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This
data report presents oceanographic and water-quality observations made at six
locations in West Falmouth Harbor and Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, from August
2009 to September 2010. Both Buzzards Bay and West Falmouth Harbor are
estuarine embayments; the input of freshwater on the eastern margin of Buzzards
Bay adjacent to Cape Cod and West Falmouth Harbor is largely due to
groundwater. In West Falmouth Harbor, the groundwater that seeps into the
harbor is characterized by relatively high levels of nitrate. This high nitrate
load has modified the ecology of the harbor (Howes and others, 2006) and may be
a significant source of nitrate to Buzzards Bay during seasons with low
biological nitrate uptake. The U.S. Geological Survey undertook these
measurements to improve understanding of circulation, residence time, and water
quality in the harbor and bay. We set up and monitored multiple sites in both
Buzzards Bay and West Falmouth Harbor, measuring depth, water velocity,
salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll-a, and nitrate concentration. In
this report we present the processed time-series data at these locations
and provide access to the data and metadata. The results will be used to
understand circulation mechanisms and verify numerical models of hydrodynamics
and biogeochemistry.
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