Diatoms in surface sediments of the Sea of Okhotsk and the northwest Pacific Ocean

The present investigation was targeted at diatom composition studies in the surface sediments (0–1 cm) sampled in the Sea of Okhotsk and the northwest Pacific in the depth range from 130 to 6110 m. The taxonomic analysis, as well as the quantitative (the diatom cell abundance per sediment dry weight unit) content and ecological group definition, was applied. Ten diatom taxa are the main body (80–100%) of the diatom assemblages: Bacterosira bathyomphala, Chaetoceros spp. (spores), Actinocyclus curvatulus, Thalassiosira latimarginata (group), T. antarctica (spores), Neodenticula seminae, Rhizosolenia hebetata f. hiemalis, Thalassiothrix longissima, Coscinodiscus marginatus, Coscinodiscus oculus iridis. The relative content of these species reflects the sedimentation conditions for different parts of the sea: the shelf, the continental slope, the open sea, and the ocean. The highest diatom content (45.6.3–60.0 10⁶ per g of dry weight) was found for the surface sediments in the central part of the Sea of Okhotsk and the continental slope of western Kamchatka.     

Fossil diatom assemblages as paleoecological indicators of paleo-water environmental change in the Ulleung Basin,East Sea,Republic of Korea

The fossil diatom assemblage record from two sediment cores obtained from the Ulleung Basin, East Sea, Republic of Korea, revealed changes in the diatom assemblage zones in PG1 and PD3 core samples. The two sediment cores were δC¹⁴ dated and approximately represented the late Pleistocene–Holocene. The analysis of age zones in the PG1 core and PD3 core was assessed based on the frequency of variations, and occurrences of biostratigraphical fossil diatom species. During the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), the sea level was lower than that at present and the Ulleung Basin became isolated from the Pacific Ocean. As a result, there would have been a limited Tsushima Warm Current (TWC) influence, and salinity would have decreased resulting in increased freshwater and coastal diatoms. The distribution pattern of diatoms presented in the cores was associated with changes in water temperature and salinity and the adding of terrigenous material brought about by the input of freshwater. Changes in the abundance of a tychopelagic diatom, Paralia sulcata, reflected the effect of the water currents. Diatom temperature (Td) values and the ratio of centric/pennate diatoms provided evidence of limited influences of the TWC and freshwater inflow. It is thought that all assemblage zones were influenced by the TWC, which had an important effect on the distribution and composition of fossil diatoms.     

Resting stages of Tortanus forcipatus (Crustacea, Calanoida) in sediments of Victoria Harbor, Hong Kong

The distribution and abundance of viable and non-viable (so-called resting eggs) embryos of the calanoid copepod Tortanus forcipatus were determined in the laboratory by the enumeration of nauplii that emerge from sediments collected in Victoria Harbor (Hong Kong). Sediment cores sliced down to a depth of 37 cm showed the highest number of viable resting eggs near the surface layer (0–5 cm). The number of viable eggs sharply decreased with sediment depth, particularly at the inner harbor stations, although diapause eggs remained viable as deep as 25 cm. ²¹⁰Pb analyses of the sediments indicated that the mean egg age was 4.9 years. The egg mortality of T. forcipatus in the sediments was 0.135 year⁻¹, or 78.22% annual egg survival, calculated by regressing ln (egg density) from sediment age. The range of horizontal distribution of viable resting eggs was 24.25 × 10³–58.90 × 10³ m⁻², with a mean value of 36.8 × 10³ m⁻² over all stations. The accumulation of viable resting eggs that can persist for an extended period of time provided evidence for the existence of an egg bank of T. forcipatus in the sediments of Victoria Harbor.     

长江口及其邻近陆架区夏季网采浮游植物及其影响因素

2009年6、8月长江口及其邻近陆架区的网采样品中检出浮游植物9门395种(含223种硅藻与125种甲藻)。浮游植物丰度8月(3 077.15×104 cells/m3)显著高于6月(107.80×104 cells/m3)。随长江冲淡水势力增强,位于长江口的丰度高值区8月较6月更偏外侧。种类丰富度8月高于6月,但多样性和均匀度指数略低于6月。6月尖刺伪菱形藻和三角角藻占绝对优势,8月优势种主要有尖刺伪菱形藻、笔尖形根管藻和铁氏束毛藻。骨条藻虽非优势种,但在长江冲淡水区丰度较高。相似性分析和多维尺度分析表明,浮游植物群落组成时空差异显著。典范对应分析表明,温度和盐度是分别影响6、8月群落分布的首要因子。根据水动力和化学参数,该区浮游植物群落分布与环流变化和水团消长密切相关。     

