High-resolution temporal assessment of physicochemical variability and water quality in tropical semi-enclosed bays and coral reefs

Tropical coastlines featuring mangrove, seagrass, and coral habitats are of immense ecological and socio-economic importance, supporting biodiversity, carbon storage, coastal protection, fisheries, and tourism. However, climate change, coastal development, and low water quality increasingly threaten these interconnected coastal ecosystems, particularly in semi-enclosed bays where the impacts of these stressors are often amplified. Yet, physicochemical conditions are rarely assessed at sufficient temporal resolution (i.e., diel and seasonal variation) and time-integrated pollution monitoring is rarely performed. Here, we used a multi-disciplinary approach to assess >20 abiotic parameters characterizing two mangrove- and seagrass-dominated inland bays and two nearby coral reefs in Curaçao (southern Caribbean) during the cool, dry season and warm, wet season. This was combined with time-integrated pollution monitoring using bioindicators to assess nutrients and trace metal pollution (inland bays only), and passive samplers and bioassays to assess organic chemical pollution (all four sites) during the wet season. This approach revealed a previously undocumented extent of strong diel and seasonal environmental variability in Curaçao's inland bays, with temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen frequently reaching values predicted under moderate-to-severe future climate scenarios as outlined by the IPCC (2021). In addition, the inland bays had greater nutrient concentrations (especially ammonium) and potential ecotoxicological risks than the nearby reefs during the wet season due to run-off and anthropogenic activities. These findings emphasize the importance of high-resolution monitoring to understand risks across appropriate temporal scales and establish an environmental baseline against which future monitoring can be benchmarked. Moreover, our study provides a robust water quality assessment framework that can be used by natural resource managers to monitor reef-associated habitats and conserve their high ecological and socio-economic value. Overall, our work highlights the urgent need to improve monitoring, water quality, and protection of these valuable reef-associated habitats.