Picoplankton distribution in different water masses of the East China Sea in autumn and winter

Picoplankton distribution was investigated in different water masses of the East China Sea in November,2006 and February,2007.The autumn and winter cruises crossed three major water masses:the coastal water mass(CWM),the mixed water mass(MWM),which forms on the continental shelf,and the Kuroshio water mass(KWM).Picoplankton composition was resolved into four main groups by flow cytometry,namely Synechococcus,Prochlorococcus,picoeukaryotes,and heterotrophic bacteria.The average abundances of Synechococcus,picoeukaryotes,and heterotrophic bacteria were(0.63±10.88)×103,(1.61±1.16)×103,(3.39±1.27)×105 cells/mL in autumn and(6.45±8.60)×103,(3.23±2.63)×103,(3.76±1.37)×105 cells/mL in winter,respectively.Prochlorococcus was not found in the CWM and seldom observed in surface samples in either season.However,Prochlorococcus was observed in the MWM and KWM(approximately 10 3 cells/mL) in both autumn and winter.Synechococcus distribution varied considerably among water masses,with the highest levels in KWM and lowest levels in CWM.The depth-averaged integrated abundance of Synechococcus was approximately 5-fold higher in KWM than in CWM,which may be due primarily to water temperature.In the MWM,Synechococcus was resolved as two subgroups;the presence of both subgroups was more common in autumn.Picoeukaryote abundance varied less among water masses than Synechococcus,and heterotrophic bacteria depth-averaged integrated abundance exhibited the smallest seasonal variations with respect to water mass.Correlation analysis showed that relationships between picoplankton abundances and environmental factors(temperature,nutrients,and chlorophyll a) differed among the three water masses,suggesting that the three water masses have different effects on picoplankton distribution(particularly Synechococcus).     

Changes in the small-jellyfish community in recent decades in Jiaozhou Bay, China

We used long term monitoring data to evaluate changes in abundance and species dominance of small-jellyfish (collected with zooplankton net whose bell diameter was less than 5 cm) between 1991 and 2009 in the Jiaozhou Bay, China. Zooplankton samples were vertically towed with conical plankton net from near-bottom to surface, identified microscopically, and mapped in time-space using Grapher 7.0 and Surfer 8.0. Results show that the abundance of small-jellyfish throughout the bay had been increasing during 2001-2009 on average of 15.2 ind./m 3 , almost 5 times higher than that between 1991 and 2000. The occurrence of peak abundance shifted from spring to summer after 2000, and two peaks appeared in spring and summer, respectively, after 2005. Both the abundance and the frequency of blooms of small-jellyfish increased after 2000 in the bay. In addition, the biodiversity of jellyfish has increased significantly in recent years with a change in dominant species. Several new dominant species appeared after 2000, including Rathkae octopunctata in winter, Phialidium hemisphaericum in spring, summer, and autumn, Phialucium carolinae in spring, and Pleurobrachia globosa in summer and autumn, while some previous dominant species throughout the 1990s (Eirene ceylonensis, Zanclea costata, Lovenella assimilis, and Muggiaea atlantica) were no longer dominant after 2000. The abundance of small-jellyfish was positively correlated with the density of dinoflagellates, and the abundance of zooplankton. We believe that the changes in smalljellyfish abundance and species composition were the result of eutrophication, aquaculture and coastal construction activities around the bay. Concurrently, seawater warming and salinity decrease in recent decades promoted the growth and reproduction of small-jellyfish in the bay.     

Abundance and spatial dynamics of bacterioplankton in the Seven Rila Lakes, Bulgaria

In the high mountain oligotrophic Seven Rila Lakes (2 095–2 535 m a.s.l.) bacterial abundance was recorded in July and September 2006. In July, bacterial abundance (average (3.32±2.5)×10⁵ cell/ml) in the lakes correlated negatively with elevation, while in September (average (26.39±7.1)×10⁵ cell/ml) this pattern was altered and the greatest abundance of bacteria occurred at the highest ((39.05±1.5)×10⁵ cell/ml) and the lowest ((30.63±6.0)×10⁵ cell/ml) elevated lakes. Regression analyses suggested that the principal factor controlling bacterial abundance, in both July and September, was inorganic nitrogen (NO₃-N and NH₄-N; R ²=0.70, P<0.05). Other major regulating factors were temperature (R ²=0.66, P<0.03) in July and filter-feeding zooplankton (R ²=0.95, P<0.01) in September. All factors, except NO₃-N, had a positive effect on bacterial abundance.     

