Spatial distribution of sponge spicules in sediments around Taiwan and the Sunda Shelf

Biogenic silica (BSi) in marine sediments is an important indicator of siliceous organism distributions and paleoproductivities. Organisms that have BSi skeletons include diatoms, silicoflagellates, radiolarians and sponges. This study presents, for the first time, the distribution of biogenic siliceous fragments in shallow water sediments around Taiwan and the Sunda Shelf, which belong to this rarely studied region of the South China Sea (SCS). Thirty-one surface sediment samples were collected from intertidal to depths of 1,100?m. Only sponge spicules were found in this study and the abundance varied in the range of 3?C7,910?n?g^?1 sediment. Combining previous studies with ours, from shallow to deep, it was observed that BSi composition in the surface sediment of this area changed from sponge spicules in the Sunda Shelf, followed by sponge spicules and radiolarians in the southwestern SCS, to sponge spicules, radiolarians and diatoms in the southern SCS. Based on this study, the abundance of sponge spicules correlated positively and negatively with water depth and sediment grain size when coral reef sites were excluded. The low spicule abundance in shallow waters may have resulted from local current conditions and the dilution effect through riverine input of terrestrial sediment. Other possible explanations for the varying spicule abundance among sites are the difference in local fauna, such as coral reefs which usually have high diversity and abundance of sponges. The findings provide additional information on the process of recent BSi deposition which may help future studies in sedimentology, paleogeography and paleoenvironments.     

长江口邻近海域沉积物和间隙水中硅的研究

以2011年6月和8月在长江口邻近海域采集的沉积物和间隙水样品为研究对象,讨论了沉积物中生物硅（BSi）和间隙水中溶解硅（DSi）的分布情况和影响因素,并初步探讨了生物硅的循环和保存。结果表明,表层沉积物中BSi的含量较低,且均小于1%。柱状沉积物中BSi的含量范围为0.34%~0.52%。C3、D1站位柱状沉积物中BSi的记录主要是由早期成岩过程控制,33#站位的分布特征主要是由水动力等变化控制。沉积物间隙水中DSi的浓度范围为101.6~263.9 μmol/L,低于纯BSi的溶解度;间隙水的pH值越大,沉积物的含水率越低,还原性越强,间隙水中DSi的含量越高。3站位生物硅的埋藏效率均较高,表明长江口邻近海域是潜在的硅的汇。沉积通量的分布与沉积速率和埋藏效率的分布一致,均有近岸高于远海的趋势。     

Seasonal and vertical variations of sinking particle fluxes in the West Caroline Basin

A sediment trap experiment was carried out in the West Caroline Basin, located in the equatorial western Pacific between influences of the Asian monsoon and the open ocean. Annual mass flux at the shallow trap at Site 1 was 57.10 g m^-2 yr^-1. Generally, the higher flux of organic matter was associated with higher activities of biogenic opal-producing and carbonate-producing plankton communities. In addition, as the organic matter content increases, the organic carbon/carbonate carbon ratio shows a tendency to increase. Carbonate-producing plankton was predominant during periods 1 and 3 (May to July and November to the beginning of December), which could be due to limited silica supply to the euphotic zone. On the other hand, surface sea water was more nutrient-rich during periods 2 and 4 (August to October and the end of December to April) at Site 1. These high total mass fluxes could be stimulated by wind.The amount of biogenic components collected in the sediment traps and the accumulation in surface sediments at Site 1 could be compared with primary productivity values. Carbonate and biogenic opal fluxes were 99% and 90% less, respectively, in the surface sediments compared to those in the shallow sediment trap. This could be due to the reaction of sinking particles with undersaturated deep sea water just above the sea floor, rather than with the water column during sinking. About 20% of the organic matter was decomposed between the shallow and deep sediment traps and more than 98% between the deep sediment trap and final burial in the surface sediments. The relative amount of organic carbon preserved in surface sediments was about 0.10% of annual primary productivity.     

