Temporal nutrient dynamics in the Mediterranean Sea in response to anthropogenic inputs

Abstract The temporal dynamics of the concentrations of nitrate (N), phosphate (P), and the N:P ratio in the upper water column (200–600 m) of the Mediterranean (MED) Sea were investigated using observational data (~123,100 data points) collected between 1985 and 2014. The studied variables were fou...

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Main Authors: Ji‐Young Moon, Kitack Lee, Toste Tanhua, Nurit Kress, Il‐Nam Kim
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2016-05-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL068788
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author Ji‐Young Moon
Kitack Lee
Toste Tanhua
Nurit Kress
Il‐Nam Kim
author_facet Ji‐Young Moon
Kitack Lee
Toste Tanhua
Nurit Kress
Il‐Nam Kim
author_sort Ji‐Young Moon
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The temporal dynamics of the concentrations of nitrate (N), phosphate (P), and the N:P ratio in the upper water column (200–600 m) of the Mediterranean (MED) Sea were investigated using observational data (~123,100 data points) collected between 1985 and 2014. The studied variables were found to evolve similarly in the western and eastern MED Sea. In both basins, the N concentration increased during the first part of the observational period (1985–1998), and the temporal trend of N was broadly consistent with the history of riverine and atmospheric nitrogen input from populated areas in Europe, with a lag period of 20 years. In subsequent years, the N concentration was high and relatively constant between 1998 and 2005, after which N decreased gradually, although the decreasing trend was indistinct in the western basin. In particular, the trend of constant then declining N after 1998 is consistent with the history of pollutant nitrogen emissions from the European continent, allowing a 20 year lag following the introduction of regulation of pollutant nitrogen in the 1970s. The three‐phase temporal transition in P in both basins was more consistent with the riverine phosphorus input, with a lag period of 20 years. Our analysis indicates that the recent dynamics of N and P in the upper MED Sea has been sensitive to the dynamics of anthropogenic nitrogen and phosphorus input from atmospheric deposition and rivers.
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spelling doaj-art-c3916c0a26b145329a329b3bf09efe5e2025-08-20T01:51:46ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072016-05-0143105243525110.1002/2016GL068788Temporal nutrient dynamics in the Mediterranean Sea in response to anthropogenic inputsJi‐Young Moon0Kitack Lee1Toste Tanhua2Nurit Kress3Il‐Nam Kim4School of Environmental Sciences and Engineering POSTECH Pohang South KoreaSchool of Environmental Sciences and Engineering POSTECH Pohang South KoreaMarine Biogeochemie GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel GermanyIsrael Oceanographic and Limnological Research National Institute of Oceanography Haifa IsraelDepartment of Marine Science Incheon National University Incheon South KoreaAbstract The temporal dynamics of the concentrations of nitrate (N), phosphate (P), and the N:P ratio in the upper water column (200–600 m) of the Mediterranean (MED) Sea were investigated using observational data (~123,100 data points) collected between 1985 and 2014. The studied variables were found to evolve similarly in the western and eastern MED Sea. In both basins, the N concentration increased during the first part of the observational period (1985–1998), and the temporal trend of N was broadly consistent with the history of riverine and atmospheric nitrogen input from populated areas in Europe, with a lag period of 20 years. In subsequent years, the N concentration was high and relatively constant between 1998 and 2005, after which N decreased gradually, although the decreasing trend was indistinct in the western basin. In particular, the trend of constant then declining N after 1998 is consistent with the history of pollutant nitrogen emissions from the European continent, allowing a 20 year lag following the introduction of regulation of pollutant nitrogen in the 1970s. The three‐phase temporal transition in P in both basins was more consistent with the riverine phosphorus input, with a lag period of 20 years. Our analysis indicates that the recent dynamics of N and P in the upper MED Sea has been sensitive to the dynamics of anthropogenic nitrogen and phosphorus input from atmospheric deposition and rivers.https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL068788Mediterranean Seanitratephosphatepollutant nitrogennitrogen fixationdenitrification
spellingShingle Ji‐Young Moon
Kitack Lee
Toste Tanhua
Nurit Kress
Il‐Nam Kim
Temporal nutrient dynamics in the Mediterranean Sea in response to anthropogenic inputs
Geophysical Research Letters
Mediterranean Sea
nitrate
phosphate
pollutant nitrogen
nitrogen fixation
denitrification
title Temporal nutrient dynamics in the Mediterranean Sea in response to anthropogenic inputs
title_full Temporal nutrient dynamics in the Mediterranean Sea in response to anthropogenic inputs
title_fullStr Temporal nutrient dynamics in the Mediterranean Sea in response to anthropogenic inputs
title_full_unstemmed Temporal nutrient dynamics in the Mediterranean Sea in response to anthropogenic inputs
title_short Temporal nutrient dynamics in the Mediterranean Sea in response to anthropogenic inputs
title_sort temporal nutrient dynamics in the mediterranean sea in response to anthropogenic inputs
topic Mediterranean Sea
nitrate
phosphate
pollutant nitrogen
nitrogen fixation
denitrification
url https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL068788
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AT kitacklee temporalnutrientdynamicsinthemediterraneanseainresponsetoanthropogenicinputs
AT tostetanhua temporalnutrientdynamicsinthemediterraneanseainresponsetoanthropogenicinputs
AT nuritkress temporalnutrientdynamicsinthemediterraneanseainresponsetoanthropogenicinputs
AT ilnamkim temporalnutrientdynamicsinthemediterraneanseainresponsetoanthropogenicinputs