Lersundi-Kampistegui, A.V.; Bernabeu, A.M.; Rey, D., and Plaza-Morlote, M., 2019. Bottom suspended particulate matter dynamics in a ría environment under fair-weather conditions: Ría de Vigo (NW Spain). Journal of Coastal Research, 35(2), 420–433. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.

The Ría de Vigo (NW Spain) is an economically important coastal system in which increasing demographic pressure over the last four decades has led to the development of conflicting economic activities, such as industry, fisheries, and tourism. The bottom sediment dynamics in the ría were investigated here for the first time as a key element to address effective coastal management in this context. The turbidity, salinity, temperature, and current were measured by two current meters placed at ∼1 m above the bottom (mab) during 14 days from 28 June 2005 to 11 July 2005. Both stations were placed in the marine sector of the ría, one in the central channel and the other in the outer southern margin. Superficial sediment samples in the surroundings of each site were also analyzed. The survey occurred under low-wave (significant wave height [Hs] < 2 m) conditions with little precipitation, typical of the summer season. The oceanographic observations registered the complete development of an East North Atlantic Central Water (ENACW) upwelling event in the ría. The results indicated that the main suspended particulate matter (SPM) fluctuation was produced in the subtidal timescale and correlated well with the upwelling-produced inward current, rather than with the dominant hydrodynamic processes (tide and waves) at the sampling sites. Punctual, but significant input from runoff was also detected in the channel. Under summer conditions, the advection of the shelf SPM by the upwelling bottom current stands out as the main transport process observed in the marine sector of the ría.