You are here:
Annual and seasonal temperature variance along an inter-tidal sediment transect in Yaquina bay, Oregon, 1999 - 2006
Citation:
SPECHT, D. T. Annual and seasonal temperature variance along an inter-tidal sediment transect in Yaquina bay, Oregon, 1999 - 2006. Presented at CERF 2009: Estuaries and Coasts in a Changing World: 20th Biennial Conference, Portland, OR, November 01 - 05, 2009.
Impact/Purpose:
Sediment temperature was measured using submersible Onset TidbiT® recording thermistor thermometers at eelgrass (Zostera marina, Z. japonica) mid-rhizome root depth (~5 cm) at 6 stations on a transect from ~MLLW (mean lower low water) at the channel edge to near MHHW (mean higher high water) at the shore on Idaho Flat in Yaquina Bay, OR, from July 1999 through July 2006.
Description:
Sediment temperature was measured using submersible Onset TidbiT® recording thermistor thermometers at eelgrass (Zostera marina, Z. japonica) mid-rhizome root depth (~5 cm) at 6 stations on a transect from ~MLLW (mean lower low water) at the channel edge to near MHHW (mean higher high water) at the shore on Idaho Flat in Yaquina Bay, OR, from July 1999 through July 2006. The semi-diurnal mean tide range is ~2m, so that the Z. marina habitat (subtidal to +~1.0m relative to MLLW) is revealed at lower tides; the non-indigenous Z. japonica habitat, at ~+2m is only periodically completely inundated by higher tides. The potential for direct exposure of the sediment surface to insolation and evaporative cooling is mediated by the coincidence of low tide during daylight, or by evaporative cooling when low tide occurs at night. When tidal flooding occurs, the sediment temperature reflects the temperature of that water. Insolation, tidal flooding and/or evaporative cooling during low tide periods can result in rapidly changing sediment temperatures; tidal flooding and/or evaporative cooling during low tide periods at night often result in rapid temperature change, considerably below that of the ambient water, especially during wintertime. When daylight tidal flooding occurs, sediment temperature rapidly changes to that of the ambient water. Riverine water temperature is often substantially different than the temperature of the flooding salt wedge, particularly during summertime episodes of coastal upwelling. All these scenarios may stress plants and animals within these habitats.