Lipídios como indicadores de fontes e distribuição de matéria orgânica particulada em um complexo estuarino-lagunar tropical (Mundaú-Manguaba, AL)

Fatty acids, alcohols and sterols were considered as markers of the source and distribution of particulate organic matter during the dry season in the Mundaú-Manguaba estuarine-lagoon system, NE Brazil. Lipid composition showed an overwhelming influence of autochthonous sources of organic matter in all system´s compartments, including the probable occurrence of algal blooms in specific areas. On the other hand, contamination by sewage was restricted to Mundaú lagoon. This scenario differed from known conditions observed in the wet season, illustrating the usefulness of the lipid biomarker approach for the characterization of other complex and dynamic systems in the Brazilian coastal zone

Fontes e distribuição de matéria orgânica sedimentar no complexo estuarino-lagunar de Mundaú-Manguaba/AL, utilizando esterois e alcoóis como indicadores

The origin of the sedimentary organic matter in the Mundaú-Manguaba estuarine system was evaluated through the distribution and composition of sterols, alcohols and ancillary data. The muddy sediments of the lagoons are enriched in organic matter, derived from a mixture of autochthonous and allochthonous inputs. Mundaú exhibited moderate contamination by sewage, with coprostanol concentration as high as 4.4 µg g-1. The channels are characterized by sand and organic matter-poor sediments. The sediments from some rivers in the drainage basin accumulated organic matter derived only from terrestrial vegetation. Stanol/sterol ratios evidenced the preferential diagenesis of the autochthonous fraction of organic matter

COMPARAÇÕES ENTRE MEDIÇÕES EM TEMPO REAL DA pCO2 AQUÁTICA COM ESTIMATIVAS INDIRETAS EM DOIS ESTUÁRIOS TROPICAIS CONTRASTANTES: O ESTUÁRIO EUTROFIZADO DA BAÍA DE GUANABARA (RJ) E O ESTUÁRIO OLIGOTRÓFICO DO RIO SÃO FRANCISCO (AL)

Carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes from aquatic systems are generally derived from the gradient in the partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) between air and surface waters. In this study, we compare real-time measurements of water pCO2 using an equilibrator and non-dispersive infrared gas detector, with calculations based on pH and total alkalinity (TA) in two contrasting Brazilian estuaries: Guanabara Bay (Rio de Janeiro) and the São Francisco River Estuary (Alagoas). In Guanabara Bay, the measured and calculated values showed an excellent agreement (R2 = 0.95, p < 0.0001), without significant statistical differences between the two methods. In the São Francisco River Estuary, where the entire gradient from freshwaters to seawater could be sampled, important overestimates were found for the calculated pCO2. The overestimation was on average 71%, and reached up to 737%. This large bias in pCO2 calculation was verified at low pH and TA concentrations in freshwaters (pH < 7.5; TA < 700 µmol kg-1) possibly due to the contribution of organic alkalinity, lowering the buffer capacity of the carbonate system. As such, direct measurements of pCO2 should be considered as a priority for CO2 studies conducted in estuarine systems, particularly tropical systems where physical and biological processes are prone to significant spatial and temporal variability

Distribution of prokaryotic organisms in a tropical estuary influenced by sugar cane agriculture in northeast Brazil

In a joint Brazilian-German case study, distribution patterns of microorganisms were compared with environmental variables in the tropical coastal Manguaba lagoon in northeast Brazil, which is situated downstream of several sugar cane processing plants . 16S rDNA and 16S rRNA single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) gene fingerprinting were used to follow the composition and distribution of microorganisms throughout the salinity gradient of the lagoon. Potentially abundant microorganisms were identified by sequencing representative SSCP bands. It could be demonstrated that the distribution of microbes was in close relation to the physico-chemical environmental settings and followed a common scheme. In the in- and outlet areas of the lagoon rather transient microbial communities were found, whereas in the central part a stable, diverse community was encountered, that due to the long residence time of the water, had ample time for development and adaptation

A Model Analysis for the Design and Deployment of an Eulerian Sediment Trap Mooring Array in a Western Boundary Upwelling System from Southeast Brazil

