Variation of bacteria biomass and its possible controlling factors in the East China Sea

Two surveys were performed for determining bacteria biomass (BB), temperature, salinity, chlorophyll a (chl-a) and nutrient concentrations at 11 stations with three sampling depths in the high-incidence regions of red tide in the East China Sea (ECS) in the spring of 2006. Temperature and salinity increased from nearshore to offshore region and from high latitude to low latitude in the two cruises of 2006. BB were between 0.3–5.2 mgC m⁻³ (about 2.1 mgC m⁻³ on average) and 0.2–6.0 mgC m⁻³ (about 2.7 mgC m⁻³ on average) respectively in the two cruises. BB in the surface layer decreased from the Changjiang River estuary to high sea and from low latitude to high latitude. The results showed that bacterial growth was regulated by temperature, primary production and inorganic nutrient concentrations depending on different hydrographic conditions. In the surface and middle layers where the primary production can supply enough organic substrate, temperature was the main factor to control bacteria biomass. BB showed a good correlation between the surface and middle layers in both cruises. The distribution of nutrients during both cruises showed a similar decreasing trend from nearshore region and high latitude to offshore region and low latitude. High BB values were mainly recorded from samples in the middle layer where chl-a concentrations were also high, indicating primary production being strongly correlated with temperature over the ECS shelf. In the offshore area, phosphate and silicate became limiting factors for phytoplankton growth with indirect influence on BB. Bacteria played an important role in nitrogen regeneration process turning organic nitrogen to inorganic forms such as NH₄ ⁺. The increasing ratio of NH₄ ⁺/DIN could be a proof of that.     

Impact of microzooplankton and Calanus sinicus (Brodsky, 1962) on phytoplankton in the Yellow Sea during early summer

Dilution incubations and Calanus sinicus addition incubations were simultaneously conducted at five stations in the Yellow Sea in June of 2004 to evaluate the impact of microzooplankton and Calanus sinicus on phytoplankton based on the Chlorophyll a (Chl-a) levels. The Chl-a growth rates (k) ranged from 0.60–1.67 d⁻¹, while microzooplankton grazed the Chl-a at rates (g) of 0.29–0.62 d^t-1. The addition of C. sinicus enhanced the Chl-a growth rate (Z) by 0.004–0.037 d⁻¹ ind.⁻¹ L. C. sinicus abundance ranged from 84.1–160.9 ind. m⁻³, which occupied 90.7%–99.1% of the copepod (>500 μm) population. The in-situ increase in phytoplankton by C. sinicus community was estimated to be 0.000 4–0.005 9 d⁻¹. These results showed that microzooplankton were the main grazers of phytoplankton, while C. sinicus induced a slight increase in the levels of phytoplankton.     

Silicon limitation on primary production and its destiny in Jiaozhou Bay, China VIII: The variation of atmospheric carbon caused by both phytoplankton and human

Statistical analysis on data collected in the Jiaozhou Bay (Shandong, China) from May 1991 to February 1994 and those collected in Hawaii from March 1958 to December 2007 shows dynamic and cyclic changes in atmospheric carbon in the Northern Pacific Ocean (NPO), as well as the variation in space-time distribution of phytoplankton primary production and atmospheric carbon in the study regions. The study indicates that the human beings have imposed an important impact on the changing trends of the atmospheric carbon. Primary production in the Jiaozhou Bay presents a good example in this regard. In this paper, dynamic models of the atmospheric carbon in the NPO, the cyclic variations in the atmospheric carbon, and primary production in the Jiaozhou Bay are studied with simulation curves presented. A set of equations were established that able to calculate the rate and acceleration of increasing carbon discharged anthropologically into the atmosphere and the conversion rate of phytoplankton to atmospheric carbon. Our calculation shows that the amount of atmospheric carbon absorbed by one unit of primary production in the Jiaozhou Bay is (3.21−9.74)×10⁻⁹/(mgC·m⁻²d⁻¹), and the amount of primary production consumed by a unit of atmospheric carbon is 102.66–311.52 (mgC·m⁻²d⁻¹/10⁻⁶). Therefore, we consider that the variation of atmospheric carbon is a dynamic process controlled by the increase of carbon compound and its cyclic variation, and those from anthropologic discharge, and phytoplankton growth.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> and carbon fluxes across sea-air interface in the Changjiang Estuary and Hangzhou Bay

