Nitrogen pools in Georgia coastal waters

Abstract

The amount of nitrogen present as ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, dissolved organic nitrogen, and particulate nitrogen was determined for nearshore Georgia shelf waters and for tidal water inundating a 0.5 hectare dikedSpartina alterniflora salt marsh in the adjacent estuary. Concentrations of ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite were comparatively low in offshore water (<2.2 μg-at N/1), and in high tide water in the marsh (<9.9 μg-at N/1). High concentrations of ammonia, up to 73.4 μg-at N/1, were measured in low tide water draining from marsh. The largest pools of nitrogen in offshore water and in high tide water in the marsh creek were dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) (2.5 to 20.4 μg-at N/1) and particulate nitrogen (PN) (0.1 to 30.0 μg-at N/1). Concentrations in marsh creek water at low tide were higher, ranging from 4.4 to 38.0 μg-at N/1 for DON and from 13.0 to 239.0 μg-at N/1 for PN. Comparisons of the average concentrations of dissolved and particulate forms of nitrogen in the marsh tidal creek during flood and during ebb tide suggested no net movement of the inorganic nitrogen nutrients, a net influx of PN to the marsh, and a net outflux of DON from the marsh.