Investigating the link between Pearl River-induced eutrophication and hypoxia in Hong Kong shallow coastal waters

Abstract

We present geochemical analysis of 75 surface water samples collected in 2016 in Hong Kong coastal waters. We found that nitrogen distribution around Hong Kong can be characterized by two regimes driven by the influence of the Pearl River: 1) a regime where nitrate is the dominant species of nitrogen, associated with lower salinity and more faecal coliform and 2) a regime where dissolved organic nitrogen is dominant, associated with higher salinity and fewer faecal coliform. While the impact of the Pearl River on Hong Kong coastal waters is well characterized, we used the sharp contrast between the nitrogen regimes to produce new evidence about the role of the Pearl River on the generation of local hypoxia in Hong Kong. The impact of nitrate originating from the Pearl River on the generation of hypoxia in Hong Kong might be less important than previously thought, as no sign of eutrophication was found within the zones dominated by dissolved organic nitrogen and an historical decoupling of surface processes and bottom water oxygenation was observed. Moreover, we measured elevated ammonium levels and rapid cycling of ammonium and dissolved organic nitrogen in Victoria Harbour suggesting local sources, such as wastewater, might be rapidly oxidized and thus play an important role in the consumption of oxygen locally. A first-order calculation highlighted the potential for wastewater to drive the observed seasonal decline in oxygen. Taken together, these evidences suggest that eutrophication might not be the primary driver in the generation of seasonal hypoxia and that oxidation of ammonium released locally might play a bigger role than initially thought.