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Kromme Estuary LTER

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The permanently open Kromme Estuary drains a cathment that is under severe impoundment resulting in little freshwater reaching the estuary. This situation gives rise to abnormally high salinity conditions in the upper estuary that is only interrupted when water is released from the impoundments upstream, or when rainfall induced flooding occurs. These characteristics prompted SAEON to launch a long-term observation strategy in order to better understand the effects of long-term water abstraction on an estuarine ecosystem. Read more..


The permanently open Kromme Estuary drains a cathment that is under severe impoundment resulting in little freshwater reaching the estuary. This situation gives rise to abnormally high salinity conditions in the upper estuary that is only interrupted when water is released from the impoundments upstream, or when rainfall induced flooding occurs. These characteristics prompted SAEON to launch a long-term observation strategy in order to better understand the effects of long-term water abstraction on an estuarine ecosystem.

Long-term platforms deployed and maintained by SAEON Elwandle Node are:

  • A continuous monitoring platform (CMP) consisting of conductivity/ temperature (CT) sensors deployed in the lower, middle, upper Geelhout and upper Kromme.
  • Monthly pelagic ecosystem sampling at six stations along the length of the estuary. Sampling involves physico-chemical variables (temperature, salinity, oxygen, pH, turbidity, secchi depth and light attenuation), total chl-a biomass and nutrients (ammonia, nitrates, silicates and phosphates
  • Monthly high resolution physico-chemical profiling up the length of the estuary at 24 stations (reduced from 148) to study in detail variation in vertical and horizontal water profile
  • Episodic events: Elwandle Node remains on standby to sample episodic events such as floods, storm surges, pollution, plankton blooms and so on.

Observation Period: 2012/05/10 - ongoing

SAEON team: Dr Tommy Bornman, Dr Shaun Deyzel, Sean Bailey and Mfundo Bizani

     


      Kromme Estuary LTER
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