Relationship between toxic and harmful microalgae and environmental factors in typical mariculture areas of East China Sea

Toxic and harmful algal blooms are usually more frequent in mariculture areas due to the abundant trophic conditions. To investigate the relationship between toxic and harmful microalgae and environmental factors, we set up 12 stations near three mariculture regions (Gouqi Island, Sandu Bay, and Dongshan Bay) in the East China Sea. We collected samples from all four seasons starting from May 2020 to March 2021. We identified 199 species belonging to 70 genera, of which 38 species were toxic and harmful, including 24 species of Dinophyceae, 13 species of Bacillariophyceae, and 1 species of Raphidophyceae. The species composition of toxic and harmful microalgae showed a predominance of diatoms in the summer (August), and dinoflagellates in the spring (May), autumn (November), and winter (March). The cell densities of toxic and harmful microalgae were higher in summer (with an average value of 15.34×10³ cells/L) than in other seasons, 3.53×10³ cells/L in spring, 1.82×10³ cells/L in winter, and 1.0×10³ cells/L in autumn. Pseudonitzschia pungens, Prorocentrum minimum, Paralia sulcata, and Prorocentrum micans were the dominant species and were available at all 12 stations in the three mariculture areas. We selected 10 toxic and harmful microalgal species with frequency >6 at the survey stations for the redundancy analysis (RDA), and the results show that NO ^?₃ , water temperature (WT), pH, DO, and NO ^?₂ were the main factors on distribution of toxic and harmful microalgae. We concluded that the rich nutrient conditions in the East China Sea mariculture areas increased the potential for the risk of toxic and harmful microalgal bloom outbreaks.

     

Spatial and temporal variations of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Synechococcus</Emphasis> and picoeukaryotes in the Taiwan Strait,China

The size-fractionated phytoplankton biomass, and the spatial and temporal variations in abundance of Synechococcus (SYN) and picoeukaryotes (PEUK) were measured in the Taiwan Strait during three cruises (August 1997, February–March 1998, and August 1998). The results show that picophytoplankton and nanophytoplankton dominate the phytoplankton biomass, in average of 38% and 40%, respectively. SYN and PEUK varied over time in abundance and carbon biomass, greater in summer than in winter, in range of (7.70–209.2)×10⁶ and (0.75–15.4)×10⁶ cells/cm² in the abundance, and 1.93–52.3 and 1.57–32.4 μgC/cm² in the carbon biomass, for SYN and PEUK, respectively. The horizontal distributions of both groups were diurnal but heterogeneous in abundance, depending on the groups and layer of depths. Temperature is the key controlling factor for picophytoplankton distribution (especially in winter) in the Strait. Supported by Natural Science Foundation of China (No.40730846; 40521003)     

Standing crop and primary production of benthic microalgae on the tidal flats in Yueqing Bay

The standing stock and primary production of benthic microalgae on tidal flats were measured seasonally at 3 transects (Puqing, Dahengchuang and Puqi) in Yueqing Bay during 2002 2003. The results showed that the integral chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentration in tidal flat mud exhibited a seasonal variation with the order of magnitude: winter (14.0 4.2 mg m-2) > spring (13.0 6.3 mg m-2) > autumn (7.7 5.9 mg m-2) > summer (4.6 3.2 mg m-2). The primary production showed an order of magnitude: spring (270.5 224.9 mgC m-2 d-1)>winter (238.7 225.5 mgC m-2 d-1)>autumn (214.1 56.2 mgC m-2 d-1)>summer (71.6 44.6 mgC m-2 d-1). Both chlorophyll a and primary production showed maximum values in the surface layer of sediment, and decreased rapidly with increasing depth due to sun light limitation. The results of variance analysis indicated that seasonal variation and tidal flat condition affected Chl a greatly, but had no significant effect on primary production. The annual primary production of benthic microalgae on tidal flats in Yueqing Bay was estimated at 16143 tons carbon, which is sufficient to support 1.02×105 tons shellfish production. The environmental factors affecting chlorophyll and primary production on the tidal flats in Yueqing Bay were discussed. By comparing with other bays on China’s coast, it was observed that Yueqing Bay is a region with high benthic microalgae standing crop and primary production, which may be related to the type of its sediment.     

