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Freshwater and Matter Inputs in the Aegean Coastal System

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The Aegean Sea Environment

Part of the book series: The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry ((HEC,volume 127))

Abstract

Largely using monitored data, we estimated water and nutrient fluxes to the Aegean Sea for two time periods, a past period (from 1980 to 1994 regarding discharge and 1980–1994 or broadly 1995–2000 regarding nutrients) and a recent period (between 2012 and 2015 for both, discharge and nutrients). The total water fluxes entering the Aegean were estimated to 481.4 km3/year, of which 62.3% were derived from the Black Sea via the Dardanelles straits, 26.8% by direct precipitation, 10.4% by the Balkan and Asian Minor rivers, and 2.2% by submarine springs. Regarding nutrients, considering only the Balkan rivers (in lack of data from Turkish rivers), the total fluxes of DIN (dissolved inorganic nitrogen) were 268.5 and of P-PO4 7.17 kt/year. The main DIN sources were the Black Sea inputs (48.4%) and precipitation (38.4%), whereas for phosphorus the rivers were the main contributors (46%). Considering this result, combined with the anticipated dramatic increase of hydropower production, there are concerns of enhanced future P limitation regarding marine photosynthesis as a result of more efficient phosphorus retention in reservoirs. Since silica is also massively retained within reservoirs, changes in riverine Si:N:P stoichiometry are expected to affect phytoplankton composition. Natural sediment fluxes were estimated to 61.8 Mt/year; however, sediment flux assessment includes large uncertainties. Retention of excessive sediment amounts within reservoirs, combined with a sea level rise, is expected to induce significant land losses in coastal areas. Finally, the Aegean Sea is still under threat regarding organic pollution, while there is a need for toxic pollutants monitoring and control in the circum-Aegean area to safeguard this spectacular environment for future generations.

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  1. Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters, Anavyssos, Greece

    Nikolaos Th. Skoulikidis & Angeliki Mentzafou

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  1. Nikolaos Th. Skoulikidis
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Correspondence to Nikolaos Th. Skoulikidis .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), Institute of Oceanography, Athens, Greece

    Christos L. Anagnostou

  2. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, S.Yu. Witte Moscow University, Moscow, Russia

    Andrey G. Kostianoy

  3. Department of Geology & Geoenvironment, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Ilias D. Mariolakos

  4. Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), Institute of Oceanography, Athens, Greece

    Panayotis Panayotidis

  5. Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Marina Soilemezidou

  6. Panteion University of Social and Political Science, Athens, Greece

    Grigoris Tsaltas

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Skoulikidis, N.T., Mentzafou, A. (2021). Freshwater and Matter Inputs in the Aegean Coastal System. In: Anagnostou, C.L., Kostianoy, A.G., Mariolakos, I.D., Panayotidis, P., Soilemezidou, M., Tsaltas, G. (eds) The Aegean Sea Environment. The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, vol 127. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/698_2020_732

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