Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

CS30 Remote Sensing and Technological Tools

Date: Tuesday, February 13, 2001, Time: 12:00:00 PM

Location: Sandia/Santa Ana

Reed, R, E, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA, rereed@unity.ncsu.edu

Glasgow, H, B, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA,

Burkholder, J, M, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA,

REMOTE MONITORING OF PHYSICO-CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICALDYNAMICS OF THE NEUSE MESOHALINE ESTUARY (NORTH CAROLINA)

The Neuse watershed has undergone rapid agricultural and urban development in the last ten years. Due to this development, nutrient input has increased, resulting in environmental impacts such as hypoxic / anoxic events, fish kills, and toxic Pfiesteria spp. harmful algal blooms. Seven automated instrument platforms have been installed to allow the study of this system during short- and long-time scale physical-chemical events. The platforms are equipped with meteorological and/or hydrological equipment and discrete water samplers. Automated winch-driven continuous profilers are present on platforms at specific sites to take physical- chemical casts of the entire water column upon demand. Water level sensors have been benchmarked using GPS to a single datum point. These near-real-time data are supplemented with circulation pattern data acquired from a boat-mounted acoustic doppler current profiler. Results from this extensive, technologically advanced instrument array reveal an estuarine circulation with an evident salt wedge during specific times of the year. Depending on the wind field, the circulation can change such that net discharge from the estuary can be negative. This variability in circulation significantly affects water mass residence times.

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Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

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