威海海域文昌鱼的形态特征与分类学地位探讨

2002年3月,威海海域发现文昌鱼.研究观察了威海海域文昌鱼的主要形态特征,并与Branchiostoma belcheri和Branchiostoma japonicum做了相应比较,初步探讨其分类地位.结果表明,威海海域文昌鱼在体长与体高的比值(平均10.78±0.69)、肌节总数(平均67.12±0.87)、腹孔前肌节数(平均38.83±0.53)、腹孔～肛门肌节数(平均17.61±0.78)、肛门后肌节数(平均10.67±0.80)、背鳍室数目(平均308.55±15.65)、腹鳍室数目(平均57.26±5.07)、左侧生殖腺数目(平均25.69±2.24)和右侧生殖腺教目(平均28.20±2.03)等主要形态特征上与青岛海域的B.japonicum尤为接近.威海海域4月份性腺发育状况也与B.japonicum相符而不同于B.belcheri.认为威海海域文昌鱼为B.japonicum.为威海海域文昌鱼研究提供了基础资料,也为文昌鱼资源的保护和开发提供了必要依据.     

Growth rate is temperature‐dependent,but the proportion of resource allocation between the growth and gonads is not,in early adult stage of the lancelet branchiostoma japonicum

The pattern of resource allocation into multiple life‐history traits can vary with the environment; for example, high temperatures generally facilitate growth. Changes in investment in growth due to temperature may alter the allocation to other traits that are in trade‐off with that. Here, we investigated the trade‐off between growth and reproduction and whether the proportion of allocation to these varies with increasing seawater temperature in the lancelet Branchiostoma japonicum. We reared the lancelets of early adult stage under three different temperature treatments (control, + 1°C and + 2°C treatments) for 427 days in the laboratory. Although the total body length at initiation did not differ between treatments, the length was influenced by the interaction between elapsed days and temperature treatments, suggesting that growth rate was temperature‐dependent; the lancelets under higher temperature conditions showed a more rapid growth rate than did those under the control conditions. The frequency of individuals with gonads did not differ between treatments throughout their reproductive season. The monthly growth increments were also not significantly affected by the interaction between the presence/absence of gonads and temperature treatments, although the presence of gonads caused the growth increments to decrease. In addition, the effect of temperature treatments was significant. These results suggest that changes in temperature did not alter the pattern of allocation between growth and reproduction that were in a trade‐off, whereas high temperature would solely result in an increase in resource intake, at least in the early adult stage of this species.     

Macrofaunal sediment selectivity considerations for beach nourishment programmes

Nowadays, beach nourishment is widely considered as a better alternative compared to the construction of hard structures to protect a sandy coast against detrimental erosive effects, both from an ecological and an engineering perspective. The rare studies conducted on the ecological impact of beach nourishment are short-term, post hoc monitoring investigations of the benthic macrofauna. Little is known of the biological processes during and after nourishment. To allow swift recolonization after nourishment, the characteristics of the nourished beach have to match the habitat demands of the benthic macrofauna. The sediment preference of the key intertidal species Scolelepis squamata, Eurydice pulchra, Bathyporeia pilosa and Bathyporeia sarsi, which dominate many West European sandy beaches, was investigated through laboratory experiments, both in single-species as well as combined-species treatments. While the former aimed at developing guidelines for impact mitigation of beach nourishment, the latter aimed at elucidating the role of biotic interactions in sediment preference. Results of the experiments indicated that B. pilosa and E. pulchra prefer the finest sediment, while B. sarsi had a broader preference and also occurred in medium-coarse sediments. However, the sediment preference of E. pulchra for fine sediments was not confirmed by other field and experimental studies. The polychaete S. squamata had the broadest preference and even showed a high occurrence in coarse sediments that are not naturally occurring on the sandy beaches where the animals were caught for this experiment. However, this polychaete is a cosmopolitan species, not only occurring on fine-grained beaches, but also on coarse-grained beaches worldwide. The preferences imply that beach nourishment with coarse sediment will have a major effect on B. pilosa while effects of coarse sediments on S. squamata will be minor. Finally, interspecific competition with the sympatrically occurring amphipod B. sarsi was found to change the sediment selection of the amphipod B. pilosa towards the coarser sediments where B. sarsi occurred in lower frequencies.     

