Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

CS39 Trace Metal Limitation of Biogeochemistry

Date: Tuesday, February 13, 2001, Time: 2:00:00 PM

Location: Dona Ana

Meseck, S, L, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, USA, smeseck@odu.edu

Cutter, G, A, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, USA, gcutter@odu.edu

BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLE OF SELENIUM IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY: A MODELING APPROACH

Selenium can exist in multiple oxidation states and chemical forms within an oxidation state (organic and inorganic), and its bioavailability depends on its chemical speciation in the dissolved and particulate phases. The San Francisco Bay is a major estuary in western North America that has elevated dissolved Se concentrations from oil refinery effluents and agricultural runoff. Selenium is enriched in several species of clams, which are the prey of waterfowl and sturgeon. As part of an ongoing study, we are examining how the speciation of selenium affects its trophic transfer in the estuarine food web. We are adapting a two-dimensional, nested model (ECoS 3, CCMS, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, U.K.) that simulates the biogeochemical cycle of selenium in the Bay by including the following components: the hydrodynamic regime (e.g., tidal influences and riverine inputs), point sources of selenium, sediment-water exchange, redox transformation of selenium species, and selective phytoplankton uptake. Model outputs will be compared with observed data to assess the accuracy of the modeled results.

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Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

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