A STUDY ON THE RELATIONSHIPS OF THE NUTRIENTS NEAR THE CHANGJIANG RIVER ESTUARY WITH THE FLOW OF THE CHANGJIANG RIVER WATER

Investigations from August, 1985 to July , 1986 showed that the high concentration area of PO4-P , SiO3-Si and NO3-N gradually reduced with the reduction of the area of the Changjiang River diluted water from summer, autumn to winter , and that the seasonal distributions and variations of the nutrients concentrations were mainly controlled by the river flow and were also related to the growth and decline of phytoplankton . The conservation of SiO3-Si and NO3-N in the estuary in the flood season was poorer than that in the dry season .. The behaviour of PO4-P in the estuary shows that aside from -biological removal, buffering of PCU-P is possible in the estuary . The highest monthly average concentrations and annual average concentrations in the river mouth were respectively 0.88 and 0.57 umol/L for PO4-P,191.5 and 96.2 umol/L for SiO3-Si, and 81.6 and 58.6 umol/L for NOs-N . The Changjiang's annual transports of PO4-P , SiO3-Si and NO3-N to the sea were about 1.4×104tons , 204.4×104 tons and 63.6×104     

NUTRIENTS NEAR THE ARCTIC POLE REGION

The distributions of SiO_3-Si, PO_4-P, NO_3-N and NO_2-N concentrations in the seawater, iceand snow from 82°45′21″W, 88°01′20″N to the North Pole are reported and the exchange of thenutrients among the seawater, ice and snow are discussed. The average concentrations of the nutrients inthe seawater near the North Pole were 4.9±2.4μmol/L for SiO_3-Si; 0.60±0.10μmol/L for PO_4-P,3.4±1.7μmol/L for NO_3-N and 0.13±0.04μmol/L for NO_2-N. The nutrient concentrations inthe ice and snow in the North Pole were 0.20 and 0.65μmol/L for SiO_3-Si; 0.22 and 0.25μmol/L forPO_4-P; 1.6 and 5.8μmol/L for NO_3-N, 0.19 and 0.15μmol/L for NO_2-N.     

Effects of different phosphorus concentrations and N/P ratios on the growth and photosynthetic characteristics of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Skeletonema costatum</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Prorocentrum donghaiense</Emphasis>

The effects of different phosphorus (P) concentrations (0.36, 3.6, and 36 μmol/L corresponding to low-, middle-, and high-P concentration groups, respectively) and nitrogen (N)/P ratios on the growth and photosynthetic characteristics of Skeletonema costatum and Prorocentrum donghaiense were studied. For both species, the high-P (HP) concentration group showed the greatest algal density and highest specific growth rate. Changes in the maximum efficiency of photosystem II (F _v /F _m ) were monitored under the various P and N/P conditions. The largest decrease in F _v /F _m was in the low-P (LP) group in S. costatum and in the HP group in P. donghaiense. There were high rapid light curves and photochemical quantum yields (Φ _PSII) for S. costatum in the HP group, while the actual photosynthetic capacity was higher in P. donghaiense than in S. costatum in the MP group. Under eutrophic but relatively P-restricted conditions, P. donghaiense had higher photosynthetic activity and potential, which could cause this dinoflagellate to increasingly dominate the phytoplankton community in these conditions. Under the same P concentration and N/P ratio, P. donghaiense had a larger relative maximum rate of electron transport and higher Φ _{PS II} values than those of S. costatum. These differences between P. donghaiense and S. costatum may explain the interaction and succession patterns of these two species in the Changjiang (Yangtze) River estuary from a photosynthesis perspective.     

Studies on culture conditions of benthic diatoms for feeding abalone

Effects of salinity, pH, nitrogenous and phosphate nutrients on the growth rate of four species of benthic diatoms were studied by using the method of in situ optical density measurement. The optimal culture conditions for the four species of diatoms are as follows: forAmphora coffeaeformis, s 35; pH 8.5; NO₃ ⁻−N 1.54, NH₄ ⁺−N, 7.0; CO (NH₂)₂−N, 2.5 (mg/L); PO₄ ³⁻−P 1.13 (mg/L); forCocconeis scutellum varparva, s 30; pH 8.5; NO ₃ ⁻ −N 3.08, NH ₄ ⁺ −N 3.5, CO(NH₂)₂−N 5.0 (mg/L); pO ₄ ³⁻ −P 0.283 (mg/L); forNavicula corymbosa s 25; pH 8.0; NO ₃ ⁻ −N 1.54, NH ₄ ⁺ −N 3.5 CO(NH₂)₂−N 5.0 (mg/L); PO ₄ ³⁻ −P 0.565 (mg/L); forNavicula mollis. s 25; pH 8.0; NO ₃ ⁻ −N 1.54, NH ₄ ⁺ −N 1.75, CO(NH₂)₂−N 1.25 (mg/L); PO ₄ ³⁻ −P 0.141 (mg/L). Part of the results of this paper were exchanged in the Fourth Asian Aquaculture Forum. Oct. 16–20. 1995. Beijing, P. R. China.     

Long-term ecological interactions between nutrient and phytoplankton community in the Changjiang estuary

Both nitrate (NO₃⁻) and soluble reactive phosphate (PO₄³⁻) concentration in the freshwater end-member at the mouth of the Changjiang River have increased dramatically since the 1960s. Within the same period in the sea area, with surface salinity>30, NO₃⁻ concentration has shown an obvious increase, PO₄³⁻ has not changed greatly and dissolved reactive silica (SiO₃²⁻) has deceased dramatically. An examination of the elemental ratio of NO₃⁻ to PO₄³⁻ at the mouth of the Changjiang River did not show a systematic trend from the 1960s to 2000s largely because both nutrients increased simultaneously. In comparison, the elemental ratio of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) to PO₄³⁻ in surface seawater, with salinity>22, has shown a clearly increasing trend. Furthermore, an overall historical change of the SiO₃²⁻:PO₄³⁻ ratio has undergone a reverse trend in this area. Based on the changes of SiO₃²⁻:PO₄³⁻ and DIN:PO₄³⁻ ratios, we can conclude that an overall historical change of SiO₃²⁻:DIN ratio has decreased in this area from the 1950–1960s to 2000s. The argument that phytoplankton productivity in the Changjiang estuary has been enhanced by increasing nutrient input from the riverine transport was supported by these results. A comparative study analyzing the shift of phytoplankton composition from the mid-1980s to 2000s was also made. The results indicated that the average yearly percentage of diatom species in the Changjiang estuary has decreased from 84.6% during 1985–1986 to 69.8% during 2004–2005. Furthermore, the average yearly percentage of diatom abundance in the Changjiang estuary decreased from 99.5% during to 75.5% over the same time period, while the abundance of dinoflagellates has increased dramatically, from 0.7% to 25.4%.     

DYNAMIC CHANGES OF INORGANIC NITROGEN AND ASTAXANTI—IIN ACCUMULATION IN HAEMATOCOCCUS PLUVIALIS

This study on dynamic changes of culture color,astaxanthin and chlorophylls,inorganic N including N-NO3^-,N-NO2^- and N-NH4^ in batch culture of Haematococcus pluvialis exposed to different additive nitrate concentration showed(1)ast/chl ratio was over 0.8 for brown and red algae,but was usually less than 0.5 for green and yellow algae;(2)N-NO3^-,in general,was unstable and decreased,except for a small unexpected increase in nitrate enriched treatment groups;(3)measurable amounts of N-NO2^- and N-NH4^ were observed respectively with three change modes although no extemal nitrite and ammonia were added into the culture;(4)a non-linear correlation between ast/chl ratio(or color)changes and the levels of N-NO3^-,N-NO2^-,N-NH4^ in H.pluvialis culture;(5)up and down variation of the ast/chl ratio occurred simultaneously with a perceptible color change from yellow to brown(or red)when N-NO3^-,N-NO2^- and N-NH4^ fluctuated around 30,5,5μmol/L respectively;(6)existence of three dynamic modes of N-NO3^-,N-NO2^- and N-NH4^ changes,obviously associated with initial extemal nitrate;(7)the key level of total inorganic N concentration regulating the above physiological changes during indoor cultivation was about 50 μmol/L;and(8)0.5-10mmol/L of nitrate was theoretically conducive to cell growth in batch culture.     

