The sources and sinks of nuclides in long island sound

This chapter provides an overview of the sources and sinks of nuclides in Long Island Sound (LIS). The LIS has the properties of a large protected settling basin. In such a system, many of the processes affecting the behavior of material injected into the coastal zone can be followed more directly than in some other systems more responsive to large-scale and seasonal variables. The Connecticut River is the most important river draining into LIS. This river is least important in the transport of metals to LIS. The distribution of trace metals in LIS sediments is discussed in the chapter. Trace-metal distributions in mussels and oysters are studied. The cause of the observed trace-metal distributions is analyzed, and the processes affecting the deposition and accumulation of trace metals in LIS are outlined. Processes that affect the vertical distribution of nuclides in the sediment pile are also described.