• System-wide Monitoring Program
  •   Phase 1 (Abiotic)
    • Water Quality
      • Site Selection
      • Hydrographic
      • Nutrients
    • Meteorological
      • Introduction
      • Site Selection
      • Methods
    •   Real Time data
      • CDMO
      • YSI
  •   Phase 2 (Biodiversity)
  •   Phase 3 (Land Use)
  • Fact Sheets
•   Current Projects
  • Ecology of Salt Panne Habitats
  • Winter Ecology of Marshbirds
  • Winter Ecology of Shorebirds
  • Diamondback Terrapin Population Surveys
  • ECSC Partnership
• Past Projects
• Graduate Research Fellowships

Phase 1 (Abiotic)

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Water Quality

Nutrients

Monthly Grab Sampling Program

Monthly grab samples were taken at four stations within the Grand Bay estuary: Bayou Heron (BH), Crooked Bayou (CR) March - July, Point Aux Chenes (PC) August-December, Bayou Cumbest (BC), and Bangs Lake (BL). The Crooked Bayou site was moved to Point Aux Chenes Bay in August due to the extreme loss of data during low tide. Attempts were made to collect grab samples within two hours of slack low tide. Rainfall conditions prior to grab sampling were not considered. Grab samples were collected at sonde depth, 0.25 meters from the bottom. Bayou Heron and Point Aux Chenes required the use of a Wildco Horizontal Beta Bottle to obtain these samples. Surface samples were also taken at the Bayou Heron site due to stratification at this site. When possible, at time of collection, water temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen and turbidity were measured with an YSI 6600 datasonde. All samples were collected in opaque, 500ml, Nalgene sample bottles. Samples were immediately placed on ice, stored in a dark cooler, and returned to the laboratory. Once in the laboratory samples were processed for nutrient, solids and Chla analysis.

Diel Sampling Program

Twelve duplicate samples are collected each month using an ISCO 3700 portable auto-sampler at one of the monthly grab sample sites. The sampler was programmed to make two 500ml collections every 125 minutes throughout a complete tidal cycle. No distinction between neap and spring tide was considered. Samples are stored on ice in 500ml semi-transparent ISCO containers within the body of the sampler. Sample containers for nutrient determinations were acid washed and rinsed with distilled water prior to sampler deployment. Sample containers for Chlorophyll a determinations were washed with dilute Fisherbrand© Versa-Clean and rinsed with distilled water. Sampler was programmed to flush collection line prior to collecting sample. As soon as possible after the final collection time, the samples were returned to the laboratory for nutrient, solids and Chla analysis.