大亚湾西部海域沉积物中生物硅的含量及其分布特征

采用2. 0 mol/dm~3Na_2CO_3溶液5h单点化学提取-硅钼蓝连续分光光度分析法分别测定了大亚湾西部海域13个表层沉积物和1个沉积物岩芯中生物硅的含量.表层沉积物和沉积物岩芯中生物硅含量占比分别为0. 69%～2. 02%和1. 24%～2. 05%,平均值分别为1. 42%和1. 60%.结果证实西大亚湾沉积物中生物硅含量水平与我国南海近岸海域基本一致.在210Pbex测年的基础上,通过分析沉积物岩芯中生物硅、有机物、无机碳等多指标,揭示近百年来大亚湾周边环境变化对海洋环境的影响,证实了上世纪80年代以来西大亚湾周边农业、海水养殖业和工业发展等人类活动加剧了该海域生态环境变化,尤其90年代核电站运行对海洋生态变化造成一定的影响.     

The benthic silica cycle in the Northeast Atlantic: annual mass balance, seasonality, and importance of non-steady-state processes for the early diagenesis of biogenic opal in deep-sea sediments

Within the framework of the EU-funded BENGAL programme, the effects of seasonality on biogenic silica early diagenesis have been studied at the Porcupine Abyssal Plain (PAP), an abyssal locality located in the northeast Atlantic Ocean. Nine cruises were carried out between August 1996 and August 1998. Silicic acid (DSi) increased downward from 46.2 to 213 μM (mean of 27 profiles). Biogenic silica (BSi) decreased from ca. 2% near the sediment–water interface to <1% at depth. Benthic silicic acid fluxes as measured from benthic chambers were close to those estimated from non-linear DSi porewater gradients. Some 90% of the dissolution occurred within the top 5.5 cm of the sediment column, rather than at the sediment–water interface and the annual DSi efflux was close to 0.057 mol Si m⁻² yr⁻¹. Biogenic silica accumulation was close to 0.008 mol Si m⁻² yr⁻¹ and the annual opal delivery reconstructed from sedimentary fluxes, assuming steady state, was 0.065 mol Si m⁻² yr⁻¹. This is in good agreement with the mean annual opal flux determined from sediment trap samples, averaged over the last decade (0.062 mol Si m⁻² yr⁻¹). Thus ca. 12% of the opal flux delivered to the seafloor get preserved in the sediments. A simple comparison between the sedimentation rate and the dissolution rate in the uppermost 5.5 cm of the sediment column suggests that there should be no accumulation of opal in PAP sediments. However, by combining the BENGAL high sampling frequency with our experimental results on BSi dissolution, we conclude that non-steady state processes associated with the seasonal deposition of fresh biogenic particles may well play a fundamental role in the preservation of BSi in these sediments. This comes about though the way seasonal variability affects the quality of the biogenic matter reaching the seafloor. Hence it influences the intrinsic dissolution properties of the opal at the seafloor and also the part played by non-local mixing events by ensuring the rapid transport of BSi particles deep into the sediment to where saturation is reached.     

黄、东海柱状沉积物中生物硅含量的分析

对东、黄海2 0 0 0年10月和2 0 0 1年5月2个航次所获得的表层及柱状沉积物样品进行分析,在单点提取测定方法的基础上采用连续提取方法,利用斜率校正法扣除非生物硅的干扰,测定了东、黄海柱状沉积物中生物硅的含量。从整个东、黄海海域来看,沉积物中生物硅的含量<1% ,属于低含量海域;讨论了沉积物样品处理方法对分析结果的影响,在此基础上分析了不同海区柱状沉积物中生物硅的分布特征以及沉积物中叶绿素、水体中硅酸盐、叶绿素、N/P比值等生态要素与沉积物中生物硅分布的相关关系。     

烟台四十里湾表层沉积物中生物硅的研究

以烟台四十里湾作为研究区域,分析了16个站位表层沉积物中生物硅的含量,探讨沉积物中生物硅对内湾环境的指示作用.结果表明,污水排放区、垃圾倾倒区沉积物中生物硅含量较高(平均值分别为0.71％和0.78％),对应上层水体的富营养化;航道区生物硅含量很低(平均值0.37％),与航船扰动造成的低生产力状况符合.沉积物中生物硅含量较好地反映了上层水体的浮游植物状况,并与上层营养盐浓度具有很好的对应关系.研究表明,沉积环境能够明显影响沉积物中生物硅的沉积和保存.     

