Multiple Trophic Levels Fueled by Recirculation in the Columbia River Plume

Authors

Raphael M. Kudela, Portland State UniversityFollow
Alexander R. Horner-DevineFollow
Neil S. BanasFollow
Barbara M. HickeyFollow
Tawnya D. PetersonFollow
Ryan M. McCabeFollow
Evelyn J. LessardFollow
Elizabeth R. Frame
Kenneth W. BrulandFollow
David A. JayFollow
Jay O. PetersonFollow
William T. PetersonFollow
P. Michael KosroFollow
Sherry L. Palacios
Maeve C. Lohan
Edward P. DeverFollow

Sponsor

The National Science Foundation for the financial support for this work.

Published In

Geophysical Research Letters

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-1-2010

Subjects

Bioreactors -- Fluid dynamics, Columbia River Estuary (Or. and Wash.) -- Hydrodynamics, Sediment transport -- Mathematical models

Abstract

Large rivers represent gateways for the transport of terrigenous and anthropogenic material to the coastal ocean. Here we document a ?700 km2 recirculation or bulge associated with the Columbia River plume that retains recently discharged river water sufficiently to create a regional bioreactor. Fueled by a fluvial nitrate source, this feature stimulated growth across three trophic levels and may buffer this gateway system during periods of increased warming and stratification that lead to decreased ocean productivity, potentially enhancing production at multiple trophic levels and enriching surfacewaters far from the river mouth.

Description

Copyright 2010 American Geophysical Union

DOI

10.1029/2010GL044342

Persistent Identifier

http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/7920

Citation Details

Kudela,R.M., et al. (2010), Multiple trophic levels fueled by recirculation in the Columbia River plume, Geophys. Res. Lett., 37, L18607.