Preliminary Study on the Responses of Three Marine Algae,Ulva pertusa （ Chlorophyta ） , Gelidium amansii （ Rhodophyta ）and Sargassum enerve （ Phaeophyta）, to Nitrogen Source and Its Availability

1　Introduction　Inrecentyears ,eutrophicationhasbecomeaworld wideenvironmentalprobleminthecoastalarea.Aqua culturebecomesaseriouspollutionsourcelikesewagedischarge .Wasteproductsfromfishfarmsconsistma inlyofnitrogen ,phosphorusandcarbondioxide .Inpen bas…     

Cryopreservation of Gametophytes of Laminaria japonica （Phaeophyta） Using Encapsulation-Dehydration with Two-Step Cooling Method

Gametophytes of Laminaria japonica were cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen using encapsulation-dehydration with two-step cooling method. Gametophytes cultured at 10℃ and under continuous irradiance of 30 μmol m-2 s-1 for 3 weeks were encapsulated in calcium alginate beads. The beads were dehydrated in 0.4 molL-1 sucrose prepared with seawater for 6 h, desiccated in an incubator set at 10℃ and 70% relative humidity for 4 h, pre-frozen at either -40℃ or -60℃ for 30 min, and stored in liquid nitrogen for ＞24 h. As high as 43% of survival rate was observed when gametophytes were thawed by placing the beads in 40℃seawater and re-hydrated in 0.05 molL-1 citrate sodium prepared using 30‰ NaC1 7 d later. More cells of male gametophytes survived the whole procedure in comparison with female gametophytes. The cells of gametophytes surviving the preservation were able to grow asexually and produce morphologically normal sporophytes.     

Size-fractionated phytoplankton biomass in autumn of the Changjiang （Yangtze） River Estuary and its adjacent waters after the Three Gorges Dam construction

A cruise was undertaken from 3rd to 8th November 2004 in Changjiang （Yangtze） River Estuary and its adjacent waters to investigate the spatial biomass distribution and size composition of phytoplankton. Chlorophyll-a （Chl-a） concentration ranged 0.42-1.17 μg L^-1 and 0.41-10.43 μg L^-1 inside and outside the river mouth, with the mean value 0.73 μg L^-1 and 1.86 μg L^-1, respectively. Compared with the Chl-a concentration in summer of 2004, the mean value was much lower inside, and a little higher outside the river mouth. The maximal Chl-a was 10.43 μg L^-1 at station 18 （122.67°E, 31.25°N）, and the region of high Chl-a concentration was observed in the central survey area between 122.5°E and 123.0°E. In the stations located east of 122.5°E, Chl-a concentration was generally high in the upper layers above 5 m due to water stratification. In the survey area, the average Chl-a in sizes of 〉20 μm and 〈20 μm was 0.28 μg L^-1 and 1.40 μg L^-1, respectively. High Chl-a concentration of 〈20 μm size-fraction indicated that the nanophytoplankton and picophytoplankton contributed the most to the biomass of phytoplankton. Skeletonema costatum, Prorocentrum micans and Scrippsiella trochoidea were the dominant species in surface water. The spatial distribution of cell abundance of phytoplankton was patchy and did not agree well with that of Chl-a, as the cell abundance could not distinguish the differences in shape and size of phytoplankton cells. Nitrate and silicate behaved conservatively, but the former could probably be the limitation factor to algal biomass at offshore stations. The distribution of phosphate scattered considerably, and its relation to the phytoplankton biomass was complicated.     

Effect of CO2 enrichment on competition between Skeletonema costatum and Heterosigma akashiwo

We investigated the effect of CO₂ enrichment and initial inoculum density on competition between Skeletonema costatum and Heterosigma akashiwo, two common algae seen in algal blooms. The initial inoculum density (0.2×10⁴, 0.4×10⁴, 0.8×10⁴ cells/ml) had a significant effect on population growth and competition between H. akashiwo and S. costatum. The time required for population growth to reach the exponential growth phase and stationary phase decreased significantly as the initial density increased. When the two species were cultured together, S. costatum tended to outcompete H. akashiwo, especially when present at higher initial ratios. CO₂ enrichment (5 000 μl/L CO₂) increased the maximum population density and carrying capacity of H. akashiwo but decreased these measures for S. costatum. Thus, CO₂ enrichment favored the growth of H. akashiwo over S. costatum.     

Study on gametophyte vegetative growth ofUndaria pinnatifida and its applications

When cultured under certain environmental conditions (25°C, light intensity 80 μmol/m²·s, LD 12/12, in enriched seawater medium with 7×10⁻⁴ mol/L NO₃−N, 1.56×10⁻⁴ mol/L, PO₄−P and supplements of other elements like Mn, Fe, I, etc.), male and female gametophytes ofU. pinnatifida kept growing vegetatively and propagated fast at average daily fresh weight increase rate of about 20%. The empirical formulaG _m=G _o·3^m was established to estimate the output of vegetative gametophytes. Vigorous vegetative gametophyte cells began to form reproductive structures (oogonium and spermatangium, when the temperature was lower than 25°C and other environmental factors were kept optimal. The sufficient supply of gametophyte cells provided enough seeds for raisingUndaria sporelings on production scale. Controlled cross-breeding experiments using selected male and female gametophyte clones which increase their cell number by mitosis instead of meiosis were also carried out in vitro. Juvenile sporophytes from the cross-breeding had almost the same length and width increase rates as those of the control. The fact that vegetative gametophytes can be purposely selected, propagated quickly, cross-bred, with the resulting sporophytes having almost the same characteristics leads to a new way to select desiredUndaria strains for long time use without losing the desired economic characteristics. Contribution No. 2696 from the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China.     

Experimental study on the interspecific interactions between the two bloom-forming algal species and the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis

The interspecific interactions between the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis and two harmful algal blooms (HAB) species were investigated experimentally by single culture method. B. plicatilis population and the growth of the two algae were compared at different algal cell densities. The results demonstrated that the B. plicatilis obtained sufficient nutrition from Prorocentrum donghaiense to support net population increase. With exposure to 2.5×10⁴ cells mL⁻¹ of P. donghaiense, the number of B. plicatilis increased faster than it did when exposed to other four algal densities (5, 10, 15 and 20 ×10⁴ cells mL⁻¹), and the increase rate of B. plicatilis population (r) at this algal density was 0.104 ± 0.015 rd⁻¹. Cell densities of P. donghaiense decreased due to the grazing of B. plicatilis. In contrast, Heterosigma akashiwo had an adverse effect on B. plicatilis population and its growth was largely unaffected by rotifer grazing. In this case, B. plicatilis population decreased and H. akashiwo grew at a rate similar to that of the control.     

Cryopreservation of Veliger Larvae of Trumpet Shell, Charonia sauliae： an Essential Preparation to Artificial Propagation

Trumpet shell, Charonia sauliae, is an endangered and valuable species, but its artificial propagation protocol has not been successfully established. To estimate the possibility of cryopreservation for larvae of C. sauliae, which is a potential preparation for its artificial reproduction and further research, in this study a protocol for the cryopreservation of veliger larvae of trumpet shell was optimized. Through a two-step cryopreservation procedure, four kinds of cryoprotectants (ethylene glycol, 1, 2-propanediol, dimethyl sulfoxide and glycerol) were employed at three concentrations (1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 molL⁻¹) respectively and survival rates of larvae were determined after a storage of 1h. The larvae frozen with these four cryoprotectants after 1 h storage were cultured, and then survival rates were determined at 24, 72 and 120 h after thawing. Dimethyl sulfoxide at a concentration of 1.5 molL⁻¹ showed the best protective effect in all experiments (p<0.05). And survival rates of larvae frozen with dimethyl sulfoxide were determined after 1, 7 and 15 d of storage. The survival rates of larvae frozen with 1.5 molL⁻¹ dimethyl sulfoxide after 1 h, 1 d, 7 d and 15 d of storage were 80.77% ±7.51%, 80.34% ±11.28%, 83.10% ±9.14% and 77.23% ±6.22% respectively. No significant differences in survival rates of larvae frozen with dimethyl sulfoxide were observed after various storage periods (p>0.05).     

A Kinetic Spectrophotometric Method for the Determination of Iron （Ⅲ） in Water Samples

A new kinetic spectrophotometric method has been developed for the determination of iron (Ⅲ). The method is based on the catalytic effect of iron (Ⅲ) on the oxidation of weak acid brilliant blue dye (RAWL) by KIO4 in acid medium. The advantages of the proposed method are that it is sensitive, accurate, rapid, inexpensive, can be operated under room temperature and has a large determination concentration range compared to other techniques. The obtained optimum conditions are pH 3.15, RAWL (200 mgL-1) 5.00mL, Potassium periodate solution (0.01 molL-1) 0.30mL, phenanthroline (0.02molL-1) 1.00mL, reaction temperature 25℃ and reaction time 7 miu. With this method iron could quantitively be determined in the range 0.00-0.02 mgL-1, the detection limit being 4.10×10-10mL-1. The relative standard deviations (RSD) in five replicate determinations for 3 μgL-1 and 5μgL-1 iron (Ⅲ) are 3.1% and 1.9%, respectively. The method has been applied to the determination of iron (Ⅲ) in tap water samples and seawater samples (from the South China Sea), the recovery rates being 98.0% and 100.5%, respectively.     

Nutrient and chlorophyll a anomaly in red-tide periods of 2003-2008 in Sishili Bay, China

Sishili Bay is the most important aquiculture and tourism area for the city of Yantai, China; however, red tides occurred frequently and have caused huge economic losses in this bay in recent years. To gain a better understanding of the local ecological environments in the bay, we conducted this research between 2003 and 2008 to analyze variations in nutrients and chlorophyll (chl-a) during high frequency red tide period (May to September). The results show that the chl-a concentration increased from 2.70 in 2003 to 7.26 mg/m3 in 2008, while the concentration of total inorganic nitrogen (TIN) and silicate (SiO3-Si) increased lineally from 5.18 and 1.45 μmol/L in 2003 to 18.57 and 9.52 μmol/L in 2008, respectively, and the annual phosphate (PO4-P) varied between 0.15 and 0.46 μmol/L. Special attention was given to a red tide in August 2007 occurred when water temperature was high and nutrient concentrations increased sharply because of a heavy rainfall. Overall, the results show the P limitation in Sishili Bay, and reveal that red tides were caused by eutrophication from terrestrial inputs and local warm weather, particularly during rainy periods. Therefore, to control red tide, greater efforts should be made to reduce sewage discharges into Sishili Bay, particularly during rainfall seasons.     

Nutrient and eutrophication characteristics of the Dongshan Bay,South China

We recorded NO 3-N, NO 2-N, NH 4-N, PO 4-P, SiO 3-Si, salinity, and temperature data at 10 stations in the Dongshan Bay in May, June, July, August, October, and November 2008, analyzing nutrient and eutrophication characteristics. The mean concentration of dissolved inorganic nitrogen(DIN) was 0.30–0.40 mg/dm 3; generally, NO 3-N was the main form in most areas. The mean concentrations of PO 4-P and SiO 3-Si were 0.040–0.060 mg/dm 3 and 1.00–1.50 mg/dm 3, respectively. We proved that the majority of the SiO 3-Si in the Dongshan Bay came from the Zhangjiang River, with some coming from the Bachimen Strait. DIN originated from both the Zhangjiang River and the Bachimen Strait. Most PO 4-P originated from the Bachimen Strait, and some came from the Zhangjiang River. We found that P was an overall limiting factor to the phytoplankton community in most of the Dongshan Bay, and that Si and N were in surplus. However, near the Bachimen Strait Si became a limiting factor, especially for diatoms, while P and N were in comparative surplus. We used a potential eutrophication assessment method to analyze eutrophication, and showed that the most serious eutrophication occurred near the Zhangjiang River estuary and near the Bachimen Strait. In 2008, DIN levels were four times higher than that in 1988; PO 4-P levels were threefold higher, while SiO 3-Si was approximately double. Dissolved nutrients increased between 1988 and 2008. DIN increased at the greatest rate comparing to PO 4-P and SiO 3-Si, thus the N/P and N/Si mol ratios increased. Further studies on the effects of high DIN concentrations on the phytoplankton communities and marine ecosystems of the Dongshan Bay are needed.     

Effects of nutritional factors on the growth and heterotrophic eicosapentaenoic acid production of diatom <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nitzschia laevis</Emphasis>

The effects of several nutritional factors on the growth and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) production of diatom Nitzschia laevis were studied. 4 LDM (quadrupled concentration of the nutrient salt) was the optimal concentration of nutrient salt for the growth and EPA production of N. laevis. The growth of N. laevis was inhibited when the glucose concentration was either lower than 10 gL⁻¹ or higher than 15 gL⁻¹. Both sodium nitrate and urea were good nitrogen sources for the growth and EPA production, while ammonium chloride seriously decreased the dry cell weight (DW) and the EPA content. Silicate seriously influenced the growth of N. laevis. The maximum DW of 2.34 gL⁻¹ was obtained in the presence of 150 mgL⁻¹ Na₂SiO₃·9H₂O. The EPA content remained almost the same when the silicate concentration was lower than 150 mgL⁻¹; however, higher silicate concentrations resulted in a steady decrease of EPA content. Low medium salinity (⩽29) did not seem to influence the DW of N. laevis, and high salinity resulted in a decrease of DW. The highest EPA content (4.08%) and yield (110 mgL⁻¹) were observed at the salinity of 36 and 29, respectively.     