Effect of solid to solution ratio on biogenic silica determination in coastal sediments

The method of DeMaster (1981) for measuring biogenic silica (BSi) in marine sediments was modified. We found a considerable effect of the solid to solution (S/S) ratio on BSi determination in coastal sediments. The BSi contents determined by DeMaster’s method were overestimated due to the contribution of clay mineral-derived extractable Si at a low S/S ratio (<1 g l⁻¹), and incomplete recovery of BSi was observed due to incomplete extraction when using a high S/S ratio (>2 g l⁻¹). For BSi analysis of coastal sediment samples, the BSi content of representative samples must be measured using various S/S ratios to determine the appropriate S/S ratio in order to minimize the contribution of extractable Si derived from clay minerals and to obtain sufficiently efficient extraction with 1% Na₂CO₃ before actual sample measurement. One way to determine the appropriate S/S ratio is to use artificial sediment which has a theoretical Si and clay mineral content similar to the sediment sample composition. Using artificial sediment, the S/S ratio of 2 g l⁻¹ seems appropriate for measuring the BSi content of the coastal sediments investigated in this study, because 99.6% recovery can be achieved.     

Problems with biogenic silica measurement in marginal seas

Surface sediment samples from the Bohai, Yellow Sea, and the Pacific were used to assess biogenic silica (BSi) content and to study uncertainties in BSi measurements. The contents of BSi in the Bohai and Yellow Sea are all less than 1%. The dissolution of BSi in sediments from the Bohai and Yellow Sea is very important to maintain high levels of silicate in the water column. The non-biogenic silica from clay minerals has an obvious effect on BSi of sediment samples in the Bohai and Yellow Sea with low BSi and high clay minerals. The solid to solution ratio was found to have a great influence on BSi measurement, which can induce uncertainties up to 75%. The effect of loss by sorption and centrifugation is negligible. Interlaboratory comparison of techniques for BSi measurement by the wet alkaline extraction technique of Mortlock and Froelich [Deep-Sea Res. 36 (1989) 1415-1426] with clay correction was suggested to give no significant differences. However, differences in sediment compositions and reagent to sample ratio may limit the application of the wet alkaline extraction method.     

东海、黄海近代沉积物中生物硅含量的分布及其反演潜力

以东海、黄海2006年4月、10月航次采集的沉积物样品为研究对象,结合沉积物中生物硅(BSi)含量的空间分布特征进而讨论BSi的反演潜力。研究发现,调查海域表层沉积物中BSi的含量介于0.018%~2.516%,平均值为0.726%,柱状沉积物中BSi的含量波动较小,相对稳定。整体而言BSi含量与相应年代的浮游植物现存量变化的趋势相近。经一元线性分析发现BSi含量与硅藻生物量的相关性显著。为进一步证实由BSi含量反演古生产力的有效性和可信度,采用Tun-nicliffe等的方法探讨了BSi含量在沉积物中的稳定性,调查结果表明,近150 a来BSi几乎没有降解,能够稳定地保存于沉积物中。综上可以初步判断沉积物中BSi含量可作为古生产力指标来反演古生产力的潜力。     