Partial pressure of CO2 （pCO2） was investigated in the Changjiang （Yangtze River） Estuary, Hangzhou Bay and their adjacent areas during a cruise in August 2004, China. The data show that pCO2 in surface waters of the studied area was higher than that in the atmosphere with only exception of a patch east of Zhoushan Archipelago. The pCO2 varied from 168 to 2 264 μatm, which fell in the low range compared with those of other estuaries in the world. The calculated sea-air CO2 fluxes decreased offshore and varied from -10.0 to 88.1 mmol m^-2 d^-1 in average of 24.4 ± 16.5 mmol m^-2 d^-1. Although the area studied was estimated only 2 × 10^4 km^2, it emitted （5.9 ± 4.0） × 10^3 tons of carbon to the atmosphere every day. The estuaries and their plumes must be further studied for better understanding the role of coastal seas playing in the global oceanic carbon cycle.     

Abundance and production ofBranchiura sowerbyi (Oligochaeta: Tubificidae) in two typical shallow lakes (Hubei, China)

An April 1996 to March 1997 comparative study on the abundance and secondary production ofBranchiura sowerbyi Beddard, 1892 in two typical shallow lakes showed that in Houhu, an algae-dominated lake, the worm density (68 ind·m⁻²) peaked in July, biomass (1.930 g·m⁻²) peaked in June, while in Biandantang, a macrophyte-dominated lake, standing stock (density: 60 ind·m⁻²; biomass: 1.019 g·m⁻² in wet weight) peaked in December. Secondary production of the animal in Houhu Lake was 3.413 g wet wt m⁻² a⁻¹, a little more than that (2.675 g wet wt m⁻² a⁻¹) in Biandantang Lake. Their turnover rates (P/B ratios) were 4.0 and 5.0, respectively. Project (39600019 and 39430101) supported by NSFC.     

In-situ studies of microzooplankton grazing pressure on phytoplankton in Jiaozhou Bay, China

Preliminary studies on microzooplankton grazing were conducted with dilution method in Jiaozhou Bay from summer 1998 to spring 1999. Four experiments were carried out at St. 5 located at the center of Jiaozhou Bay. Chlorophyll a concentrations were consistently dominated by netphytoplankton (net-, >20μm), except during the autumn 1998 cruise, when they were dominated by nanophytoplankton(nano-, 2–20μm). The contribution of picophytoplankton (pico-, <2μm) to total chlorophyll a concentrations (<200μm) varied considerably between cruises. Instantaneous growth coefficients(u) of phytoplankton varied from 0.098 to 1.947d⁻¹, with mean value of 0.902d⁻¹. Instantaneous coefficients(g) of microzooplankton grazing on phytoplankton ranged from 0.066 to 0.567d⁻¹, mean value of 0.265d⁻¹, which was equivalent to daily lose of 21.9% of the initial standing stock and 58.1% of the daily potential production. Project No KZCX3-SW-214 supported by Chinese Academy of Sciences.     

Net primary productivity and species diversity of herbaceous vegetation in banj-oak (Quercus leucotrichophora A. Camus) forest in Kumaun Himalaya, India

Net primary productivity and species diversity of herbaceous vegetation of banj-oak (Quercus leucotrichophora A.Camus) forest in Kumaun Himalaya,India were analyzed.Across different growth forms (tall forbs,short forbs,cushion and spreading forbs,grasses),short forbs were most dominant component during rainy season (IVI=152) and winter season (IVI=167) and grasses during the winter season (IVI=148).Maximum above-ground production occurred during rainy season (132.5 g m-2) and minimum during winter season (2.8 g m-2).Below-ground production was maximum (85.9 g m-2) during winter season and minimum (14.9 g m-2) during summer season.Annual net shoot production was 150 g m-2 and below-ground production was 138 g m-2.Of the total input 61 % was channeled to above-ground parts and 39% to below-ground parts.     