Geochemical cycling in the Hooghly estuary, India

U–Th decay series isotopes, δ¹⁸O and Si measurements in the river estuarine waters and sediments of the polluted Hooghly estuary as well as the surface waters of the Bay of Bengal, its high salinity end member, are reported. Dissolved Si indicates that there are probably two mixing regimes, dissolved U behaviour is nonconservative and δ¹⁸O behaves conservatively in the overall estuarine region. Isotopes of reactive elements, viz. ²³⁴Th and ²¹⁰Po, are removed from the estuarine waters in <2 days and <1 month, respectively, which is due to high suspended matter (30–301 mg l⁻¹). ²²⁸Ra and ²²⁶Ra are profusely released into the estuarine waters in the low to mid-salinity regions.As expected, the opposite trend is observed in the case of estuarine sediments and suspended matter. Reactive isotopes of Th, ²¹⁰Pb and ²¹⁰Po are enriched, whereas Ra isotopes are depleted with respect to their parent nuclides in the estuarine sediments and suspended matter. ²³²Th/Al ratio appears well suited to study the distribution and mixing of the bed load sediments of the Ganga–Brahmaputra (G–B) and the Hooghly rivers with those from other rivers on the Bay of Bengal floor.     

Higher plant n-alkane average chain length as an indicator of petrogenic hydrocarbon contamination in marine sediments

The n-alkane average chain length (ACL) is the weight-averaged number of carbon atoms of the higher plant C₂₅–C₃₃ n-alkanes. The abundance of individual n-alkanes from higher plant sources generally increases with increasing carbon number in coastal marine sediments around Taiwan, but this trend is reversed for petrogenic hydrocarbons. The ACL would potentially be lowered if petrogenic hydrocarbons were added to sediments containing biogenic hydrocarbons alone. To test this idea, a marine environment off southwestern Taiwan known to contain both biogenic and petrogenic hydrocarbons and two nearby rivers were selected for investigating possible difference in ACL values between their sediments. The average CPI of C₂₅–C₃₃ n-alkanes was 4.08 ± 2.04 (range 1.90–8.96, n = 15) for the river sediments and 1.70 ± 0.16 (range 1.43–1.97, n = 15) for the marine sediments. The ACL of C₂₅–C₃₃ n-alkanes for river sediments ranged from 29.2 to 30.5 (average 29.9 ± 0.4), and for marine sediments from 28.4 to 29.3 (average 28.9 ± 0.3). The ACL difference between marine and river sediments was significant (Student's t test at 99% confidence) although it appeared small. It is suggested that the ACL can be an additional indicator for detection of petrogenic hydrocarbons in coastal marine sediments.     

Distribution of nitrogenous nutrients and denitrifiers strains in estuarine sediment profiles of the Tanshui River, northern Taiwan

Chemical profiles of both oxidized (nitrate and sulfate) and reduced (ammonium, sulfide, acid-volatile sulfide [AVS], and pyrite) materials and the corresponding distribution of denitrifier microbial communities were measured at low tide in sediments at Guandu in the estuary of the Tanshui River, northern Taiwan in August 2002. Denitrifier strains were isolated for physiological and phylogenic analyses. Based on the distribution of nitrogenous compounds and denitrifier abundances, the vertical profile of Guandu sediments could be separated into four layers: a mixed layer (the top 1 cm of depth, respectively containing 0.82–2.37 and 535.9–475.0 μM of nitrate and ammonium), a nitrate-concentrated layer (1–5 cm in depth, 2.37–0.53 and 475.0–1192.1 μM, respectively), a denitrifier-aggregation layer (5–7 cm in depth, 0.53–0.72 and 1192.1–1430.1 μM, respectively), and an ammonium-enriched layer (7–12 cm in depth, 0.72–0.78 and 1430.1–2196.6 μM, respectively). Denitrifier strains were detected in all layers except for the mixed layer. A variety of metabolic processes by these strains may occur in different layers. Bacillus jeotgali-, Bacillus sphaericus-, and Bacillus firmus-related strains isolated from the nitrate-concentrated layer may be involved in the nitrification-denitrification coupling process due to the relatively low nitrate concentrations (maximum = 2.37 μM), and may contribute to denitrification not nitrification. Bacillus bataviensis- and B. jeotgali-related strains isolated from the denitrifier-aggregation layer comprised the predominant denitrifier population (3.64 × 10⁴ cells/g of denitrifier abundance). They possess the ability of dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA). Bacillus jeotgali-related strains and two newly identified strains of GD0705 and GD0706 isolated from the ammonium-enriched layer possibly use fermentative processes as the main metabolic pathway instead of denitrification when nitrate is scarce, and this further supports the high ammonium concentrations (up to 2.20 mM) found in the Guandu sediments. In addition, spore formation also enhances the chance of survival of these strains in the face with such a nitrate-deficient environment.     

