Water quality responses to simulated flow and nutrient reductions in the Cape Fear River Estuary and adjacent coastal region, North Carolina

Jing Lin, Lian Xie, Leonard J. Pietrafesa, Hongzhou Xu, Wendy Woods, Michael A. Mallin and Michael J. Durako

Ecological Modelling, 2008, vol. 212, issue 3, 200-217

Abstract: In order to examine system responses to high river discharge events and nutrient loading variations from the drainage basin, a coupled three-dimensional hydrodynamic and water quality model was applied in the Cape Fear River Estuary (CFRE) and its adjacent coastal region. An empirical equation was introduced in the model to represent light limitation for phytoplankton growth due to chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM). Model results show that in the upper to middle estuary, light limitation controls phytoplankton growth while in the lower estuary phytoplankton growth appears to be limited by light intensity during high flow periods, but by nutrient availability during low flow periods. In the coastal ocean, nutrient availability is usually the dominant limiting factor for primary production.

Keywords: Water quality; Numerical modeling; Nutrient flux; Estuary; Cape Fear River (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2008
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecomod:v:212:y:2008:i:3:p:200-217

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2007.10.026

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