Secondary Production of Macrobenthos in Mangrove Area of Tong’an Bay,China

Studies on secondary production lead to a better understanding of the functions of the macrobenthic ecosystem．Based on the macrobenthic data obtained at 6 sampling stations from April 2006 to January 2007,Brey's(1990)empirical formula was applied to calculate the secondary production of macrobenthos in the mangrove area of Tong'an Bay.The results showed that the mean annual secondary production of macrobenthos was 13.24gAFDW.m-2·a-1 The mean secondary production in the mangrove habitat was 12.22gAFDW．m-2·a-1,lower than that in the non-mangrove habitat,which was 15.29gAFDW．m-2·a-1.Two possible reasons existed for this difference.First,mollusk and crustacean,which contribute more to the secondary production,probably benefit from longer inundation period in the non-mangrove habitat.Second,the higher organic matter in the mangrove habitat results in hypoxia in the bottom sediment,which may decrease the secondary production.The annual mean production-to-biomass(P/B)ratio in Tong'an Bay was 1.17,with a ratio of 1.27 in the mangrove habitat and 0.96 in the non-mangrove habitat,which was coincident with the much higher density of Limnodriloides sp.and Corophium sp.in the mangrove habitat than in the non-mangrove habitat.The maximum secondary production and P/B ratio of macrobenthos both appeared at sampling station FL2 in April,2006(namely April-FL2)with values of 31.38gAFDW.m-2·a-1 and 2.20,respectively.The macrobenthic secondary production in Tong'an Bay is lower than those in other intertidal studies except that in Haitan Strait,the reason being the different sediment properties.The P/B ratio in Tong'an Bay was the lowest due to the high proportion of crustaceans in the macrobenthic community．     

Silicon limitation on primary production and its destiny in Jiaozhou Bay, China——Ⅳ：Study on cross-bay transect from estuary to ocean

The authors analyzed the data collected in the Ecological Station Jiaozhou Bay from May 1991 to November 1994, including 12 seasonal investigations, to determine the characteristics, dynamic cycles and variation trends of the silicate in the bay. The results indicated that the rivers around Jiaozhou Bay provided abundant supply of silicate to the bay. The silicate concentration there depended on river flow variation. The horizontal variation of silicate concentration on the transect showed that the silicate concentration decreased with distance from shorelines. The vertical variation of it showed that silicate sank and deposited on the sea bottom by phytoplankton uptake and death, and zooplankton excretion. In this way, silicon would endlessly be transferred from terrestrial sources to the sea bottom. The silicon took up by phytoplankton and by other biogeochemical processes led to insufficient silicon supply for phytoplankton growth. In this paper, a 2D dynamic model of river flow versus silicate concentration was established by which silicate concentrations of 0.028–0.062 μmol/L in seawater was yielded by inputting certain seasonal unit river flows (m³/s), or in other words, the silicate supply rate; and when the unit river flow was set to zero, meaning no river input, the silicate concentrations were between 0.05–0.69 μmol/L in the bay. In terms of the silicate supply rate, Jiaozhou Bay was divided into three parts. The division shows a given river flow could generate several different silicon levels in corresponding regions, so as to the silicon-limitation levels to the phytoplankton in these regions. Another dynamic model of river flow versus primary production was set up by which the phytoplankton primary production of 5.21–15.55 (mgC/m²·d)/(m³/s) were obtained in our case at unit river flow values via silicate concentration or primary production conversion rate. Similarly, the values of primary production of 121.98–195.33 (mgC/m²·d) were achieved at zero unit river flow condition. A primary production conversion rate reflects the sensitivity to silicon depletion so as to different phytoplankton primary production and silicon requirements by different phytoplankton assemblages in different marine areas. In addition, the authors differentiated two equations (Eqs. 1 and 2) in the models to obtain the river flow variation that determines the silicate concentration variation, and in turn, the variation of primary production. These results proved further that nutrient silicon is a limiting factor for phytoplankton growth. This study was funded by NSFC (No. 40036010), and the Director's Fund of the Beihai Sea Monitoring Center, the State Oceanic Administration.     

