The production and decomposition of organic material in an estuary-Southampton Water
The production and decomposition of organic material in an estuary-Southampton Water
This thesis forms part of a collaborative effort to study the flux of organic carbon through an urbanised, industrial, planktonic estuary. The emphasis of this work is the biological processes involved in the production and decomposition of organic material within the estuary. A method is described for the precise determination of dissolved oxygen which enabled in situ measurements of heterotrophic activity to be undertaken.Seasonal and spatial variations in phytoplankton production are examined; the delay of the coastal spring bloom until midsummer within the estuary, is attributed to tidal mixing processes and high phytoplankton P.Q.s related to methodology, excretion and nitrogen source. Rates of planktonic heterotrophic activity appear to reflect the external organic inputs during winter. This is confirmed by laboratory studies which prove useful in simulating the estuarine process and indicate that these winter rates are substrate limited. Analysis of summer rates of heterotrophic activity is complicated by internal inputs and the possible effects of temperature. Details of work on the nature of the heterotrophic population and of processes including the dark fixation of CO2 are also discussed. The results of in situ measurements of heterotrophic activity and primary production over a thirteen month period, together with extensive information on organic inputs and preliminary data on sediment respiration, enabled a carbon budget to be drawn up for the estuary. This budget highlights the importance of planktonic primary production as a major organic input and of benthic and planktonic heterotrophic activity as sinks for external and autochthonous organic material.
University of Southampton
1979
Bryan, Jeremy Robert
(1979)
The production and decomposition of organic material in an estuary-Southampton Water.
University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.
Record type:
Thesis
(Doctoral)
Abstract
This thesis forms part of a collaborative effort to study the flux of organic carbon through an urbanised, industrial, planktonic estuary. The emphasis of this work is the biological processes involved in the production and decomposition of organic material within the estuary. A method is described for the precise determination of dissolved oxygen which enabled in situ measurements of heterotrophic activity to be undertaken.Seasonal and spatial variations in phytoplankton production are examined; the delay of the coastal spring bloom until midsummer within the estuary, is attributed to tidal mixing processes and high phytoplankton P.Q.s related to methodology, excretion and nitrogen source. Rates of planktonic heterotrophic activity appear to reflect the external organic inputs during winter. This is confirmed by laboratory studies which prove useful in simulating the estuarine process and indicate that these winter rates are substrate limited. Analysis of summer rates of heterotrophic activity is complicated by internal inputs and the possible effects of temperature. Details of work on the nature of the heterotrophic population and of processes including the dark fixation of CO2 are also discussed. The results of in situ measurements of heterotrophic activity and primary production over a thirteen month period, together with extensive information on organic inputs and preliminary data on sediment respiration, enabled a carbon budget to be drawn up for the estuary. This budget highlights the importance of planktonic primary production as a major organic input and of benthic and planktonic heterotrophic activity as sinks for external and autochthonous organic material.
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Published date: 1979
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Local EPrints ID: 458888
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/458888
PURE UUID: abfeb48f-7855-4acb-aac7-870a92099724
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Date deposited: 04 Jul 2022 16:58
Last modified: 04 Jul 2022 16:58
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Author:
Jeremy Robert Bryan
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