Journal
BIOGEOCHEMISTRY
Volume 141, Issue 3, Pages 307-332Publisher
SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s10533-018-0438-x
Keywords
Tropical cyclones; Carbon; nutrient cycling; Estuarine; Coastal; Phytoplankton; North Carolina
Funding
- NSF [DEB 1119704, DEB 1240851, OCE 0825466, OCE 0812913, OCE 1705972, OCE 1706009, CBET 0932632]
- Defense Coastal/Estuarine Research Program (DCERP) [RC-2245]
- North Carolina Dept. of Environmental Quality (ModMon Program)
- Lower Neuse Basin Association
- UNC Water Resources Research Institute
- NC Sea Grant
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Coastal North Carolina (USA) has experienced 35 tropical cyclones over the past 2 decades; the frequency of these events is expected to continue in the foreseeable future. Individual storms had unique and, at times, significant hydrologic, nutrient-, and carbon (C)-loading impacts on biogeochemical cycling and phytoplankton responses in a large estuarine complex, the Pamlico Sound (PS) and Neuse River Estuary (NRE). Major storms caused up to a doubling of annual nitrogen and tripling of phosphorus loading compared to non-storm years; magnitudes of loading depended on storm tracks, forward speed, and precipitation in NRE-PS watersheds. With regard to C cycling, NRE-PS was a sink for atmospheric CO2 during dry, storm-free years and a significant source of CO2 in years with at least one storm, although responses were storm-specific. Hurricane Irene (2011) mobilized large amounts of previously-accumulated terrigenous C in the watershed, mainly as dissolved organic carbon, and extreme winds rapidly released CO2 to the atmosphere. Historic flooding after Hurricanes Joaquin (2015) and Matthew (2016) provided large inputs of C from the watershed, modifying the annual C balance of NRE-PS and leading to sustained CO2 efflux for months. Storm type affected biogeochemical responses as C-enriched floodwaters enhanced air-water CO2 exchange during wet' storms, while CO2 fluxes during windy' storms were largely supported by previously-accumulated C. Nutrient loading and flushing jointly influenced spatio-temporal patterns of phytoplankton biomassand composition. These findings suggest the importance of incorporating freshwater discharge and C dynamics in nutrient management strategies for coastal ecosystems likely to experience a stormier future.
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