article
Accepted:

Abstract

Recent evaluations of estuarine and coastal nutrient budgets implicate atmospheric deposition as a potentially significant (20 to 30%) source of biologically available nitrogen. We examined the potential growth stimulating impact of atmospheric nitrogen loading (ANL), as local rainfall, in representative shallow, nitrogen limited North Carolina mesohaline estuarine and euhaline coastal Atlantic Ocean habitats. From July 1988 to December 1989, using in situ bioassays, we examined natural phytoplankton growth responses, as14CO2 assimilation and chlorophylla production, to rain additions over a range of dilutions mimicking actual input levels. Rainfall at naturally occurring dilutions (0.5 to 5%) stimulated both14CO2 assimilation and chlorophylla production, in most cases in a highly significant manner. Parallel nutrient enrichments consistently pointed to nitrogen as the growth stimulating nutrient source. Generally, more acidic rainfall led to greater magnitudes of growth stimulation, especially at lower dilutions. Nutrient analyses of local rainfall from May 1988 to January 1990 indicated an inverse relationship between pH and NO 3 - content. There have been growing concerns regarding increasing coastal and estuarine eutrophication, including ecologically and economically devastating phytoplankton blooms bordering urban and industrial regions of North America, Europe, Japan, and Korea. It appears timely, if not essential, to consider atmospheric nutrient loading in the formulation and implementation of nutrient management strategies aimed at mitigating coastal eutrophication.

Keywords

Phytoplankton Assimilation Phytoplankton Bloom Phytoplankton Production Nutrient Budget 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 1990

Authors and Affiliations

  • H. W. Paerl
    • 1
  • J. Rudek
    • 1
  • M. A. Mallin
    • 1
  1. 1.Institute of Marine SciencesUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillMorehead CityUSA

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