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Seasonal variabilities in sources, distribution and transport of dissolved organic carbon from a rapidly eroding coastal estuary in Mississippi River delta plain Article

Mahmood, M, Maiti, K, Li, C et al. (2025). Seasonal variabilities in sources, distribution and transport of dissolved organic carbon from a rapidly eroding coastal estuary in Mississippi River delta plain . SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT, 965 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.178631

cited authors

  • Mahmood, M; Maiti, K; Li, C; Huang, W

authors

abstract

  • The fate of soil organic carbon lost from eroding coastal wetlands is of great importance. A large fraction of this carbon upon erosion is released as dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and inorganic carbon (DIC) into adjacent water bodies while the remainder is lost to atmosphere as CO2. In this study, we investigate the seasonal concentrations and transport of DOC in Barataria Basin, Louisiana, USA, which borders the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGOM). This basin is currently experiencing one of the highest rates of land-loss in the US. Seasonal measurements of DOC, DIC and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) were carried out during winter, spring, summer, and fall of 2020–2021. The average DOC in the Barataria Basin ranged from 648.03 μM of C in winter and 867.88 μM of C in spring, whereas the average DIC varied between 2582.47 μM in fall to 1553.26 μM in winter. Humification index and statistical analysis suggests a strong influence of terrigenous organic matter input in the northern part of the bay. The seamless creek-to-ocean SCHISM 3D model validated by data from the east coast and the coast of GOM was implemented in this study to compute the discharge rate at the Barataria Pass followed by assessing the seasonal DOC transport. The DOC exports were highest in spring, estimated at 201 tons/day and translated to approximately 0.043 Tg on an annual basis. This study highlights the importance of DOC exports from small estuaries, which should be incorporated in the global ocean carbon budget.

publication date

  • February 15, 2025

published in

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

volume

  • 965