Maixi River estuary to the Baihua Reservoir in the Maotiao River catchment: phytoplankton community and environmental factors

Phytoplankton and environmental variables were measured monthly from July 2009 to August 2011 in the Maixi River from the estuary to Baihua Reservoir in the Maotiao River catchment,southwestern China,to understand phytoplankton community structure and environmental factors.The relationship between phytoplankton community structure and environmental factors including hydrological,meteorological,physical,and chemical variables were explored using multivariate analysis.A total of 81 taxa of phytoplankton were identified,which were mainly composed of chlorophyta,bacillariophyta,and cyanobacteria.The phytoplankton community was dominated by Pseudanabaena limnetica during summer and fall and by Cyclotella meneghiniana during winter and spring.The abundance of phytoplankton ranged from 0.24×104 cells/L to 33.45×106 cells/L,with the minimum occurring during February 2010 and the maximum during July 2009.The phytoplankton community was dominated mainly by cyanobacteria from April to September,and by bacillariophyta and pyrrophyta from October to March.Canonical correspondence analysis showed that temperature,pH values,and orthophosphate were the most important driving factors regulating the composition and dynamics of the phytoplankton community in the estuary.Cyanobacteria and euglenophyta abundance and biomass were affected mainly by temperature and pH values,while most chlorophyta and bacillariophyta were influenced by the concentrations of nutrients.     

Seasonal variations of net-phytoplankton community structure in the southern Yellow Sea

Based on the field survey data of four cruises in 2011, all phytoplankton communities in the southern Yellow Sea (SYS) were investigated for the species composition, dominant species, abundance and diversity indices. A total of 379 species belonging to 9 phyla were identified, of which the most abundant group was Bacillariophyta (60.9%), followed by Pyrrophyta (23.7%) and Haptophyta (6.9%). The seasonal distribution of abundance was: summer (4137.1×10³ ind m^?3) > spring (3940.4×10³ ind m^?3) > winter (3010.6×10³ ind m^?3) > autumn (340.8 ×10³ ind m^?3), while the horizontal distribution showed a decreasing tendency from inshore to offshore regions. The dominant species of phytoplankton varied in different seasons. The dominant species were Thalassiosira pacifica, Skeletoema spp. and Chaetoceros cinctus in spring, Chaetoceros debbilis, Chaetoceros pseudocurvisetus and Chaetoceros curvisetus in summer, Thalassiosira curviseriata, Alexandrium catenella and Ceratium fusus in autumn, Paralia sulcata, Phaeocystis sp. and Bacillaria paradoxa in winter, respectively. In SYS, the group of temperate coastal species was the major ecotype, and the groups of the central SYS species and oceanic species were also important constituents. The average values of Shannon-Weaver diversity index (H’) and Pielou evenness index (J) were 2.37 and 0.65 respectively. The indices H’ and J in the open sea were higher than those in coastal waters. Obvious co-variation tendencies between H’ and J were observed in all but the summer cruise of this survey.     

Annual variations of biogenic element contents of manila clam (Ruditapes philippinarum) bottom-cultivated in Jiaozhou Bay,China

