Comparación de algunos aspectos fisico-quimicos y calidad sanitaria del Estero de Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Nutrients, temperture, Secchi disk depth and dissolved oxygen spatial distributions were determined along the Puntarenas Estuary. Eleven sampling cruises look place in 1982 and twelve more were carried out during 1990-1992, collecting water samples on a surface and bottom basis along tile salinity gradient at six and nine stations, respectively. Salinity profiles indicated a partially mixed estuary during most of 1he cruises. although the strong tidal current ocasionally modified the pattern. During the second part of the study, the global concentration ranges for nitrate and phosphate were broader than those in the first part. Total and fecal coliforms (TC, FC) were determined 35 most probable number (MPN/100 ml) during six cruises of the second period in nine stations; results showed a typical situation of a very polluted estuary, with values in the range of less than 2 to 1.6 x 10 7 MPN/100 ml for TC and less than 2 to 9.2 x 10 6 ml MPN/100 ml for FC.