大亚湾中型浮游动物群落结构和植食性

本文以中型浮游动物成体为研究对象,通过在大亚湾实验站附近一个采样点连续两年的野外调查和现场摄食实验,分析大亚湾近岸富营养化海域中型浮游动物的群落特征,及其对浮游植物的选择摄食特性。结果表明:2015—2017年实验站附近中型浮游动物的总丰度在冬季达到最高,其次为春、秋和夏季;其优势种大多是滤食性桡足类,如锥形宽水蚤(Temora turbinata)、中华哲水蚤(Calanus sinicus)等,中型浮游动物的摄食特性与优势种摄食行为有很大的相关性。中型浮游动物群落更偏好于粒径较大的小型浮游植物(20—200μm),而对微型(2—20μm)或超微型浮游植物(0.7—2μm)的摄食影响较小,甚至会因为选择性摄食对这两种类型的浮游植物的生长有间接促进作用。且中型浮游动物的摄食选择性具有明显的季节性,除每个季节均倾向于摄食甲藻和青绿藻。除此之外,在春季偏好于定鞭藻和隐藻,夏季偏好于定鞭藻和绿藻,秋季偏好于硅藻、隐藻和聚球藻。尽管硅藻的生物量在调查期间平均约占总浮游植物类群的50%,但是中型浮游动物并不主动摄食硅藻,而更偏爱生物量低但营养较高的甲藻。总体上,中型浮游动物虽然对浮游植物有一定的摄食,但其植食性较弱,不能对浮游植物的生物量进行有效控制。     

长江口几种优势桡足类对微型浮游动物的摄食研究

利用现场海水培养实验,结合浮游动物网样数据,研究长江口邻近海域几种优势桡足类(中华哲水蚤、背针胸刺水蚤、太平洋纺锤水蚤和精致真刺水蚤)对微型浮游动物的摄食影响。结果表明,精致真刺水蚤虽然属于肉食性种类,但几乎不摄食微型浮游动物;其余三种杂食性桡足类中华哲水蚤、背针胸刺水蚤和太平洋纺锤水蚤对微型浮游动物(纤毛虫+异养甲藻)的摄食率分别为0.66、0.09和0.59μg C/(ind·d),分别占其日总摄食量的29%、24%和37%。其中,异养甲藻在初始生物量和对桡足类饵料贡献上分别占整个微型浮游动物的30%和28%,是微型浮游动物中一个重要的组成类群。中华哲水蚤对微型浮游动物的摄食率与初始食物浓度有显著的正相关关系,并且对体长20μm纤毛虫的清滤率要明显高于对体长20μm的纤毛虫(P0.01)的清滤率,表明其偏好摄食较大个体的食物。通过Chesson选择性指数显示,尽管微型浮游动物在生物量上远小于浮游植物,但桡足类能优先选择摄食微型浮游动物;进一步结合网采浮游动物数据,获得各站三种优势桡足类丰度平均占桡足类总丰度的77%,但它们对微型浮游动物现存生物量的摄食压力仅为0.8%,表明桡足类对微型浮游动物群落的下行控制作用并不明显,仍有大部分微型浮游动物生物量未通过摄食途径进入到桡足类群落中。     

东海米氏凯伦藻水华中中华哲水蚤的选择性摄食

提要为评估中型浮游动物选择性摄食对有害藻华发展进程的影响,应用一种新的结合Frost直接摄食法和Landry稀释法的现场培养方法,于2005年4月27日—6月5日在东海有害藻华高发区的6个典型站位进行了中华哲水蚤(Calanus sinicus)对浮游植物和微型浮游动物摄食速率的研究。比较了中华哲水蚤对米氏凯伦藻(Karenia mikimotoi)和具齿原甲藻(Prorocentrum dentatum)摄食习性的差异,并评估了其摄食在水华进程中的作用。研究结果表明,中华哲水蚤对有害藻华物种存在摄食选择性和摄食速率的阈值。当自然水体中米氏凯伦藻细胞丰度达到157cells/ml和具齿原甲藻细胞丰度达到981 cells/ml时是中华哲水蚤由偏好趋于排斥摄食的阈值。当自然水体中米氏凯伦藻细胞丰度达到176 cells/ml时,中华哲水蚤对其停止摄食。米氏凯伦藻有害藻华发生区中华哲水蚤对具齿原甲藻的无选择性滤食以及对米氏凯伦藻的排斥摄食行为,影响水华进程,最终导致水华物种向米氏凯伦藻方向演替。     

