Diatom distribution in surface sediments from Chinese inshore waters and the relationship to modern environmental variables

Diatoms are widely used to study past and present changes in the marine environment. Unimodal models are appropriate for exploring the relationship between environmental properties in Chinese inshore waters and fossil diatom species derived from modem surface sediments. The best-fit relationships between two multivariate datasets （diatom species and environmental variables） were identified using canonical correspondence analysis （CCA）, which is a constrained ordination technique. The absolute abundance of diatoms in the Chinese inshore waters ranged from 500 to 48 000 valves/g, and the average absolute abundance of all the 29 sites was l l 300 valves/g. 153 species and varieties of diatoms belonging to 42 genera in all were identified in the Chinese inshore waters. There were 28 dominant diatom species in all. According to the absolute abundance of the dominant species and the spatial distribution of the currents from the Chinese inshore waters, 12 diatom assemblages were distinguished from north to south, which reflected the different oceanographic conditions at the regional scale. Of the eight environmental variables considered, the most important environmental variable is winter sea surface salinity （WSS）, which was also the only environmental variable with statistical significance. Therefore, it may be used to establish a transfer functions for the Chinese inshore waters in future paleoclimate studies.     

The environmental implication of diatom fossils in the surface sediment of the Changjiang River estuary(CRE) and its adjacent area

In order to depict the distribution of diatom fossils in surface sediments and to establish a reliable reference data for further paleoenvironmental study in the Changjiang(Yangtze) River estuary and its adjacent waters, the diatom fossils from 34 surface sediment samples and their relationship with environmental variables were analyzed by principal component analysis and redundancy correspondence analysis. The diversity and abundance of diatom fossils were analyzed. Some annual average parameters of the overlying water(salinity, temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, depth, dissolved inorganic nitrogen,dissolved inorganic phosphate and dissolved inorganic silicate) were measured at each sampling site. A total of 113 diatom taxa and one silicoflagellate species were identified in the investigation area. Diatom fossils were better preserved in fine sediments. The absolute abundance of diatom fossils did not significantly dif fer between inshore and of fshore areas, the species diversity decreased from inshore to of fshore. This may be because high nutrients and low salinity promoted the growth of more brackish species in coastal waters. The diatom taxa were divided into three groups, on the basis of their response and indication to environmental changes. For example, Actinocyclus ehrenbergii and Cyclotella stylorum were dominant in coastal waters(Group 1 and Group 3) with high nutrients and low salinity; the relative abundances of Paralia sulcata and Podosira stelliger were significantly higher in of fshore sites(Group 2, average 39.5%),which were characterized by high salinity and deep water. Four environmental variables(salinity, dissolved inorganic nitrogen, temperature and water depth) explained the composition and distribution of diatom taxa independently( P 0.05), this finding can be applied in further paleoenvironmental reconstruction research in this area.     

Archaeal community structure in sediments from a seamount in the Mariana Volcanic Arc

Seamounts are subsurface mountains in the ocean.Examination of the abundance and distribution of Archaea in seamount ecosystems may provide a better understanding of their ecological functions.Most studies of marine archaeal assemblages in seamount area have focused on hydrothermal vents or ferromanganese crusts.We investigated the archaeal communities from a seamount of the Mariana Volcanic Arc,in the tropical western Pacific Ocean by using high-throughput sequencing.Thaumarchaeota was dominant in the sediments of all sample stations.Community diversity and species richness were greatest at stations near the top of the seamount,and lowest at the deepest station.One sample station on the steep southeast slope that faced the Yap-Mariana trench had a unique composition of Archaea.In summary,depth has an important influence on archaeal community structure,and the geographic properties and sediment characteristics may explain the unique distribution patterns of Archaea in this seamount.This study provides a foundation for future research on Archaea in seamounts.     