This work addresses the design and configuration of a Eulerian sediment trap mooring array, which was deployed at the shelf edge (zm ≈ 140 m) 80 km off Cabo Frio, SE- Brazil (23° S). The site was subject to interplay between the Tropical Waters (TW) of the Brazil Current (BC), intrusions from the South Atlantic Central Waters (SACW), which are the source of upwelling in the region, and other oceanographic processes. Detailed computations were used to optimize the total weight, buoyancy balance, and maximum acceptable tilt to avoid hydrodynamic bias in the trapping efficiency and array adaptation to the local oceanographic conditions with the assistance of Matlab and Muringa programs and Modular Ocean Model 4.0 (MOM; i.e., to assert the vertical distribution of the meridional current component). The velocity range of the current component was determined by short term measurements to be between 0.1 and 0.5 m/s. Projections led to a resulting minimum anchor weight of 456 kg. The necessary line tension was ascertained by using the appropriate distribution of a series of buoys along the array, which finally attained a high vertical load of 350 kg because of the attached oceanographic equipment. Additional flotation devices resulted in a stable mooring array as reflected by their low calculated tilt (2.6° ± 0.6°). A low drag of 16 N was computed for the maximum surface current velocity of 0.5 m/s. The Reynolds number values ranged from 4 × 104 to 2 × 105 and a cone-trap aspect ratio of 1.75 was used to assess the trap sampling efficiency upon exposure to different current velocities

Particle Fluxes and Bulk Geochemical Characterization of the Cabo Frio Upwelling System in Southeastern Brazil: Sediment Trap Experiments between Spring 2010 and Summer 2012

Physical and biogeochemical processes in continental shelves act synergistically in both transporting and transforming suspended material, and ocean dynamics control the dispersion of particles by the coastal zone and their subsequent mixing and dilution within the shelf area constrained by oceanic boundary currents, followed by their gradual settling in a complex sedimentary scenario. One of these regions is the Cabo Frio Upwelling System located in a significantly productive area of Southeastern Brazil, under the control of the nutrient-poor western boundary Brazil Current but also with a wind-driven coastal upwelling zone, inducing cold-water intrusions of South Atlantic Central Water on the shelf. To understand these synergic interactions among physical and biogeochemical processes in the Cabo Frio shelf, a series of four experiments with a total of 98 discrete samples using sediment traps was performed from November 2010 to March 2012, located on the 145 m isobath on the edge of the continental shelf. The results showed that lateral transport might be relevant in some cases, especially in deep layers, although no clear seasonal cycle was detected. Two main physical-geochemical coupling scenarios were identified: singular downwelling events that can enhance particles fluxes and are potentially related to the Brazil Current oscillations; and events of significant fluxes related to the intrusion of the 18&#176;C isotherm in the euphotic zone. The particulate matter settling in the Cabo Frio shelf area seems to belong to multiple marine and terrestrial sources, in which both Paraiba do Sul River and Guanabara Bay could be potential land-sources, although the particulate material might subject intense transformation (diagenesis) during its trajectory to the shelf edge