厦门海域小型浮游动物和桡足类的摄食对浮游植物生长的影响

2005年11月16日和27日,运用稀释法和桡足类添加法,对厦门宝珠屿海域小型浮游动物及桡足类的摄食对浮游植物生长的影响进行了研究.结果表明,各粒级浮游植物的生长率均大于小型浮游动物的摄食率,小型浮游动物对总的Chla和nano-Chla具有一致的显著的摄食作用(0.51～0.78d-1),当存在螺旋环沟藻等大型的异养甲藻时,亦能摄食micro-级浮游植物.所添加的桡足类主要摄食micro-级的浮游植物,也显著摄食小型浮游动物,16日,所添加的桡足类促进nano-级浮游植物的每天生长效应达0.03ind/dm3.说明了厦门海域小型浮游动物及桡足类的摄食共同控制着浮游植物的生长,由于桡足类的杂食性,可产生一定的营养级联效应.     

海洋中型浮游动物的选择性摄食对浮游植物群落的控制

海洋中型浮游动物的选择性摄食很大程度上影响着浮游植物种群的变化,控制着海洋初级生产力的节律、规模和归宿。从海洋中型浮游动物选择性摄食对有害藻华的控制、中型浮游动物的选择性摄食机制、中型浮游动物选择性摄食的研究方法和中型浮游动物的选择性摄食模型四个方面探讨了中型浮游动物选择性摄食对控制浮游植物种群演替的贡献,为进一步预测和控制有害藻华发生提供科学依据。     

台湾海峡南部夏季微型浮游动物对不同色素类群浮游植物的摄食压力

2005年7月在台湾海峡南部4个站位应用“稀释法”结合高效液相色谱(HPLC)色素分析技术研究了不同色素类群浮游植物的生长率及微型浮游动物对其的摄食死亡率.结果表明,不同色素类群浮游植物的生长率(k)和摄食死亡率(g)分别为0.52～ 1.34 d-1和0.25 ～ 1.10 d-1,微型浮游动物对不同色素类群浮游植物的现存量和初级生产力的摄食压力分别为22％～ 66％和40％～ 151％.通过比较不同类群浮游植物的g/k值,发现颗粒较大的浮游植物(硅藻和甲藻)的净生长率要大于那些微型藻类(蓝细菌、隐藻和定鞭金藻等)的净生长率,说明本次研究中微型藻类更易受到微型浮游动物的摄食控制.     

石油烃污染物对海洋浮游植物生长的影响--实验与模型

本文应用 1次培养实验方法 ,研究了 No.0柴油石油烃污染物对 6种海洋浮游植物生长的影响 ,结果表明 ,高浓度石油烃污染物 (CPH>1.0 5 mg· dm-3 )对裸甲藻 ,新月菱形藻 ,三角褐指藻 ,小球藻和亚心形扁藻的生长有抑制作用 ,对于中肋骨条藻 ,石油烃污染物浓度在高于 1.96 mg· dm-3 时抑制其生长。但低浓度石油烃污染物则易促进赤潮藻类 (裸甲藻 ,新月菱形藻 ,中肋骨条藻 )的生长。在 Logistic生长模型的基础上 ,结合 L orentz方程和 Exponential方程 ,引入石油烃污染物浓度项 ,建立石油烃污染物条件下的海洋浮游植物生长的模型。Lorentz方程可描述石油烃污染物对浮游植物生长速率参数的影响 ,Exponential方程可描述石油烃污染物对浮游植物生物量的影响 ,并且实验验证了该模型     

