Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2002FL5B

The Flux of Ammonia at the Air/Water Interface of Tampa Bay

Institute: Florida
Year Established: 2002 Start Date: 2002-03-01 End Date: 2003-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $16,900 Total Non-Federal Funds: $33,800

Principal Investigators: Noreen Poor, Scott Campbell

Project Summary: The focus of this study is to determine the flux of ammonia at the air/water interface of Tampa Bay. It is believed that ammonia contributes approximately 60% of the total atmospheric nitrogen that is deposited to the bay. The project will be a collaborative effort between the University of South Florida, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County. Objectives of this research are to provide more accurate estimates of the quantity and temporal patterns of ammonia loading from the atmosphere to Tampa Bay, to determine if estuarine meteorological conditions and bay salinity cause a bi-directional ammonia flux on the bay, and to explore the variation between measured data and modeled fluxes to reduce or explain any observed error. Dry deposition of ammonia to Tampa Bay and water quality parameters in the bay will be measured for one year to determine the flux of ammonia at the air/water interface. Intensive data collection will take place for two weeks each quarter with monitoring equipment located on a U.S. Coast Guard range marker in Tampa Bay. An inferential model known as the NOAA Buoy Model will be used in the study to estimate the air/water exchange rates of ammonia over an open water body. The data will then be used to develop algorithms that describe the temporal variability of ammonia deposition to Tampa Bay.