The impact of navigation restoration on estuarine aquatic ecosystems: The case of the Xiaoqing River in China.

Estuarine ecosystems play vital roles in sustaining regional biodiversity, water purification, and ecological buffering. However, the resumption of navigation can have a marked effect on ecosystem health through changes in water and sediment conditions. In this study, field measurements and remote sensing data were used to assess the ecological health of the Xiaoqing River estuary following the restoration of navigation. It focused on changes in physicochemical habitat factors and their key drivers affecting phytoplankton, zooplankton, and benthic communities. The findings indicate that the water quality in the estuary gradually improved after restoration of navigation, and mild to β-moderate pollution occurred. The water surface area increased and fluctuations decreased. Heavy metal risks still exist in some river mouth areas, with sediment mercury (Hg) and cadmium (Cd) concentrations maintaining mild to moderate levels. Heavy metals are major drivers of aquatic community structures. Zinc (Zn, p=0.044), copper (Cu), and Hg strongly influence planktonic assemblages. Phycocyanin (PC, p=0.006), cobalt (Co, p=0.04), Zn, and organic carbon are key factors for benthic communities. Overall, channel restoration projects have improved water quality and enhanced ecosystem integrity, but risks from residual pollutants persist, necessitating ongoing monitoring and management efforts.

• Publication year

  2026

• Venue

  Journal of Contaminant Hydrology

• Publication date

  2026-01-28

• Fields of study

  Medicine, Environmental Science

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1016/j.jconhyd.2026.104874PMID 41610577
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

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