台湾海峡小型浮游动物的摄食对夏季藻华演替的影响

于2004年8月1~6日对台湾海峡南部近岸的藻华过程进行了定点连续跟踪观测,用稀释法研究了浮游植物的生长率和小型浮游动物对浮游植物的摄食死亡率,同时运用高效液相色谱(HPLC)技术,分析了浮游植物不同光合色素类群的生长率和摄食死亡率.结果表明,观测期间处于藻华的消退期.8月1日时,浮游植物生物量(叶绿素a)和丰度分别为2.04μg/dm3和2.99×105个/dm3,主要优势种为尖刺伪菱形藻(Pseudo-nitzschia pungens)、冰河拟星杆藻(Asterionellopsis glacialis)和中肋骨条藻(Skeletonema costatum),8月6日时,浮游植物生物量和丰度分别减为0.37μg/dm3和1.54×104个/dm3;而蓝藻和甲藻的丰度和比例则呈现出逐渐增加的趋势,所占的比重分别从1日的0.04%和0.85%增加到6日的9.59%和41.97%.小型浮游动物主要由无壳纤毛虫、砂壳纤毛虫、红色中缢虫(Mesodinium rubrum)和异养甲藻等类群组成,总丰度于8月2日达到最大值,为3640个/dm3,之后逐渐减少,6日时,仅为436个/dm3.观测期间,小型浮游动物在群落组成上虽一直以无壳纤毛虫和异养甲藻为主,但在具体的类群结构上却表现出了一定的差异,30μm以下的无壳纤毛虫和异养甲藻总体呈下降的趋势,而红色中缢虫、砂壳纤毛虫和大于50μm的无壳纤毛虫总体呈增加的趋势.观测期间,浮游植物的生长率为0.40~0.91d-1,小型浮游动物的摄食率为0.26~1.34d-1,摄食率和生长率总体呈逐渐下降的趋势.结果还表明,小型浮游动物的摄食率与叶绿素a具有很好的相关性(R2=0.89),对各光合色素类群的现存量和初级生产力均具有较高的摄食压力(分别为37.97%~82.24%和70.71%~281.33%),是藻华消亡的重要原因之一;此外,小型浮游动物对甲藻和蓝藻的避食行为,可能是观测期间由“硅藻”水华向“硅藻-甲藻”水华转变的重要原因之一.     

三亚湾秋季桡足类分布与种类组成及对浮游植物现存量的摄食压力

秋季(11月底),桡足类针刺拟哲水蚤(Paracalanusaculeatus)和拟哲水蚤(Paracalanus)幼体为三亚湾优势种;强额孔雀哲水蚤(Pavocalanuscrassirostris)对浮游植物现存量的平均日摄食压力最大,各站平均为叶绿素a的(6.79±6.82)%,其次是针刺拟哲水蚤,平均为(5.97±5.67)%,亚强次真哲水蚤(Subeucalanussubcrassus)对浮游植物现存量的摄食压力较低,平均为(2.20±2.33)%,桡足类在秋季对浮游植物的日摄食压力占叶绿素a的(22.31±18.92)%。三亚湾属于生产力偏低的海区,对初级生产力的摄食压力以中型浮游动物针刺拟哲水蚤、锯缘拟哲水蚤(Paracalanusserrulus)、红纺锤水蚤(Acartiaerythraea)、微驼背隆哲水蚤(Acro calanusgracilis)和驼背隆哲水蚤(Acrocalanusgibber)为主,小型浮游动物的摄食压力也占一定的比例。     

不同饵料对桡足类无节幼体存活、发育的影响研究

在食物中碳质量浓度为1.0 mg/L的条件下,通过室内实验研究了不同食物对中华哲水蚤(Calanus sinicus)和双刺纺锤水蚤(Acartia bifilosa)无节幼体存活和发育的影响。结果表明,桡足类无节幼体发育速度与存活率之间存在正相关关系。单种食物中粒径较小的微绿球藻和三角褐指藻在桡足类开口摄食期是最适宜的饵料,但在发育后期以及整个发育期则粒径较大的亚心型扁藻和中肋骨条藻更为适宜。在相同的发育阶段,小型桡足类双刺纺锤水蚤和中型桡足类中华哲水蚤对于食物粒径的选择也是不同的。与非硅藻食物相比,硅藻并非桡足类无节幼体发育的理想食物,而单种硅藻对桡足类无节幼体发育的负面影响可以通过对混合食物的摄食得到有效的减弱。     

