Project Summary

While hypoxic and anoxic environments have existed throughout geological time, their frequency of occurrence in shallow coastal and estuarine areas appears to be increasing. However, few data are available on the physicochemical cond itions at the boundary between anoxic and normoxic layers, including the conditions required for both formation and dissipation of stratification. Advances in autonomous environmental sensing technology have produced robust sensors capable of detailed measurements under inhospitable conditions created in such environments. This project uses an autonomous sensor approach which is then used to compare the water column properties above and below the stratification before during and after dissipation of the stratification. Lough Hyne, is a seasonally stratified temperate marine lake so provides favourable conditions for this study as well as the pH data from as far back as 1952 available for comparison against current results giving a greater knowledge of the chemistry within the water.