What Characterizes the Taninim Estuary in Relation to Other Mediterranean Microestuaries in Israel and Implications for the River rehabilitation

Transcription

1 What Characterizes the Taninim Estuary in Relation to Other Mediterranean Microestuaries in Israel and Implications for the River rehabilitation Sarig Gafny The RIME team: Gitai Yahel, Yair Suari, Lee Shish, Tal Amit & Merav Gilboa School of Marine Sciences, Ruppin Academic Center

2 Estuaries: Where the river meets the sea RIME project, School of Marine Science, Ruppin Academic Center

3 Estuaries: Where the river meets the sea RIME project, School of Marine Science, Ruppin Academic Center

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5 Estuaries in Israel RIME project, School of Marine Science, Ruppin Academic Center

6 Open and Closed Estuaries Taninim (open) Alexander (closed) RIME project, School of Marine Science, Ruppin Academic Center

7 Motivation Water quality in the coastal streams in Israel is poor (Ministry of Environmental Protection reports ) Alexander stream Yarqon stream several years ago In order to generate a proper rehabilitation program there is a need for quantitative assessment and understanding of processes affecting the water composition and nutrients recycling in coastal streams RIME project, School of Marine Science, Ruppin Academic Center (Yahel@Ruppin.ac.il)

8 Project goals To elucidate the key factors that control the health and integrity of the estuary ecosystems along the Mediterranean coast of Israel To understand the function of estuaries as sinks and filters in reducing the flux of anthropogenic pollutants to the marine environment potential controllers: Key biotic interactions Nutrients and organic loads Pollutant (mostly organic) Water clarity (turbidity) Oxygen limitations (anoxia) Biodiversity winter floods RIME project, School of Marine Science, Ruppin Academic Center

9 Excepted products Baseline Annual and short-term dynamics A numerical model tool for decision makers Identification of major stressors Cost-effective managements strategies for estuaries rehabilitation RIME project, School of Marine Science, Ruppin Academic Center (Yahel@Ruppin.ac.il)

10 Unique Characteristics of the Taninim Estuary Relatively short (1.9Km) and shallow (<1.5m) Open estuary (no sand bar) Mainly controlled by upstream freshwater (?) Less affected by municipal pollution (???) Vegetated by submerged aquatic macrophytes Within a nature reserve

11 What are we doing High resolution single beam bathymetry: First time in Israel Mapping the Taninim estuary (100%) RIME project, School of Marine Science, Ruppin Academic Center

12 What are we doing Monthly (biogeochemical) sampling Sampling gear Training Protocols 17 surveys done RIME project, School of Marine Science, Ruppin Academic Center

13 What are we doing Fixed monitoring stations (continuous, 5 min intervals) Alexander (2), Taninim, At sea (5 km off shore) Dissolved oxygen and temperature Water level Salinity and temperature Light Light extinction (turbidity) RIME project, School of Marine Science, Ruppin Academic Center (Yahel@Ruppin.ac.il)

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15 What are we doing Quarterly sampling Biological sampling Fish Zoobenthos Infauna Vegetation Plankton Sediment cores Organic contaminates (pesticides, svoc) Heavy metals Oils Surfactants RIME project, School of Marine Science, Ruppin Academic Center

16 Stream depth

17 Temporal Dynamics Temperature Taninim January May February Jun March July April August

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19 Stream surface temp. Continues monitoring

20 Stream bottom temp. Continues monitoring

21 Temporal dynamics - Salinity Taninim January May February Jun March July April August

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23 Stream surface salinity Continues monitoring

24 Stream bottom salinity Continues monitoring

25 Conclusions Temp. & Salinity Dynamics During the winter, the Taninim estuary temperature is influenced by colder water entering from the sea During summer, the Taninim estuary temperature is uniform During most of the year, the Taninim estuary is dominated mainly by freshwater coming from upstream. Yet in winter saline water affect the estuary However, short time events of salinity increase from sea water entering the estuary are frequent and significant

26 January Dissolved Oxygen Concentrations Taninim May February Jun March July April August

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29 Stream surface DO Continues monitoring

30 Stream Bottom DO Continues monitoring

31 Conclusions Dissolved Oxygen Dynamics During most of the year, the Taninim estuary suffers from low oxygen levels During the winter the estuary surface water is oxygenated, but during summer there are frequent events of very low DO concentrations During summer the estuary bottom is frequently hypoxic or anoxic. Oxygen level may reach saturation during the day but decline to anoxia during nights There are events when the estuary water column is completely anoxic for several days

