Development of a pelagic biogeochemical model with enhanced computational performance by optimizing ecological complexity and spatial resolution

Ali Ertürk, Ilona Sakurova, Mindaugas Zilius, Petras Zemlys, Georg Umgiesser, Burak Kaynaroglu, Renata Pilkaitytė and Artūras Razinkovas-Baziukas

Ecological Modelling, 2023, vol. 486, issue C

Abstract: Introducing ESTAS-AQUABC, a new software tool designed for modelling nutrient cycles and eutrophication in highly-eutrophic estuaries. Our focus on replicating intense cyanobacteria blooms and N2-fixation sets us apart from other estuary models. We account for N2-fixation by cyanobacteria, the inorganic carbon cycle, non-conservative alkalinity, and pH calculations through CO2SYS integration. AQUABC also includes ammonia-stripping at high pH in its kinetic sub-model. ESTAS-AQUABC uses box modelling approach where the fluxes between boxes are calculated by a hydrodynamical model, in our case the SHYFEM model. This approach is robust, especially when field data for calibration is scarce, saving computational time. While our model accurately reproduced pelagic N2-fixation rates, inorganic nutrient dynamics were less precise, mainly due to the absence of bentho-pelagic exchange processes. ESTAS-AQUABC provides a useful tool to investigate nutrient retention from land to open sea, which could be important to mitigate eutrophication in estuarine systems and the adjacent coastal areas.

Keywords: Eutrophication; Ecological modelling; Nutrient cycling; Dinitrogen fixation; Curonian Lagoon (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecomod:v:486:y:2023:i:c:s0304380023002399

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2023.110509

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