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Chesapeake Bay Plume Morphology and the Effects on Nutrient Dynamics and Primary Productivity in the Coastal Zone

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Abstract

To determine the effects of the Chesapeake Bay outflow plume on the coastal ocean, nutrient concentrations and climatology were evaluated in conjunction with nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) uptake rates during a 3-year field study. Sixteen cruises included all seasons and captured high- and low-flow freshwater input scenarios. Event-scale disturbances in freshwater flow and wind speed and direction strongly influenced the location and type of plume present and thus the biological uptake of N and C. As expected, volumetric primary productivity rates did not always correlate with chlorophyll a concentrations, suggesting that high freshwater flow does not translate into high productivity in the coastal zone; rather, high productivity was observed during periods where recycling processes may have dominated. Results suggest that timing of meteorological events, with respect to upwelling or downwelling favorable conditions, plays a crucial role in determining the impact of the estuarine plume on the coastal ocean.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the captain and crew of the R/V Fay Slover and R/V Hugh R. Sharp for support during field operations. K. C. Filippino was supported on a Dominion Scholarship from ODU with some fieldwork supported by the Hampton Roads Maritime Scholarship. The majority of field support for sampling and analysis was provided through a grant to MRM from the Center of Innovative Technology. The remaining field support was due to cruises of opportunity with Antonio Mannino and Richard Zimmerman. We would also like the thank J. Blanco, G. Boneillo, and R. Morse for guidance, fieldwork, and laboratory support.

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  1. Department of Ocean, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, Old Dominion University, 4600 Elkhorn Ave, Norfolk, VA, 23529, USA

    Katherine C. Filippino, Peter W. Bernhardt & Margaret R. Mulholland

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  1. Katherine C. Filippino
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  2. Peter W. Bernhardt
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  3. Margaret R. Mulholland
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Correspondence to Katherine C. Filippino.

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Filippino, K.C., Bernhardt, P.W. & Mulholland, M.R. Chesapeake Bay Plume Morphology and the Effects on Nutrient Dynamics and Primary Productivity in the Coastal Zone. Estuaries and Coasts 32, 410–424 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-009-9139-y

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