Nitrogen and phosphorus budgets of the Changjiang River estuary

Eutrophication has emerged as a key environmental problem in Chinese coastal waters, especially in the Changjiang (Yangtze) River estuary. In this area, large nutrient inputs result in frequent harmful algal blooms and serious hypoxia in bottom waters. Four cruises were made in the estuary in 2006 to assess the concentration and distribution of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and phosphorus (DIP). The concentration of DIN decreased gradually in a linear relationship with salinity from the river mouth to outer waters, while DIP was relatively more dispersed. A modified box budget method was used to estimate nutrient fluxes in the estuary and its adjacent waters. Water and nutrient budgets as well as primary production and denitrification rates were estimated from the box budget model. Estimated water residence time in the estuary was about 11 d. The turbid mixing zone released 33% of DIN and 49% of DIP, while in the adjacent outer sea 17.9 mmol DIN/m2·d and 0.36 mmol DIP/m2·d were fixed. Dissolved inorganic phosphorus was imported from the deep open sea waters, supporting primary production and population growth in this zone. Net ecosystem production (NEP) was calculated at 38.2 mmol/m2·d in the outer estuary and the estimated rate (N-fixation minus denitrification) was negative (1.92 mmol/m2·d), implying that a large amount of input nitrogen was taken up by algae and recycled through denitrification in bottom water and sediment.