Mass development of the planktonic diatom Proboscia alata over the bering sea shelf in the summer season

During most of the vegetation season from late May to early September, the large-sized diatom alga Proboscia alata forms local patches with high abundances and biomasses in different oceanographic domains of the eastern Bering Sea shelf. The average abundance and biomass of the species in these patches amounts to 0.7 × 10⁶ cells/l and 5 g WW/m³, respectively, for the layer of 0–25 m, while the corresponding estimates for the layer of the maximal species concentrations are 4.0 × 10⁶ cells/l and 38 g WW/m³ (1.6 g C/m³). These levels of abundance and biomass are typical of the spring diatom bloom in the region. The outbursts of P. alata mass development are an important element of carbon cycling in the pelagic zone of the shelf area in the summer season. The paradox of the P. alata summertime blooms over the middle shelf lies in their occurrences against the background of the sharp seasonal pycnocline and the deficiency in nutrients in the upper mixed layer. The duration of the outbursts in the P. alata development is about two weeks and the size of the patches with high abundances can be as large as 200 km across. Degradation of the P. alata summertime outbursts may occur during 4–5 days. The rapid sinking of the cells through the seasonal pycnocline results in an intense transport of organic matter to the bottom sediments. One of the possible factors responsible for the rapid degradation of the blooms is the affect on the population by ectoparasitic flagellates. At the terminal stages of the P. alata blooms, the share of infected cells may reach 70–99%.     

Last glacial emplacement of methane-derived authigenic carbonates in the Sea of Japan constrained by diatom assemblage,carbon-14, and carbonate content

We studied diatom assemblages and CaCO₃ contents of methane-derived authigenic carbonates from the eastern margin of the Sea of Japan and assessed the formation time of these samples. Radioactive ¹⁴C date was determined in selected samples to obtain the maximum age of the time. The results of our study suggest mass formation of carbonate nodules in a glacial period within ∼40 ky, consistent with a published U/Th dating result of carbonate nodules in the study area. Diatom assemblages and contents in the carbonate nodules (abundance of ∼10⁶/g, dominance of neritic-littoral species, warm/cold water species ratio lower than ∼25) differ from the near-seafloor sediments in the study area, which have characteristics of Holocene sediments in the Sea of Japan, and suggest cementation of glacial sediments. Laminated sediments in some nodule samples are glacial sediments because laminations are records of a low sea level period in the semi-enclosed ocean. Similarity of diatom assemblages and contents in all carbonate samples is another evidence of glacial sediments in nodules. Glacial sediments with oceanic cold water species as low as Holocene sediments restricts the sediment age to before 20 cal. ky BP. Carbonate contents higher than 78 wt% suggest the cementation of poorly compacted sediments near the seafloor, and the date of carbonate cementation is, therefore, close to that of the cemented sediments. Most carbonate nodule samples in this study were formed in a glacial period and detection of ¹⁴C restricts this period to within ∼40 ky.     

广西钦州湾外湾表层沉积硅藻分布特征

本文对钦州湾外湾54个表层沉积物中硅藻进行分析,鉴定出硅藻153种,分属50属。其中Thalassionema nitzschioides是本区域内最为丰富的硅藻种类。对应分析结果表明,钦州湾表层沉积硅藻分布主要受到海水盐度的影响,其中淡水硅藻Achnanthes delicatula、A.hauckiana、A.levanderi和Cocconeis disculus可以作为低盐度海水环境的指示种,半咸水种Cyclotella striata/C.stylorum、Paralia sulcata与海洋中硅藻Thalassionema frauenfeldii、T.nitzschioides则可以很好的指示高盐度环境。钦州湾外湾54个表层沉积站位可划分为3个硅藻分布区,分别对应高低不同的海水盐度,与实际站位地理分布基本一致。     

