In the context of the biogeochemical cycles of metals, sediments of coastal systems afford useful information on the land-ocean exchanges because their estuarine areas behave as metal traps where the metals from population and industries spills are accumulated. This is the case of metals in the sediments of the large Western Galician Rias where contamination state is well known (Prego and Cobelo-García, 2003). However, there are small rias which background levels of metals and contamination of their sediments are not yet defined, as occurs with the Middle Galician Rias of Corme (27 km2) and Camariñas (17 km2). The main fresh water input is the Anllóns River (11.4 m3·s-1) and the Grande River (8.3 m3·s-1), respectively

This work is a contribution to the Spanish LOICZ program and it was supported by the projects Evolución histórica de la influencia antropogénica en la cuenca del río Anllóns, su estuario y la ría de Corme-Laxe (CICYT, REN2002-04629-C03) and Resposta do ecosistema peláxico ao forzamento hidrodinámico: a transición inverno-primavera na plataforma galega. (Xunta de Galicia, PGIDIT06RMA6040IPR)

2 pages, 2 figures.-- XI Simposio Internacional de Oceanografía del Golfo de Bizkaia, 1-4 de abril de 2008, San Sebastián

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