Trophic efficiency of the planktonic food web in a coastal ecosystem dominated by Phaeocystis colonies

The trophic efficiency of the planktonic food web in the Phaeocystis-dominated ecosystem of the Belgian coastal waters was inferred from the analysis of the carbon flow network of the planktonic system subdivided into its different trophodynamic groups. A carbon budget was constructed on the basis of process-level field experiments conducted during the spring bloom period of 1998. Biomass and major metabolic activities of auto- and heterotrophic planktonic communities (primary production, bacterial production, nanoproto-, micro- and mesozooplankton feeding activities) were determined in nine field assemblages collected during spring at reference station 330. In 1998, the phytoplankton spring flowering was characterised by a moderate diatom bloom followed by a massive Phaeocystis colony bloom. Phaeocystis colonies, contributing 70% to the net primary production, escaped the linear food chain while the early spring diatom production supplied 74% of the mesozooplankton carbon uptake. The rest of mesozooplankton food requirement was, at the time of the Phaeocystis colony bloom, partially fulfilled by microzooplankton. Only one-third of the microzooplankton production, however, was controlled by mesozooplankton grazing pressure. Ungrazed Phaeocystis colonies were stimulating the establishment of a very active microbial network. On the one hand, the release of free-living cells from ungrazed colonies has been shown to stimulate the growth of microzooplankton, which was controlling 97% of the nanophytoplankton production. On the other hand, the disruption of ungrazed Phaeocystis colonies supplied the water column with large amounts of dissolved organic matter available for planktonic bacteria. The budget calculation suggests that ungrazed colonies contributed up to 60% to the bacterial carbon demand, while alternative sources (exudation, zooplankton egestion and lysis of other organisms) provided some 30% of bacterial carbon requirements. This suggests that the spring carbon demand of planktonic bacteria was satisfied largely by autogenic production. The trophic efficiency was defined as the ratio between mesozooplankton grazing on a given source and food production. In spite of its major contribution to mesozooplankton feeding, the trophic efficiency of the linear food chain, restricted to the grazing on diatoms, represented only 5.6% of the available net primary production. The trophic efficiency of the microbial food chain, the ratio between mesozooplankton grazing on microzooplankton and the resource inflow (the bacterial carbon demand plus the nanophytoplankton production) amounted to only 1.6%. These low trophic efficiencies together with the potential contribution of ungrazed Phaeocystis-derived production to the bacterial carbon demand suggest that during spring 1998 most of the Phaeocystis-derived production in the Belgian coastal area was remineralised in the water column.     

Copepod grazing during spring blooms: Can Pseudocalanus newmani induce trophic cascades?

During late winter and spring of 2002 and 2003, 24 two- to three-day cruises were conducted to Dabob Bay, Washington State, USA, to examine the grazing, egg production, and hatching success rates of adult female Calanus pacificus and Pseudocalanus newmani. Here, we discuss the results of our grazing experiments for P. newmani. Each week, we conducted traditional microzooplankton dilution experiments and “copepod dilution” experiments, each from two different layers. Grazing was measured by changes in chlorophyll concentration and direct cell counts. Clearance rates on individual prey species, as calculated by cell counts, showed that Pseudocalanus are highly selective in their feeding, and may have much higher grazing rates on individual taxa than calculated from bulk chlorophyll disappearance. The grazing rates of the copepods, however, are typically an order of magnitude lower than the grazing rates of the microzooplankton community, or the growth rates of the phytoplankton. P. newmani ingested diatoms, but, at certain times fed preferentially on microzooplankton, such as ciliates, tintinnids, and larger dinoflagellates. Removal of the microzooplankton may have released the other phytoplankton species from grazing pressure, allowing those species’ abundance to increase, which was measured as an apparent “negative” grazing on those phytoplankton species. The net result of grazing on some phytoplankton species, while simultaneously releasing others from grazing pressure resulted in bulk chlorophyll-derived estimates of grazing which were essentially zero or slightly negative; thus bulk chlorophyll disappearance is a poor indicator of copepod grazing. Whether copepods can significantly release phytoplankton from the grazing pressure by microzooplankton in situ, thus causing a trophic cascade, remains to be verified, but is suggested by our study.     

