Inorganic nutrients and dissolved oxygen variation determined from historical data at three proposed ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) sites: Puerto Rico, St. Croix, and northern Gulf of Mexico. Technical memo

Technical Report · Thu Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1979

OSTI ID:5930674

Cummings, Jr, S R; Atwood, D K; Parker, J M

Inorganic nutrients and dissolved oxygen concentrations from the available historical data set at three proposed Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) sites were reviewed. These sites are Puerto Rico, St. Croix, and northern Gulf of Mexico. Among the principal inorganic nutrients which regulate open ocean productivity are nitrate, phosphate, and silicate. It is also pertinent that biological factors predominate in determining the distribution of oxygen in the sea. Results show that dissolved oxygen and inorganic nutrients vary in a consistent manner with depth within a narrow range in the Puerto Rico and St. Croix study areas. Nutrient and dissolved oxygen variability is greater in the upper 800 m of the northern Gulf of Mexico than in the Caribbean. Nutrient concentrations at 1000 m are considerably greater than at near-surface depths. The pumping of these deep waters into the euphotic zone could cause biostimulation when conditions are right. However, this effect would be small compared to natural upwelling phenomena and probably horizontal flows past the plant would rapidly dilute upwelled nutrient to background levels.

• Research Organization: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Miami, FL (USA). Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Labs.
• OSTI ID: 5930674
• Report Number(s): PB-294189
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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14 SOLAR ENERGY
140800* -- Solar Energy-- Ocean Energy Systems
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Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ATLANTIC OCEAN
BASELINE ECOLOGY
CARIBBEAN SEA
CONVERSION
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
DATA
ECOLOGY
ELEMENTS
ENERGY CONVERSION
FLUIDS
GULF OF MEXICO
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
INORGANIC COMPOUNDS
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
NUTRIENTS
OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY CONVERSION
OCEAN THERMAL POWER PLANTS
OFFSHORE SITES
OXYGEN
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POWER PLANTS
PRODUCTIVITY
PUERTO RICO
SEAS
SEAWATER
SITE SELECTION
SOLAR ENERGY CONVERSION
SOLAR POWER PLANTS
SURFACE WATERS
UPWELLING
USA
VIRGIN ISLANDS
WATER
WEST INDIES