Modelling the influence of environmental and weather factors on the density of the invasive polychaete Boccardia proboscidea

The inter‐tidal zone around sewage discharges in a Southwest Atlantic shore (Mar del Plata, Argentina) is currently colonized by extensive inter‐tidal reefs of the invasive spionid Boccardia proboscidea. Understanding the links between both human and natural disturbances and the massive development of non‐indigenous species will help prevent marine bioinvasions, which are already favoured by global oceanic trade. We present herein predictive models for variations in the density of B. proboscidea around sewage discharges of Mar del Plata, using environmental (pH, turbidity, temperature, salinity and total organic matter content), weather (wind direction and storm records), spatial (sites) and temporal (season and year) variables. Density variations were modelled by generalized linear models, and model averaging (multimodel inference) was used to obtain predicted values. The highest predicted values of B. proboscidea density occurred at sites to the south of the sewage effluent in spring. These sites are more affected by urban effluent discharges and they showed increased B. proboscidea density when the north wind was predominant. In addition, B. proboscidea density values were higher in sites with 20–22 °C (seawater temperature), high total organic matter content in sediments and low salinity. The averaged model was only a good ‘predictive model’ for sites to the north of the outfall, but was useful as an ‘explanatory model’ in all sites. Such predictions may help to back up conservation and management policies and decisions.     

Distribution and transport of suspended sediments off the Yellow River (Huanghe) mouth and the nearby Bohai Sea

Hydrological and sedimentological investigations were carried out off the Yellow River (Huanghe) mouth and the nearby Bohai Sea during August–September 2007 to examine the distribution and transport of suspended sediments. Our data witnessed that suspended sediments from the Yellow River mouth primarily extend southerly and southeasterly during the flood season. High suspended sediment concentration (SSC) occurs as turbid plume on both sides of the river mouth, where it can reach >20 mg l^?1 in the surface water and >40 mg l^?1 in the bottom water. Accordingly, salinity varies from 25 to 29 psu, mean grain size (Dmz) is >200 μm, and volume concentration (VC) is >100 μl l^?1. High SSC was concentrated in the river mouth area as two muddy patches, i.e. the North Mud and South Mud, consisting mostly of fine-grained silt and clayey silt sediments. Our results have verified the larger extent of the South Mud than that of the North one, implicating south- and southeastward sediment dispersal paths that prevail near the river mouth area. The existing anti-clockwise and clockwise flows in the river mouth area were synthesized as the major hydrodynamics responsible for forming the two muddy patches. Tidal and residual currents are considered as the key hydrodynamic factors controlling the sediment distribution and transport in the region.     

The vertical attenuation of light in Charlotte Harbor, a shallow, subtropical estuary, south-western Florida

The relative contribution of different components to the attenuation of photosynthetically active radiation was determined in the Charlotte Harbor estuarine system based on laboratory and in situ measurements. Agreement between laboratory and in situ measurements of the attenuation coefficient (k_t) was good (r² = 0·92). For all in situ measurements (n = 100), suspended, non-chlorophyll matter accounted for an average of 72% of k_t, dissolved matter accounted for 21%, suspended chlorophyll for 4%, and water for the remaining 3%.For individual determinations, suspended non-chlorophyll matter, dissolved matter, suspended chlorophyll, and water, each accounted for as much as 99%, 79%, 21%, and 18% of k_t. Attenuation by suspended matter was greatest near the mouth of the northern tidal rivers and was variable over the rest of the estuarine system. Attenuation by dissolved matter was greatest in the brackish tidal rivers and decreased with increasing salinity. Attenuation due to dissolved matter was positively correlated with water color. The source of the color was basin runoff. Wavelength transmittance changed along the salinity gradient. Maximum transmittance shifted from 500 to 600 nm in gulf waters to 650 to 700 nm in colored, brackish waters. Dissolved matter was primarily responsible for the large attenuation at short wavelengths (400–500 nm).     

