This article has just been published in the Journal of Marine Science and Engineering. In this article, the different existing measurements on the Vaccarès Lagoon System, located in the central part of the Rhône Delta (France), were exploited to study the hydro-saline dynamics at different spatial and temporal scales. These measurements were also used to quantify for the first time the respective contributions to these dynamics, in terms of volumes, of agricultural drainage channels, of exchanges with the sea, the rain and evaporation.
You can access to it on the Tour du Valat web documentary portal [1].
Abstract:
The Vaccarès Lagoon System, located in the central part of the Rhône Delta (France), is a complex shallow coastal lagoon, exposed to a typical Mediterranean climate and a specific hydrological regime affected by man-controlled exchanges with the sea and agricultural drainage channels. In this article, we report the results obtained by a series of monitoring programs, with different spatial and temporal resolutions. Long-term datasets from 1999 to 2019 with data collected on a monthly basis and a high spatial resolution highlighted the significant spatial heterogeneity in salinity regimes, and helped to determine the long-term evolution of the total mass of dissolved salt. High-frequency surveys allowed to characterize the water levels and salinity dynamics seasonal response to (i) the exchanges with the Mediterranean Sea, (ii) the exchanges with agricultural drainage channels, and (iii) the rain and evaporation. In addition, wind effects on salinity variations are also explored. This work shows how different spatial and temporal monitoring strategies provide complementary information on the dynamic of such a complex system. Results will be useful and provide insight for the management of similar lagoon systems, accommodating for both human activities and ecological stakes in the context of global change.
Bibliographical reference: Boutron, O.; Paugam, C.; Luna-Laurent, E.; Chauvelon, P.; Sous, D.; Rey, V.; Meulé, S.; Chérain, Y.; Cheiron, A.; Migne, E. Hydro-Saline Dynamics of a Shallow Mediterranean Coastal Lagoon: Complementary Information from Short and Long Term Monitoring. J.Mar. Sci. Eng. 2021, 9, 701. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse9070701 [2]