THE DENSITIES OF CHANGJIANG ESTUARINE WATERS

The International Eq一lation of State of Seawater,1980 and the PraeticalSalinity Scale,1978 have been adoPted by theUNESCO江CES沼COR八APSOJoint Panel ono‘eanogral,hie Tables and Standards(JPOTS),and endorsed bythese organizati6ns(Miller‘〕and Poisson,1981;Uneseo,1981).Th已new equa-tion and the Praetieal Salinity Seale are to be used for all values Published fromJan .1,1982 .The new equation 15 aeeurate for use in all oeeanie surfaee waters,but eannot be aeeurately aPPlied to…     

Early development of Costaria costata (C. Agardh) Saunders and cultivation trials

Costaria costata (C. Agardh) Saunders is one of common kelps distributed in many coastal areas worldwide; however, in China, no reports have been made on cultivation of the genus. To investigate potential cultivation of the species in the northern part of China, trials on isolation and preservation of the gametophytes were conducted using C. costata from Korea; growth and development of the gametophytes were observed. We showed that at 10±1°C, 60 μmol m⁻²s⁻¹ and 12:12 h (L:D), freshly released zoospores settled down within 1 hour, and then developed into the primary cell during the following 2 days. After a vegetative growth phase lasting 6–8 days, female gametophytes became 3–4 times larger in diameter than that of the primary cell, but still remained at a unicellular stage, while male gametophytes divided into 4–10 cells with only a slight change in size. Fertilization occurred within 10 days after the zoospores were released from the sporangia, and the apical and basal tissues of the juvenile sporophyte divided and differentiated into the blade and stipe. Temperature and irradiance influenced gametophytic vegetative growth and developmental patterns. Generally, low irradiance (15 μmol m⁻²s⁻¹ and 30 μmol m⁻²s⁻¹) was unfavorable to the induction of fertility, but it enhanced female gametophyte division. The optimal conditions for vegetative growth were 15°C and 30 μmol m⁻²s⁻¹. After transplantation of the juvenile seedlings and after eight months cultivation, the harvested mature blade reached 194 cm in length and 32.7 cm in width. Our study proves that it is feasible to implement propagation and large scale cultivation of C. costata in northern China.     

EXAMINATION OF SILICATE LIMITATION OF PRIMARY PRODUCTION IN JIAOZHOU BAY, CHINA——I. SILICATE BEING A LIMITING FACTOR OF PHYTOPLANKTON PRIMARY PRODUCTION

Jiaozhou Bay data collected from May 1991 to February 1994, in 12 seasonal investigations, and provided the authors by the Ecological Station of Jiaozhou Bay, were analyzed to determine the spatiotemporal variations in temperature, light, nutrients (NO3^--N, NO2^--N, NH4^ -N, SIO3^2--Si, PO4^3--P), phytoplankton, and primary production in Jiaozhou Bay. The results indicated that only silicate correlated well in time and space with, and had important effects on, the characteristics, dynamic cycles and trends of, primary production in Jiaozhou Bay. The authors developed a corresponding dynamic model of primary production and silicate and water temperature. Eq. ( 1 ) of the model shows that the primary production variation is controlled by the nutrient Si and affected by water temperature; that the main factor controlling the primary production is Si; that water temperature affects the composition of the structure of phytoplankton assemblage; that the different populations of the phytoplankton assemblage occupy different ecological niches for C, the apparent ratio of conversion of silicate in seawater into phytoplankton biomas and D, the coefficient of water temperature‘s effect on phytoplankton biomass. The authors researched the silicon source of Jiaozhou Bay, the biogeochemical sediment process of the silicon, the phytoplankton predominant species and the phytoplankton structure. The authors considered silicate a limiting factor of primary production in Jiaozhou Bay, whose decreasing concentration of silicate from terrestrial source is supposedly due to dilution by current and uptake by phytoplankton; quantified the silicate assimilated by phytoplankton, the intrinsic ratio of conversion of silicon into phytoplankton biomass, the proportion of silicate uptaken by phytoplankton and diluted by current; and found that the primary production of the phytoplankton is determined by the quantity of the silicate assimilated by them. The phenomenon of apparently high plant-nutrient concentTations but low phytoplankton biomass in some waters is reasonably explained in this paper.     