Sorption model for dissolved and particulate aluminium in the Conway estuary, UK

Dissolved Al carried in river water apparently undergoes a fractional removal at the early stages of mixing in the Conway estuary. On the other hand, dissolved Al behaves almost conservatively in high salinity (>13) estuarine waters. In order to understand the geochemistry of Al in these estuarine waters, simple empirical sorption models have been used. Partitioning of Al occurs between solid and solution phases with a distribution coefficient, K_d, which varies from 0.67 × 10⁵ to 3.38 × 10⁶ ml g⁻¹ for suspended particle concentrations of 2–64 mg l⁻¹. The K_d values in general decrease with increasing suspended particulate matter and this tendency termed the “particle concentration effect” is quite pronounced in these waters. The sorption model derived by previous workers for predicting concentrations of dissolved Al with changing suspended sediment loads has been applied to these data. Reasonable fits are obtained for K_d values of 10⁵, 10⁶ and 10⁷ ml g⁻¹ with various values of α. Further, a sorption model is proposed for particulate Al concentrations in these waters that fits the data extremely well defined by a zone with K_d value 10⁷ ml g⁻¹ and C₀ values 16 × 10⁻⁶ mg ml⁻¹ and 92 × 10⁻⁶ mg ml⁻¹. These observations provide strong evidence of sorption processes as key mechanisms influencing the distribution of dissolved and particulate Al in the Conway estuary and present new insight into Al geochemistry in estuaries.     

Macrofaunal density and biomass in the Campeche Canyon, Southwestern Gulf of Mexico

The composition, density and community structure of the benthic macrofauna were investigated in sediments of the Campeche Canyon in the SW Gulf of Mexico. Total macrofaunal density ranged from 9466±2736 ind m⁻² at the continental shelf station to 1550±195 ind m⁻² in the canyon. Density values significantly diminished with distance from the coast and depth; only a few stations in the center of the canyon displayed larger density values (E-37 with 4666±1530 ind m⁻², E-36 with 5791±642 ind m⁻² and E-26 with 6925±2258 ind m⁻²). Densities were positively correlated to organic nitrogen in the sediment (r=0.82) and coarse silt (r=0.43), and negatively with depth (r=−0.74) and distance from the coast (r=−0.68). At all stations, the polychaete worms contributed most to the multi-species community structure. The nematodes and Foraminifera displayed their highest densities in the center of the canyon. The biomass values declined significantly with depth. We conclude that the macrofauna density and biomass changed in response to organic matter contents in the sediment, both with distance from the coast and with depth.     

Sediment mounds and other sedimentary features related to hydrate occurrences in a columnar seismic blanking zone of the Ulleung Basin, East Sea, Korea

A mound related to a cold vent in a columnar seismic blanking zone (CSBZ) was formed around site UBGH1-10 in the central Ulleung Basin (2077 m water depth), East Sea, Korea. The mound is 300–400 m wide and 2–3 m high according to multi-beam bathymetry, 2–7 kHz sub-bottom profiler data, and multi-channel reflection seismic data. Seafloor topography and characteristics were investigated using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) around site UBGH1-10, which is located near the northern part of the mound. The origin of the mound was investigated through lithology, mineralogy, hydrate occurrence, and sedimentary features using dive cores, piston cores, and a deep-drilling core. The CSBZ extends to ∼265 ms two-way traveltime (TWT) below the seafloor within a mass-transport deposit (MTD) unit. Gas hydrate was entirely contained 6–141 m below the seafloor (mbsf) within hemipelagic deposits intercalated with a fine-grained turbidite (HTD) unit, characteristically associated with high resistivity values at site UBGH1-10. The hydrate is commonly characterized by veins, nodules, and massive types, and is found within muddy sediments as a fracture-filling type. Methane has been produced by microbial reduction of CO₂, as indicated by C₁/C₂₊, δ¹³CCH4, and δD₄CH analyses. The bowl-shaped hydrate cap revealed at 20–45 ms TWT below the seafloor has very high resistivity and high salinity, suggesting rapid and recent gas hydrate formation. The origin of the sediment mound is interpreted as a topographic high formed by the expansion associated with the formation of the gas hydrate cap above the CSBZ. The lower sedimentation rate of the mound sediments may be due to local enhancement of bottom currents by topographic effects. In addition, no evidence of gas bubbles, chemosynthetic communities, or bacterial mats was observed in the mound, suggesting an inactive cold vent.     