Manila clam(Ruditapes philippinarum) was monthly sampled from its benthic aquaculture area in Jiaozhou Bay from May 2009 to June 2010. The annual variations of major elemental composition, organic content, fatness and element ratio of Manila clam were examined. The element removal effect of clam farming in Jiaozhou Bay was analyzed based on natural mortality and clam harvest. The results indicated that the variation trend of carbon content in shell(Cshell) was similar to that in clam(Cclam). Such a variation was higher in summer and autumn than in other seasons, which ranged from 9.10 ± 0.13 to 10.38 ± 0.09 mmol g-1 and from 11.28 ± 0.29 to 12.36 ± 0.06 mmol g-1, respectively. Carbon content of flesh(Cflesh) showed an opposite variation trend to that of shell in most months, varying from 29.42 ± 0.05 to 33.64 ± 0.62 mmol g-1. Nitrogen content of shell(Nshell) and flesh(Nflesh) changed seasonally, which was relatively low in spring and summer. Nshell and Nflesh varied from 0.07 ± 0.009 to 0.14 ± 0.009 mmol g-1 and from 5.46 ± 0.12 to 7.39 ± 0.43 mmol g-1, respectively. Total nitrogen content of clam ranged from 0.50 ± 0.003 to 0.76 ± 0.10 mmol g-1 with a falling tend except for a high value in March 2010. Phosphorus content of clam(Nclam) fluctuated largely, while phosphorus content of shell(Pshell) was less varied than that of flesh(Pflesh). Pshell varied from 0.006 ± 0.001 to 0.016 ± 0.001 mmol g-1; while Pflesh fluctuated between 0.058 ± 0.017 and 0.293 ± 0.029 mmol g-1. Pclam ranged from 0.015 ± 0.002 to 0.041 ± 0.006 mmol g-1. Carbon and nitrogen content were slightly affected by shell length, width or height. Elemental contents were closely related to the reproduction cycle. The removal amounts of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus from clam harvest and natural death in Jiaozhou Bay were 2.92×104 t, 1420 t and 145 t, respectively. The nutrient removal may aid to reduce the concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus, the main causes of eutrophication, and to maintain the ecosystem health of Jiaozhou Bay.     

Estimating areal carbon fixation of intertidal macroalgal community based on composition dynamics and laboratory measurements

The community dynamics and potential carbon ?xation of intertidal macroalgae were investigated monthly from April 2014 to April 2015 in the northwest coast of Yellow Sea. Seasonal variations in biomass and carbon ?xation were presented and showed close relationship with community structure.The carbon ?xation rate ranged from 0.48±0.13 mg C/(g FW ·d) to 4.35±0.12 mg C/(g FW ·d). Sargassum thunbergii, Chondrus ocellatus and Ulva intestinalis were three most in?uential species which contributed27%, 21.9% and 18.5% variation of carbon ?xation rate, respectively. Standing carbon stocks ranged from7.52 g C/m~2 to 41.31 g C/m~2, and estimated carbon stocks varied from 11.77 g C/m 2 to 96.49 g C/m~2. The larger dif ference between estimated and standing carbon stocks implied that more ?xed carbon was exported from the community in summer and autumn than in winter. This study suggested that intertidal macroalgal community could provide a potential function in carbon ?xation of coastal ecosystem.     

The community structure and seasonal dynamics of plankton in Bange Lake,northern Tibet,China

The seasonal variations in biomass, abundance, and species composition of plankton in relation to hydrography were studied in the saline Bange Lake, northern Tibet, China. Sampling was carried out between one to three times per month from May 2001 to July 2002. Salinity ranged from 14 to 146. The air and water temperature exhibited a clear seasonal pattern, and mean annual temperatures were approximately 4.8°C and 7.3°C, respectively. The lowest water temperature occurred in winter from December to March at-2°C and the highest in June and July at 17.7°C. Forty-one phytoplankton taxa, 21 zooplankton, and 5 benthic or facultative zooplankton were identifi ed. The predominant phytoplankton species were Gloeothece linearis, Oscillatoria tenuis, Gloeocapsa punctata, Ctenocladus circinnatus, Dunaliella salina, and Spirulina major. The predominant zooplankton species included H olophrya actra, Brachionus plicatilis, Daphniopsis tibetana, Cletocamptus dertersi, and A rctodiaptomus salinus. The mean annual total phytoplankton density and biomass for the entire lake were 4.52×10~7 cells/L and 1.60 mg/L, respectively. The annual mean zooplankton abundance was 52, 162, 322, and 57, 144 ind./L, in the three sublakes. The annual mean total zooplankton biomass in Lakes 1–3 was 1.23, 9.98, and 2.13 mg/L, respectively. The annual mean tychoplankton abundances in Bg1, 2, and 3 were 47, 67, and 654 ind./L. The annual mean tychoplankton biomass was 2.36, 0.16, and 2.03 mg/L, respectively. The zooplankton biomass(including tychoplankton) in the lake was 9.11 mg/L. The total number of plankton species in the salt lake was signifi cantly negatively correlated with salinity.     