胶州湾水体和表层沉积物营养环境现状及影响因素

为了解胶州湾水体和表层沉积物营养环境状况及其主要影响因素,于2019年8月在胶州湾30个站位点采集了海水和表层沉积物样品,并于2021年5月在胶州湾沿岸采集了18个站位点的水样,对水体溶解无机态营养盐浓度和组成以及表层沉积物中总有机碳、总氮、总磷及生物硅含量和碳、氮稳定同位素（δ13C、δ15N）进行了分析。结果表明,胶州湾内水体和沿岸水体中溶解无机氮、溶解无机磷和溶解硅酸盐浓度空间分布相近,高值均位于湾东北部,主要受到河流输入和沿岸污水排放的影响,低值主要出现在湾中部和湾口处。结合近30年来的历史数据分析发现,胶州湾夏季营养盐浓度在1990?2008年期间呈持续上升的趋势,政府实施的污染物总量控制措施以及河流径流量下降使得2006年以来营养盐浓度呈现下降的趋势,该变化在空间上主要体现为大沽河氮、磷输入量的减少及其对应的湾西部营养盐高值的消失。胶州湾氮、磷营养盐输入的不平衡使得“磷限制”在2000年后逐渐加剧。胶州湾表层沉积物中总有机碳、总氮、总磷含量高值均集中于东北部和东部沿岸,结合生物硅和水体营养盐含量分析显示,这主要是河流与排污输入及其带来的高初级生产力造成的,沉积物生源要素与水体营养盐在空间分布上存在较好的耦合关系。沉积物粒度较粗对有机质保存的不利影响以及湾口较强的水动力作用共同导致了湾西部、中部以及湾口的生源要素含量较低。δ13C以及二端元混合模型显示,胶州湾表层沉积物有机质来源总体以海源为主,平均占比为64%,东部沿岸受陆源输入影响较明显。δ15N的空间分布显示,胶州湾表层沉积物中氮元素受到了海水养殖与污水排放的共同影响。水体和沉积物营养环境现状共同表明,对东北部河流和沿岸污水排放的控制是后期胶州湾污染治理的关键。     

Sedimentary records of eutrophication in the Changjiang Estuary upwelling area over last 100 a

The upwelling area in the Changjiang Estuary was selected to collect the core, where the red tide occurred frequently and hypoxic existed. The total organic carbon （TOC）, total nitrogen （TN）, biogenic silica （BSi） and stable organic carbon isotopic ratios（δ13 Corg） were determined on the 210pb-dated sediment core. The concentrations of TOC, TN, BSi as well as their sedimentation fluxes have in- creased to some extent since the 1970s. TOC and TN fluxes increased about 45%, 36% respectively. The average δ13 Coorg value in the core was -23.67 ×10^-3 which remained nearly constant before the 20 century. The δ13 Corg values increased after the 1900s, two marked increases were observed from the 1950s and the 1970s. A simple δ13 Cors model was used to estimate the contribution of terrigenous and marine organic matter inputs for the sediment, which indicated the increase in accumulation since the 1970s has been almost exclusively marine. The increasing of marine organic matter accumulation （TOC, TN and BSi） was corresponding with the increasing of fertilizer consumption and the NO3-N budgets from the Changjiang River. The riverine runoff of fertilizers and nutrients stimulated the algae blooming. Enhanced primary production resulted in an enrichment of organic matter in the sediment. These data support the hypothesis that anthropogenic nutrient loading has been a significant factor on the eutrophication in the Changjiang Estuary.     

Dissolution kinetics of biogenic silica collected from the water column and sediments of three Southern California borderland basins

Understanding biogenic silica (bSi) dissolution kinetics in margin environments is important in assessing the global silicon cycle, a cycle closely linked to the global carbon cycle. This understanding is also essential to answer the question of whether bSi content in marine sediment is a valid indicator of productivity in the overlying surface ocean. In this study, plankton tow, sediment trap, and sediment samples were collected at sites in three Southern California borderland basins. Batch dissolution experiments with plankton tow and sediment trap materials (conducted in the laboratory at 22 °C) showed linear dissolution kinetics, from which mean dissolution rate constants of 0.05 d^? 1 for plankton tow samples and 0.07 d^? 1 for sediment trap samples could be calculated. The dissolution rate constants for both types of samples showed seasonal variability but not the same seasonal patterns. Faster dissolution was observed with sediment trap samples collected at 800 m than at 550 m. With sediment multi-core samples, non-linear dissolution kinetics was observed, which complicates the direct comparison of dissolution rates. Nonetheless, dissolution appeared to be slower for the sediments samples than for samples collected from the water column and to decrease with depth in the sediments. Rate constants for surface sediment (0–0.5 cm) were at least 3–5 times less, and sediments at depths > 2 cm had rate constants at least 6–13 times less than those for material sinking to the sediment surface at these sites. Dissolution experiments conducted with Santa Barbara Basin surface sediment samples amended with dissolved aluminum (Al) and San Pedro Basin trap samples amended with enriched detrital materials (obtained by leaching bSi from sediment samples) suggested that dissolution was inhibited by Al and that the sediments from the different basins varied in the extent of Al release.     

