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How does excessive nitrogen loading effect the health and resiliency of Long Island’s coastal
ecosystems?
Christopher J. Gobler
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“Nitrogen is the critical limiting factor to primary producers in Long Island coastal
marine waters” – Dr. John Ryther, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute,
Science Magazine, 1971
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Population, Suffolk County, NY, USA
1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 20100
200,000
400,000
600,000
800,000
1,000,000
1,200,000
1,400,000
1,600,000
Popu
latio
n
New York City
Long Island
>25,000,000 lbs of nitrogen per year from human waste
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Septic tank
Water table / aquifer
Nitrogen
In Suffolk County:• 70% of homes have
septic tanks or cesspools.
• ~70% of N loads come from septic tanks and cesspools.
Loading of wastewater nitrogen to coastal waters
Nitrogen
Groundwater flow
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1987 20050
1
2
3
4 Glacial Magothy
Nitr
ogen
cont
ent (
mg/
L)
Changes in groundwater nitrogen levels in Suffolk County
40% increase
200% increase
Suffolk County Comprehensive Water Resources management plan, 2010
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N loads to Great South Bay from watershed
•~70% of N entering Moriches and Shinnecock Bay is from wastewater (Gobler et al, in progress for NYSDOS).
Kinney and Valiela, 2011
Septic tanks, cesspools
Atmosphere
Fertilizer
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> 22
18
12
6
< 0.3
4.8
4.82.8 2.8
3.1
2.4
3.0
Groundwater nitrogen concentrations, Eastern Bays
Total N mg L-1
Moriches Bay
Shinnecock Bay
Quantuck Bay
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> 22
18
12
6
< 0.3
Groundwater N and buildings
Total N mg L-1
Moriches Bay
Shinnecock Bay
Quantuck Bay
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> 22
18
12
6
< 0.3
Groundwater N and agriculture
Total N mg L-1
Pine Barrens
Moriches Bay
Shinnecock Bay
Quantuck Bay
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South shore bay nitrogen loads compared to other water bodies
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NYSDEC assessment of Long Island coastal watersImpaired
Minor impacts
No known impacts
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What impairments are brought about by excessive nitrogen loading?
• Loss of critical habitats: Eelgrass, salt marshes• Low dissolved oxygen levels, hypoxia• Acidification, low pH• Macroalgal blooms: Sea lettuce, Ulva• Toxic algal blooms: Red, rust, brown tides• Loss or depletion of shellfisheries and finfisheries
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The vital role of salt marshes in coastal ecosystems and communities
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Salt marsh ecosystems
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Salt marshes protect coastlines
Chris Bason, Delaware Center for the Inland Bays
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Salt marshes protect coastlines
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Healthy marsh Nitrogen loaded marsh
“Coastal eutrophication as a driver of salt marsh loss”, Deegan et al 2012, Nature
Dense, strong roots
Nutrient weakened, roots
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Manhasset, K
ings Point
Manhasset, Plum
Point
Manhasset, M
anor Haven
South Manhasset B
ay
Nissequogue R
iver
Stony Brook H
arbor
Flax Pond
Mount Sinai H
arbor
Peconics, Corey C
reek
Peconics, Cedar B
each Creek
South Oyster B
ay, Gilgo Is.
South Oyster B
ay, Goose Is.
Western B
ays, Middle B
ay
Western B
ays, East Bay
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Perc
ent l
oss s
ince
197
4
Loss of wetlands on Long Island, since 1974
NYSDEC survey data
Nassau County, North Shore
Suffolk County, North Shore
East end Suffolk CountySouth Shore
Nassau CountySouth Shore
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Salt marsh loss, Jamaica Bay
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Flooding during Hurricane Sandy
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Flooding in Mastic – Shirley during Hurricane Sandy
Salt marsh
Salt marsh
Each point is a home.
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Flooding in Mastic – Shirley, sea level rise
Salt marsh
Each point is a home.
Flooding scenarios will worsen significantly with weakened or destroyed salt marshes.
Salt marsh
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Eelgrass: Critical benthic habitat
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NYS seagrass, 1930 - 2030
NYSDEC Seagrass Taskforce Final Report, 2010; Suffolk County assessment, 2014
1930 2009 20300
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
Acre
s of s
eagr
ass
90% loss
Extinction in NY
Increasing Nitrogen Loading
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Take a deep breath…Oxygen (O2)
Carbon dioxide (CO2)
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Phytoplankton
CH2O + O2 CO2 + H2ORespiration
Nitrogen loading leads to low oxygen and high CO2
Nitrogen loading
Consumed Produced
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Dissolved oxygen (mg L¯¹)
pCO2 (µatm)
Long Island Sound, August 2013
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The Forge River, NY, USA
6/30/2012 7/10/2012 7/20/2012 7/30/2012 8/9/2012 8/19/20126.86.9
77.17.27.37.47.57.6
00.511.522.533.5
pH Dissolved oxygen
pH (t
otal
scal
e)
Diss
olve
d ox
ygen
(m
g L-
1)
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Effects of high CO2 and low O2 on fish survival
Control Low pH Low DO Low pH, Low DO
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
% S
urvi
val
Larval Inland Silversides
High CO2 Low O2 High CO2, low O2
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Samples for eelgrass genetic analysesHarmful algal blooms across Long Island
PSP, DSP PSP, DSP
Brown tide
Cochlodinium
Cochlodinium
CochlodiniumPSP
Brown tideCochlodinium PSP, red tide DSP, red tide
PSP
PSP
Toxic blue green algae
Toxic blue greens Toxic blue greens
Ulva
Ulva
Ulva
DSP
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Samples for eelgrass genetic analyses
Aureococcus‘Brown tide’
Cochlodinium‘Rust tide’
Alexandrium‘Red tide – PSP’
Dinophysis‘Red tide – DSP’
Enhanced nutrient loading more intense &/or toxic HABs
Gobler et al 2012
Gobler et al 2011;Gobler and Sunda 2012
Hattenrath et al 2010
Hattenrath-Lehmann 2014
Microcystis‘Blue green algae’
Harke and Gobler, 2013
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Alexandrium red tides and paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP)
AlexandriumSaxitoxin
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Presence of PSP-producing Alexandrium in NY: 2007-2013
= cells not detected
= < 100 cells L-1
= > 1,000 cells L-1 = 100 - 1,000 cells L-1
**circles represent the highest observed densities at each site**
• Alexandrium found at 47 of 63 sites samples (75%)
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Wastewater
N
“Sewage-derived nitrogen loading promotes intense and toxic Alexandrium blooms.”
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Nitrogen impacts on shellfish• Landings of clams and scallops have declined 99% since 1980.
• Linkages to nitrogen driven HABs, habitat loss, and water quality degradation.
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
0
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
500,000
600,000
700,000
800,000
Hard clam landings (bushels) in Great South Bay
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Conclusion: Excessive nitrogen loading leads to…
• Loss of critical habitats: Salt marshes, eelgrass• Low dissolved oxygen levels, hypoxia• Acidification, low pH• Macroalgal blooms: Sea lettuce, Ulva• Toxic algal blooms: Red, rust, brown tides• Loss or depletion of shellfisheries and finfisheries