32 January Turbidity Taninim May February Jun March July April August

33 Comparing the two sources of Taninim estuary (Tt=Timsah, Ta=Ada) a) Ada stream is wormer (T=26.5 o C) than Taninim (Timsah) (T=23.5 o C) b) Ada stream is less saline (3.47 PSU) than Taninim (3.26 PSU) c) Ada stream is less oxygenated (60 mm) than Taninim (150 mm) d) Ada stream is more turbid (20 NTU) than Taninim (14 NTU), but Taninim turbidity is more variable e) Ada stream contains more Chlorophyll than Taninim

34 Comparing the two sources of Taninim estuary (Tt=Timsah, Ta=Ada) a) Ada stream is wormer (T=26.5 o C) than Taninim (Timsah) (T=23.5 o C) b) Ada stream is less saline (3.47 PSU) than Taninim (3.26 PSU) c) Ada stream is less oxygenated (60 mm) than Taninim (150 mm) d) Ada stream is more turbid (20 NTU) than Taninim (14 NTU), but Taninim turbidity is more variable e) Ada stream contains more Chlorophyll than Taninim

35 Comparing the two sources of Taninim estuary (Tt=Timsah, Ta=Ada) b) Salinity a) Temp c) DO d) Turbidity e) Chl f) Chl. a

36 Comparing the two sources of Taninim estuary (Tt=Timsah, Ta=Ada) f) Ada stream contains more organic matter (BOD=5.2 mg/l) than Taninim (BOD=1.8 mg/l) g) Ada stream is less transparent (Secchi depth 20 cm ) than Taninim (42 cm) h) Ada stream contains more suspended solids (24 mg/l) than Taninim (11 mg/l) i) Ada stream contains more inorganic suspended solids (14.5 mg/l) than Taninim (7.3 mg/l) j) Ada stream contains more organic suspended solids (9.8 mg/l) than Taninim (3.5 mg/l)

37 Comparing the two sources of Taninim estuary (Tt=Timsah, Ta=Ada) f) BOD g) Transparency h) Suspended solids i) Inorganic SS j) Organic SS

38 Interesting Nutrient Dynamics Significant nitrate (NO 2 +NO 3 ) inputs from Upper Taninim (Timsah - Crocodile Pool ) The nitrate (NO 2 +NO 3 ) inputs from Ada stream is less significant Significant Amonium (NH 4+ ) inputs at the from Jiser A Zarka swage leacks

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40 Taninim stream Ada stream

41 Interesting Nutrient Dynamics NO 2 +NO 3 מנורמל לכניסה מעדה

42 Interesting Nutrient Dynamics Most of Phosphorus (PO 4 ) inputs (c.a %) from Ada stream Significant Phosphorus (PO 4 ) inputs from Jiser A Zarka sewage leaks

43 Interesting Nutrient Dynamics PO 4

44 Ada stream + Jiser P inputs Jiser P inputs alone

45 Interesting Nutrient Dynamics Significant nitrate (NO 2 +NO 3 ) inputs (c.a. 70%) from Upper Taninim stream (Timsach) Most of Phosphorus (PO 4 ) inputs (c.a %) from Ada stream Significant nutrient (NH 4+ +PO 4 ) inputs from Jiser A Zarka leaks Most of algal Chl. a is autochthonous (algal blooms)

46 Interesting Nutrient Dynamics Chl a

47 Conclusions The Taninim estuary is controlled by upstream freshwater, but strongly affected by short time entrances of sea water The central section of the Taninim estuary is characterized by short and long time hypoxia Upstream nutrient inputs, as well as local downstream sewage inputs strongly affect the estuarine dynamics This may results in the decline of estuarine submerged macrophytes, which in turn alter habitat suitability for macroinvertebrates and fish Any restoration plan for the Taninim stream must include pollution reduction from both upstream and downstream sources

48 Where Are We Now The Taninim estuary study has ended and we are now focusing in the more complicated Alexander stream estuary We have the first version (physical components) of a working model for the Alexander estuary

49 Grazing Excretion + EMS environmental modeling Mortality suite Primary production Mortality Resuspension + Bioturbation Remineralization

50 Where Are We Now The Taninim estuary study has ended and we are now focusing in the more complicated Alexander stream estuary We have the first version (physical components) of a working model for the Alexander estuary All raw data are available at the RICO web site

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