| Nutrient fluxes to the Bay of Biscay from the Cantabrian basin have been quantified for the first time. Data between 1981 and 1995 of the main 16 Cantabrian rivers from the COCA monitoring programme have been used. Values of water flow and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), phosphate and silicate concentrations have been taken. Equations are proposed to quantify the fluvial nutrient contributions to the Cantabrian Sea. The annual average of continental outputs to the Bay of Biscay from the Cantabrian basin is 16.1 x 10(9) m(3) of freshwater, 1.0 x 10(9) mol of N in DIN, 0.062 x 10(9) mol of phosphate and 1.2 x 10(9) mol of silicate. In comparison with the French rivers, those of the Cantabrian have small fluxes and their outflow is very disperse, not... |
