Some challenges of an “upside down” nitrogen budget – Science and management in Greenwich Bay, RI (USA)

DiMilla, Peter A.; Nixon, Scott W.; Oczkowski, Autumn J.; Altabet, Mark A.; McKinney, Richard A.

Some challenges of an “upside down” nitrogen budget – Science and management in Greenwich Bay, RI (USA)

2011

DiMilla, Peter A. | Nixon, Scott W. | Oczkowski, Autumn J. | Altabet, Mark A. | McKinney, Richard A.

When nutrients impact estuarine water quality, scientists and managers instinctively focus on quantifying and controlling land-based sources. However, in Greenwich Bay, RI, the estuary opens onto a larger and more intensively fertilized coastal water body (Narragansett Bay). Previous inventories of nitrogen (N) inputs to Greenwich Bay found that N inputs from Narragansett Bay exceeded those from the local watershed, suggesting that recent efforts to reduce local watershed N loads may have little effect on estuarine water quality. We used stable isotopes of N to characterize watershed and Narragansett Bay N sources as well as the composition of primary producers and consumers throughout Greenwich Bay. Results were consistent with previous assessments of the importance of N inputs to Greenwich Bay from Narragansett Bay. As multiple N sources contribute to estuarine water quality, effective management requires attention to individual sources commensurate with overall magnitude, regardless of the political complications that may entail.

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