Influence of Fluvial Discharge on the Dynamics of Chlorophyll-Α in the Continental Shelf Adjacent to the Recife Port Basin (Pernambuco-Brazil)
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Original Article / Artigo Original Otsuka et al.: Dynamics of chlorophyll-α BJOCEin Recife Port Basin Influence of fluvial discharge on the dynamics of Chlorophyll-α in the continental shelf adjacent to the Recife Port Basin (Pernambuco-Brazil) Amanda Yumi Otsuka1*, Fernando Antônio do Nascimento Feitosa1, Manuel de Jesus Flores Montes1, Alex Costa da Silva1 1 Departamento de Oceanografia da Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (Av. Arquitetura S/N, Recife - PE - 50740550 - Brazil) *Corresponding author: [email protected] ABSTRACT RESUMO This study was undertaken in the coastal zone of the state O presente trabalho foi desenvolvido na zona costeira of Pernambuco adjacent to the Recife port area, which do estado de Pernambuco adjacente a área portuária do corresponds to the inner shelf. This research aimed to ana- Recife, correspondente à plataforma. Apresentou como lyze the dynamics of chlorophyll-a and several other envi- objetivo analisar a dinâmica da clorofila-a e variáveis am- ronmental variables. Sampling was undertaken bimonthly bientais. As coletas foram realizadas bimestralmente, na on the surface from September 11th to May 10th, thus superfície, de maio/10 a setembro/11 englobando os perí- including the rainy and dry periods, and during low tide odos chuvoso e estiagem, durante a baixa-mar e em maré in spring tide. The parameters analyzed were chlorophyll- de sizígia. Os parâmetros analisados foram clorofila-a, a, salinity, temperature, transparency, dissolved oxygen, salinidade, temperatura, transparência, oxigênio dissolvi- oxygen saturation rate, pH, suspended solids, dissolved do, taxa de saturação do oxigênio, pH, material em sus- inorganic nutrients. Phytoplankton biomass ranged from pensão e nutrientes inorgânicos dissolvidos. A biomassa 13.48 to 145.09 mg m-3 in the estuarine area and on the fitoplanctônica variou entre 13,48 e 145,09 mg m-3 na área inner shelf, the variation being from 0.24 to 19.29 mg m-3 estuarina e na plataforma a variação foi de 0,24 a 19,29 in the dry season and from 0.78 to 5.20 mg m-3 in the rainy mg m-3 no período de estiagem e 0,78 a 5,20 mg m-3 no season. PCA showed a direct relationship of chlorophyll-a período chuvoso. A ACP evidenciou uma relação direta with ammonia, phosphate and transparency and an inverse da clorofila-a com N-amoniacal, fosfato e transparência e relationship with suspended particulate matter and nitrate. inversa com o material particulado em suspensão e nitra- Biomass did not vary significantly different as a result of to. A biomassa não apresentou diferença significativa para seasonal or spatial dynamics. The estuary of the Capibari- sazonal e espacialidade. O estuário do rio Capibaribe é be River is considered highly impacted, and as it forms the considerado altamente impactado, e ao formar a bacia por- Recife port basin, it joins with two more strongly eutro- tuária do Recife, este se soma a mais dois corpos d'água phic water bodies, the Beberibe River and the Pina Basin, fortemente eutrofizados, o rio Beberibe e a Bacia do Pina, leading to an amplification of its influence on the adjacent fazendo com que a influência na plataforma adjacente seja shelf. In terms of the river plume's dispersion in the Port ampliada. Em termos de dispersão de pluma dos rios no of Recife, the presence of a dike causes some disturbance porto do Recife, a presença do dique provoca uma certa in the direction of the current, limiting the plume to the perturbação no sentido da corrente, limitando esta pluma area close to the coast and influences the oceanographic para a parte mais costeira e influencia as variáveis oceano- variables on the inner continental shelf. gráficas na plataforma interna. Descriptors: Phytoplankton biomass, Spatial and Descritores: Biomassa fitoplanctônica, Sazonalidade temporal variability, Eutrophication, Environmental e espacialidade, Eutrofização, Variáveis ambientais, variables, Water quality. Qualidade da água. Submitted on: 29/June/2017 Approved on: 21/February/2018 http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1679-87592018149106601 BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF OCEANOGRAPHY, 66(1):91-103;2018 91 Otsuka et al.: Dynamics of chlorophyll-α in Recife Port Basin INTRODUCTION The main aim of this study was to analyze the dynam- ics of chlorophyll-a and of the hydrological parameters of The coastal marine environment can be basically un- the inner continental shelf area of Pernambuco under the derstood as a transitional area between the continents and influence principally of the plume of the Capibaribe River the liquid marine mass that covers approximately 70% of but also of other tributaries. the earth’s surface. This continental/sea interaction zone is considered extremely complex from the biological point of view because it has within its limits a profusion of in- MATERIAL AND METHODS fluences, terrestrial and atmospheric as well as