Limnology of Laguna Tortuguero, Puerto Rico

The principal chemical, physical and biological characteristics, and the hydrology of Laguna Tortuguero, Puerto Rico, were studied from 1974-75. The lagoon, with an area of 2.24 square kilometers and a volume of about 2.68 million cubic meters, contains about 5 percent of seawater. Drainage through a canal on the north side averages 0.64 cubic meters per second per day, flushing the lagoon about 7.5 times per year. Chloride and sodium are the principal ions in the water, ranging from 300 to 700 mg/liter and 150 to 400 mg/liter, respectively. Among the nutrients, nitrogen averages about 1.7 mg/liter, exceeding phosphorus in a weight ratio of 170:1. About 10 percent of the nitrogen and 40 percent of the phosphorus entering the lagoon is retained. The bottom sediments, with a volume of about 4.5 million cubic meters, average 0.8 and 0.014 percent nitrogen and phosphorus, respectively. (Woodard-USGS)