Short-term to seasonal variability in factors driving primary productivity in a shallow estuary: Implications for modeling production

摘要: Abstract The inputs of primary productivity models may be highly variable on short timescales (hourly to daily) in turbid estuaries, but modeling these environments is often implemented with data collected over longer timescales. Daily, seasonal, and spatial variability model parameters: chlorophyll a concentration (Chla), the downwelling light attenuation coefficient (kd), photosynthesis-irradiance response parameters ( P m chl , αChl) were characterized Weeks Bay, nitrogen-impacted shallow estuary northern Gulf Mexico. Variability environmental forcing, nutrients, microalgal taxonomic marker pigments analysed monthly short-term datasets. Microalgal biomass (as Chla) was strongly related total phosphorus seasonal scales. Hourly support wind-driven resuspension as major source Chla (kd). empirical relationship between areal combined showed that contributed little overall productivity, alone could account for 53–86% productivity. Efforts similar systems benefit most by investing resources improving temporal resolution measurements before increasing complexity used modeling.