The Xiamen Symposium on Marine Environmental Sciences

2027 Xiamen Symposium on Marine Environmental Sciences

January 12-15, 2027

Partitioning groundwater and porewater reveals seasonal controls on nutrient export to a chronically eutrophic bay
ID:1102 Poster Presentation

2027-01-15 17:15 (China Standard Time)

Session:Session 6 - Hidden Fluxes, Visible Impacts: Submarine Groundwater Discharge and Coastal Sustainability

Abstract
Coastal eutrophication caused by excess nutrient inputs has increased worldwide. Of the exogenous nutrients sources to coastal ocean, benthic advective pathways, including large-scale submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) and centimeter-scale porewater exchange (PEX), remain the most uncertain relative to surface inputs such as rivers. In particular, the biogeochemical signatures and spatiotemporal variability of individual subsurface flows are poorly understood. Here, we present monthly field observations from January 2022 to April 2024 to assess seasonal dynamics of nutrient loading from different benthic advective processes and their ecological impacts in a chronically eutrophic semi-enclosed bay. We found that longer porewater residence times promoted ammonium and silicate accumulation, alongside the attenuation of nitrate and nitrite in the intertidal sandy aquifer. PEX dominated benthic advection, with enhanced water and solute fluxes during wet seasons driven by intensified hydrodynamic forcing and biological activity. Despite covering <5% of the bay area, SGD and PEX together derived 12–48% of dissolved nitrogen and 0.5–20% of dissolved phosphorus relative to riverine inputs, while PEX alone supplied >41% of exogenous silicate to the entire bay. By altering the magnitude and stoichiometry of nutrients, PEX and SGD exports likely exacerbate phosphorus deficiency. Partitioning the contributions of individual benthic advective pathways to long-term nutrient dynamics is key to mitigate coastal eutrophication.
Speaker
Shibin Zhao Ocean University of China

Author
Shibin Zhao Ocean University of China

    Important Dates

    • Jan 30

      2026

      Session / Event proposals open

    • Mar 31

      2026

      Session / Event proposals close
      (Extended to April 7)

    • Apr 30

      2026

      Session acceptance notifications

    • Apr 30

      2026

      Abstract submissions & registration open

    • Jun 30

      2026

      Abstract submissions close
      (Extended to July 21)

    • Aug 31

      2026

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    • Sep 15

      2026

      Scientific program released

    • Oct 15

      2026

      Early bird registration closes

    • Jan 12–15

      2027

      XMAS 2027