Role of the Ria Formosa inlets on the physical, chemical and biological exchanges with the adjoining ocean

Abstract

A coastal lagoon is a “shallow coastal water body separated from the ocean by a barrier, connected at least intermittently to the ocean by one or more restricted inlets” (Kjerfve, 1994). Coastal lagoons are typically found along low-lying coastlines, affected by a tidal range < 4 m and generally < 5 m deep (Bird, 1994; Kjerfve,1994). Coastal lagoons are important ecosystems because these support a wide range of natural services, highly valuable for society. These complex systems provide food, storm protection, tourism, among others. So, they contribute to the overall productivity of coastal waters by sustaining a variety of habitats, including salt marshes, seagrasses, and/or mangroves particularly important for many fish and shellfish species. Water quantity and quality in a lagoon is influenced by the rate at which the lagoon loses or gains water from exchange with the ocean, surface runoff, evaporation, precipitation and groundwater (Allen et al., 1981).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio