Dynamics of picoplankton in the Nansha Islands area of the South China Sea

Dynamics of major picoplankton groups, Synechococcus (Syn), Prochlorococcus (Pro), picoeukaryotes (Euk) and heterotrophic bacteria (Bact) was investigated by flow cytometry for the first time in the Nansha Islands area in the South China Sea. Averaged over the whole investigation area, depth-weighted integrated cell abundance (DWA) of Syn, Pro, Euk and Bact was 1.6 (0.4-5.7)×103, 5.4 (0.1-7.3)×104, 0.7 (0.2-2.2)×103, and 2.3 (1.4-3.2)×105 cells/mL respectively. Picoautotrophic cell abundance was low in the northwest part of the Nansha Islands where surface water temperature was low and the upper mixed layer was shallow. Concurrently, a surface maximum vertical distribution pattern was observed in this area. While in the southeast and east zones where temperatures were relatively higher and nitraclines were deeper, picoplankton is abundant and a subsurface maximum around 50-75 m is observed. Coupling of horizontal and vertical distribution patterns of picoplankton abundance and hydrological status wa     

Community structure of picoplankton abundance and biomass in the southern Huanghai Sea during the spring and autumn of 2006

During spring and autumn of 2006,the investigations on abundance,carbon biomass and distribution of picoplankton were carried out in the southern Huanghai Sea(Yellow Sea,sHS) . Three groups of picoplankton-Synechococcus(Syn) ,Picoeukaryotes(PEuk) and heterotrophic bacteria(BAC) were identified,but Prochlorococcus(Pro) was undetected. The average abundance of Syn and PEuk was lower in spring(5.0 and 1.3 × 10 3 cells/cm 3,respectively) than in autumn(92.4 and 2.7 × 10 3 cells/cm 3,respectively) ,but it was opposite for BAC(1.3 and 0.7 × 10 6 cells/cm 3 in spring and autumn,respectively) . And the total carbon biomass of picoplankton was higher in spring(37.23 ± 11.67) mg/m 3 than in autumn(21.29 ± 13.75) mg/m 3 . The ratios of the three cell abundance were 5:1:1 341 and 30:1:124 in spring and autumn,respectively. And the ratios of carbon biomass of them were 5:7:362 and 9:4:4 in spring and autumn,respectively. Seasonal distribution characteristics of Syn,PEuk,BAC were quite different from each other. In spring,Syn abundance decreased in turn in the central waters(where phytoplankton bloom in spring occurred) ,the southern waters and inshore waters of the Shandong Peninsula(where even Syn was undetected) ;the high values of PEuk abundance appeared in the central and southern waters and the inshore of the Shandong Peninsula;the abundance of BAC was nearly three order of magnitude higher than that of photosynthetic picoplankton,and high values appeared in the central waters. In autumn,Syn abundance in central waters was higher than that in surrounding waters,while for PEuk abundance,it decreased in turn in the inshore waters of the Shandong Peninsula,the southern waters and the central waters;BAC presented a complicated blocky type distribution. Sub-surface maximum of each group of picopalnkton appeared in both spring and autumn. Compared with the available literatures concerning the studied area,the range of Syn abundance was larger,and the abundance of BAC was higher. In addition,the conversion factors for calculating picoplanktonic carbon biomass were discussed,with the conversion factors which are different from previous studies in the same surveyed waters. The result of regression analysis showed that there was distinct positive correlation between BAC and photosynthetic picoplankton in spring(r=0.61,P 0.001) ,but no correlation was found in autumn.     

Flow cytometry investigation of picoplankton across latitudes and along the circum Antarctic Ocean

Using a flow cytometer (FCM) onboard the R/V Xuelong during the 24th Chinese Antarctic cruise, picoplankton community structure and biomass in the surface water were examined along the latitude and around the Antarctic Ocean. Salinity and temperature were automatically recorded and total Chla was determined. Along the cruise, the abundance of Synechococcus, Prochlorococcus, pico-eukaryotes and heterotrophic bacteria ranged in 0.001-1.855×10⁸ ind./L, 0.000-2.778￡108 ind./L, 0.002-1.060×10⁸ ind./L and 0.132-27.073×10⁸ ind./L, respectively. Major oceanic distribution of Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus appeared between latitudes 30°N and 30°S. Prochlorococcus was mainly influenced by water temperature, water mass combination and freshwater inflow. Meanwhile, Synechococcus distribution was significantly associated with landing freshwater inflow. Pico-eukaryotes and heterotrophic bacteria were distributed all over the oceans, but with a relatively low abundance in the high latitudes of the Antarctic Ocean. Principal Component Analysis showed that at same latitude of Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean, picoplankton distribution and constitution were totally different, geographical location and different water masses combination would be main reasons.     

Autumn living coccolithophores in the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea

An investigation was carried out on living coccolithophores(LCs) distribution in the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea from October 17 to November 24, 2011. A total of 223 samples from different depths were collected at 48 stations. Totally 18 taxa belonging to coccolithophyceae were identified using a polarized microscope at the 1 000× magnification. The maximum species abundance was found at the outside of Transect P. The dominated species were Gephyrocapsa oceanica, Emiliania huxleyi, Helicosphaera carteri, and Algirosphaera robusta. The abundance of coccoliths and cells ranged 0–2 965.73 coccoliths/mL, and 0–119.16 cells/mL, with the average values of 471.00 coccoliths/mL and 23.42 cells/mL, respectively. The LCs in surface layer were mainly observed on the coastal belt and middle part of the survey area. The comparison among Transects A, F, P and E indicated lower species diversity and less abundance in the Yellow Sea than those of the East China Sea. The highest abundance of LCs was found in transect F and P. The coccolith abundance increased slightly from surface to bottom in the water column, but the highest value of the cell abundance was observed in the depth of 10–30 m. Temperature, depth and nutrient concentration were suggested as the major environmental factors controlling the distribution and species composition of LCs in the studying area based on canonical correspondence analysis(CCA).     

Evolution of a coastal upwelling event during summer 2004 in the southern Taiwan Strait

A coastal upwelling event in the southern Taiwan Strait (STWS) was investigated using intensive cruise surveys (four repeated transects in a month) and satellite data in July and early August 2004.The extensive upwelling-associated surface cold water was first observed in early July (～2.0×10 4 km 2) along the STWS coast.Then,the cold surface water reduced in size by ～50% with decreased chlorophyll concentrations after 15 days,indicating the weakening of the upwelling event.At the end of July,the cold surface water disappeared.The temporal variations of the surface cold water and the 3-D hydrography around Dongshan Island are thought to be mainly attributed to the weakened upwelling-favorable southwestern wind,the asymmetric spatial structure of the wind field and the intrusion of warm water from the northern South China Sea.     

A new spceies of Nassarius (Gastropoda, Nassariidae) from the northern China seas

A new species, Nassarius (Zeuxis) humeratus n. sp. of Nassariidae was described based on the specimens collected in the Huanghai Sea (Yellow Sea) and Bohai Sea during the expedition from 1958 to 1959. The new species was distinguished from similar species Nassarius (Zeuxis) bolangoi (Ladd, 1976) and Nassarius (Varicinassa) variciferus (A. Adams, 1852) in shell characteristics. Some relative discussion was provided. The new species mainly distributes in the subtidal zone of 30-53 m depth, in muddy and sandy bottom in the Bohai Sea and northern Huanghai Sea.     

Distribution patterns of appendicularians and copepods and their relationship on the northwest continental shelf of South China Sea during summer

The potential suppression of copepods on appendicularians was found in field and experimental conditions. The abundance and distribution of appendicularians and planktonic copepods were studied with reference to their correlations during summer on the northwest continental shelf of the South China Sea (SCS). Based on the topography and water mass of the surveyed region, it was divided into three sub-regions: Region I (inshore waters of the east Leizhou Peninsula) with low temperature, salinity and high chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentration, Region II (inshore waters of the east and southeast Hainan Island) with low temperature, high salinity and moderate Chl a concentration and Region III (offshore waters from the Leizhou Peninsula to Hainan Island) with high temperature, high salinity and low Chl a concentration. The species richness of appendicularians and copepods increased from the inshore to offshore waters, and high values were observed in Region III. The distribution of appendicularian and copepod abundance decreased generally from the inshore to offshore waters, with the highest values at Region I. Our results suggest that the distribution patterns of appendicularians and copepods differed significantly, as a result of the influence of physical and biological factors. The negative impact of pelagic copepods on appendicularians was not found based on in situ data in the northwest continental shelf of SCS.     

黄海冷水团的化学水文学特征

Based on the field data obtained during summer cruises in 2006, the overall perspective of chemical and hydrographic characteristics of the Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass(YSCWM) are discussed through the crossYSCWM transect profiles and horizontal distributions of hydrological and chemical variables, with emphasis on the differences between the northern Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass(NYSCWM) and the southern Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass(SYSCWM). The results show that YSCWM is characterized by low temperature(10°C) and dissolved oxygen(DO) concentration, high salinity(32.0) and nutrient concentrations. Compared to the SYSCWM, the NYSCWM possesses lower values of temperature, salinity and nutrient concentrations but higher values of DO.Also its smaller variation ranges of variables(except for temperature) demonstrate that NYSCWM is more uniform than that of SYSCWM. In addition, thermocline is more intensive in the SYSCWM than that of NYSCWM.Furthermore, DO and Chl a maxima appear at the depth of 30 m in the SYSCWM, while these phenomena are not obvious in the NYSCWM.     

Estimating Synechococcus spp. growth rates and grazingpressure by heterotrophic nanoplankton in the English Channel and the Celtic Sea

-Marine chroococcoid phycoerythrin - containing Synechococcus spp. recently have been implicated as a substantial component of the photosynthetic picoplankton in the ocean. Although the importance of Synechococcus as food sources for heterotrophic nanoplankton are now recognized, the information about its cycling of biomass and diel patterns is limited and the methodology used varies according to different authors. A selective metabolic inhibitor method was used to allow simultanous estimation of both growth rates and grazing disappearance rates of Synechococcus. Results obtained in the English Channel show growth rates ranging from 0. 25 to 0. 72 d-1 with an average value of 0. 51 d -1and grazing disappearance rates ranged from 0. 21 to 0. 64 d-1 (mean = 0. 44 d-1). Offshore in the Celtic Sea of the Northeast Atlantic Ocean, both rates were lower than in the channel. The similarity between average growth and grazing rates suggests a rapid recycling of Synechococcus biomass. In diel pattern, Synechococc     

Difference of planktonic ciliate communities of the tropical West Pacific,the Bering Sea and the Arctic Ocean

Ciliates are important components in planktonic food webs,but our understanding of their community structures in different oceanic water masses is limited.We report pelagic ciliate community characteristics in three seas:the tropical West Pacific,the Bering Sea and the Arctic Ocean.Planktonic ciliate abundance had"bimodal-peak","surface-peak"and"DCM(deep chlorophyll a maximum layer)-peak"vertical distribution patterns in the tropical West Pacific,the Bering Sea and the Arctic Ocean,respectively.The abundance proportion of tintinnid to total ciliate in the Bering Sea(42.6%)was higher than both the tropical West Pacific(7.8%)and the Arctic Ocean(2.0%).The abundance proportion of small aloricate ciliates(10–20μm size-fraction)in the tropical West Pacific was highest in these three seas.The Arctic Ocean had higher abundance proportion of tintinnids in larger LOD(lorica oral diameter)size-class.Proportion of redundant species increased from the Arctic Ocean to the tropical West Pacific.Our result provided useful data to further understand ecology roles of planktonic ciliates in different marine habitats.     

夏季南黄海主要环境因子对微微型浮游生物分布影响

利用流式细胞技术, 获取南黄海夏季微微型浮游生物丰度数据, 分析了其组成和分布规律, 并探讨了主要的影响因子。2011年夏季, 聚球藻、微微型真核藻、异养细菌在整个调查海区的平均丰度分别在1×104、1×103、1×106 cells/mL数量级上。在全调查海区, 聚球藻和微微型真核藻受温度和光照的限制明显, 主要集中分布在温跃层及其以上水层;而营养盐的限制较小, 它们的影响只有在沿岸流影响明显的西部海区才能较为明显的体现出来。结果表明在该海域浓度较高的营养盐能够促进微微型浮游生物的生长, 但不是其限制因素;异养细菌受环境因子限制较小, 即使在深海也保持着较高的丰度。     

南海北部冬、夏季浮游群落呼吸率

Plankton respiration is an important part of the carbon cycle and significantly affects the balance of autotrophic assimilation and heterotrophic production in oceanic ecosystems. In the present study, respiration rates of the euphotic zone plankton community(CR_(eu)), size fractionated chlorophyll a concentration(Chl a), bacterial abundance(BAC), and dissolved oxygen concentration(DO) were investigated during winter and summer in the northern South China Sea(n SCS). The results show that there were obvious spatial and temporal variations in CR_(eu) in the n SCS(ranging from 0.03 to 1.10 μmol/(L·h)), CR_(eu) in winter((0.53±0.27) μmol/(L·h)) was two times higher than that in summer((0.26±0.20) μmol/(L·h)), and decreased gradually from the coastal zone to the open sea. The distribution of CR_(eu) was affected by coupled physical-chemical-biological processes, driven by monsoon events. The results also show that CR_(eu) was positively correlated with Chl a, BAC, and DO, and that BAC contributed the highest CR_(eu) variability. Furthermore, the results of the stepwise multiple linear regression suggest that bacteria and phytoplankton were the dominant factors in determining CR_(eu)(R~2 = 0.82, p0.05) in the n SCS. Based on this relationship, we estimated the integrated water column respiration rate(CRint) within 100 m of the investigated area, and found that the relationship between the biomass of the plankton community and respiration may be nonlinear in the water column.     

獐子岛海域和胶州湾表层微微型浮游植物丰度和生物量的季节变化比较

为全面了解黄海典型海区微微型浮游植物的季节变化特征,于2009年7月至2010年6月在北黄海獐子岛海域和2010年1~12月在南黄海胶州湾进行逐月调查采样,利用流式细胞仪检测了表层海水中微微型浮游植物(picophytoplankton)的丰度,包括聚球藻(Synechococcus,SYN)和微微型真核浮游植物(picoeukaryotes,PEUK),并分析了其与环境因子的关系。獐子岛海域和胶州湾SYN和PEUK全年广泛分布,獐子岛海域SYN丰度范围在0.05×10³~120.00×10³cells/mL之间,丰度在秋季最高;胶州湾SYN丰度范围在0.02×10³~61.80×10³cells/mL之间,丰度在夏季最高。獐子岛海域PEUK丰度范围在0.01×10³~18.76×10³cells/mL之间,丰度在秋季最高;胶州湾PEUK丰度范围在0.25×10³~95.57×10³ cells/mL之间,丰度在春季最高。獐子岛海域微微型浮游植物丰度组成以SYN为主;而胶州湾以PEUK为主。PEUK是两海区微微型浮游植物生物量的主要贡献者。相关性分析结果表明,温度是影响两海区SYN丰度季节变化的最主要因素;影响PEUK季节分布的因素不完全一致,獐子岛海域PEUK丰度主要受温度调控;胶州湾PEUK丰度主要受温度和营养盐浓度影响。与已有研究比较,这两个海区的微微型浮游植物生物量对浮游植物生物量的贡献明显高于其他温带沿岸海域,预示微微型浮游植物在獐子岛海域和胶州湾生态系统中的重要作用,值得进一步深入研究。     

Community patterns and temporal variation of picoeukaryotes in response to changes in the Yellow Sea Warm Current

Picoeukaryotes are important members of the surface ocean microbial community with high diversity and significant temporal and spatial variations in community composition. Little is known about the picoeukaryotic biodiversity and community in the Yellow Sea, where hydrologic conditions are very different with the influence of the Yellow Sea Warm Current (YSWC). Using Illumina high throughput sequencing targeting 18S rDNA, we investigated the composition of picoeukaryotes at a permanent monitoring site in the central Yellow Sea from 2011 to 2013. Alveolata, Stramenopiles, and Archaeplastida were the main super groups found. Prasinophytes were dominant in N-YSWC (not influenced by the YSWC) samples whilst YSWC (influenced by the YSWC) samples were dominated by different groups, such as MALV-II (novel marine Alveolata), MAST-3, MAST-4 (novel marine Stramenopiles), and Dictyochophyceae. N-YSWC samples were grouped together in nMDS (non-metric multidimensional scaling) using the Bray–Curtis method. Distances between each two YSWC samples were greater. Based on indicator operational taxonomic unit (OTU) analysis (IOA), indicator species of the YSWC were represented by Pseudochattonella farcimen, Florenciella parvula within the class Dictyochophyceae, and Phaeocystis cordata within the class Prymnesiophyceae. The findings in our study suggest that picoeukaryotic communities in the central Yellow Sea differ temporally in response to changes in the YSWC.     