A Review of Interaction Between Neon Flying Squid (Ommastrephes bartramii) and Oceanographic Variability in the North Pacific Ocean

The neon flying squid(Ommastrephes bartramii) is a short-lived opportunistic species widely distributed in subtropical and temperate waters in the North Pacific Ocean. The life cycle of O. bartramii from planktonic eggs to nektonic adults is closely linked to oceanographic conditions. The fluctuations in O. bartramii abundance and distribution tend to increase and widen continuously due to the heavy influences of ocean-climate events on various spatio-temporal scales. In this study, we reviewed the interaction between O. bartramii and oceanography variability in the North Pacific with respect to large-scale climatic-oceanic phenomena including El Ni?o, La Ni?a, Kuroshio, Oyashio and Pacific Decadal Oscillation(PDO), as well as regional environmental variables such as sea surface temperature(SST), sea surface height(SSH), sea surface salinity(SSS), chlorophyll-a(Chl-a) concentration, and plankton density. The population dynamics of O. bartramii is mediated mainly by meso- and large-scale climatic-oceanic events(e.g., Kuroshio and Oyashio Currents) rather than other local environmental conditions(e.g., SST and Chl-a concentration), because all of the oceanographic influences are imposed on the context of large-scale climate changes(e.g., PDO). An unstructured-grid finitevolume coastal ocean model coupled with an individual-based model is proposed to simulate relevant physical-biological oceanographic processes for identifying ocean-climate influence and predicting O. bartramii distribution and abundance in the North Pacific. Future research needs to be focused on improving the knowledge about early life history of O. bartramii and evaluating the relationship between marine physical environment and two separate passive drifting life stages of O. bartramii including free-floating eggs and planktonic paralarvae.     

Correlations between zooplankton assemblages and environmental factors in the downtown rivers of Shanghai,China

Most urban rivers play an important role in urban flood control and drainage in China, but pollution is fast becoming an issue of greater importance in water management. In this study, 63 zooplankton species were recorded in four downtown rivers in Shanghai between November 2007 and October 2008. Of these, 44 species belonged to the Rotifera, 13 to Cladocera, and six to Copepoda. The three most frequently occurring zooplankton （Brachionus calyciflorus, Microcyclops Ieuckarti, and Asplanchna priodonta） accounted for 80.00%, 76.84%, and 53.68%, respectively. Rotifera were found to be dominant, comprising 86.26% of total zooplankton, while cladoceran and copepod abundance amounted to 5.08% and 8.67%, respectively. Water temperature, salinity, electrical conductivity, and total nitrogen were of the greatest significance in the occurrence of zooplankton. Two species （Schmackeria forbesi and Lepadella ovalis） were notably more sensitive to environmental factors such as salinity and electrical conductivity than other species. The population size and community were inversely correlated with the increasing nutrient levels of the four rivers, suggesting that the water quality of the four rivers had been gradually recovering from a severe eutrophic state and that water conditions of the rivers had been gradually improved.     

Zooplankton spatial and diurnal variations in the Changjiang River estuary before operation of the Three Gorges Dam

Estuarine plankton communities can serve as indicators of ecosystem modification in response to anthropogenic influences. The main objectives of this study were to describe the spatial distribution and diurnal variability in zooplankton abundance and biomass over almost entire salinity gradient of the Changjiang (Yangtze) River estuary and to provide a background reference for future studies. To accomplish this, data were collected from 29 stations in the estuary from May 19 to 26, 2003, including two anchor stations. The spatial and diurnal variations in zooplankton characteristics, i.e. abundance, biomass, and gross taxonomic composition, were examined. Generally, both the abundance and biomass gradually increased seaward and presented distinct spatial variations. In addition, the spatial data revealed a significant correlation between abundance and biomass; however, there was no significant correlation between abundance and biomass for the diurnal data. Although the zooplankton composition indicated distinct spatial differences in terms of dominant groups, copepods accounted for >50% of the total zooplankton abundance in most regions and times. Three zooplankton assemblages were recognized through hierarchical cluster analysis. These assemblages existed along the salinity gradient from fresh water to seawater, and their positions coincided with those of the three principal water masses in the estuary. The assemblages were classified as: (1) true estuarine, (2) estuarine and marine, and (3) euryhaline marine, which were characterized by the copepods Sinocalanus dorrii, Labidocera euchaeta, and Calanus sinicus, respectively. Both spatial and diurnal data indicated that there was no significant correlation between zooplankton abundance/biomass and depth-integrated phytoplankton abundance.     