盐度与种间竞争对漂浮生态型浒苔微繁体萌发和生长的影响

黄海绿潮源自苏北浅滩,暴发后期浒苔向北漂移至山东半岛南岸,会集中释放大量微繁体。虽然构成严重的繁殖体压力,但尚未发生大面积定生。为了明确漂浮生态型浒苔北侵定居的关键限制因素,本研究于2015年7月漂浮浒苔在青岛沿海大量堆积期间,采集潮间带表层沉积物样本,分别在盐度25和32下进行培养,试验不同盐度对漂浮生态型浒苔微繁体萌发和幼苗生长的影响。进一步通过单藻种培养,分析漂浮生态型与定生浒苔群体、以及青岛定生近缘种缘管浒苔对盐度的适应性差异。结果表明,盐度对微繁体萌发与幼苗生长两个阶段均构成重要影响,但具有不同的影响方式。在萌发阶段,单藻培养条件下,盐度对浒苔各群体和缘管浒苔的萌发率均无显著影响,但在混合培养条件下,盐度则通过种间竞争对萌发率产生显著影响,青岛的高盐条件更加有利于当地种,而苏北海域的低盐条件会显著提高漂浮生态型的萌发率。在幼苗的生长阶段,盐度可直接产生影响,高盐条件显著降低浒苔所有群体幼苗的生长率,对缘管浒苔则无显著影响,表现明显的种间差异。上述结果提示,盐度与种间竞争的协同作用可能是限制漂浮生态型浒苔大规模北侵定居的重要因素,这为预测漂浮生态型的扩散范围与黄海绿潮的变异趋势提供了理论依据。     

大亚湾大鹏澳海域表层沉积物中浮游植物休眠体集群的季节变化

于2007年4月至2008年3月对大亚湾大鹏澳海域表层沉积物中浮游植物休眠体进行了每月1次的周年调查.本调查分析鉴定出浮游植物休眠体79种,包括甲藻孢囊50种,硅藻休眠体26种.浮游植物休眠体丰度没有明显的季节变化规律,变化范围为217～6 764 cells/cm3,平均为1 376 cells/cm3;鱼类养殖区休眠体丰度较高,平均丰度为1 999 cells/cm3.浮游植物休眠体在数量上以硅藻为主,甲藻次之,而在鱼类养殖区也出现了较高的蓝藻休眠体.硅藻休眠体的平均丰度为783 cells/cm3,百分比含量为56.9%,从而反映了该海域硅藻型浮游植物群落结构.甲藻孢囊丰度的变化范围在79～1 237 cells/cm3,位于湾口对照区丰度较高,年平均为733 cells/cm3,而鱼类养殖区和贝类养殖区平均值分别为502、388 cells/cm3.异养型甲藻孢囊的种类和数量均比较丰富,其百分比含量为26.7%～82.4%.研究结果显示,在富营养化程度较高的养殖区海域,硅藻休眠体和异养型甲藻孢囊百分率均较高,而鱼类养殖区还出现了较高蓝藻孢子丰度.本次调查中还出现了易碎藻和艉杆藻等在本海域浮游植物调查中未记录种类的孢囊,有毒有害赤潮生物的休眠体如亚历山大藻、链状裸甲藻、旋沟藻、巴哈马梨甲藻孢囊等也在此次调查中频繁出现,说明大亚湾海域存在较大的有毒有害赤潮发生的风险.     

A potential source of recruitment of Acartia pacifica nauplii: viable benthic resting eggs

Many estuarine and coastal planktonic copepods depend on the hatching of benthic resting eggs for recruitment of nauplii to the water column population. The distribution and abundance of viable resting eggs of Acartia pacifica in the Xiamen Bay were determined by the presence of nauplii in the laboratory. The number of viable eggs varied temporally and spatially. The maximum number (9.2×10⁴m^-2) of viable eggs was in summer. In spring the average abundance of viable eggs was 5.6×10⁴ m^-2. The abundances of viable eggs in fall and winter were similar, respectively 2.7×10⁴ and 3.3×10⁴ m^-2, which were the lowest in the year. The numbers of viable eggs inside the stations of the Xiamen Bay were higher than those outside the stations. The viable eggs were found at all depths (0～10 cm),although not in every station. The maximin number did not necessarily occur in the uppermost centimeter of the sediments but often occurred several centimeters below the water-sediment interface. The accumulation of viable eggs in the seabed of a subtropical bay constitutes a potential source of recruitment of nauplii into the pelagic population.     

Late Quaternary sediments on the outer shelf of the Korea Strait and their paleoceanographic implications