Spatio-temporal variations in the siphonophore community of the northern South China Sea

To understand how hydrological and biological factors affect near-to off-shore variations in the siphonophore community,we sampled zooplankton at 82 stations in the northern South China Sea during summer,winter,and spring.Forty-one species of siphonophore were collected by vertical trawling.The species richness of siphonophores increased from the nearshore to offshore regions in all three seasons of investigation,with maximum richness in summer and minimum richness in winter.The abundance of siphonophores was also higher in summer than in spring and winter,concentrated in the nearshore region in the warm season and scattered in the offshore region in the cold season.Four siphonophore groups were classified according to the frequency of occurrence:nearshore,near-offshore,offshore,and tropical pelagic.Among them,the nearshore group had higher abundance nearshore compared with the offshore.The tropical pelagic group had higher species number offshore than nearshore.Spatial and temporal fluctuations in taxonomic composition and abundance of siphonophores were due to the influence of the coastal upwelling and surface ocean currents of the South China Sea,driven by the East Asia monsoonal system.     

Winter Phytoplankton Assemblages of Coastal Yellow Sea Connected to Jiaozhou Bay,China

I Introduction Phytoplankton play an important role in the primary production of ocean (Ning et al., 1995). They are impor-tant biological mediators of carbon turnover in seawater ecosystems (Zhu et al., 1993). Phytoplankton in Jiaozhou Bay have been preliminarily studied on the subjects of community structure, primary productivity and carbon budget (Qian et al., 1983; Guo et al., 1992; Jiao et al., 1994). It has been found that seasonal variation of phytoplankton cell abundance presents w…     

Estimating the budgets of nutrients for phytoplankton bloom in the central Yellow Sea using a modified lower tropic ecosystem model

A modified lower trophic ecosystem model (NEMURO) is coupled with a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model for an application in the central Yellow Sea. The model is used to simulate the horizontal distributions and annual cycles of chlorophyll-a and nutrients with results consistent with historical observations. Generally, during the winter background and spring bloom periods, the exchange with neighboring waters constitutes the primary sources of nutrients. Howerver, during the winter background period, the input of silicate from the layer deeper than 50 m is the most important source that contributes up to 60% to the total sources. During the spring bloom period, the transport across the thermocline makes significant contribution to the input of phosphate and silicate. During the post spring bloom period, the relative contribution of relevant processes varies for different nutrients. For ammonium, atmospheric deposition, excretion of zooplankton and decomposition of particulate and dissolved nitrogen make similar contributions. For phosphate and silicate, the dominant input is the transport across the thermocline, accounting for 62% and 68% of the total sources, respectively. The N/P ratio averaged annually and over the whole southern Yellow Sea is up to 51.8, indicating the potential of P limitation in this region. The important influence of large scale sea water circulation is revealed by both the estimated fluxes and the corresponding N/P ratio of nutrients across a section linking the northeastern bank of the Changjiang River and Cheju Island. During the winter background period, the input of nitrate, ammonium, phosphate and silicate by the Yellow Sea Warm Current is estimated to be 4.6×10¹⁰, 2.3×10¹⁰, 2.0×10⁹ and 1.2×10¹⁰ mol, respectively.     

Carbon dioxide partial pressure and carbon fluxes of air-water interface in Taihu Lake, China

1 INTRODUCTION Carbon dioxide (CO2) is principal greenhouse gas. Its air-water exchange is important in terrestrial ecosystems for climate change (Frankignoulle et al., 1998; Schimel et al., 2001). The direction of CO2 gas movement depends on the CO2 concentration gradient between air and surface water. The amount of CO2 exchange is related to the gas exchange coefficient, k. All lakes, with their small area but large atmospheric CO2 flux are important to under-stand the CO2 fluxes …     

DISTRIBUTION AND POPULATION DYNAMICS OF PARACALANUS PARVUS,PRACALANUS CRASSIROSTRIS,AND ACARTIA BIFILOSA（COPEPODA,CALANOIDA）IN THE BOHAI SEA