Vertical and seasonal differences in biogenic silica dissolution in natural seawater in Suruga Bay, Japan: Effects of temperature and organic matter

Vertical and seasonal characteristics of biogenic silica (BSi) dissolution in seawater were investigated by multiple dissolution experiments using seawater collected from surface and mesopelagic layers in Suruga Bay during the period 2002–2004. The dissolution rate coefficients calculated based on temporal changes of BSi concentration varied with the season of sample collection. They ranged from 0.023–0.057 day^− 1 for surface samples and 0.0018–0.0025 day^− 1 for mesopelagic samples for temperatures approaching in situ conditions. Experiments at various temperatures confirmed that BSi dissolution depends on temperature in natural seawater. Dissolution rate coefficient (day^− 1) of BSi correlated significantly with temperature (°C), and Q₁₀ was 2.6. Addition of bioavailable organic matter to low-bioactivity seawater enhanced the protease activity and abundance of bacteria, and increased BSi dissolution rate by a factor of 1.4–2.0. There is clear evidence that BSi dissolution is accelerated by bacterial activity and potentially limited by bioavailable organic matter in natural seawater. Dissolution rates and total decreases of BSi concentration were lower during experiments using mesopelagic samples than in those using surface samples. This suggests that dissolution of BSi varies with depth and that BSi in the mesopelagic water is more resistant to the dissolution than that in the surface water. This lower dissolution rate was caused by lower temperature and lower bacterial activity due to less bioavailable organic matter in mesopelagic water. Our results provide a mechanistic understanding of variations in silica cycling within the seasonally and vertically differing marine environment.     

不同藻类生态参数在反演沉积物环境中的应用比较

海洋沉积物中残留的硅壳、甲藻孢囊、类脂类化合物及生物硅等生态参数被广泛应用于反演和指示海洋古环境特征.本研究通过测定烟台四十里湾表层沉积物中的硅藻化石、甲藻孢囊、菜籽甾醇、甲藻甾醇及生物硅5种生态参数,比较不同生态参数的相关性及它们在反演海洋环境中的功能差异,建立了多参数综合应用的研究方法.研究发现,沉积物中的硅壳丰度与菜籽甾醇含量及生物硅含量存在明显正相关关系(P＜0.05),菜籽甾醇含量与生物硅含量可以较好的佐证与提高沉积物中硅壳对硅藻生物量指示的准确性;甲藻孢囊与甲藻甾醇含量相关性不明显(P＞0.05),相较而言,甲藻甾醇可以更准确的反演甲藻的生物量.因此,生物与化学参数的结合应用不仅可以提高生物量指示的精确性,而且有助于从物种组成角度更好的了解藻类对环境变化的响应特征.     

渤海颗粒有机碳与生物硅的分布及来源

海洋碳、硅循环及其相关联的生物地球化学过程是全球环境变化的热点问题,也是海洋科学关心的重要领域。利用2012年5月和11月份对渤海海域的调查结果,对该海域颗粒有机碳和生物硅的分布特征及来源进行了讨论。主要结论为:渤海有机碳以溶解有机碳为主,具有春季高和秋季低的特征;由陆地来源和海洋自生的有机碳组成,且以海洋来源的有机碳为主。渤海生物硅分布具有明显的梯度特征,河流输入同样对其含量的影响较为突出。渤海沉积物中生物硅含量较高,明显高于中国东部陆架海。渤海表层沉积物中生物硅主要是海源的,依次由浮游藻类、植硅体和海绵骨针所构成,其中浮游藻类占62.9%,陆源植硅体占31.1%。渤海沉积物发现了来自于草本植物的植硅体,这说明了陆地产生的植硅体对海洋生物硅的贡献。     