Zooplankton community structure in relation to environmental factors and ecological assessment of water quality in the Harbin Section of the Songhua River

To study the relationship between zooplankton community structure and environmental factors and water quality in the Harbin Section of the Songhua River, investigations were carried out in June, August, and October 2011. Canonical correspondence analysis （CCA） and saprobic indices were used to process and analyze the data. Seasonal variability was identified as a significant source of variation, which explains the fluctuation in zooplankton density. In autumn, the dry season, water residence time increased and zooplankton biomass and abundance accumulated in the slow flowing waters. Zooplankton abundance increased when food conditions improved. Therefore, the total zooplankton abundance in autumn is much higher than that in spring and summer. According to the saprobic indices, all the sample sites had mesosaprobic water and water quality was worse in autumn. CCA revealed that temperature accounted for most of the spatial variation in the zooplankton community. Moreover, pH, dissolved oxygen saturation, and turbidity were important factors affecting zooplankton community distribution.     

Zooplankton community structure,abundance and biovolume in Jiaozhou Bay and the adjacent coastal Yellow Sea during summers of 2005–2012: relationships with increasing water temperature

Zooplankton abundance, biovolume and taxonomic composition in Jiaozhou Bay and the adjacent coastal Yellow Sea were evaluated using ZooScan measurement of samples collected by net towing every August from 2005 to 2012. Zooplankton abundance and biovolume ranged from 1 938.5 to 24 800 ind./m~3 and 70.8 to 1 480.1 mm~3/m~3 in Jiaozhou Bay and 73.1 to 16 814.3 ind./m~3 and 19.6 to 640.7 mm~3/m~3 in the coastal Yellow Sea. Copepods were the most abundant group in both regions, followed by N octiluca scintillans and appendicularians in Jiaohzou Bay, and chaetognaths and N octiluca scintillans in adjacent coastal Yellow Sea. Over the study period, the most conspicuous hydrographic change was an increase in water temperature. Meanwhile, a general decrease in zooplankton abundance was observed, particularly in copepod populations. Based on redundancy analysis(RDA), the warming trend was the key environmental factor influencing to decrease of copepod abundance. The proportion of small-sized copepods increased while the mean size of all copepods decreased, in significant correlation with water temperature. Our results indicate that zooplankton, particularly copepods, are highly sensitive to change in water temperature, which is consistent with predicted impacts of warming on aquatic ectotherms. Due to their dominance in the zooplankton, the decline in copepod size and abundance could lead to an unfavourable decrease in energy availability for predators, particularly planktivorous fish.     

Phytoplankton pigment patterns and community composition in the northern South China Sea during winter

Phytoplankton pigment patterns and community composition were investigated in the northern South China Sea using high-performance liquid chromatography and the CHEMTAX software from February 11 to 23, 2009. We recognized four different vertical distribution patterns of pigments: chlorophyll a (Chl a)-like type, divinyl chlorophyll a (DV Chl a) type, even distribution type, and surface type. The average value of ratios of accessory photo-protective pigments (APP) to accessory photo-synthetic pigments was 0.89±0.63 in the upper 50 m and 0.16±0.06 below 50 m depth. With increasing depth, APP decreased and photo-synthetically active radiation was attenuated. There was an obvious succession in the phytoplankton community from inshore to the open sea. Diatoms were dominant in the inshore region, while pelagophytes, Prochlorococcus, cyanobacteria and prymnesiophytes were dominant in the open sea. The vertical distribution of phytoplankton also differed greatly from inshore to the open sea. In the coastal and shelf region, diatoms were important components in the whole water column. Cyanobacteria also had a high abundance at the Subsurface Chlorophyll a Maxima (SCM) in the shelf region. In the slope and open sea, Prochlorococcus and cyanobacteria were important groups above the SCM, while pelagophytes dominated below the SCM.     