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

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

Sea flux of trace metals in Saanich Inlet

The sea fluxes of trace metals, POC, and settled material were studied in anoxic seawater, Saanich Inlet, B. C., Canada with sediment traps. This paper discusses the change of mass fluxes of sediment, trace metals and POC for various seasons and depths. The annual mean of settled material is 1.56 g.m⁻².a⁻¹, 84.6 mg. m⁻².a⁻¹ for POC, 60.0 mg. m⁻².a⁻¹ for Cu, 16.5 mg.m⁻².a⁻¹ for Pb, 189 mg.m⁻².a⁻¹ for Zn, 2.20 mg.m⁻².a⁻¹ for Cd, 699 mg.m⁻².a⁻¹ for Fe, 38.8 mg.m⁻².a⁻¹ for Co, and 84.6 mg.m⁻².a⁻¹ for Ni. The relations between the average fluxes of trace metals and POC, the fluxes of trace metals and settled matter, and the sea fluxes of trace metals and Fe are in linear progression. The resident times of elements as calculated from sea flux, are 1.1 a. for Cu, 0.014 a. for Pb, 0.50 a. for Zn, 3.8 a. for Cd, 0.16 a. for Fe, 0.39 a. for Co, and 1.14 a. for Ni. The order of resident times is as follows: Pb−Fe−Co−Zn−Cu−Ni−Cd. The metal resident times in Saanich Inlet are shorter than the values estimated for the open ocean. It illustrates that the biochemical processes in shallow Saanich Inlet are faster than those in the open ocean, and that debries of plankton and fecal pellets of zooplankton play an important role in vertical transport of organic carbons. Contribution No. 1650 from the Institute of Oceanology, Academia Sinica.     

Effect of Fouling Organisms on Food Uptake and Nutrient Release of Scallop （Chlamys nobilis, Reeve） Cultured in Daya Bay

Biofouling is an important factor that affects the bivalve farming industry. Fouling organisms may reduce growth and survival rate of the cultured species. Fouler are often filter feeders, so they are potential competitors for food resource with the cultured species. The present study was conducted to measure the impact of fouling on food uptake and nutrient release in April and June, 2006 in Daya Bay near Guangzhou, China. Results showed that fouling organisms had significant effect on food uptake and nutrient release. The chlorophyll a uptake rate of fouled scallops was 7.53Lh-1±1.416Lh-1 and 11.94Lh-1±2.497Lh-1 in April and June, respectively, significantly higher than those of cleaned scallops, i.e., 4.23 Lh-1 ±2.744Lh-1 and 2.57Lh-1± 1.832 Lh-1 respectively.The consumption of total particulate matter by fouled scallops in April and June was 5.52Lh-1±0.818Lh-1 and 3.07Lh-1±0.971 Lh-1,respectively; the corresponding results for cleaned scallops are 2.49Lh-1 ±0.614Lh-1 and 2.37± 1.214Lh-1, respectively. Fouling increased ammonia release significantly. The ammonia release rate of fouled scallops was 33.81Lh-1±7.699Lh-1 and 76.39Lh-1 ±9.251Lh-1 in April and June, while cleaned scallops released 2.46Lh-1± 0.5 1 1Lh-1 and 7.23Lh-1± 1.026Lh-1 ammonia, respectively. Phosphate release of fouled scallops was 22.72Lh-1 ± 9.978 Lh-1 in June and cleaned scallops released phosphate 6.01Lh-1 ±0.876 Lh-1 in April. Therefore, fouling contributed much to food reduction and concentration increase of ammonia and phosphate in water.     

