Centre for Marine and Environmental Research

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Mechanisms for longitudinal transport on early life stages in benthic-pelagic fishes within a tide-dominated estuary

Publication . Miró, J.M.; Megina, C.; Garel, Erwan; Donázar-Aramendía, I.; Olaya-Ponzone, L.; García-Gómez, J.C.

Mechanisms that control the longitudinal transport of larvae and juveniles in nursery grounds such as estuaries are reported for some species. However, the behaviour and population consequences of these mechanisms are still uncertain. In this study, we tested selective tidal-stream transport from the along-channel (up-and down-stream) and cross-channel (from one margin to the other) perspectives for two kinds of fish: estuarine-resident gobies (Pomatoschistus spp.) and marine estuarine-opportunistic anchovies (Engraulis encrasicolus). Three cruises were conducted in the lower Guadalquivir estuary, on the ebb and on the flood of spring tides in summer. Plankton samples were collected across a channel section, at three stations (one in the middle of the channel and two in adjacent shallower areas), near the surface and near the bottom simultaneously. In addition, multiple physico-chemical variables (temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, pH, salinity, chlorophyll-a, along with wind and current direction and velocity) were measured to examine the different correlations used by the studied fish in their strategies. The benthic distribution of gobies indicated that they used flood currents near the bottom of lateral (shallow) areas to ingress into and remain in the estuary, temperature and/or dissolved oxygen being their main possible cues. On the contrary, the anchovies were more abundant near the surface, especially on the ebb tide, showing downstream advection, which was mainly influenced by salinity. However, the largest indi-vidual anchovies in the lateral/shallow zones suggested a behavioural ontogeny, which, together with wind induced transport, could contribute to their retention. This comparison also enhanced the knowledge of the habitat distribution of two species common and abundant in estuaries, anchovies and gobies.

2022Journal article

Open Access

Environmental protection requires accurate application of scientific evidence

Publication . Smith, Craig R.; Tunnicliffe, Verena; Colaco, Ana; Drazen, Jeffrey C.; Gollner, Sabine; Levin, Lisa A.; Mestre, Nélia; Metaxas, Anna; Molodtsova, Tina N.; Morato, Telmo; Sweetman, Andrew K.; Washburn, Travis; Amon, Diva J.

2021-01Other

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Export of dissolved and suspended matter from the main estuaries in South Portugal during winter conditions

Publication . Correia, C.; Torres, A. F.; Rosa, A.; Cravo, Alexandra; Jacob, J.; de Oliveira Junior, L.; Garel, Erwan

Estuaries are essential drivers of primary productivity in coastal waters through the export of dissolved and suspended material. This study aims at quantifying this fertilization process at the two main estuaries in South Portugal, where typical low river discharge conditions occur in winter due to strong flow regulation by upstream dams and seldom-local rain events. Data were collected across the channel of the lower Arade (10/01/2018) and Guadiana (04/02/2019) estuaries during a semi-diurnal tidal cycle with intermediate tidal ranges (1.5 m and 2.2 m, respectively). Current velocity records were completed with hourly water quality measurements (temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, suspended solids, chlorophyll a and nutrients) for determination of the along channel fluxes and residual mass transport of dissolved and suspended matter across the channel sections. The results show that the two estuaries were characterized by distinct water circulation patterns and tidal properties (e.g., standing wave at the Arade, mixed wave at the Guadiana). The concentration of dissolved and particulate matter displayed a general similar anti-phase pattern of variations with tidal height at both sites. The corresponding fluxes were generally strongest during the ebb phase. Thus, the residual mass transport was seaward, indicating that both estuaries contribute to fertilize adjacent coastal waters by exporting nutrients (order of kg), chlorophyll a (order of kg) and suspended solids (up to tons). Moreover, transport differences at both estuaries reflect specific discharge flow and environmental conditions as well as contamination sources close to the study areas. In particular, the signatures of a discharge event from a water treatment plant at the Arade and of coastal upwelling at the Guadiana were identified.

2020-08Journal article

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Offshore 1755 CE Lisbon Tsunami deposit in the southern portuguese continental shelf

Publication . Kümmerer, Vincent; Drago, Teresa; Veiga-Pires, Cristina; Silva, Pedro; Lopes, Ana; Magalhães, Vitor; Roque, Cristina; Rodrigues, Ana Isabel; Terrinha, Pedro; Mena, Anxo; Francés, Guillermo; Kopf, Achim; Völker, David; Salgueiro, Emilia; Alberto, Ana; C. Lopes, Cristina; Costa, Pedro; Baptista, Maria Ana

The importance of tsunami hazard assessment is only possible if a complete dataset of events is available, allowing the determination of the recurrence intervals of the tsunamis adapted to local and regional conditions. One possible way to know these intervals is to study the offshore sedimentary record, looking for sediment remobilised and transported by the incoming tsunami waves and generated backwash currents. Even if these deposits are not of easy access (and not so well studied), the tsunami depositional signature has potential to be better preserved than those located onshore.

2020-03-23Conference object

Open Access

Duration, but not bottle volume, affects Phytoplankton Community Structure and growth rates in microcosm experiments

Publication . B. Domingues, Rita; Mosley, Benjamin A.; Nogueira, Patricia; Maia, Inês Beatriz; B. Barbosa, Ana

It is generally assumed that the larger the bottle volume, the longer the duration of phytoplankton microcosm experiments. We hypothesize that volume and duration are independent, as volume does not regulate the extension of the exponential growth phase. We conducted two microcosm experiments using 1, 2, and 8 L bottles, inoculated with phytoplankton collected in the Ria Formosa lagoon (SE Portugal) and incubated for 1, 2, 4, and 8 days. Phytoplankton net growth rates were estimated using chlorophyll a concentration and cell abundance, determined with epifluorescence and inverted microscopy. Results show that the experimental duration significantly affected net growth rates, independently of volume, with decreasing net growth rates with time. Regarding volume, we found significant, but weak, differences in net growth rates, and significant two-way interactions only for the larger-sized cells. No significant differences in net growth rates across the different volumes were detected for the smaller, most abundant taxa and for the whole assemblage. We conclude that duration, not volume, is the main factor to consider in microcosm experiments, and it should allow the measurement of responses during the exponential growth phase, which can be detected through daily sampling throughout the duration of the experiment.

2023-01-16Journal article

Open Access