oceanic, The drainage basin of the Capibaribe River comprises an allowing its characterization as one of the most fertile and area of 7,552 km2, which is equivalent to 6.73% of the area of dynamic of the hydrosphere (Resurreição et al., 1996). the state of Pernambuco. From source to mouth, the river runs The dispersion of continental drainage waters in through the Agreste and Zona da Mata regions, cutting through coastal areas has been recognized as an important physi- the metropolitan region of Recife and having a total length of cal process for coastal and river basin management. River approximately 250 kilometers (SRHE, 2010). At the end of its and estuary waters generally flow out into the sea in such course, the Capibaribe River meets the Beberibe River and the a way as to form a plume which transports sediments, nu- Pina basin and flows out into the Atlantic Ocean at the latitude trients and organic materials from the continent into the of the port of Recife. The climate of the Pernambuco coast oceans (Stacey et al., 1999). is of the As’ type, according to Köppen’s classification, with According to Abessa et al. (2012), the disposal of do- an annual average temperature of 25.6°C, average annual pre- mestic effluents in the ocean, whether in shallow or deeper cipitation of 2,272.9 mm and prevailing southeasterly winds waters, can result in a series of negative environmental (Araújo et al., 1999; Porto do Recife, 2013). impacts, of which eutrophication and the flowering of tox- The Capibaribe basin has an estimated population of ic algae stand out. The planktonic community has a highly 430,000 inhabitants and, among the main sources of the dynamic character, with considerable reproductive and environmental degradation of this river, its pollution by loss rates, rapidly responding to the physical and chemi- urban and industrial waste stands out (SRHE, 2010). The cal alterations of the aquatic environment and establishing estuarine system of the port of Recife presents a series of complex intra and interspecific relations in the competi- problems associated with the degradation of the environ- tion for and use of space and resources (Valiela, 1995). ment of the continental shelf. The main problem is asso- For this reason, some species of this community are used ciated with the city’s sewage system, which consists of as bioindicators, offering an overview of the organisms’ isolated secondary subsystems (Noriega et al., 2013). integrated response to environmental modifications. Determining the productive capacity of an ecosystem Field steps consists of evaluating its real ability to maintain all the Samples were collected at 5 sites, one inside the estuary, levels of the trophic web, and it is thus possible, by means serving as the estuary site (P1), and four others on the inner of the phytoplankton biomass, to classify the environment continental shelf in a line parallel to the coast, site 2 (P2) being as to its degree of eutrophication (Passavante and Feitosa, located 1.5 km south of the port of Recife, site 3 (P3) opposite 2004). the entrance to the port, followed by site 4 (P4) and site 5 (P5), There are still few works of phytoplanktonic biomass this latter lying about 3 km north of the port. The distance be- in the continental shelf area in Pernambuco and north- tween the collection sites and between them and the coastline east region, among the past works of phytoplankton bio- is approximately 1.5 km, except for P1 (Figure 1) (Table 1). mass, such as: Passavante et al. (1987/89), Passavante Bimonthly collections were carried out in the period between and Feitosa (1995); Passavante (1994/95), Moura and May/2010 and September/2011, on board a lobster-fishing Passavante (1994/95), Resurreição et al. (1996), Medeiros type boat, at during low tide in spring tide. Water samples for et al. (1999) with data obtained in JOPS II, Azevedo et al. analysis of phytoplankton biomass (chlorophyll-a) and hydro- (2008) in Golfão Maranhense region and Mafalda et al. logical parameters were collected at the surface using Niskin (2009) in REVIZEE. oceanographic bottles. 92 BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF OCEANOGRAPHY, 66(1):91-103;2018 Otsuka et al.: Dynamics of chlorophyll-α in Recife Port Basin Figure 1. Location of the collection sites in the estuarine zone of the Capibaribe River (P1) and on the inner continental shelf (P2, P3, P4, P5) verage e to the port of Recife, PE Brazil. (Source: Google Earth, 2013). Table 1. Sampling stations coordinates. centrifugal pump and high resolution sensors for con- Site Latitude (S) Longitude (W) ductivity measurements (resolution=0.00004 S m-1), P2 8°3’47,09’’ 34°51’37,46’’ temperature (resolution=0.0003o C) and pressure (resolu- P3 8°2’46,06’’ 34°51’17,73’’ tion=0.068 db). Hydrodynamic parameters were measured P4 8°2’20,95’’ 34°50’57,27’’ using an Acoustic Doppler Current Profile (ADCP), or P5 8°1’9,56’’ 34°50’23,65’’ Doppler acoustic currentometer model RDI 600 to mea- sure their movement in relation to the bottom as well as Laboratory measures the distribution of suspended sediments in the measure- ment section.