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ASSESSMENT OF GROUNDWATER DISCHARGE AND SEWAGE IMPACT INTO SARASOTA BAY AND SUWANNEE RIVER ESTUARY
Impact/Purpose:
This research will locate, evaluate and quantify subsurface discharge with a tracer approach (222RN, CH4 and existing 15N data) and will employ and evaluate the emerging technologies, sub-seafloor resistivity and electromagnetic measurements, and near-seafloor temperature measurements, to identify and quantify discharge rates. The tracer and marine reconnaissance data will be compared with Lansat thermal band images to assess the utility of the images for locating sites of Submerged Groundwater Discharge.
Description:
The ongoing objectives in Sarasota Bay are to 1) determine if the reduced water clarity and enriched 15N seagrass values are due to groundwater N inputs, 2) determine the effectiveness of geophysical reconnaissance methods in identifying zones of groundwater discharge under a variety of seasonal conditions. The objectives in the Suwannee River Estuary are to 1) assess the effectiveness of reconnaissance methods, particularly those based on water temperature measurements and Landsat thermal band interpretations, in identifying zones of submarine groundwater discharge in the northeast Gulf of Mexico, 2) assess the degree to which septic system pathways may be contributing to submarine groundwater discharge in the estuary.