几种单胞藻对双刺纺锤水蚤雌体繁殖的影响

研究6种饵料微藻：微绿球藻（Nannochloropsis oculata）、小球藻（Chlorella．sp）、球等鞭金藻（Isochrysis galbana）、三角褐指藻（Phaeodactylum tricornutum）、亚心形扁藻（Platymonas subordi-formis）、中肋骨条藻（Skeletonema costatum）对双刺纺锤水蚤（Acartia bifilosa）雌体繁殖的影响，以探索适合培养双刺纺锤水蚤的藻类。应用解剖镜下计数方法对雌体存活率、产卵率、孵化率、排粪率几个指标进行检测。结果表明微绿球藻、小球藻和球等鞭金藻明显不适于用作雌体饵料；中肋骨条藻组产卵率最高，亚心形扁藻和三角褐指藻组的产卵率没有显著差异；亚心形扁藻组的排粪率明显低于中肋骨条藻和三角褐指藻组；摄食三角褐指藻的雌体所产的卵其平均孵化率要显著低于亚心形扁藻和中肋骨条藻；亚心形扁藻组雌体的产卵率尽管较中肋骨条藻组低，但却保持最高的雌体存活率，而且排粪率也要比中肋骨条藻低得多。综合比较得出结论：6种饵料微藻中，亚心形扁藻和中肋骨条藻是两种最适宜培养双刺纺锤水蚤雌体的优良饵料，二者混合使用效果会更好。     

Copepod grazing during spring blooms: Does Calanus pacificus avoid harmful diatoms?

During late winter and spring of 2002 and 2003, 24, 2–3 day cruises were conducted to Dabob Bay, Washington State, USA, to examine the grazing, egg production, and hatching success rates of adult female Calanus pacificus and Pseudocalanus newmani. The results of the copepod grazing experiments for C. pacificus are discussed here. Each week, copepod grazing incubation experiments from two different depth layers were conducted. Grazing was measured by both changes in chlorophyll concentration and cell counts. In 2002, there was one moderate bloom consisting mainly of Thalassiosira spp. in early February, and a larger bloom in April comprised of two Chaetoceros species and Phaeocystis sp. Similarly, in 2003, there were two blooms, an early one dominated by Thalassiosira spp., and a later one consisting of Chaetoceros spp. and Thalassiosira spp. Clearance rates on individual prey species, as calculated by cell counts, showed that C. pacificus are highly selective in their feeding, and may have much higher clearance rates on individual taxa than rates calculated from bulk chlorophyll disappearance. During weeks of high phytoplankton concentration, the copepods generally ate phytoplankton. However, they often rejected the most abundant phytoplankton species, particularly certain Thalassiosira spp., even though the rejected prey were often of the same genus and similar size to the preferred prey. It is speculated that this avoidance may be related to the possible deleterious effects that certain of these diatom species have on the reproductive success of these copepods. During weeks of medium to low phytoplankton concentration, the copepods selectively ate certain species of phytoplankton, and often had high electivity for microzooplankton. The selection mechanism must consist of active particle rejection most likely based on detection of surface chemical properties, since the diatoms that were selected were of the same genus, nearly the same size, and at lower numerical abundance than those cells that were avoided. The grazing choices made by these copepods may have important consequences for the overall ecosystem function within coastal and estuarine systems through changes in the transfer efficiency of energy to higher trophic levels.     

