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OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF URBAN RUNOFF AND ITS EFFECT ON THE
COASTAL PHYTOPLANKTON COMMUNITY
by
Kristen Marie Reifel
A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
(BIOLOGY)
December 2009
Copyright 2009 Kristen Marie Reifel
Object Description
| Title | Optical properties of urban runoff and its effect on the coastal phytoplankton community |
| Author | Reifel, Kristen Marie |
| Author email | kreifel@usc.edu; kmreifel@gmail.com |
| Degree | Doctor of Philosophy |
| Document type | Dissertation |
| Degree program | Biology |
| School | College of Letters, Arts and Sciences |
| Date defended/completed | 2009-08-17 |
| Date submitted | 2009 |
| Restricted until | Restricted until 26 Sep. 2011. |
| Date published | 2011-09-26 |
| Advisor (committee chair) |
Capone, Douglas Jones, Burton H. |
| Advisor (committee member) |
Caron, David Kiefer, Dale A. Hammond, Douglas E. |
| Abstract | Although bacteria, human pathogens, and other public health concerns have been investigated, few studies have examined the ecological effects of urban runoff. I examined the optical characteristics of urban runoff plumes and explored phytoplankton community changes within the plumes. Data collected after two storm events in 2004-2005 during the Bight '03 program, after a planned release of wastewater, and after storm events in 2007-2008 are presented. Plume waters were characterized by low salinity and high colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) concentration relative to ambient waters. Although relationships between contaminants (nutrients, fecal indicator bacteria) and plume indicators (salinity, total suspended solids) were not strong, California Ocean Plan standards were often exceeded in waters containing >10% stormwater (<28-30 salinity range). Relationships between CDOM and salinity and between TSS and beam attenuation indicate that readily-measurable optically-active variables, that can be estimated from ocean color satellite imagery, could be used as proxies to provide a qualitative, if not quantitative, evaluation of the distribution of stormwater plumes. Localized blooms of Akashiwo sanguinea and Cochlodinium sp. (chlorophyll a up to 100 mg/m3 and densities between 100-2,000 cells/mL) occurred in plume waters 4-7 days after the wastewater release. Spectra of the ratio of scatter to absorption were similar to reflectance spectra measured during blooms of dinoflagellate species in other studies, especially when the blooms occurred in areas with high CDOM concentration. Differences in the phytoplankton community inside and outside stormwater plumes were only detected in dilute plume waters after a period of low wave height. Several dinoflagellates (Akashiwo sanguinea, Cochlodinium sp., Prorocentrum spp., Ceratium spp., Protoperidinium spp., and Alexandrium sp.) comprised a greater percent abundance in plume waters when differences were apparent.; These results are consistent with previous models that predict the presence of functional dinoflagellate groups based on environmental parameters such as stratification and nutrient loading. Future studies should combine ship-based sampling with the use of remote platforms (gliders or drifters) and satellite imagery to observe the phytoplankton community in older, dilute plume waters after relaxation of sea state. |
| Keyword | stormwater; wastewater; dinoflagellate; diatom; Cochlodinium; Akashiwo sanguinea; Santa Monica Bay; Ballona Creek; Southern California Bight |
| Geographic subject | bays: Santa Monica Bay; bights: Southern California Bight; creeks: Ballona Creek |
| Geographic subject (state) | California |
| Coverage date | 2004/2005; 2007/2008 |
| Language | English |
| Part of collection | University of Southern California dissertations and theses |
| Publisher (of the original version) | University of Southern California |
| Place of publication (of the original version) | Los Angeles, California |
| Publisher (of the digital version) | University of Southern California. Libraries |
| Provenance | Electronically uploaded by the author |
| Type | texts |
| Legacy record ID | usctheses-m2618 |
| Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
| Rights | Reifel, Kristen Marie |
| Repository name | Libraries, University of Southern California |
| Repository address | Los Angeles, California |
| Repository email | cisadmin@lib.usc.edu |
| Filename | etd-Reifel-3238 |
| Archival file | uscthesesreloadpub_Volume23/etd-Reifel-3238.pdf |
Description
| Title | Page 1 |
| Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
| Repository email | cisadmin@lib.usc.edu |
| Full text | OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF URBAN RUNOFF AND ITS EFFECT ON THE COASTAL PHYTOPLANKTON COMMUNITY by Kristen Marie Reifel A Dissertation Presented to the FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (BIOLOGY) December 2009 Copyright 2009 Kristen Marie Reifel |
