Suspended sediments as a source of P to summer biota of Lake Kinneret

Abstract

Summer biota in the stratified Lake Kinneret are P limited. Lake external sources and/or internal cycling of P within the epilimnion cannot account for the P demand of summer biota. Another source of P must be the hypolimnion although calculated upward diffusional fluxes of SRP across the thermocline are negligible. Additional sources of hypolimnetic P are considered. Sediments collected in traps enabled us to measure downward fluxes of various species of P as well as other parameters. The role of resuspension in transportion of particulate P from near to coast zones to the center of the lake was evaluated. It is concluded that mixing of hypolimnic and epilimnic water, in near coast zones, due to internal seiche activity may be a mechanism by which either SRP or bioavailable particulate P (from anoxic bed sediments) is introduced to the epilimnin.