黄海春季水华过程中微微型浮游生物的变化特点

于2007年3—4月在黄海中部海域采用流式细胞术研究了春季水华过程中聚球藻、微微型真核浮游生物和异养细菌的生物量变化。聚球藻和微微真核型浮游生物的生物量与叶绿素a浓度变化基本呈现相反的趋势,在水华前期较高,水华期迅速下降,直至水华后期又有所升高。异养细菌在整个水华过程中变化较小,生物量在水华期最高,与水柱叶绿素a浓度呈极显著正相关(r=0.319,p<0.01)。水华期这三类微微型浮游生物对浮游植物总碳生物量的贡献很低。纤毛虫和鞭毛虫捕食可能是导致聚球藻和微微型真核浮游生物在水华期生物量降低的主要原因。     

春季黄海浮游植物生态分区:物种组成

Phytoplanktonic ecological provinces of the Yellow Sea(31.20°–39.23°N, 121.00°–125.16°E) is derived in terms of species composition and hydrological factors(temperature and salinity). 173 samples were collected from 40 stations from April 28 to May 18, 2014, and a total of 185 phytoplanktonic algal species belonging to 81 genera of 7phyla were identified by Uterm?hl method. Phytoplankton abundance in surface waters is concentrated in the west coast of Korean Peninsula and Korea Bay, and communities in those areas are mainly composed of diatoms and cyanobacteria with dominant species of Cylindrotheca closterium, Synechocystis pevalekii, Chroomonas acuta,Paralia sulcata, Thalassiosira pacifica and Karenia mikimotoi, etc. The first ten dominant species of the investigation area are analyzed by multidimensional scaling(MDS) and cluster analysis, then the Yellow Sea is divided into five provinces from Province I(P-I) to Province V(P-V). P-I includes the coastal areas near southern Liaodong Peninsula, with phytoplankton abundance of 35 420×10~3–36 163×10~3 cells/L and an average of 35 791×10~3 cells/L, and 99.84% of biomass is contributed by cyanobacteria. P-II is from Shandong Peninsula to Subei coastal area. Phytoplankton abundance is in a range of 2×10~3–48×10~3 cells/L with an average of 24×10~3cells/L, and 63.69% of biomass is contributed by diatoms. P-III represents the Changjiang(Yangtze River) Diluted Water. Phytoplankton abundance is 10×10~3–37×10~3 cells/L with an average of 24×10~3 cells/L, and 73.14% of biomass is contributed by diatoms. P-IV represents the area affected by the Yellow Sea Warm Current.Phytoplankton abundance ranges from 6×10~3 to 82×10~3 cells/L with an average of 28×10~3 cells/L, and 64.17% of biomass is contributed by diatoms. P-V represents the cold water mass of northern Yellow Sea. Phytoplankton abundance is in a range of 41×10~3–8 912×10~3 cells/L with an average of 1 763×10~3 cells/L, and 89.96% of biomass is contributed by diatoms. Overall, structures of phytoplankton community in spring are quite heterogeneous in different provinces. Canonical correspondence analysis(CCA) result illustrates the relationship between dominant species and environmental factors, and demonstrates that the main environmental factors that affect phytoplankton distribution are nitrate, temperature and salinity.     