Sedimentological and micropaleontological characteristics of core sediments from the outer shelf of the Korea Strait, which connects the northern East China Sea and the East Sea (Sea of Japan), were investigated to elucidate the paleoceanographic environment, especially the timing of the Kuroshio inflow, since the last glacial maximum. The core sediments, containing continuous records of the last 15,000 years, are characterized by a relatively high mud content (more than 50%, on average) and well-developed tide-influenced sedimentary structures. Their mineralogy suggests that the material originated from the paleo-Nakdong River system, which extended across the shelf of the Korea Strait during low sea-level periods. Planktonic foraminifers reveal a series of well-defined changes in paleoceanographic conditions during the late Pleistocene–Holocene. Down-core variations in the abundance of four foraminiferal assemblages, i.e., cold, coastal, tropical–subtropical, and Kuroshio water groups comprising characteristic planktonic species, suggest the occurrence of a distinct paleoenvironmental change in the surface water at 7,000 years b.p., i.e., from 15,000 to 7,000 years b.p., the area was influenced by coastal waters whereas since ca. 7,000 years b.p., it has been under the influence of open-sea water related to the Kuroshio Current flow, associated with both higher temperature and higher salinity. In particular, Pulleniatina obliquiloculata increased markedly in abundance at this time, documenting the inflow of the Kuroshio into the study area. These data indicate that the coastal water stage terminated at ca. 7,000 years b.p. when the warm Kuroshio and its major branch, the Tsushima Current, began to flow into the East Sea, as is the case today. The intrusion of the Tsushima Current through the Korea Strait after ca. 7,000 years b.p. resulted in abrupt changes in sedimentation rates and a dramatic increase in abundance of the Kuroshio indicator species, P. obliquiloculata.     

我国典型潮间带底栖硅藻群落空间分布特征

底栖硅藻是河口、泥质海滩生态系统的重要生物类群,其数量与分布变化直接或间接地影响到多种海洋生物的饵料供给、海鸟的生存与迁徙。通过对我国从南到北14个典型潮间带表层沉积物中底栖硅藻的分析,共鉴定出硅藻153种,其物种多样性（Shannon-Weaver 指数范围:1.61~4.39）与生物量（范围:0.09×103 ~ 10×103个/g,干质量）在空间上存在显著差异;聚类分析与相似性分析检验（r=0.738,P=0.1%< 0.01）表明,14个调查区域的硅藻群落在空间上可分为4个大的组合,分别对应着渤、黄、东、南海4个区域,吻合了我国近海浮游植物的地理分布特征。与环境因素的相关性分析表明,底栖硅藻群落的物种多样性与生物量受沉积物类型与盐度的影响显著,泥质区域更有利于硅藻的保存,而生物多样性在泥砂质低盐区域相对较高。此外,底栖硅藻生物量与表层沉积物中TOC含量表现出显著正相关性;δ13C数值的空间变化范围为-25‰~-20‰,指示了有机质陆海混合的特征,其中,涧河河口、黄河口、大沽河口、苏北浅滩区域,δ13C数值明显偏正,表明底栖硅藻可能是这些区域沉积物中有机碳的重要贡献者。     

An investigation of the sources and seasonal variations of highly branched isoprenoid hydrocarbons in intertidal sediments of the Tamar Estuary, UK

The concentrations and distributions of highly branched isoprenoid (HBI) hydrocarbons in the surficial sediments of an intertidal mudflat in the Tamar Estuary, UK, were examined at monthly intervals throughout 1990. C₂₀ and C₂₅ HBIs were present all the year round and their concentrations covaried, maximising at several times in the year, notably in April–June. Since C₂₅ HBIs are known to be produced by a species of diatom (Haslea ostrearia) in culture, it seemed likely that the sedimentary maxima were also due to production from sediment diatoms. It was interesting therefore that the April–June HBI maximum did not coincide with the (August) maximum concentration of the common diatom hydrocarbon n-heneicosa-hexaene (HE), even though HE is also produced by the diatom species which produces C₂₅ HBIs in culture. Diatoms isolated from the sediments in August produced abundant HE and only a small proportion of C₂₅ HBIs. These results suggest that HBI and HE production maximise at different diatom growth stages, or that the major sources of HBIs in the sediments are as yet unidentified diatom species. The diatoms isolated from the sediment did not produce C₂₀ HBIs and to date no organism has produced these in culture. Nonetheless, the δ¹³C values of the sedimentary C₂₀ HBIs were consistent with an algal source.     

冬夏季南海西部固氮蓝藻

本研究分析了冬季东北季风期(2006年11月27日-12月16日)及夏季西南季风期(2007年8月11日-9月16日)南海西部越南沿岸区域(10°~17°N,108°~115°E)的网采浮游植物样品,探讨了冬夏两季南海西部固氮蓝藻的物种、丰度及分布特征,以及影响固氮蓝藻丰度与分布的环境因素。冬夏两季南海西部固氮蓝藻主要有束毛藻(Trichodesmium)和胞内植生藻(Richelia intracellularis),束毛藻物种包括铁氏束毛藻(Trichodesmium thiebaultii)、红海束毛藻(Trichodesmium erythraeum)以及汉氏束毛藻(Trichodesmium hildebrandtii),其中铁氏束毛藻为优势种,胞内植生藻主要与根管藻(Rhizosolenia sp.)共生。冬季时束毛藻藻丝体平均丰度为0.194×104 filaments/L,束毛藻细胞平均丰度为0.172×106 cells/L,胞内植生藻细胞平均丰度为0.255×104 cells/L,与笔尖形根管藻(Rhizosolenia styliformis)共生的胞内植生藻居多;蓝藻主要分布在调查海域的北部。夏季时束毛藻藻丝体平均丰度为2.995×104 filaments/L,束毛藻细胞平均丰度为6.007×106 cells/L,胞内植生藻细胞平均丰度为2.198×104 cells/L,与笔尖根管藻共生的胞内植生藻占优势。夏季时固氮蓝藻丰度高于冬季,胞内植生藻宿主更为多样化。本研究中温度及冷窝对蓝藻的分布有重要影响,而盐度单独对蓝藻分布的影响不大,与温度结合时表现出一定的限制作用。     

