Hi all,

Late winter has been unusually warm and water temperatures in the estuary are about 5 C warmer than normal. High salinity conditions are still in place with salinity near 20 at the estuary mouth. The tip of the salt wedge is still upstream of New Bern. No hypoxic bottom waters were observed. Super saturated oxygen conditions were observed near the surface at station 60 where high chlorophyll (>40 ug/L) indicated a bloom. The intense surface bloom at station 60 was part of a broad region with high (~25 ug/L) subsurface chlorophyll that stretched from station 50 to 120. Microscopic examination of station 60 surface water revealed a mix of the winter/spring bloom forming dinoflagellate, Prorocentrum minimum, and a Euglena sp. These are the same two species that were found blooming in the same area in February. Neither is thought to be problematic in regards to toxins and fish kills.

 

Best,

Nathan