The Antitumor Components from Marine-derived Bacterium Streptoverticillium luteoverticillatum 11014 Ⅱ

Eight known compounds were isolated from a marine-derived bacterium Streptoverticillium luteoverticillatum 11014 using bioassay-guided fractionations. Their structures were identified by spectral analysis as bis （4-hydroxybenzyl） ether （1）, p-hydroxyphenylethyl alcohol （2）, N-（4-hydroxyphenethyl） acetamide （3）, indole-3 carboxylic acid methyl ester （4）, dibenzo[b,e] [1,4]dioxine （5）, thymine （6）, cytosine deoxyribonucleoside （7） and 2, 3-butanediol （8）. These compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against K562 cell line with the SRB method for the first time. Compounds 2 and 4 showed cytotoxcities with IC50 values of 101.1 and 165.3 μolL^-1, respectively. All compounds were isolated from S. luteoverticillatum 11014 for the first time.     

Bioaccumulation of Pb<Superscript>2+</Superscript> and its effects on growth,morphology and pigment contents of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Spirulina</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Arthrospira</Emphasis>) <Emphasis Type="Italic">platensis</Emphasis>

A laboratory experiment was conducted to assess the bioaccumulation of Pb²⁺ and its effects on growth, morphology and pigment contents of Spirulina (Arthrospira) platensis. The specimen cultured in Zarrouk liquid medium was treated with various initial metal concentrations (0, 5, 10, 30, 50 and 100 μg mL⁻¹). The growth of S. platensis was adversely affected by Pb²⁺ at high concentrations (30, 50 and 100 μg mL⁻¹). However, at low concentrations (5 μg mL⁻¹), Pb²⁺ could stimulate its growth slightly. The pigment contents (chlorophyll α and β carotene) were decreased in a dose-dependent manner. The highest reductions (67% and 53% respectively in chlorophyll α and β carotene) were observed in 100 μg mL⁻¹ treatment group. The LC₅₀ (96 h) of Pb²⁺ was measured as 75.34 μg mL⁻¹. Apart from a few cases of filament breakages at elevated concentrations (50 and 100 μg mL⁻¹), morphological abnormalities are not specific. Metal bioaccumulation increased with Pb²⁺ concentrations, but decreased with exposure time. The maximum accumulated amount was 188 mg g⁻¹ dry weight. The bioconcentration factor (BCF) reached to a peak at day 2, followed by a gradual reduction for all the exposure concentrations. S. platensis is able to tolerate considerably high Pb²⁺ concentrations. Consequently it can be used as a potential species to remove heavy metal from contaminated waters.     

Water quality and eutrophication in the Guangzhou Sea Zone of the Pearl River estuary

To gain a better understanding of water quality and eutrophication, we investigated the seasonal and spatial distribution of water quality at 17 stations in the Guangzhou Sea Zone (GZSZ). Nutrients, chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), salinity, chemical oxygen demand, and other physical and chemical parameters were determined in February, May, August and October from 2005 to 2007. The concentrations showed ranges of 93.2–530.4 μmol/L for dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), 0.62–3.16 μmol/L for phosphate (PO₄-P) and 50–127 μmol/L for silicate (SiO₃-Si). The results indicated that DIN was strongly influenced by domestic sewage coming from Guangzhou City and NO₃-N was the main form of DIN in most areas, while concentrations of phosphate and silicate were generally controlled by Pearl River runoff, land-based sources along the land or islands, and algae assimilation. N/P ratios were very high in both dry season and wet season, and varied from 57 to 667, suggesting that P was potentially the most limiting nutrient in the GZSZ. The concentrations of Chl-a were 3–96 μg/L, and were highly correlated with the distribution characteristics of COD. The concentrations of nutrients have increased over the past two decades (1982–2007). This means it is necessary to control the input of nutrients to the GZSZ, especially that of phosphate.