Paracalanus parvus,Paracalanus crassirostris,and Acartia bifilosa are dominant and widely distributed in the Bohai Sea,and comprise an important part of zooplankton in terms of biomass as well as production rate.In order to understand their seasonal distribution and population dynamics,their stage-specific abundance in different months of the year were analyzed based on the never analyzed yet samples collected in 1959.The three species showed clear and remarkable seasonal variation in abundance,which maximized in spring and summer,when they formed high biomass patches or concentrations in the nearshore area.For Paracalanus parvus,two peaks were observed in the annual circle,one in June and the other in September,For Paracalanus crassirostris,one peak occurred in summer and a small one in December.The seasonal pattern of Acartia bifilosa was different in different regions.In Bohai Bay it had a two-peak pattern,with the first large peak occurring in May and the second one in October.In Laizhou Bay,a winter peak in December and January could be observed besides the spring one.The number of generations during the reproductive season for the three species was estimated based on the annual cycle in abundance and ambient temperature.     

Anti-proliferative activity of phlorotannin extracts from brown algae Laminaria japonica Aresch

In this study, we evaluated the anti-proliferative activity of phlorotannins derived from brown algae Laminaria japonica Aresch extracts on the human hepatocellular carcinoma cell (BEL-7402) and on murine leukemic cells (P388) by MTT assay. Cells were incubated with 100 μg/mL of the phlorotannin extract (PE) for 48 h. The inhibitory rate of PE on BEL-7402 and P388 cells was 30.20±1.16% and 43.44±1.86%, respectively, and the half-inhibitory concentration of PE (IC₅₀) on P388 and BEL-7402 cells was 120 μg/mL and >200 μg/mL, respectively. Microscopic observation shows that the morphologic features of tumor cells treated with PE and 5-fluorouracil are markedly different from the normal control group. The inhibitory rate of fraction A₂ isolated from PE by sephadex LH-20 for BEL-7402 and P388 cells at the sample concentration of 70.42 μg/mL was 61.96±7.02% and 40.47±8.70%, respectively. The apoptosis peak for fraction A₂ was the most profound of all fractions used in the flow cytometry assay. The results indicate that the anti-proliferative of this algal extract is associated with the total phlorotannin content.     

Effects of algal concentration and initial density on the population growth of Diaphanosoma celebensis Stingelin （Crustacea, Cladocera）

The effects of algal concentration and initial density on the population growth of the estuarine cladocera,Diaphanosoma celebensis Stingelin,were evaluated in an indoor experiment.A 2 × 4 layout that included two algal concentrations(Chlorella pyrenoidosa,1 × 106 and 3 × 106 cell/mL) and four inoculation densities(100,200,300 and 400 ind./L) were established.Diaphanosoma celebensis were reared in 150 mL flasks containing 50 mL of algal medium at 22°C,under salinity of 10 and a photoperiod of 12 h L:12 h D.T...     

Morphotaxonomy and seasonal distribution of planktonic and benthic Prorocentrales in Karachi waters, Pakistan Northern Arabian Sea

Morphotaxonomy and seasonal abundance of dinoflagellates of the genera Prorocentrum and Mesoporos(Prorocentrales) were studied from nutrient-rich waters,Karachi Harbor and the mouth of the Manora Channel,Pakistan during May 2002-July 2003.Using both light and scanning electron microscopy,13 species of Prorocentrales were identified according to cell shape,size,ornamentation of thecal plates,and architecture of apical platelets,apical pore area,marginal pores,and intercalary bands.P.sigmoides,P.arcuatum,P.scutellum,P.donghaiense,P.balticum,P.minimum,P.emarginatum,P.lima,P.faustiae,and Mesoporos perforatus constitute new records for sindh coast of Pakistan.The most abundant species were P.minimum/P.balticum(4.5×103 cells/L),P.micans(1.1×103 cells/L),P.gracile/P.sigmoides(2.5×102 cells/L) and P.donghaiense(6.6×103 cells/L) at temperatures of 29-31℃ and salinities of 35-40.Maximum abundance was observed in winter and lower abundance in summer.There was no significant change in the distribution of species between stations except for the benthic species which occurred close to Karachi Harbor waters.Significant positive correlations were observed between Prorocentrum spp.and temperature(R 2 =0.27) and negative correlations with salinity(R 2 =-0.32) except for P.minimum and P.emarginatum which has negative correlation with temperature(R 2 =-0.24) and positive with salinity(R 2 =0.08,0.19).The finding of potential okadaic-acid producing species of benthic Prorocentrum call for monitoring for possible human health problems in this region.