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Alorda-Kleinglass A, Rodellas V, Diego-Feliu M, Marbà N, Morell C, Garcia-Orellana J. The connection between Submarine Groundwater Discharge and seawater quality: The threat of treated wastewater injected into coastal aquifers. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 922:170940. [PMID: 38360304 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Submarine Groundwater Discharge (SGD) delivers nutrients to the coastal sea triggering phytoplankton blooms, eutrophication, and can also serve as a pathway for contaminants. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) including injection wells in coastal areas influence coastal aquifers and might impact the composition and magnitude of SGD fluxes. In tourist areas, wastewater treatment may be less efficient and larger in volume during high seasons, potentially impacting nutrient fluxes from SGD and exacerbating environmental impacts. This study analyzes the nutrient transfer from treated wastewater injection in karstic aquifers to the coastal sea via SGD, considering the impacts of tourism seasonality. This study is conducted in Cala Deià, a small cove in the Balearic Islands, a Mediterranean tourist destination. The findings suggest that the seasonality of tourism, leading to variations in the volume of wastewater treated in the WWTP, influences the dynamics of the coastal aquifer. This leads to increased SGD water and nutrient fluxes to the sea in summer, i.e. the peak tourist season. The measured DIN, DIP, and DSi inventories in the cove are much larger in August than in April (3, 10, and 1.5 times higher, respectively) due to higher input of nutrients in summer due to SGD impacted by the WWTP. These elevated nutrient flows can support algal blooms in the cove, compromising water quality for local swimmers and tourists. Indeed, in August, shoreline stations exhibited eutrophic Chl-a concentrations, with peaks reaching approximately 4 mg Chl-a L-1. These elevated levels suggest the presence of an algal bloom during the survey. The anthropogenic origin of SGD-driven nutrients is traced in seawater and seagrass meadows, as evidenced by high ∂15N signatures indicative of polluted areas. Thus, the high pressure exerted on coastal areas by tourism activities increased the magnitude of SGD nutrient fluxes, thereby threatening coastal ecosystems and the services they provide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Alorda-Kleinglass
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra, Catalonia, Spain; Departament de Física, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Valentí Rodellas
- Departament de Física, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Marc Diego-Feliu
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Núria Marbà
- Global Change Research Group, Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), 07190 Esporles, Mallorca, Spain
| | - Carlos Morell
- Global Change Research Group, Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), 07190 Esporles, Mallorca, Spain
| | - Jordi Garcia-Orellana
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra, Catalonia, Spain; Departament de Física, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra, Catalonia, Spain
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Richards Donà A, Smith CM, Bremer LL. Divergent responses of native and invasive macroalgae to submarine groundwater discharge. Sci Rep 2023; 13:13984. [PMID: 37633964 PMCID: PMC10460400 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-40854-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Marine macroalgae are important indicators of healthy nearshore groundwater dependent ecosystems (GDEs), which are emergent global conservation priorities. Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) supports abundant native algal communities in GDEs via elevated but naturally derived nutrients. GDEs are threatened by anthropogenic nutrient inputs that pollute SGD above ambient levels, favoring invasive algae. Accordingly, this case study draws on the GDE conditions of Kona, Hawai'i where we evaluated daily photosynthetic production and growth for two macroalgae; a culturally valued native (Ulva lactuca) and an invasive (Hypnea musciformis). Manipulative experiments-devised to address future land-use, climate change, and water-use scenarios for Kona-tested algal responses under a natural range of SGD nutrient and salinity levels. Our analyses demonstrate that photosynthesis and growth in U. lactuca are optimal in low-salinity, high-nutrient waters, whereas productivity for H. musciformis appears limited to higher salinities despite elevated nutrient subsidies. These findings suggest that reductions in SGD via climate change decreases in rainfall or increased water-use from the aquifer may relax physiological constraints on H. musciformis. Collectively, this study reveals divergent physiologies of a native and an invasive macroalga to SGD and highlights the importance of maintaining SGD quantity and quality to protect nearshore GDEs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Celia M Smith
- School of Life Sciences, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Leah L Bremer
- University of Hawai'i Economic Research Organization, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
- Water Resources Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
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