火腿伪镖水蚤对抑食金球藻中国株的摄食行为及摄食后的表现

全球河口海域屡屡爆发褐潮，但我们对致因种抑食金球藻和浮游桡足类之间的营养关系还不甚清楚。我们就浮游桡足类火腿伪镖水蚤摄食抑食金球藻中国株的单种或混合饵料时的摄食行为和生长、发育等表现进行了研究。研究发现：火腿伪镖水蚤的无节幼体、桡足幼体和成体摄食单种抑食金球藻饵料时，摄食率和食物浓度之间的关系符合米氏方程。较之桡足类幼体和成体，无节幼体摄食抑食金球藻时的I_max（最大摄食率）值最大，同时大于其摄食中肋骨条藻的I_max值。通常情况下，火腿伪镖水蚤在摄食抑食金球藻和中肋骨条藻的混合饵料时避食抑食金球藻，但于无节幼体，这种情况并不明显。无节幼体摄食单种抑食金球藻饵料在无节幼体期末期死亡，无法进入桡足类幼体期，与饥饿状态下的个体相似。但是，饵料中抑食金球藻的存在对桡足幼体的生长无明显效应，但却极大地减少了成体的生殖率。我们的研究表明火腿伪镖水蚤无节幼体，在褐潮的控制中有潜在作用，然而，这种潜在控制作用由于桡足类种群的衰落难以持续。     

Iron regeneration and organic iron(III)-binding ligand production during in situ zooplankton grazing experiment

To elucidate iron regeneration and organic iron(III)-binding ligand formation during microzooplankton and copepod grazing on phytoplankton, incubation experiments were conducted in the western subarctic Pacific. During 8 days of dark incubation of ambient water and that amended with plankton concentrate, dissolved iron and organic iron(III)-binding ligands accumulated, approximately proportionally to the decrease in chlorophyll a. The observed increases in dissolved iron concentration were much greater than those expected from the consumption of phytoplankton biomass and previously reported Fe:C value of cultured algal cells, suggesting resolution from colloidal or particulate iron adsorbed onto the algal cell surface. When copepods were added to the ambient water, organic iron(III)-binding ligands accumulated more rapidly than in the control receiving no copepod addition, although consumed phytoplankton biomass was comparable between the two treatments. Bioassay experiment using filtrates collected from the incubation experiment showed that organic ligands formed during microzooplankton grazing reduced the iron bioavailability to phytoplankton and suppressed their growth. Moreover, picoplankton Synechococcus sp. and Micromonas pusilla were more suppressed by the organic ligands than the diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii. In conclusion, through microzooplankton and copepod grazing on phytoplankton, organic iron(III)-binding ligands as well as regenerated iron are released into the ambient seawater. Because the ligands lower iron bioavailability to phytoplankton through complexation and the degree of availability reduction varies among phytoplankton species, grazing by zooplankton can shift phytoplankton community structure in iron-limited waters.     

针胞藻海洋卡盾藻(Chattonella marina)和硅藻中肋骨条藻(Skeletonema costatum)藻际细菌的分离、鉴定及影响研究

对实验室培养的两株海洋微藻海洋卡盾藻和中肋骨条藻的可培养细菌进行了分离鉴定，分别在海洋卡盾藻和硅藻中肋骨条藻不同生长时期分离得到48株和34株可培养细菌，去除重复序列后得到12株不同的菌株。这些菌株分属α-变形杆菌纲、γ-变形杆菌纲、拟杆菌和放线菌。α-变形杆菌纲在两种藻的藻际环境中占据优势，其中红杆菌科是最为常见的科，中肋骨条藻的藻际细菌比海洋卡盾藻更为多样化。海洋卡盾藻生长后期细菌密度大幅度上升，可能导致了藻细胞的衰亡。中肋骨条藻相关细菌中有一株对旋链角毛藻的生长具有明显抑制作用，而大部分海洋卡盾藻相关细菌对角毛藻的生长具有抑制作用。本研究结果说明海洋卡盾藻的藻际细菌也许对其与硅藻的种间竞争中具有一定作用。     

