Variability of Dissolved Inorganic Carbon in the Most Extensive Karst Estuarine-Lagoon System of the Southern Gulf of Mexico

Abstract

Coastal ecosystems with karstic geology have a unique characteristic where the dissolution of carbonate rocks can increase total alkalinity (TA) and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). This results in higher inorganic carbon budgets in coastal areas. One such ecosystem is the Terminos Lagoon, the most extensive tropical estuarine lagoon system in Mexico, located in the karstic aquifer of the Yucatan Peninsula and connected to the southern Gulf of Mexico (sGoM). We measured TA and DIC to evaluate the variability in Terminos Lagoon’s of the carbonate system. We also estimated pH, partial CO₂ pressure (pCO₂), and aragonite saturation (Ω_Ar) along two transects from the main lagoon tributaries (Palizada and Candelaria rivers) to the coastal zone during the dry and rainy seasons. During the dry season, TA and DIC concentrations were significantly higher (3092 ± 452 µmol kg^-1 TA, 2943 ± 522 µmol kg^-1 DIC) than during the rainy season (2533 ± 228 µmol kg⁻¹ TA, 2492 ± 259 DIC µmol kg⁻¹). Our calculations indicate that the rainy season pCO₂ (2532 ± 2371 µatm) seems higher than in the dry season (1534 ± 1192 µatm). This leads to a reduction in pH (7.9 ± 0.3 to 7.8 ± 0.3). These significant changes indicate that rain increases the flow of unsaturated river water into the lagoon. The results of this work contribute toward a dissolved inorganic carbon variability baseline in the sGoM and can be helpful to Terminos Lagoon decision-makers.