Curtin University Homepage
  • Library
  • Help
    • Admin

    espace - Curtin’s institutional repository

    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.
    View Item 
    • espace Home
    • espace
    • Curtin Research Publications
    • View Item
    • espace Home
    • espace
    • Curtin Research Publications
    • View Item

    Salinity variations in the northern Coorong Lagoon, South Australia: Significant changes in the ecosystem following human alteration to the natural water regime

    200113_200113.pdf (810.6Kb)
    Access Status
    Open access
    Authors
    Tulipani, Svenja
    Grice, Kliti
    Krull, E.
    Greenwood, Paul
    Revill, A.
    Date
    2014
    Type
    Journal Article
    
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Citation
    Tulipani, S. and Grice, K. and Krull, E. and Greenwood, P. and Revill, A. 2014. Salinity variations in the northern Coorong Lagoon, South Australia: Significant changes in the ecosystem following human alteration to the natural water regime. Organic Geochemistry. 75: pp. 74-86.
    Source Title
    Organic Geochemistry
    DOI
    10.1016/j.orggeochem.2014.04.013
    ISSN
    01466380
    School
    Department of Applied Chemistry
    Remarks

    NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Organic Geochemistry. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Organic Geochemistry, Vol. 75 (2014). DOI: 10.1016/j.orggeochem.2014.04.013

    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/22703
    Collection
    • Curtin Research Publications
    Abstract

    European settlement and drought have significantly impacted the hydrology of the Coorong, a shallow coastal lagoon complex in South Australia, which is part of a terminal wetland at the mouth of the River Murray. An increased salinity associated with lower water levels and progressive isolation from ocean flushes contributed to a severe decline in ecological diversity over the past decades. Here we have conducted a molecular and stable isotopic study of a sedimentary core from the northern Coorong Lagoon spanning more than 5000 years to investigate the recent palaeoenvironmental history of the ecosystem. Major alterations were evident in many biogeochemical parameters in sediments deposited after the 1950s coinciding with the beginning of intensified water regulations. The most prominent shift occurred in δ13C profiles of C21–C33n-alkanes from average values of −23.5‰ to an average of −28.2‰.Further changes included decreases in carbon preference index (CPI) and average chain length (ACL) of the n-alkane series as well as significant increases in algal (e.g. C20 HBI, long chain alkenes and C29-alkadiene) and bacterial (e.g. 13C depleted short chain n-alkanes and hopanoids, δ13C: −35.9‰ to −30.1‰) derived hydrocarbons. Long chain n-alkanes with a strong odd/even predominance as observed here are typically attributed to terrigenous plants. In the Coorong however, terrigenous input to sedimentary OM is only minor. Therefore changes in the before mentioned parameters were attributed to a source transition from a major contribution of macrophytes towards predominantly microalgae and bacteria.δD values of C21–C33n-alkanes showed a general trend towards more enriched values in younger sediments, indicating an overall rising salinity. However, the most pronounced positive shift in these profiles again occurred after the 1950s. Altogether this study demonstrates that the recent human induced changes of the Coorong hydrology, compounded by a severe drought led to an increase in salinity and alterations of primary production which have been much more significant than natural variations occurring throughout the Holocene over several thousands of years.

    Related items

    Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.

    • The biogeochemical evolution of the Coorong during the mid- to late Holocene: An elemental, isotopic and biomarker perspective
      McKirdy, D.; Thorpe, C.; Haynes, D.; Grice, Kliti; Krull, E.; Halverson, G.; Webster, L. (2010)
      Since the mid-1990s the Coorong, a 130-km-long coastal wetland of international importance in southeastern South Australia, has undergone serious decline due largely to prolonged drought and reduced inflows of surface and ...
    • The occurrence of short chain n-alkanes with an even over odd predominance in higher plants and soils
      Kuhn, T.; Krull, E.; Bowater, A.; Grice, Kliti; Gleixner, G. (2009)
      In this study we provide data which support the interpretation that tissues of higher plants can constitutea significant source of the short chain n-alkanes with an even/odd predominance (EOP) found in soilorganic matter. ...
    • Stable hydrogen isotope ratios of individual hydrocarbons in sediments and petroleum
      Dawson, Daniel (2006)
      Early research into the stable hydrogen isotopic compositions (δD) of petroleum involved bulk deuterium/hydrogen (D/H) measurements which, while providing some useful information, had to contend with the analysis of complex ...
    Advanced search

    Browse

    Communities & CollectionsIssue DateAuthorTitleSubjectDocument TypeThis CollectionIssue DateAuthorTitleSubjectDocument Type

    My Account

    Admin

    Statistics

    Most Popular ItemsStatistics by CountryMost Popular Authors

    Follow Curtin

    • 
    • 
    • 
    • 
    • 

    CRICOS Provider Code: 00301JABN: 99 143 842 569TEQSA: PRV12158

    Copyright | Disclaimer | Privacy statement | Accessibility

    Curtin would like to pay respect to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members of our community by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which the Perth campus is located, the Whadjuk people of the Nyungar Nation; and on our Kalgoorlie campus, the Wongutha people of the North-Eastern Goldfields.