Seasonal Variability of Hydrological Parameters and Estimation of Circulation Patterns: Application to a Mediterranean Coastal Lagoon

Abstract

Coastal lagoons are among the most important, but also threatened, marine systems of our planet. Rainfall, wind, seawater, and freshwater discharges control water circulation in lagoons, determining the water properties that are vital for the lagoon’s biodiversity. The present work is the first study on the circulation patterns and seasonal variability of hydrological parameters in Antinioti lagoon in western Greece, building a reference level on our knowledge of the hydrodynamic functioning of this marine ecosystem. This study shows that the lagoon’s water properties’ fluctuations and circulation variability are affected by an antagonistic effect between freshwater (river discharge, underground spring, rainfall) and seawater inputs. This effect, influenced by atmospheric forcing (rainfall, atmospheric temperature), controls the heat and salt budgets of the lagoon. Nevertheless, the lagoon keeps an almost balanced annual cycle, returning from June 2020 to June 2021 to similar values for all parameters.