Chlorophyll concentrations and suspended particulate loads in St Lucia,a turbid estuary on the east coast of South Africa

Concentrations of chlorophyll a and suspended particulate concentrations were measured during three lake-wide surveys of St Lucia, a shallow, turbid estuary on the east coast of South Africa. There was no salinity gradient in the system during any of the surveys, but between the surveys there were considerable salinity differences. Summer turbidities were higher than those of winter and spring, and turbidity along the eastern edge of the system was lower than elsewhere. Chlorophyll a was present over a wide range of salinities and turbidities and was generally highest in summer. However, there was no relationship between salinity and concentrations of chlorophyll a, and the concentrations were not significantly higher along the less turbid eastern shore. Concentrations of total paniculate matter (TPM) and particulate organic matter (POM) in the < 100 μm fraction were significantly correlated with turbidity throughout the year, but chlorophyll a and POM (< 100 μm) were significantly correlated only in summer. Concentrations of TPM in the > 100 μm fraction were two orders of magnitude lower than those in the < 100 μm fraction, but the organic content of the former fraction was very much higher. There was no relationship between turbidity and TPM (> 100 μm), nor between chlorophyll a and POM (> 100 μm) concentrations. Under conditions of high TPM load and in the salinity range 2–25 × 10^?3, phytoplankton would probably still occur in St Lucia. Estimates of phytoplankton production ranged between 218 and 252 mg C·m?2·day^?1. A comparison of estimates of the standing stocks of carbon from phytoplankton and suspended POM < 100 μm indicated that carbon input from sources other than phytoplankton may be important.     

Late Pleistocene–Holocene history of the Golden Horn Estuary,Istanbul

The historical Golden Horn Estuary (GHE), near the confluence of the Istanbul Strait (Bosphorus) and the Sea of Marmara in the European part of Istanbul, has been used as a natural harbor since 330 a.d. The sedimentary infill of the GHE is 15–46 m thick, deposited unconformably above the turbiditic sandstones of the Carboniferous Trakya Formation. Chronostratigraphic and paleontological analyses of the infill sequence indicate that the GHE was a fluvial channel prior to 13,500 cal. a (calibrated to calendar years) B.P. It subsequently became gradually influenced by marine waters, and was a brackish-water environment until 9,500 cal. a B.P. Normal marine salinities prevailed at ca. 9,500−5,600 cal. a B.P., with suboxic/dysoxic bottom-water conditions. The increase in salinity at 9,500 cal. a B.P. was most likely caused by Mediterranean water outflow into the Black Sea through the Istanbul Strait. The estuary was influenced by large fluvial inputs between 5,600 and 1,000 cal. a B.P., possibly during a distinct pluvial period, as shown by coarse siliciclastic sediments deposited on the flanks. It has become a highly polluted environment with marked anthropogenic inputs during the last millennium. The finding that the sediment infill sequence above the Carboniferous basement is not older than about 20 ka strongly suggests that the Golden Horn Estuary acquired its present-day morphology during the late glacial–Holocene period.     

The blooms of a cyanobacterium, Microcystis cf. aeruginosa in a severely polluted estuary, the Golden Horn, Turkey

The distribution of toxic cyanobacterium Microcystis cf. aeruginosa in the severely polluted Golden Horn Estuary was studied from 1998 to 2000. Microcystis persisted at the upper estuary where the water circulation was poor and values ranged between 2.9 × 10⁴ and 2.7 × 10⁶ cells ml⁻¹ throughout the study. Simultaneously measured physical (salinity, temperature, rainfall and secchi disc) and chemical parameters (nutrients and dissolved oxygen) were evaluated together with Microcystis data. Although the Microcystis blooms generally occur in summer due to the increase in temperature, the blooms were recorded in winter in the present study. The abundance of Microcystis depended on the variations in salinity and both blooms were recorded below S = 2. A moderate partial correlation between Microcystis abundance and salinity was detected in the presence of temperature, dissolved oxygen and precipitation data (r = −0.561, p = 0.002). The M. cf. aeruginosa abundance was low in the summer when the salinity was higher than winter. A remarkable increase in the eukaryotic phytoplankton abundance following the improvements in the water quality of the estuary occurred, whilst the Microcystis abundance remained below bloom level.     

Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen in suspended matter and sediments from the Godavari estuary

Spatial distribution of the carbon and nitrogen content and their isotopic enrichment in suspended matter and sediments were measured in the Godavari estuary to identify the sources and transformation mechanism of organic matter. Significant variability in isotopic distribution was found over the entire length of the Godavari estuary, suggesting multiple sources of organic matter. The mean isotopic ratios (δ¹³C_sed −25.1 ± 0.9, δ¹³C_sus −24.9 ± 1, δ¹⁵N_sed 8.0 ± 2 and δ¹⁵N_sus 6.5 ± 0.9‰) and elemental concentrations (C_sed 0.45 ± 0.2%, C_sus 0.9 ± 0.7%, N_sed 0.07 ± 0.05% and N_sus 0.16 ± 0.1%) support a predominantly terrigenous source. Significant enrichment in the isotopic ratios of δ¹³C from the upper to lower estuary in both suspended (−27.5 and −24.3‰, respectively) and sedimentary (−26.2 and −24.9‰, respectively) phases indicates a decrease in the influence of terrigeneous material toward the mouth of the estuary. A significant positive relationship exists between the δ¹³C of suspended and sediment, which indicates that these two organic carbon pools are likely coupled in the form of a significant exchange between the two phases. A positive relationship exists between chlorophyll a and suspended organic matter, which may mean that a significant source of organic carbon is the in situ produced phytoplankton. But, applying a simple mixing model to our isotopes, data yielded about 46% as the contribution of the terrestrial source to suspended matter, which may support the excessive heterotrophic activity in the Godavari estuary reported earlier.     

Resting stages of Tortanus forcipatus (Crustacea, Calanoida) in sediments of Victoria Harbor, Hong Kong

The distribution and abundance of viable and non-viable (so-called resting eggs) embryos of the calanoid copepod Tortanus forcipatus were determined in the laboratory by the enumeration of nauplii that emerge from sediments collected in Victoria Harbor (Hong Kong). Sediment cores sliced down to a depth of 37 cm showed the highest number of viable resting eggs near the surface layer (0–5 cm). The number of viable eggs sharply decreased with sediment depth, particularly at the inner harbor stations, although diapause eggs remained viable as deep as 25 cm. ²¹⁰Pb analyses of the sediments indicated that the mean egg age was 4.9 years. The egg mortality of T. forcipatus in the sediments was 0.135 year⁻¹, or 78.22% annual egg survival, calculated by regressing ln (egg density) from sediment age. The range of horizontal distribution of viable resting eggs was 24.25 × 10³–58.90 × 10³ m⁻², with a mean value of 36.8 × 10³ m⁻² over all stations. The accumulation of viable resting eggs that can persist for an extended period of time provided evidence for the existence of an egg bank of T. forcipatus in the sediments of Victoria Harbor.     

Composition and fluxes of particulate organic matter in a temperate estuary (Winyah Bay, South Carolina, USA) under contrasting physical forcings

To understand the role that physical processes play on the biogeochemical cycles of estuaries, we conducted intense field studies of the turbidity maximum region within a partially mixed estuary (Winyah Bay, SC, USA) under contrasting conditions of river discharge, tides and wind. Water samples and hydrographic data were collected at different depths and locations along the main channel over several tidal cycles during several cruises to Winyah Bay. Tidal variations in current speed, salinity, total suspended solid concentrations were measured within each cruise and were consistent with estuarine circulation processes. Salinity and total suspended solid concentrations ranged from 0 to 32 and from 20 to over 500 mg L⁻¹, respectively, with the highest salinity and total suspended solid values measured during periods of low river discharge. In fact, comparison of tidally averaged salinity and total suspended solid concentrations revealed marked differences among cruises that were negatively correlated to river discharge and SW wind speed. Moreover, significant contrasts in the chemical compositions of suspended particles were evident among periods of contrasting river discharge and wind regime. For example, the weight percent organic carbon content of suspended particles ranged from 1 to over 6% and displayed a positive correlation with river discharge. Similarly, both the molar carbon to nitrogen ratios (10 to 20 mol:mol) and stable carbon isotopic compositions (−25 to −29%) of the suspended organic matter varied significantly as a function of discharge and wind. Such trends indicate that in Winyah Bay low river discharge and steady SW winds promote resuspension of bed sediments from shallow regions of the estuary. These materials contain highly altered organic matter and their incorporation into the water column leads to the observed trends in suspended particle concentrations and compositions. Furthermore, these conditions result in net landward fluxes of salt, sediment and particulate organic matter throughout most of the water column, promoting efficient trapping of materials within the estuary. Our results illustrate the fundamental connection between physical forcings, such as discharge and wind, sediment transport processes and the cycling of biogeochemical materials in estuarine environments.     

