Troubled waters: Low Apalachicola River flow may hurt gulf...(d parts of eastern Alabama and the Flori...)

Date:6/19/2009

d parts of eastern Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. The researchers used satellite ocean color data and computer models of ocean circulation to identify a region extending about 125 miles offshore of Apalachicola Bay in which the changes in ocean color, which is indicative of the abundance of phytoplankton and other organic material in the water, is linked to changes in the river flow.

The researchers outlined their findings in an article, "Connectivity of the Apalachicola River flow variability and the physical and bio-optical oceanic properties of the northern West Florida Shelf," published in the journal Continental Shelf Research.

The findings broaden the environmental considerations of managed flow reductions in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) river system. The Apalachicola River, the final leg of the river system, has been the focus of a nearly 20-year legal battle between Florida, Georgia and Alabama, known as the Tri-State Water War. At the heart of the dispute is Georgia's desire to divert water from the ACF river system to the burgeoning population of the Atlanta metropolitan area, and Florida and Alabama's contention that this flow reduction could have negative consequences for the downstream river environment.

The Apalachicola River is considered a "hot spot" of ecological biodiversity, and Apalachicola Bay supports extensive finfish and shellfish communities dependent on the regular flow of freshwater from the river. The river is a source of nutrients that can contribute to the abundance of phytoplankton, which are consumed by small zooplankton, thus feeding the marine food web in the region. The strongest connection between the river flow rate and the offshore water properties is seen during the late winter and early spring months, which coincide with the spawning period of several reef fish species.

"It is possible that if the natural flow of the river is reduced by water being diverted to r
'/>"/>

Contact: Steven Morey morey@coaps.fsu.edu 850-644-0345 Florida State University Source:Eurekalert

0 GOOD

Page: 1 2 3
Related biology news :

1. Hatchery fish outnumber wild chinook salmon in troubled fall run
2. In troubled economic times, BioSquare 2009 successfully serves as business and innovation starter
3. Baiji Dolphin previously thought extinct spotted in the Yangtze River
4. UC Riverside biologist receives prestigious MacArthur Fellowship
5. International team of scientists warns of climate changes impact on global river flow
6. Stronger EPA leadership needed to improve water quality in Mississippi River
7. UC-Riverside partners with Chinese university to address Chinas environmental problems
8. X-effect: female chromosome confirmed a prime driver of speciation
9. Tiny fish can yield big clues to Delaware River health
10. Scientists from the UGR prove that rivers do not act as barriers for groundwater flow
11. More comprehensive analysis of Klamath River basin needed to aid decision makers