Carbon and Nitrogen balances of the Long Island Sound Estuary

Penny Vlahos, University of Connecticut, Marine Sciences, Groton, United States, Michael M Whitney, University of Connecticut, Marine Sciences, Groton, CT, United States, John R Mullaney, USGS Connecticut Water Science Center, East Hartford, CT, United States, Christina Menniti, University of Connecticut, Groton, CT, United States and Jonathan Morrison, U.S. Geological Survey, East Hartford, CT, United States
Abstract:
Long Island Sound (LIS) is a temperate estuary on the Eastern US coast that delivers a significant amount of freshwater to the adjacent Mid Atlantic Bight (MAB). Organic carbon (oC) and total Nitrogen (TN) balances have been assessed for this estuary over the last 10 and 20 years respectively. Here we present inter annual variations in both OC and TN exports to the MAB and how variations in freshwater loads influence these. Ultimately the LIS is a slightly higher exporter of OC and TN to the MAB than the Delaware and Hudson estuaries and less than that of the Chesapeake. A model that predicts LIS export to the MAB is proposed.
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