Aakerberg, Emilie

Dam, Nikolaj Thyssen

Richard, Marion

Çelik, Taner

Estuaries play an important role acting as a filter for the nutrients transported through the system on their way from land to the sea. In this project we investigated estuarine and nutrient (N and P) dynamics in the restricted coastal lagoon Korevlerne in Sejerø Bugt, Zealand. The aim of the project was to investigate the processing of DIN and DIP in the system from land to sea during February, March and April 2012. By doing this we could get an idea whether the estuarine system acts as a sink or source of nutrients. Nutrients levels and physical properties were measured during four field trips. The northern and the southern parts of the estuary work slightly different due to different salinities (0-13 ‰ in the north, 0-8 ‰ in the south). The system receives very high nutrient concentrations (up to 143,92, 48,62 and 18,22 μM NH4+, NO3- and PO43-, respectively) during period of research. In contrast the concentrations leaving the estuary were quite low (ranging from 9,40 to 47,73 μM for DIN and 0,32 to 2,17 μM for DIP). The only likely source of the high levels of nutrients delivered to the estuary is the septic tanks in the nearby area of summerhouses. Our results suggests that Korevlerne is removing 95,7 % of these nutrients loaded to this estuary during spring and as such is an extremely effective nutrient filter. The nutrient removal is occurring due to uptake by marshes, burial in sediments and denitrification, all of which have good conditions during the spring in this estuary. Further investigations could be done in order to investigate the processing of nutrients in Korevlerne during the rest of the year.Estuaries play an important role acting as a filter for the nutrients transported through the system on their way from land to the sea. In this project we investigated estuarine and nutrient (N and P) dynamics in the restricted coastal lagoon Korevlerne in Sejerø Bugt, Zealand. The aim of the project was to investigate the processing of DIN and DIP in the system from land to sea during February, March and April 2012. By doing this we could get an idea whether the estuarine system acts as a sink or source of nutrients. Nutrients levels and physical properties were measured during four field trips. The northern and the southern parts of the estuary work slightly different due to different salinities (0-13 ‰ in the north, 0-8 ‰ in the south). The system receives very high nutrient concentrations (up to 143,92, 48,62 and 18,22 μM NH4+, NO3- and PO43-, respectively) during period of research. In contrast the concentrations leaving the estuary were quite low (ranging from 9,40 to 47,73 μM for DIN and 0,32 to 2,17 μM for DIP). The only likely source of the high levels of nutrients delivered to the estuary is the septic tanks in the nearby area of summerhouses. Our results suggests that Korevlerne is removing 95,7 % of these nutrients loaded to this estuary during spring and as such is an extremely effective nutrient filter. The nutrient removal is occurring due to uptake by marshes, burial in sediments and denitrification, all of which have good conditions during the spring in this estuary. Further investigations could be done in order to investigate the processing of nutrients in Korevlerne during the rest of the year

Korevlerne: Understanding the Nutrient Processes in the Lagoon

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Roskilde Universitet