Streaming Media
Presentation Abstract
Nutrients support the lifecycles of marine organisms, making them an important factor in the health of an estuary. To maintain a hospitable environment in an estuary, the pH is required to stay within the range of 7.5-8.5. Certain nutrients have strong correlations to pH, such as silicon, whose production is driven by acidic rainwater. Rainwater is one of the key elements that drives the discharge of the Snohomish River. In this research, nutrient concentrations were gathered at the mouth of the Snohomish River, at the Port of Everett within Possession Sound. These levels were compared to pH and river discharge that were gathered seasonally from 2017-2021. High nutrient levels are expected in spring months when flooding has occurred. The pH is expected to decrease and become more acidic in the fall months while decomposition is occurring at lower depths. This change is predicted to start in the summer and continue due to lack of precipitation and an increase in heat. Certain nutrients are expected to have correlations with pH and therefore could be linked to changes in pH. Nutrients and pH in Possession Sound may also be affected by the highly industrial surrounding areas that can cause contaminations through river run off. From the resulting data it is expected that common trends will immerge of the relationship between pH and nutrient levels. These common trends will likely alter as the amount of river discharge rises and falls over the course of a year. Studies of this type can help to determine how changes in river discharge impact the health of a marine life within an estuary.
Session Title
Poster Session 3: Land - Water Connections
Conference Track
SSE14: Posters
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2022 : Online)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE-posters-110
Start Date
27-4-2022 4:00 PM
End Date
27-4-2022 4:30 PM
Type of Presentation
Poster
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Estuarine health--Washington (State)--Snohomish River Estuary; Estuarine ecology--Washington (State)--Snohomish River Estuary; Stream measurements--Washington (State)--Snohomish River Estuary
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Snohomish River Estuary (Wash.)
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
Fresh Water Studies Commons, Marine Biology Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons
Variations in pH and Nutrients in Relation to Snohomish River Discharge in Possession Sound
Nutrients support the lifecycles of marine organisms, making them an important factor in the health of an estuary. To maintain a hospitable environment in an estuary, the pH is required to stay within the range of 7.5-8.5. Certain nutrients have strong correlations to pH, such as silicon, whose production is driven by acidic rainwater. Rainwater is one of the key elements that drives the discharge of the Snohomish River. In this research, nutrient concentrations were gathered at the mouth of the Snohomish River, at the Port of Everett within Possession Sound. These levels were compared to pH and river discharge that were gathered seasonally from 2017-2021. High nutrient levels are expected in spring months when flooding has occurred. The pH is expected to decrease and become more acidic in the fall months while decomposition is occurring at lower depths. This change is predicted to start in the summer and continue due to lack of precipitation and an increase in heat. Certain nutrients are expected to have correlations with pH and therefore could be linked to changes in pH. Nutrients and pH in Possession Sound may also be affected by the highly industrial surrounding areas that can cause contaminations through river run off. From the resulting data it is expected that common trends will immerge of the relationship between pH and nutrient levels. These common trends will likely alter as the amount of river discharge rises and falls over the course of a year. Studies of this type can help to determine how changes in river discharge impact the health of a marine life within an estuary.