A review of interaction between neon flying squid (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ommastrephes bartramii</Emphasis>) and oceanographic variability in the North Pacific Ocean

The neon flying squid (Ommastrephes bartramii) is a short-lived opportunistic species widely distributed in subtropical and temperate waters in the North Pacific Ocean. The life cycle of O. bartramii from planktonic eggs to nektonic adults is closely linked to oceanographic conditions. The fluctuations in O. bartramii abundance and distribution tend to increase and widen continuously due to the heavy influences of ocean-climate events on various spatio-temporal scales. In this study, we reviewed the interaction between O. bartramii and oceanography variability in the North Pacific with respect to large-scale climatic-oceanic phenomena including El Niño, La Niña, Kuroshio, Oyashio and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), as well as regional environmental variables such as sea surface temperature (SST), sea surface height (SSH), sea surface salinity (SSS), chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) concentration, and plankton density. The population dynamics of O. bartramii is mediated mainly by meso- and large-scale climatic-oceanic events (e.g., Kuroshio and Oyashio Currents) rather than other local environmental conditions (e.g., SST and Chl-a concentration), because all of the oceanographic influences are imposed on the context of large-scale climate changes (e.g., PDO). An unstructured-grid finite-volume coastal ocean model coupled with an individual-based model is proposed to simulate relevant physical-biological oceanographic processes for identifying ocean-climate influence and predicting O. bartramii distribution and abundance in the North Pacific. Future research needs to be focused on improving the knowledge about early life history of O. bartramii and evaluating the relationship between marine physical environment and two separate passive drifting life stages of O. bartramii including free-floating eggs and planktonic paralarvae.     

黄河入海口水域春季浮游动物群落特征研究

对2008、2009年黄河入海口水域春季浮游动物进行调查,采用香农-威纳多样性指数(Shannon-Weiner index)、Pielou均匀度指数和McNaugton优势度指数对其浮游动物群落特征进行分析。结果表明:浮游动物鉴定出6大类44种,以甲壳动物种类最多;2008年5月黄河入海口水域浮游动物多样性指数范围为0.92～2.65,均匀度变化范围为0.25～0.66;2009年5月浮游动物多样性指数范围为0.76～2.87,均匀度变化范围为0.21～0.70。黄河入海口水域浮游动物时空分布较不均匀,群落特征(包括丰度、多样性指数、均匀度和优势度等)在同一时期同一水域各采样点间差异较大,同一采样点不同年份差异显著。     

Environmental Drivers of Temporal and Spatial Fluctuations of Mesozooplankton Community in Daya Bay,Northern South China Sea

The response of zooplankton to the ecological environment in Daya Bay is unclear under the influence of both climate changes and anthropogenic activities on a seasonal to inter-annual scale. Based on monthly surveys and historical data, we found the zooplankton community had changed temporally and spatially. A total of 134 species was recorded during the study, and copepods dominated numerically in terms of diversity and abundance. Both copepods and cladocerans were the main contributors to zooplankton abundance. The community structure of zooplankton was temporally classified into the warm and cold groups, and spatially into the three groups located in the marine cage-culture area(MCCA), the outflow of nuclear power plants(ONPP) and unpolluted waters(UPW). The zooplankton was characterized by low biomass(dry weight), high diversity and abundance in the warm period in contrast to that in the cold period. Compared with the other two groups, the MCCA group of zooplankton showed high abundance, low diversity and biomass. Variations in dominant species were closely related to temperature, salinity and chlorophyll a concentration.Species diversity and dry weight decreased in comparison with 30 years ago, while zooplankton abundance increased. The seasonal variation in zooplankton was affected mainly by temperature that was controlled by monsoon, while the spatial difference in the community structure was probably due to eutrophication in the MCCA and thermal water discharge from ONPP. The zooplankton community is undergoing great changes with the tendency of miniaturization and gelatinization in recent 30 years in Daya Bay.     

