Effects of varying levels of nutrient inputs to coastal marine systems: a case study of a semi-enclosed bay influenced by a large urban population

Gregory P. Jenkins; Kerry P. Black; Perran L. M. Cook

doi:10.1071/RS24006

REVIEW (Open Access)

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Effects of varying levels of nutrient inputs to coastal marine systems: a case study of a semi-enclosed bay influenced by a large urban population

Gregory P. Jenkins

^A ^* , Kerry P. Black ^B and Perran L. M. Cook ^C

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Vic 3010, Australia.

^B Sanctuary Beach Pte Ltd, Singapore.

^C Water Studies Centre, School of Chemistry, Monash University, Vic 3800, Australia.

^* Correspondence to: gjenkins@unimelb.edu.au

Handling Editor: Gavin Smith

Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria 136, RS24006 https://doi.org/10.1071/RS24006

Submitted: 4 July 2024 Accepted: 10 September 2024 Published: 1 October 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of the Royal Society of Victoria. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

Port Phillip Bay (PPB) is the largest marine bay on the Australian coast and is the site of Australia’s second largest city, Melbourne. A major environmental study in the 1990s recommended a reduction in the nitrogen (N) input to the bay. Subsequently, improvements to sewage treatment efficiency in the 2000s coincided with the longest and most severe drought in recorded history, resulting in N inputs dropping by more than half in the 2000s compared with the 1990s. Here we review studies conducted over the past 30 years to understand the effects of varying nutrient levels on the ecology of PPB. Studies showed that PPB is an N limited system both in time and space. Biological productivity in PPB was markedly affected by reduced N loads during the drought, resulting in declines in seagrass and kelp cover, as well as benthic fish biomass. Overall, research has shown that while setting conservative limits on N input will effectively negate the risk of widespread eutrophication, there will likely be a tradeoff in reduced bay productivity. Managers will need to consider both sides of this equation when managing the load of N entering PPB, and potentially other marine systems around the world.

Keywords: denitrification, drought, ecology, eutrophication, nitrogen, nutrients, Port Phillip Bay, productivity.

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