Bahía Blanca Estuary: a chemical oceanographic approach

Abstract

The dynamics, relationships and equilibrium of estuaries can be significantly disturbed as a result of natural processes or human interventions that generate modifications (from circumstantial to structural) in the balance of their activities. Each type of environment has particular characteristics conditioning the reaction to these changes.The estuary of Bahía Blanca, in the south of the Buenos Aires Atlantic coast, is an excellent case of study, as it constitutes a large transitional environment, where an intense human intervention takes place. This environment has been particularly studied since the 1970s, including the physical-chemical parameters of its waters, associated biological processes and the presence of pollutants. These studies allow us to characterize the potential effects on the system, and recognize its capacity to react. The trends identified are analyzed in a historical framework, which allows us to indicate evolutionary processes in the environmental quality of the estuary. Moreover, this information could be very useful to design management plans for the estuary.