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Spatial and seasonal variability of sedimentary features and nitrogen benthic metabolism in a tropical coastal area (Taganga Bay, Colombia Caribbean) impacted by a sewage outfall

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Abstract

The effects of anthropogenic pressures in coastal areas are extensively studied in temperate but not in tropical zones, where their impact might be amplified by high water temperatures and upwelling phenomena. Sedimentary features and benthic metabolism were studied during the non upwelling (NUPW) and upwelling (UPW) seasons in Taganga Bay (Colombia). The bay is impacted by a submarine outfall of virtually untreated, organic and nutrient-rich wastewater. Samplings were performed in November 2017 (NUPW) and in January–February 2018 (UPW) at 4 stations located in the proximity and 100, 750 and 1800 m far from the outfall, respectively, at depths between 22 and 28 m. Aerobic respiration, denitrification, dissimilative nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) and nutrient fluxes were measured. The influence of the outfall was detectable 750 and 1800 m away from the point pollution source, where δ13C data suggested that ~ 40 and ~ 20% of organic inputs were terrigenous, respectively. In the proximity of the outfall benthic oxygen demand peaked and the presence of Beggiatoa mats suggested reoxidation of sulphides, that were abundant in pore water. Under sulfidic conditions, DNRA was the major driver of nitrate demand, whereas at stations far from the outfall, denitrification dominated nitrate consumption. Organic matter and nitrate inputs to the bay during the UPW season enhanced the effects of the outfall by increasing aerobic respiration and DNRA. Higher N availability during the UPW season reversed fluxes of molecular nitrogen and turned the sediments of 3 out of 4 sites from net sinks to net N2 sources. Results from this study suggest that the analysis of sediments allows tracing the impact of the outfall and that such impact is enhanced during the upwelling season. In tropical areas, marine outfalls and upwelling may act in synergy and contribute to ecosystem deterioration due to high temperatures, increase of microbial respiration, sulphide toxicity and benthic biodiversity loss.

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded by COLCIENCIAS in the Call No. 714-2015—Research projects, technological development and innovation in environment, oceans and biodiversity (Contract—FP44842-020-2016). Doctoral Training Program (COLCIENCIAS—2014) supported PhD student. Prof. Marco Bartoli’s trip to Colombia to carry out field campaigns was supported by the call Fellows Colombia Program (ICETEX—2017) – Inter-institutional Ph.D Program – Marine Sciences and Universidad Nacional de Colombia, campus Medellin (Researchers Mobility Call—2017). Dr. Andres Franco and Alfonso Gamero of the Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano, campus Santa Marta are acknowledged for providing laboratory facilities and logistic support for this study. Prof. Bartoli is thanked by supporting chemistry analyses in Parma University (Italy), Ferrara University (Italy) and Marine Research Institute of Klaipeda University (Lithuania). Prof. Paola Iacumin and Dott. and Antonietta Di Matteo from Geology Department of Parma University and Irma Lubiene from Klaipeda University are acknowledged for the technical assistance in isotopic composition and nutrients analyses. We are grateful to two anonymous reviewers for their accurate and constructive comments. We are thankful with Johann Camil Delgado, Maximiliano Arredondo, Lina Maria Ramirez and Tayrona dive center at Taganga for their help in core collection and sampling. Fabio Suarez of Faro Tecnológico company is acknowledged by support in the field campaigns logistic.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. OCEANICOS Research Group, Facultad de Minas, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellín, Colombia

    Diana M. Arroyave Gómez & Mauricio Toro-Botero

  2. Flujos reactivos y Procesos Research Group, Facultad de Minas, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellín, Colombia

    Darío Gallego Suárez

  3. Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, Parma University, Parma, Italy

    Marco Bartoli

  4. Marine Research Institute, Klaipeda University, Klaipeda, Lithuania

    Marco Bartoli

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  1. Diana M. Arroyave Gómez
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  2. Darío Gallego Suárez
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  3. Marco Bartoli
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  4. Mauricio Toro-Botero
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Contributions

Conceptualization: [DMAG, MB and MT-B]; Methodology: [DMAG and MB]; formal analysis and investigation: [DMAG and MB]; writing—original draft preparation: [DMAG and MB]; writing—review and editing: [DMAG, MB, DGS and MT-B], Funding acquisition [DMAG, MB, DGS and MT-B], Supervision: [MB, DGS and MT-B].

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Diana M. Arroyave Gómez or Marco Bartoli.

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Arroyave Gómez, D.M., Gallego Suárez, D., Bartoli, M. et al. Spatial and seasonal variability of sedimentary features and nitrogen benthic metabolism in a tropical coastal area (Taganga Bay, Colombia Caribbean) impacted by a sewage outfall. Biogeochemistry 150, 85–107 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-020-00689-0

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