不同紫外波段对中肋骨条藻光合生理特性的影响

人类活动导致臭氧层变薄和混合层变浅，迫使混合层的浮游植物暴露在更高的紫外辐射下。实验以中肋骨条藻（Skeletonema costatum）为研究对象，在自然光照条件下，通过在暗盒上方覆盖不同的截止型滤光板，获得不同波段紫外辐射，探讨不同紫外波段对其生理特性的影响。本实验通过在室外培养，模拟赤潮爆发状态，对中肋骨条藻进行7种不同紫外波段的处理（分别使用280、300、320、340、360、380、400 nm截止型滤光板）。实验结果表明：紫外辐射会显著抑制中肋骨条藻的光合固碳速率，随着紫外波段逐步被滤除，光合固碳速率越来越高；>280 nm和>300 nm波段下的比生长率显著低于>400 nm波段处理；280 nm~300 nm波段紫外对叶绿素a有显著的漂白效应，同时也会显著减少类胡萝卜素的含量；这表明紫外辐射对中肋骨条藻的抑制效应主要是紫外辐射B导致的，而紫外辐射A的作用不显著。在估测浮游植物海洋初级生产力的过程中，紫外辐射的作用往往被忽视。     

Structure, biomass distribution and trophodynamics of the pelagic ecosystem in the Oyashio region, western subarctic Pacific

Biomass distribution and trophodynamics in the oceanic ecosystem in the Oyashio region are presented and analyzed, combining the seasonal data for plankton and micronekton collected at Site H since 1996 with data for nekton and other animals at higher trophic levels from various sources. The total biomass of biological components including bacteria, phytoplankton, microzooplankton, mesozooplankton, micronekton, fishes/squids and marine birds/mammals was 23 g C m⁻², among which the most dominant component was mesozooplankton (34% of the total), followed by phytoplankton (28%), bacteria (15%) and microzooplankton (protozoans) (14%). The remainder (9%) was largely composed of micronekton and fish/squid. Marine mammals/birds are only a small fraction (0.14%) of the total biomass. Large/medium grazing copepods (Neocalaus spp., Eucalanus bungii and Metridia spp.) accounted for 77% of the mesozooplankton biomass. Based on information about diet composition, predators were assigned broadly into mean trophic level 3–4, and carbon flow through the grazing food chain was established based on the estimated annual production/food consumption balance of each trophic level. From the food chain scheme, ecological efficiencies as high as 24% were calculated for the primary/secondary production and 21% for the secondary/tertiary production. Biomass and production of bacteria were estimated as 1/10 of the respective values for phytoplankton at Site H, but the role of the microbial food chain remains unresolved in the present analysis. As keystone species in the oceanic Oyashio region, Neocalanus spp. are suggested as a vital link between primary production and production of pelagic fishes, mammals and birds.     

Seasonality of microzooplankton grazing in the northern Wadden Sea

A sequence of nine dilution experiments was conducted according to Landry and Hassett [Landry, M.R., Hassett, R.P., 1982. Estimating the grazing impact of marine microzooplankton. Mar. Biol. 67, 283–288] in the northern Wadden Sea from March until October 2004 to investigate the seasonality of microzooplankton grazing. From March until April, no grazing was observed. Microzooplankton grazing started in May (0.66 d^− 1) and increased until August (1.22 d^− 1). In October microzooplankton grazing was low again (0.17 d^− 1). Phytoplankton growth rates varied between 0 and 1.1 d^− 1. Since the reliability of dilution experiments is still frequently discussed in literature, we tested if our data obtained by dilution experiments reflected short-term in situ phytoplankton dynamics of the study site. We scaled experimental growth rates to water column irradiance, calculated short-term chlorophyll-a dynamics and compared the results to in situ measured chlorophyll-a concentrations. Calculated chlorophyll-a concentrations correlated significantly with in situ measured chlorophyll-a concentrations but slightly overestimated the in situ measured chlorophyll-a. This overestimation was in the range of phytoplankton assimilation reported for the Wadden Sea benthos. We will show that microzooplankton grazing had a large impact during the Phaeocystis bloom and during summer suggesting that a large proportion of phytoplankton biomass remained the pelagic food web. Microzooplankton grazing did not impact the diatom spring bloom and its demise.