Applying the Catch-MSY model to the stock assessment of the northwestern Pacific saury Cololabis Saira

Journal of Oceanology and Limnology - The Pacific saury (Cololabis saira) is one of the major harvested species in the temperate waters of the northwestern Pacific Ocean (NPO). The Catch-MSY model...     

Response of the equatorial western Pacific thermohaline structure to wind variation

During the Global Weather Experiment oceanographic measurements were recorded during winter and summer in the western Pacific region 5°S−5°N, 160°E−175°E. The variations of the upper ocean temperature and salinity fields were produced by the large seasonal and spatial wind fluctuations. The vertical temperature structure of the thermocline at the equator, the meridional slope of the thermocline south of the equator, and the northward penetration of high salinity water were related to the direction and intensity of the zonal wind-stress. (NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory) Contribution No. 1307 from the Institute of Ocean., Academia Sinica. Received Sept. 3, 1985     

Diel vertical migration of mesozooplankton in the northern Yellow Sea

The Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass(YSCWM),one of the most vital hydrological features of the Yellow Sea,causes a seasonal thermocline from spring to autumn.The diel vertical migration(DVM) of zooplankton is crucial to structural pelagic communities and food webs,and its patterns can be affected by thermocline depth and strength.Hence,we investigated zooplankton community succession and seasonal changes in zooplankton DVM at a fixed station in the YSCWM.Annual zooplankton community succession was affected by the forming and fading of the YSCWM.A total of 37 mesozooplankton taxa were recorded.The highest and lowest species numbers in autumn and spring were detected.The highest and lowest total densities were observed in autumn(14 464.1 inds./m3) and winter(3 115.4 inds./m3),respectively.The DVM of the dominant species showed obvious seasonal variations.When the YSCWM was weak in spring and autumn,most species(e.g.Paracalanus parvus,Oithona similis,and Acartia bifilosa) stayed above the thermocline and vertically migrated into the upper layer.Calanus sinicus and Aidanosagitta crassa crossed the thermocline and vertically migrated.No species migrated through the stratification in summer,and all of the species were limited above(P.parvus and A.crassa) or below(C.sinicus and Centropages abdominalis)the thermocline.The YSCWM disappeared in winter,and zooplankton species were found throughout the water column.Thus,the existence of thermocline influenced the migration patterns of zooplankton.Cluster analyses showed that the existence of YSCWM resulted in significant differences between zooplankton communities above and below the thermocline.     

Effects of Liaoning Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Plant on the Zooplankton Community in Summer of 2017

To evaluate the effects of the Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Plant on the zooplankton community in the surrounding seawater during summer, multiple environmental factors and zooplankton distribution along the east coast of Liaodong Bay were investigated in the summer of 2017. In particular, the influences of seawater temperature, salinity, and chlorophyll a(Chl a) on the zooplankton community were analyzed. Zooplankton abundances and Chl a concentrations along the east coast of Liaodong Bay showed an initial increase followed by a decrease from July to September. During the three months, the zooplankton abundance was the highest(8116.70 ind m~(-3)) in August. The Shannon-Wiener index showed a downtrend from July to September, with the average value falling from 1.65 in July to 1.50 in September. Calanus sinicus, Paracalanus parvus, copepodid, and bivalve larvae were the dominant species/groups in the three months. The effects of the nuclear power plant's outlet on the environment factors were mainly reflected in the increased seawater temperature. Redundancy analysis showed that the zooplankton community was jointly affected by seawater temperature, salinity and Chl a concentration, and the degree of this impact varied monthly. The impact of seawater temperature on the zooplankton community was stronger than that of salinity. The primary impact of the Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Plant on the structure and distribution of the zooplankton community in the surrounding seawater during the summer was increased seawater temperature, which caused a reduction in the abundance of dominant species/groups.     