白令海大型底栖动物群落结构及其空间分布格局

Due to its unique geological location, the Bering Sea is an ideal place to investigate the water exchange and ecosystem connectivity of the Pacific Ocean–Arctic Ocean and subarctic–Arctic region. Based on a number of summer surveys(July to September, 2010, 2012 and 2014), macrobenthic communities and their spatial-temporal patterns are exhibited for the majority of the Bering Sea(53°59′–64°36′N). The results show that the macrobenthic communities were dominated by northern cold-water species and immigrant eurythermic species, and the communities assumed a dispersed and patchy distribution pattern. Polychaetes(Scoloplos armiger), crustaceans(Ceradocus capensis) and sea urchins(Echinarachnius parma) were the main dominant groups in the shallow shelves; the sea star(Ctenodiscus crispatus) and the brittle star(Ophiura sarsii) were the main dominant groups in the continental slope; whereas small polychaetes(Prionospio malmgreni) dominated the basin area. Sediment type, water depth, and currents were the major factors affecting the structure and spatial distribution of the macrobenthic communities. Compared with other seas, the shallow areas of the Bering Sea showed an extremely high-standing biomass. In particular, the northern shelf area(north of St. Lawrence Islands and west of 170°W),which is primarily controlled by Anadyr Water, is an undersea oasis. In contrast, a deficiency in the downward transport of particulate organic carbon has resulted in a desert-like seabed in the basin area. By comparing our results to previous studies, we found that macrobenthic communities of the Bering Sea have undergone significant structural changes in recent decades, resulting in a decrease in abundance and an increase in biomass.In addition, populations of amphipods and bivalves in the northern shelves have decreased significantly and have been gradually replaced by other species. These changes might be associated with advanced seasonal ice melting,changes in organic carbon input, and global warming, indicating that large-scale ecosystem changes have been occurring in the Bering Sea.     

春、秋季南黄海浮游纤毛虫丰度及生物量的分布差异

Seasonal variation of marine plankton spatial distribution is important in understanding the biological processes in the ocean.In this study,we studied spatial distribution of planktonic ciliate abundance and biomass in the central deep area(station depth greater than 60 m) and the coastal shallow area(station depth less than 60 m) of the southern Yellow Sea(32°–36.5°N,121°–125°E) in spring(April) and autumn(October–November) of 2006.Our results showed that both ciliate abundance and biomass in the surface waters were higher in spring((1 490±2 336)ind./L;(4.11±7.81) μg/L) than in autumn((972±823) ind./L;(1.11±1.18) μg/L,calculated by carbon).Ciliate abundance and biomass in the surface waters of the coastal shallow area were similar in spring and autumn.However,in the central deep area,those values were much higher in spring((1 878±2 893) ind./L;(5.99±10.10)μg/L) than in autumn((738±373) ind./L;(0.74±0.76) μg/L).High values of ciliate abundance and biomass occurred in the central deep area in spring and in the coastal shallow area in autumn.Mixotrophic ciliate Laboea strobila was abundant in the central deep area in spring,when a phytoplankton bloom occurred.However,in autumn,L.strobila was abundant in the coastal shallow area.Boreal tintinnid Ptychocyli obtusa was found in spring.Both L.strobila and P.obtusa were concentrated in the surface waters when their abundance was more than 1 000 ind./L.Peaks of these species were in the subsurface waters when their abundance was less than 400 ind./L.This study showed that both high abundance and biomass of ciliates occurred in different areas in southern Yellow Sea seasonally.     

夏季北黄海水体浊度分布特征的初步研究

应用2007月7月国家908专项北黄海区块水体调查获取的浊度资料,与同步获得的悬浮物质量浓度进行拟合分析,结果表明,中底层水的相关系数在0.94以上,表层相关度较差.根据调查海域浊度的水平大面分布及选取的6个典型断面的垂直分布,初步阐述了夏季北黄海水体浊度的分布特征——近岸高和底层高,山东半岛北部沿岸、成山角海域和老铁山水道以及庄河河口附近海域为高浊度区.夏季北黄海冷水团对水体浊度分布具有控制性影响:调查海域水体垂向层结稳定,北黄海冷水团海域中下层表现为高盐、低温、高密特征,水体浊度小,且浊度锋面的分布与温度较为相近.同时,夏季北黄海冷水团对悬浮物的分布起到了屏障作用——在山东半岛北部沿岸和辽东半岛南部沿岸阻止了近岸悬浮物的经向输送,而在山东半岛东部沿岸则阻止了近岸悬浮物的纬向输送.