VARIATION OF BOTH THERMOHALINE AND CHEMICAL-PROPERTIES IN AN ESTUARINE UPWELLING ECOSYSTEM - RIA DE AROUSA .1. TIME EVOLUTION

An intensive sampling was carried out in Ria de Arousa during the Gali cia X cruise (summer 1989) in order to observe the evolution of conser vative, non-conservative and biological properties of the water column in a representative station (E4). Variations of physical and chemical parameters in the surface layer are mainly due to the influence of at mospheric and/or continental factors, while variability in the deep la yer is affected by the upwelling, relaxation and downwelling events. P hytoplankton succession is also dominated by the stability of the wate r column. Relations between the properties involved in the photosynthe sis-mineralization balance are discussed, showing similar values to th ose of Redfield ratios. Relations between particulate organic properti es are affected by detrital sedimentation derived from mussel culture. (C) 1995 Academic Press Limited