Effect of turbulent kinetic energy on the spatial distribution of chlorophyll a in a small coastal lagoon

Abstract

Four spatial variations were analysed (two during high and two during low tide) on 15 and 16 April, 1989 in Puerto Don Juan. Observations were made of buoy drifts and tidal height, and surface water samples were taken at 20 stations to determine chlorophyll a concentration. A pattern for ebb conditions is inferred, which shows a direct relationship between a smooth bottom slope and a high concentration of chlorophyll a. For flow conditions, the relationship is inverse. It is suggested that the higher concentrations of chlorophyll a are due to a simple mechanical process of accumulation in areas with certain morphological characteristics that attenuate the TKE. -from Authors