POSTER Session 3

USING HIGH RESOLUTION, UNDERWAY OPTICAL MEASUREMENTS TO ASSESS THE PHENOLOGY AND SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF PHYTOPLANKTON BLOOMS IN THE HIGHLY URBANIZED, SEMI ENCLOSED LONG ISLAND SOUND ESTUARY, NEW YORK

Improved management of water quality and water resources necessitates a comprehensive approach that combines precise monitoring of the biogeochemical state and ecological integrity of aquatic ecosystems possible only through high-resolution in-situ measurements and remote sensing observations. These measurements serve as the foundation for developing tools that integrate diverse physical and biogeochemical data to provide a more holistic understanding of ecosystem processes, feedbacks, and interactions. Despite upgrades to wastewater treatment plants, water quality issues persist in Long Island Sound, impacting shellfisheries, aquaculture, and recreation. Using data collected monthly over 4 years we have strived to understand the hydrological factors that lead to the development of phytoplankton species especially potentially toxic dinoflagellates that have devastated the economy of the region for decades. Our methodology incorporates a suite of advanced instrumentation that includes high resolution laser fluorometers in tandem with the automated image analyzer FlowCam to characterize phytoplankton distribution and functional types as well as Fast Repetition Rate Fluorometry for information on phytoplankton photosynthesis and productivity. By comparing phytoplankton functional types between different years, notably contrasting 2019 with the highly hypoxic 2021 we question whether growth of toxic dinoflagellates Procentrum and Margalefidinium (previously Cochlodium) polykrikoides in the Western basin is tied to the development of acute hypoxia and ocean acidification in the Sound. This research highlights the urgency of addressing these interconnected environmental challenges to safeguard the health and sustainability of Long Island Sound’s ecosystem.

Joaquim Goes, Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University, USA, [email protected], https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9785-6985

Maria Tzortziou, The City College of New York, USA, [email protected]

Jinghui Wu, Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University, USA, [email protected]

Jonathan Sherman, NOAA, USA, [email protected]

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