长江口生物硅的组成、行为和收支

基于在长江口开展的三个综合航次对河口生物硅组成、行为和收支进行了研究。结果表明，长江口生物硅主要是由植硅体、硅藻和海绵骨针三部分组成，其中植硅体有16种形态，在高混浊区对生物硅的贡献量为23%-83%。收支计算显示，长江输送的生物硅是河口区获取外部生物硅的主要途径，占河口生物硅总输入量的95%；维持河口生物硅水平的主要过程是初级生产（55 Gmol a^-1）和沉积过程（46 Gmol a^-1）；初级生产所贡献的生物硅分别是长江生物硅输送量的2.3倍和河口区向外输送生物硅的63%。从河口区向东海和黄海输送的生物硅是26 Gmol a^-1，与长江的生物硅输送量相当；河口区沉积的生物硅是向外输送量的1.7倍，在其中植硅体贡献了53%至88%的生物硅，表明河口是陆源生物硅汇的作用；反风化作用也是河口活性硅去除的一个重要途径。本研究显示植硅体是河口生物硅的重要组成部分，长江口在生物硅收支与循环中表现出汇的作用。     

南海北部生源要素的垂直输运和保存及其与东太平洋的对比研究

通过对南海北部夏、冬两个季节的生源要素垂直输运剖面和时间系列沉积物捕获器的测量资料进行综合研究表明:南海北部颗粒物质主要是由钙质生物壳、生物硅、海洋浮游生物的有机质以及岩源物质组成,颗粒物质通量在1 000 m处大约为90.0 mg/(m2·d);研究还表明颗粒有机碳在进入沉积物保存之前被大量溶解,南海北部来自底层顺坡搬运的有机碳远大于垂直沉降;与开阔大洋(东太平洋海域)的对比研究表明,边缘海对于季节的变化更加敏感,而东太平洋调查区位于热带赤道高生产力带,生物作用十分明显,其海洋生物呼吸和物质转移同样也较活跃.     

Vertical transport of organic materials in the northern North Pacific as determined by sediment trap experiment

Sediment traps were deployed at 5 depths of 100 through 5,250 m to collect suspended sediments in the northern North Pacific (47°51.1'N; 176°20.6'E, 5,300 m deep) in the summer of 1978. Fatty acid composition was determined in the samples of phytoplankton, particulate matter, trap sediment and bottom sediment.Fatty acid composition of the trap sediments revealed no significant vertical trend throughout the water column from depths of 100 to 5,250 m, and were also similar to those of the phytoplankton and the particulate matter from the euphotic layer. However, a marked difference in the fatty acid composition was observed between the trap sediments and the particulate matter from deep waters. Therefore, it can be concluded that the source of fatty acids in the trap sediments is the particulate matter from the euphotic layer but not from deep waters.Unsaturated fatty acids highly susceptible to biological agents were rather abundant in the trap sediments as well as in the phytoplankton and particulate matter from the euphotic layer, however no unsaturated fatty acid was found in the particulate matter from deep waters. From these findings, it is clear that the particulate matter of the euphotic layer is transported to deep waters very rapidly. As the sinking rate of fecal pellets produced by zooplankton is in the range of ten to hundreds of meters a day, fecal pellets are assumed to be the most likely carrier of rapid-transport of organic matter including fatty acids from the euphotic layer to deep waters.     

Seasonal variations of particulate silicon in the Changjiang (Yangtze River) Estuary and its adjacent area

Temporal and spatial distribution of biogenic (BSi) and lithogenic (LSi) silica were studied in the Changjiang (Yangtze River) Estuary and its adjacent area. The annual average BSi and LSi concentrations were (1.71 ± 1.79) μmol/L and (0.56 ± 1.41) mmol/L, respectively. Both BSi and LSi were high in the inshore areas, where they received terrigenous discharge from the Changjiang, and decreased towards the offshore region. BSi and LSi were most abundant at the near bottom layer due to the high sedimentation rates and resuspension of sediment. Diatom blooms occurred in summer with high Chl a concentration in the surface layer, which induced that BSi in the surface layer during summer was obviously higher than that in the surface layer of other seasons. LSi concentration was maximal in autumn and spring and minimum in summer, associated with the seasonal variation of SPM values. Drifting investigation and mesocosm experiments were conducted during dinoflagellate bloom, aiming to understand the effect of nutrients on BSi by changing the phytoplankton composition. The results show that the low dissolved inorganic phosphorus concentration and high molar ratio of N/P (dissolved inorganic nitrogen vs. dissolved inorganic phosphorus), were the important factors for decreasing diatom biomass in the study area, and it would subsequently decrease the BSi concentration in aquatic ecosystem.