Transport of nutrients from the Seybouse River to Annaba Bay (Algeria, SW Mediterranean)
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Date
2020
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ELSEVIER ,Marine Pollution Bulletin
Abstract
Freshwater and dissolved nutrient inputs that entered the lower Seybouse River estuary were assessed in 2012 through a fortnightly surface water sampling both at a lower river station and at the estuary outlet. The Seybouse estuary delivered annually 950 x 10 m3 of freshwater yielding 83 kg N km2 yr of N-NH, and 12 kg P km 2yr1 of P-PO,. More than 2/3 of the annual inputs of freshwater, Si(OH), and NO, entered the sea during the flooding event of late February 2012. Si-Si(OH), and N-NO, yields in the Seybouse estuary represented < 1/ 3 those of the Mediterranean rivers. Annaba Bay is subjected to highly polluted waters from the Seybouse estuary, with significant NH, (72 ± 37 μmol L1) and PO, (7 ± 4 μmol L1) amounts. However it is char- acterized by low Si(OH), (104 43 μmol L1) amounts. Alteration of Si:N:P ratios at this bay suggest potential risk of eutrophication, except during and weeks after flood episodes.