底质细化对厦门潮下带文昌鱼栖息地大型底栖动物群落的影响

本文根据2014年至2017年在厦门文昌鱼保护区黄厝、南线十八线、鳄鱼屿和小嶝岛四处潮下带以及参照点白城潮下带获得的大型底栖动物和沉积物粒径数据,探讨底质细化对厦门潮下带文昌鱼栖息地大型底栖动物群落的影响。聚类分析表明个别黏土含量较高的取样站没有发现文昌鱼且大型底栖动物种数少。单因素方差分析表明,厦门潮下带部分大型底栖动物群落参数和优势种数量存在显著差异。底质粒径分析表明, 2017年9月,鳄鱼屿和白城潮下带黏土和粉砂含量高于黄厝、南线十八线和小嶝岛潮下带的黏土和粉砂含量。2016年夏季黄厝、南线十八线潮下带黏土和粉砂含量明显高于2014年夏季的黏土和粉砂含量。相关分析表明,5个大型底栖动物群落参数如物种数、栖息密度、生物量、多样性指数(H′)和丰度指数(d), 7个常见种的栖息密度和生物量与粉砂和黏土含量呈显著正相关,均匀度指数(J)和4种常见种的数量与粉砂和黏土含量无显著相关,白氏文昌鱼(Branchiostoma belcheri)的栖息密度和生物量与粉砂和黏土含量呈显著负相关。上述结果证实,黏土含量增加到15%和粉砂含量增加到60%有利于多数大型底栖动物栖息密度和生物量的增加,但导致白氏文昌鱼栖息密度和生物量的减少,而红角沙蚕(Ceratonereiserythraeenis)、滑指矶沙蚕(Eunice indica)、光滑倍棘蛇尾(Amphioplus laevis)受底质细化的影响较小。     

Sediment distribution and transport across the continental shelf and slope under idealized wind forcing

Resuspension, transport, and deposition of sediments over the continental shelf and slope are complex processes and there is still a need to understand the underlying spatial and temporal dynamical scales. As a step towards this goal, a two-dimensional slice model (zero gradients in the alongshore direction) based on the primitive flow equations and a range of sediment classes has been developed. The circulation is forced from rest by upwelling or downwelling winds, which are spatially uniform. Results are presented for a range of wind speeds and sediment settling speeds. Upwelling flows carry fine sediments (low settling speeds) far offshore within the surface Ekman layer, and significant deposition eventually occurs beyond the shelf break. However, coarser sediments quickly settle out of the deeper onshore component of the circulation, which can lead to accumulation of bottom sediments within the coastal zone. Downwelling flows are more effective at transporting coarse sediments off the shelf. However, strong vertical mixing at the shelf break ensures that some material is also carried into the surface Ekman layer and returned onshore. The concentrations and settling fluxes of coarse sediments decrease offshore and increase with depth under both upwelling and downwelling conditions, consistent with trends observed in sediment trap data. However, finer sediments decrease with depth (upwelling) or reach a maximum around the depth of the shelf break (downwelling). It is shown that under uniform wind conditions, suspended sediment concentrations and settling fluxes decay offshore over a length scale of order τ_s/ρf|w_s|, where τ_s is the wind stress, ρ the water density, f the Coriolis parameter, and w_s is the sediment settling velocity. This scaling applies to both upwelling and downwelling conditions, provided offshore transport is dominated by wind-driven advection, rather than horizontal diffusion.