SPREADING EUTROPHICATION AND CHANGING CO2 FLUXES IN THE TROPICAL COASTAL OCEAN: A FEW LESSONS FROM RIO DE JANEIRO

International audienceIn Brazil and in many other tropical countries, large urban cities and populations are still growing on the coast and coverage in terms of sewage treatments is far from desirable. Cultural eutrophication is not solely a threat for the coastal ocean; it is now acting as one of its major biogeochemical and ecological driver. Along the littoral of the state of Rio de Janeiro, semi-enclosed marine bays and lagoons show clear spatial and temporal pattern of increasing concentrations of chlorophyll a (Chl a), organic carbon, and nutrients in their waters and sediments in urbanized regions. Acting as a buffer, the nearshore ecosystems have turned highly eutrophic and their autotrophic metabolism has been enhanced creating strong carbon dioxide (CO2) sinks. We compile here data of CO2fluxes recently gathered in four coastal marine ecosystems in the state of Rio de Janeiro: the Guanabara Bay and the Araruama, Saquarema and Jacarepagua lagoons. We observed intense CO2 sources in restricted areas at the vicinity of sewage loads, where microbial degradation of organic matter predominates, and large CO2 sinks in confined and nearshore brackish, marine and hypersaline waters, where phytoplankton blooms occur. We also report a correlation across the four ecosystems between the partial pressure of CO2 in waters and the Chl a concentration. Chl a satellite data all along the Brazilian coast suggest that the CO2 sink induced by eutrophication probably occurs in many coastal ecosystems including bays, lagoon and shelf waters, and could contribute to an additional blue carbon. Part of the additional organic carbon is stored in sediments, and part is exported offshore. However, this additional blue carbon has dramatic environment impacts as it would evolve toward the formation of marine dead zones, and could contribute to a production of methane (CH4) a more powerful greenhouse gas. We emphasize an urgent need for multidisciplinary research to promote simultaneously the storage of atmospheric carbon, and the preservation of biodiversity and socio-economic goods in the eutrophic tropical coastal ocean.&#x0D; Keywords: tropical coastal ecosystems, cultural eutrophication, phytoplankton blooms, marine dead zones, blue carbon</jats:p

A satellite view of riverine turbidity plumes on the NE-E Brazilian coastal zone

Turbidity plumes of São Francisco, Caravelas, Doce, and Paraiba do Sul river systems, located along the NE/E Brazilian coast, are analyzed for their dispersal patterns of Total Suspended Solids (TSS) concentration using Landsat images and a logarithmic algorithm proposed by Tassan (1987) to convert satellite reflectance values to TSS. The TSS results obtained were compared to in situ collected TSS data. The analysis of the satellite image data set revealed that each river system exhibits a distinct turbidity plume dispersal pattern. The behavior, dimension and degree of turbidity of the São Francisco River plume have been greatly altered by the construction of a cascade of hydroelectric dam reservoirs in its hydrological basin. The plume has lost its typical unimodal seasonal pattern of material dispersion and its turbidity has decreased due to the regulation of river flow by the dams and TSS retainance by the reservoirs. In contrast, the Doce and Paraíba do Sul river plumes are still subject to seasonal pulsations and show more turbid conditions than the SF plume, as dams are less numerous, set in the middle river sections and the natural river flow has been maintained. The Caravelas Coastal System river plume is restricted to near shore shallow waters dominated by resuspension processes. During austral spring and summer when NE-E winds prevail, all plumes generally disperse southward. Short-term northward reversals may occur in winter with the passage of atmospheric cold fronts. The São Francisco and Doce river plumes tend to disperse obliquely to the coast and transport materials further offshore, while the Caravelas and Paraíba do Sul plumes tend to disperse mainly parallel to the coast, enhancing TSS retention nearshore.<br>O presente estudo analisa as plumas de turbidez dos sistemas dos rios São Francisco, Caravelas, Doce, e Paraiba do Sul localizados na costa NE/E do Brasil utilizando imagens Landsat e o algoritmo logarítmico para Total de Sólidos em Suspensão (TSS) proposto por Tassan (1987). Os resultados obtidos foram comparados com Total de Sólidos em Suspensão medidos in situ. A pluma de turbidez de cada sistema mostra padrões de dispersão distintos. O comportamento, a dimensão e o grau de turbidez da pluma do Rio São Francisco têm sido drasticamente alterados devido à cascata de barragens e seus reservatórios presentes em sua bacia de drenagem. Já as plumas dos rios Doce e Paraíba do Sul apresentam pulsações sazonais e maior turbidez, uma vez que as barragens nesses rios localizam-se no setor médio e mantiveram a pulsação sazonal da vazão. A pluma do sistema costeiro de caravelas permanece restrita às águas rasas dominadas por processos de ressuspensão. Durante a primavera e verão, quando os ventos de NE-E prevalecem, as plumas dos quatro sistemas se dispersam na direção sul. Durante o inverno, inversões do padrão de dispersão podem ocorrer com a passagem de frentes frias. As plumas dos sistemas São Francisco e Doce tendem a se dispersar obliquamente à costa, favorecendo o transporte de material para regiões oceânicas, enquanto que as plumas dos sistemas Caravelas e Paraíba do Sul se dispersam paralelamente à costa, favorecendo a retenção de TSS