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Isotopic Composition of Carbon and Nitrogen of Particulate Organic Matter in the Godavari Estuary: Seasonality in Sources and Processes

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Abstract

Rivers transport organic matter originating within the estuary and terrestrial sources to the coastal ocean. The seasonal variations in the magnitude of river discharge alter the sources of particulate organic matter (POM) in the estuary. In order to examine the dominant sources of POM in the estuary, monthly samples were collected and analyzed for the isotopic composition of carbon and nitrogen of POM along with hydrographic characteristics of water column data in the Godavari estuary, India. C/N and POC/Chl-a and isotopic composition of C and N indicated in situ production is the major source of POM during the dry (33 ± 69 m3 s−1) and moderate discharge (2580 ± 3034 m3 s−1) periods. The δ13C and δ15NPOM were close to that of sediment organic carbon (− 24.0 ± 1 and 1.0 ± 2‰ respectively) during the peak discharge period (16,016 ± 15,346 m3 s−1) indicating that sediment organic matter contributed dominantly to the POM pool as high flow mixes upper layer of sediments. The stable isotope fractionation model clearly indicated that POM during the peak discharge period is contributed by external sources and in situ production during other periods. The Bayesian stable isotope linear mixing model (stable isotope analysis in R, SIAR) suggested that both freshwater and marine algae contributed > 50% of the POM during the dry and moderate discharge periods whereas sediment organic matter during the peak discharge period. Since a significant fraction of the in situ organic matter is fluxed to the coastal ocean, its impact on the coastal ecosystem through microbial loop needs further investigation.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Indo-French Centre for Promotion of Advanced Research (IFCPAR) for funding this project entitled “Nutrients transfers through groundwater in India.” We would like to thank Prof. Damien Cardinal, Sarath, and V. Vaury for their help during the sampling. We would like to thank two anonymous reviewers and co-editor-in-chief for their constructive comments to improve the presentation of our results. This has the NIO contribution number.

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  1. CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, 176 Lawsons Bay Colony, Visakhapatnam, 530017, India

    V. R. D. Ghosh, G. R. Rajula, B. S. K. Kumar & V. V. S. S. Sarma

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  1. V. R. D. Ghosh
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  2. G. R. Rajula
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  3. B. S. K. Kumar
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  4. V. V. S. S. Sarma
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Correspondence to V. V. S. S. Sarma.

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Communicated by Zhanfei Liu

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Ghosh, V.R.D., Rajula, G.R., Kumar, B.S.K. et al. Isotopic Composition of Carbon and Nitrogen of Particulate Organic Matter in the Godavari Estuary: Seasonality in Sources and Processes. Estuaries and Coasts 47, 128–143 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-023-01264-0

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