Research on the response of the upper layer heat structure in the Western Pacific Warm Pool to the mean Madden-Julian Oscillation

1　Introduction　TheMadden JulianOscillation (MJO)isastrongatmosphericconvection phenomenonoccurringovertheEasternIndianOceanandtheTropicalWesternPacific,usuallyinregionswithseasurfacetempera tures (SSTs)over 2 9℃ .Theeastwardmovingofalarge scalecirculat…     

Estimates of global M_2 internal tide energy fluxes using TOPEX/POSEIDON altimeter data

TOPEX/POSEIDON altimeter data from October 1992 to June 2002 are used to calculate the global barotropic M2 tidal currents using long-term tidal harmonic analysis. The tides calculated agree well with ADCP data obtained from the South China Sea (SCS). The maximum tide velocities along the semi-major axis and semi-minor axis can be computed from the tidal ellipse. The global distribution of M2 internal tide vertical energy flux from the sea bottom is calculated based on a linear internal wave generation model. The global vertical energy flux of M2 internal tide is 0.96 TW, with 0.36 TW in the Pacific, 0.31 TW in the Atlantic and 0.29 TW in the Indian Ocean, obtained in this study. The total horizontal energy flux of M2 internal tide radiating into the open ocean from the lateral boundaries is 0.13 TW, with 0.06 TW in the Pacific, 0.04TW in the Atlantic, and 0.03 TW in the Indian Ocean. The result shows that the principal lunar semi-diurnal tide M2 provides enough energy to maintain the large-scale thermohaline circulation of the ocean.     

Difference in the influence of Indo-Pacific Ocean heat content on South Asian Summer Monsoon intensity before and after 1976/1977

Monthly ocean temperature from ORAS4 datasets and atmospheric data from NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis I/II were used to analyze the relationship between the intensity of the South Asian summer monsoon(SASM) and upper ocean heat content(HC) in the tropical Indo-Pacific Ocean.The monsoon was differentiated into a Southwest Asian Summer Monsoon(SWASM)(2.5°–20°N,35°–70°E) and Southeast Asian Summer Monsoon(SEASM)(2.5°–20°N,70°–110°E).Results show that before the 1976/77 climate shift,the SWASM was strongly related to HC in the southern Indian Ocean and tropical Pacific Ocean.The southern Indian Ocean affected SWASM by altering the pressure gradient between southern Africa and the northern Indian Ocean and by enhancing the Somali cross-equatorial flow.The tropical Pacific impacted the SWASM through the remote forcing of ENSO.After the 1976/77 shift,there was a close relationship between equatorial central Pacific HC and the SEASM.However,before that shift,their relationship was weak.     

Spatial and Temporal Variations of Pelagic Copepods in the North Yellow Sea

This study aims to analyze the spatial and temporal variations of the abundance and biodiversity of pelagic copepods and their relationships with the environmental factors in the North Yellow Sea(NYS). These variations were analyzed on the basis of the survey data of the NYS in four seasons from 2006 to 2007. A total of 31 copepod species that belong to 17 genera, 13 families and 4 orders were identified in the four seasons. Of these copepods, the species belonging to Calanoida is the most abundant component. The dominant species include Calanus sinicus, Centropages abdominalis, Paracalanus parvus, Acartia bifilosa, Oithona plumifera, and Corycaeus affinis. C. sinicus is the most important and widely distributed dominant species in all of the seasons. The dominant species have not shown any significant variation for the past 50 years. However, the richness of warm-water species increased. The abundance of copepods significantly varied among different seasons: the average abundance was higher in spring(608.2 ind m~(-3)) and summer(385.1 ind m~(-3)) than in winter(186.5 ind m~(-3)) and autumn(128.0 ind m~(-3)). Factor analyses showed a high correlation between the spatial distributions of dominant copepods and environmental parameters, and Chl-a was the most important factor that influenced the distribution of copepods. This research can provide the fundamental information related to zooplankton, especially pelagic copepods. This research is also beneficial for the long-term monitoring of zooplankton ecology in the NYS.