Pesticides and pharmaceuticals data collected during two consecutive years in a Mediterranean micro-estuary.

The Alexander micro-estuary, located at the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea, is a typical example of small water bodies that suffer from a combination of urban and agricultural pollution, and overuse of its natural water sources. It is∼6.5 km long, with maximum depth of 3 m and maximum width of 45 m. To evaluate the anthropogenic stress on the system and its ability to mitigate pollution, water samples were collected within the framework of Ruppin's Estuarine and Coastal Observatory [1]. Water samples were collected from the estuary head, which drains about 510 km2, and at a point 300 m upstream from the estuary mouth before water flows into the Mediterranean Sea. A total of 236 stormwater and 44 base-flow water samples between December 2016 and December 2018. Stormwater samples were collected every 0.25 - 4 h along the entire course of the flow events using an automated samplers (Sigma 900, Hach Company, Loveland CO, USA; and ISCO 3700 Full-Size Portable Sampler, Teledyne, Lincoln, NE, USA). Base-flow samples were taken once a month using a horizontal grab sampler (5 L, model 110B, OceanTest Equipment, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA). All samples were filtered using 90mmGF/F filters (nominal pore size of 0.7 µm, MGF, Sartorius, Göttingen, Germany) and immediately frozen (-20°C) before chemical analysis. Chemical analysis was performed using liquid chromatography with high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) analysis using a QExactive Plus hybrid FT mass spectrometer coupled with a Dionex Ultimate 3000 RS UPLC (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waltham, MA, USA). The targeted analysis, which included 15 fungicides, 25 herbicides, 18 Insecticides, and 19 pharmaceuticals, concluded with a total of 21,142 entries. All entries are organized in a worksheet, along with location, date, flood section duration, discharge rate, and the total water volume discharged during the relevant period. The provided data offers an opportunity to explore the sources, transport, and impact of a large mixture of organic pollutants in a confined aquatic system located in an urbanized coastal environment.

A long term physical and biogeochemical database of a hyper-eutrophicated Mediterranean micro-estuary.

Ruppin's Estuarine and Coastal Observatory (RECO) is a Long-Term Ecological Research station positioned on the East Mediterranean shoreline between Tel-Aviv and Haifa, Israel. We present a comprehensive online database and an accompanying website that provides direct access to the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of the local coastal marine ecosystem and the Alexander micro estuary. It includes three databases that are updated continuously since 2014: a) In situ stationary sensors data (10 min intervals) of surface and bottom temperature, salinity, oxygen and water level measured at three stations along the estuary. b) Monthly profiles and discrete biogeochemical samples (surface and bottom water) of multiple parameters at four stations located at the inland part of the estuary. Measured parameters include concentrations of chlorophyll-a, microalgae and bacteria (counted with a flow cytometer), Nitrate, Nitrite, Ammonium, Phosphate, total N, total P, particulate organic matter (POM), total suspended solids (TSS), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), as well as Secchi depth in each station c) Bi-weekly profiles, chlorophyll-a concentrations and cell counts at two marine stations adjacent to the estuary, (1, and 7 Km from the estuary mouth, at bottom depths of 8 and 48 m). The database also includes historical data for the Taninim micro-estuary (2014-2016). The RECO observatory provides a unique data set documenting the interaction of highly eutrophicated estuarine water with the ultra-oligotrophic seawater of the Eastern Mediterranean. This combination results in sharp gradients of salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and nutrients over very small scales (centimeters to meters) and therefore offers an important data set for the coastal shelf research community. The data set also provide a long-term baseline of the estuary hydrography and geochemistry with the hope to foster effective science-based management and environmental planning of this and similar systems.