Outside the paradigm of upwelling rias in NW Iberian Peninsula: Biogeochemical and phytoplankton patterns of a non-upwelling ria

Abstract The Atlantic Galician rias show the effect of natural eutrophication during ENACW upwelling episodes when large amounts of nutrients are injected. However, the Cantabrian Galician rias do not appear to be disturbed by upwelling events and it can be hypothesized that eutrophy is not inherent to the Galician rias. This question was tackled regarding the biogeochemical and phytoplankton characteristic in the Ria of Barqueiro, located on the western boundary of the Cantabrian Sea, from January 2008 to January 2009. Thermohaline, PAR and fluorescence profiles, dissolved oxygen, nutrient salts, DOC, DON and chlorophyll concentrations, phytoplankton abundances and primary production were monthly determined in a monitoring station (43°45.509′N-07°39.493′W); moreover, the daily upwelling index information and fluvial contributions from Sor River were considered. Throughout the year only four annual oceanographic periods were observed: spring, summer stratification, autumn and winter, unlike the Atlantic rias, where a long upwelling period occurs with usually outstanding upwelling processes. Nutrient concentrations (a maximum of 6.2 μM of nitrate, 0.5 μM of nitrite, 2.8 μM of ammonium, 0.4 μM of phosphate and 5.7 μM of silicate), organic matter (98 μM of DOC, 14 μM of DON, 16.4 μM of POC and 2.0 μM of PON), Chl- a (1.1 μg L −1 ), primary production (280 gC m −2  yr −1 ) and phytoplankton abundance were clearly lower (about half) when compared to those reported for the other rias during upwelling. Diatoms dominated the phytoplankton assemblages especially during spring and autumn blooms. In summer, although the wind conditions were favorable, upwelling was not observed in the Ria and a mixing of diatoms and dinoflagellates co-dominated the phytoplankton community with a lower contribution of diatoms in comparison to the Atlantic rias. The paradigm of natural eutrophication reported for the Galician rias was not observed in the Ria of Barqueiro, which may be classified as an oligo-mesotrophic ria-type, according to its environmental patterns.