Stable isotopes in aquatic food web of an artificial lagoon in the Hangzhou Bay, China

Stable isotope values, δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N, were determined for four primary producers and 19 dominant consumers in a small artificial lagoon located in Hangzhou Bay. Based on these results the major pathways for energy flow and trophic structure of the artificial lagoon ecosystem were characterized. The mean δ¹³C values for the 19 consumers ranged from −22.99‰ to −14.24‰. Apart from so-iny mullet Liza haematocheila, the other 18 consumers had intermediate δ¹³C values between those of epibenthic microalgae and particulate organic matter (POM). The results of a multiple source linear mixing model (IsoSource model) indicated that 50% or more of the organic carbon in the tissues of most consumers was derived from epibenthic microalgae. This indicated that these primary producers were the main food source fueling the lagoon food web. The mean δ¹⁵N values for the 19 consumers varied between 4.93‰ and 12.97‰ and indicated four trophic levels in the lagoon. Four macroinvertebrates and zooplankton represented the primary consumers, whilst the other 14 consumers occupied the secondary and tertiary consumer levels. The 19 consumers were divided into three trophic guilds (detritivores/suspension feeders, omnivores and carnivores).     

Determination of copper complexation in surface microlayer of Daya Bay and Jiaozhou Bay

1 INTRODUCTION Bioavailability to the biota and the biogeo-chemistry of trace metals in marine environment areaffected by their chemical speciation in the naturalsystem (Bruland et al., 1991; Van den Berg andDonat, 1992; Wells et al., 1998). Therefore, thesetwo parameters, the ligands concentrations andconditional stability constants, are important todetermine the complexing capacity. Sea surface microlayer (SML), the thin interfa-cial boundary between ocean and atmosphere, playsan imp…     

Abundance and Biomass of Benthic Bacteria in Jiaozhou Bay, China

The abundance and biomass of benthic heterotrophic bacteria were investigated for the 4 typical sampling stations in the northern muddy part of Jiaozhou Bay, estuary of the Dagu River, raft culturing and nearby areas of Huangdao in March, June, August and December, 2002. The abundance and biomass range from 0.98×10⁷ to 16.87×10⁷ cells g⁻¹ sediment and 0.45 to 7.08 μg C g⁻¹ sediment, respectively. Correlation analysis showed that heterotrophic bacterial abundance and biomass are significantly correlated to water temperature (R=0.79 and 0.83, respectively,P<0.01).     

Effects of temperature and irradiance on early development of Chondrus ocellatus Holm (Gigartinaceae, Rhodophyta)

Chondrus is a type of commercially produced red seaweed that widely used for food and carrageen extraction. Although the natural life history of the alga had been well understood, the factors influencing development of the tetraspore and carpospore remain poorly understood. In the perspective of seedling resources, the regulation of early development is crucial for the seedling nursing; therefore, it is necessary to understand the physiological influences during its early development. In this study, we studied the effects of temperature and irradiance on the early development of Chondrus ocellatus Holm under laboratory conditions. The released tetraspores and carpospores were cultivated at different temperatures (10–28°C) and irradiances (10, 60 μmol photons m⁻²s⁻¹) with a photoperiod of 12L:12D. The results indicate that both tetraspores and carpospores are tolerant to temperatures of 10–25°C, and have the highest relative growth rate at 20°C. Irradiance variances influenced the growth of the discoid crusts, and the influence was more significant with increasing temperature; 60 μmol photons m⁻²s⁻¹ was more suitable than 10 μmol photons m⁻²s⁻¹. The optimum temperature and irradiance for the development of seedlings was 20°C and 60 μmol photons m⁻²s⁻¹, respectively.     

Annual production ofBranchiura sowerbyi (Oligochaeta: Tubificidae) in the Donghu Lake,Wuhan, China

Branchiura sowerbyi in the Donghu Lake (Wuhan, China) completes its life cycle in one year. Its production rates were 6.7 g m⁻² yr⁻¹ (wet weight) during the period from April 1962 to May 1963 and 8.6g m⁻² yr⁻¹ during the period from August 1963 to August 1964. The standing stocks in corresponding periods were 1.9g m⁻² (wet weight) and 1.1g m⁻², and theP/B ratios were 3.6 and 7.8. Based on the standing stock during 1973–1975, an evaluation of recent productin levels ofB. sowerbyi in Donghu Lake has also been made (i.e. 5.7–33.5g m⁻² yr⁻¹).