Residence Time Analysis in the Albufera of Valencia, a Mediterranean Coastal Lagoon, Spain

The Albufera of Valencia is a coastal lagoon located in the western area of the Mediterranean Sea, in the Iberian Peninsula. It has an area of 23.1 km2 and an average depth of only 1 m, with a maximum depth of 1.6 m. This lagoon is the remnants of an original and more extensive wetland of about 220 km2 which is now mostly dedicated to rice cultivation. Surface water is supplied through several main and many secondary canals for a total of 64 water entry points and three exit points to the sea. It is difficult to evaluate the residence time due to the lack of reliable measurements of the inflow or outflow, as well as continuous measurements. Between 1988 and 2018, several procedures were used, the results of which are outlined in this document. Overall, a decrease in the inflow during these thirty years was observed and, therefore, it can be concluded that the residence time is increasing. There is a temporal variation during the year due to rainfall and cultivation periods. Likewise, the results found that the natural hydrological zoning of the lagoon causes a spatial heterogeneity with small Northern areas with low residence time of 4.7 days, almost on a weekly basis and large Western extensions with high residence time of 222.9 days. It is impossible to know this information if individual flow measurements are not taken from each of the main watercourses.

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Effect of changing in weather conditions on Eastern Mediterranean coastal lagoon fishery

Regional Studies in Marine Science ◽

10.1016/j.rsma.2021.102006 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 102006

Author(s):

Hasan Cerim ◽

Nedim Özdemir ◽

Fabien Cremona ◽

Burak Öğlü

Keyword(s):

Coastal Lagoon ◽

Eastern Mediterranean ◽

Weather Conditions ◽

Mediterranean Coastal Lagoon

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Comparing the reproductive success of three Palaemonid species in a Mediterranean coastal lagoon: native and invasive responses to salinity changes

Hydrobiologia ◽

10.1007/s10750-021-04736-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Francesco Cavraro ◽

Chiara Facca ◽

Muhammad Naseer ◽

Stefano Malavasi

Keyword(s):

Reproductive Success ◽

Coastal Lagoon ◽

Salinity Changes ◽

Mediterranean Coastal Lagoon

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The effect of wind induced bottom shear stress and salinity on Zostera noltii replanting in a Mediterranean coastal lagoon

Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science ◽

10.1016/j.ecss.2017.01.010 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 187 ◽

pp. 293-305 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

E. Alekseenko ◽

B. Roux ◽

D. Fougere ◽

P.G. Chen

Keyword(s):

Shear Stress ◽

Coastal Lagoon ◽

Bottom Shear Stress ◽

Zostera Noltii ◽

Mediterranean Coastal Lagoon

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Iron, zinc, copper, lead and cadmium contents in Ruppia maritima from a Mediterranean coastal lagoon: monthly variation and distribution in different plant fractions

Botanica Marina ◽

10.1515/bot.2008.033 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 51 (4) ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Paraskevi Malea ◽

Theodora Boubonari ◽

Theodoros Kevrekidis

Keyword(s):

Coastal Lagoon ◽

Ruppia Maritima ◽

Monthly Variation ◽

Lead And Cadmium ◽

Mediterranean Coastal Lagoon ◽

Copper Lead

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Coexisting ecosystem states in a tropical coastal lagoon under progressive eutrophication in the northern Cuban keys

Scientia Marina ◽

10.3989/scimar.04682.22a ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 82 (3) ◽

pp. 139 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Roberto González-De Zayas ◽

Martin Merino-Ibarra ◽

Patricia M. Valdespino-Castillo ◽

Yunier Olivera ◽

Sergio F. Castillo-Sandoval

Keyword(s):

Residence Time ◽

Coastal Lagoon ◽

Spatial And Temporal Variability ◽

Positive Trend ◽

Water Residence Time ◽

Effective Management ◽

Management Options ◽

Trophic Index ◽

Tropical Coastal Lagoon ◽

Mollusc Assemblages

Through a nested suite of methods here we contrast the coexistence of different ecosystem states in a tropical coastal lagoon, the Laguna Larga, with increasing eutrophication stress between 2007 and 2009. Water temperature averaged 27.4°C in the lagoon and showed a slight positive trend during the study period. Salinity averaged 35.0±6.2, exhibiting high spatial and temporal variability, and also a slight positive trend in time. In contrast, dissolved oxygen showed a substantial decreasing trend (–0.83 ml L–1 y–1; –13.3% y–1) over the period, while nutrients increased dramatically, particularly total phosphorus (2.6 µM y–1), in both cases sustaining the progression of eutrophication in the lagoon during the three years we sampled. The Karydis nutrient load-based trophic index showed that the lagoon has a spatial pattern of increasing eutrophication from the sea and the outer sector (oligotrophic-mesotrophic) to the central (mesotrophic) and the inner sector (mesotrophic-eutrophic). Two ecosystem states were found within the lagoon. In the outer oligotrophic sector, the dominant primary producers were macroalgae, seagrasses and benthic diatoms, while mollusc assemblages were highly diverse. In the inner and central sectors (where trophic status increased toward the inner lagoon) a phytoplankton-dominated ecosystem was found where mollusc assemblages are less diverse. In spite of the progression of eutrophication in the lagoon, these two different ecosystems coexisted and remained unchanged during the study period. Apparently, the effect of water residence time, which increases dramatically toward the inner lagoon, dominated over that of nutrient loadings, which is relatively more homogeneously distributed along the lagoon. Therefore, we consider that actions that reduce the water residence time are likely the most effective management options for this and other similarly choked lagoons.

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