COM 1032.002 2004-2006 - Laserfiche WebLink

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.9EP-27-2005 08:38 From: To:97759W5 P.4,9 The highest fancy of violation (65% of samples were in violation) occurred within the salinity range of t 1 to 15 ppt; the lowest salinity range (<10 ppt) had the fourth-highest level of violation (--25%). new results suggest that Enterococew densities are not simply a fimetion of freshwater inputs (e.g., groundwater), but seem to he highest when ocean and Giesh water are mixed at ratios of 2:1 to 1:2 (i.e., 25% to 75% dilution). This observation suggests that marine- basal hydrologic pm=scs mubt play a role in importing Enterococcus-laden freshwaters to the tidepools, the most likely process being tidal pulsing. If Enterococcus was being imported along with eroded sediment into the tidepools, then we would expect to we a positive relationship between water turbidity (a measure of water clarity; suspended sediments would decrease clarity and increase turbidity) and Eate rxxKYw densities. An examination of a plot of Enteroeocew densities versus water turbidity (Figure 2) demonstrates the opposite; there arc higher Eeterococcus densities at lower turbidity levels. Hither sediment inputs are not a source of Enterocoecav to the Wai Opae tidepools, or turbidity is not a good indicator of sediment inputs to the system. loon 100 5 ? Q 10, ? % = M ? M? MM MMH? ? ? • ? • Q.1 0 0.1 0.2 0.3 OA 0.5 0.8 0.7 0.8 0.9 turbidity (NTU) Figure 2. Enrerococous densities vs water turbidity A firnher examination of turbidity versus salinity (Figure 3) indicates that turbidity increases with increasing salinity. This positive relationship indicate, that the primary source of turbidity appears: to be related to meanie processes, most likely particle resuspension by wave action during high tides (and high salinities).