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A practical method for setting coastal water quality targets: harmonization of land-based discharge limits with marine ecosystem thresholds

dc.contributor.authorTosic, Marko
dc.contributor.authorMartins, Flávio
dc.contributor.authorLonin, Serguei
dc.contributor.authorIzquierdo, Alfredo
dc.contributor.authorDario Restrepo, Juan
dc.date.accessioned2020-07-24T10:51:26Z
dc.date.available2020-07-24T10:51:26Z
dc.date.issued2019-10
dc.description.abstractThe Caribbean Sea provides significant ecosystem services to the livelihood and well-being of countries in the region. Protection of the marine ecosystem requires policy on coastal water quality that considers ecologically-relevant thresholds and has a scientific foundation linking land-based discharges with seawater quality. This study demonstrates a practical method for setting local-scale coastal water quality targets by applying this approach to Cartagena Bay, Colombia, and setting targets for end-of-river suspended sediment loads to mitigate offshore coral reef turbidity. This approach considers reef thresholds for suspended sediments and applies a field-calibrated 3D hydrodynamic-water quality model (MOHID) to link the marine thresholds to fluvial loads. Monitoring data showed that suspended sediments were consistently above the coral reef ecosystem threshold of 10 mg/l, and the model adequately reproduced field observations. It was shown that ecosystem thresholds could be maintained within the extent of the bay by reducing suspended sediment loads in the Dique Canal from current load estimates of 6.4 x 10(3) t/d (rainy season) and 4.3 x 10(3) t/d (transitional season) to target loads of 500-700 t/d, representing reductions of similar to 80-90%. These substantial reductions reflect ongoing issues in the Magdalena watershed which has experienced severe erosional conditions and intense deforestation over the past four decades. The presented method is practical for countries without access to long-term datasets, and could be applied to other parameters or discharge types. The method is particularly beneficial for developing site-specific targets, which are needed considering the natural and anthropogenic variability between different coastal zones and water bodies.
dc.description.sponsorshipInternational Development Research Centre, Ottawa, Canada [108747-001]
dc.description.sponsorshipEAFIT University, Corporacion Autonoma Regional del Canal del Dique (CARDIQUE) [15601]
dc.description.sponsorshipErasmus Mundus Doctoral Programme in Marine and Coastal Management (MACOMA)
dc.description.versioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.marpol.2019.103641
dc.identifier.issn0308-597X
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/14232
dc.language.isoeng
dc.peerreviewedyes
dc.publisherElsevier
dc.subjectGreat-Barrier-Reef
dc.subjectEcologically televant targets
dc.subjectRiver pollutant loads
dc.subjectCoral-reefs
dc.subjectMagdalena River
dc.subjectSediment load
dc.subjectNitrogen
dc.subjectManagement
dc.subjectModel
dc.subjectSea
dc.subjectPolicy targets
dc.subjectPollutant loads
dc.subjectWater quality modelling
dc.subjectSuspended solids
dc.subjectMarine ecosystem management
dc.subjectColombian caribbean
dc.titleA practical method for setting coastal water quality targets: harmonization of land-based discharge limits with marine ecosystem thresholds
dc.typejournal article
dspace.entity.typePublication
oaire.citation.startPageUNSP 103641
oaire.citation.titleMarine Policy
oaire.citation.volume108
person.familyNameTosic
person.familyNameMartins
person.givenNameMarko
person.givenNameFlávio
person.identifier.ciencia-id4C1A-BD2C-29E0
person.identifier.ciencia-id6711-E990-FFD9
person.identifier.orcid0000-0002-4313-2412
person.identifier.orcid0000-0002-9863-6255
person.identifier.ridU-2673-2018
person.identifier.scopus-author-id57192653350
person.identifier.scopus-author-id7006504350
rcaap.rightsrestrictedAccess
rcaap.typearticle
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relation.isAuthorOfPublication1a3bc5b3-6032-43b3-880e-1a551ba84d02
relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscoveryea4b2d87-bc69-48a7-a19b-a3a029881a5c

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