春季黄海浮游植物生态分区:物种组成

Phytoplanktonic ecological provinces of the Yellow Sea(31.20°–39.23°N, 121.00°–125.16°E) is derived in terms of species composition and hydrological factors(temperature and salinity). 173 samples were collected from 40 stations from April 28 to May 18, 2014, and a total of 185 phytoplanktonic algal species belonging to 81 genera of 7phyla were identified by Uterm?hl method. Phytoplankton abundance in surface waters is concentrated in the west coast of Korean Peninsula and Korea Bay, and communities in those areas are mainly composed of diatoms and cyanobacteria with dominant species of Cylindrotheca closterium, Synechocystis pevalekii, Chroomonas acuta,Paralia sulcata, Thalassiosira pacifica and Karenia mikimotoi, etc. The first ten dominant species of the investigation area are analyzed by multidimensional scaling(MDS) and cluster analysis, then the Yellow Sea is divided into five provinces from Province I(P-I) to Province V(P-V). P-I includes the coastal areas near southern Liaodong Peninsula, with phytoplankton abundance of 35 420×10~3–36 163×10~3 cells/L and an average of 35 791×10~3 cells/L, and 99.84% of biomass is contributed by cyanobacteria. P-II is from Shandong Peninsula to Subei coastal area. Phytoplankton abundance is in a range of 2×10~3–48×10~3 cells/L with an average of 24×10~3cells/L, and 63.69% of biomass is contributed by diatoms. P-III represents the Changjiang(Yangtze River) Diluted Water. Phytoplankton abundance is 10×10~3–37×10~3 cells/L with an average of 24×10~3 cells/L, and 73.14% of biomass is contributed by diatoms. P-IV represents the area affected by the Yellow Sea Warm Current.Phytoplankton abundance ranges from 6×10~3 to 82×10~3 cells/L with an average of 28×10~3 cells/L, and 64.17% of biomass is contributed by diatoms. P-V represents the cold water mass of northern Yellow Sea. Phytoplankton abundance is in a range of 41×10~3–8 912×10~3 cells/L with an average of 1 763×10~3 cells/L, and 89.96% of biomass is contributed by diatoms. Overall, structures of phytoplankton community in spring are quite heterogeneous in different provinces. Canonical correspondence analysis(CCA) result illustrates the relationship between dominant species and environmental factors, and demonstrates that the main environmental factors that affect phytoplankton distribution are nitrate, temperature and salinity.     

Long-term (1998–2007) trends on the spatial distribution of heterotrophic ciliates in the East China Sea in summer: effect of the Three Gorges Dam construction

The spatial distribution of heterotrophic ciliates, environmental factors and potential food items (bacteria, Synechococcus spp. and nanoflagellates) were measured in the East China Sea to examine which variables contributed importantly to the long-term distribution of ciliates between 1998 and 2007. In July 1998 and June 2003, heterotrophic ciliates were found to be abundant (1,000–2,000 × 10³ cells m⁻³) in regions where surface salinity <32 but extremely low (<500 × 10³ cells m⁻³) in shelf waters of surface salinity >32. After August 2003, shortly after the completion of the Three Gorges Dam, we found no significant areal differences in the abundance of heterotrophic ciliates (HC). However, we found a significantly negative correlation between temperature and HC abundance of surface water after the completion of the dam, suggesting that temperature had a greater influence on HC abundance, once the original saline state had changed. For the long-term trends on the vertical distribution of HC, their abundance was significantly higher in the upper 50 m of the water column than at either 75 or 100 m. Abundance of Synechococcus spp. at these levels varied significantly in regions of surface salinity <32, suggesting that ciliates and picophytoplankton contribute greatly to mediating the transfer of organic matter to higher trophic levels in this marine ecosystem.     

春季长江口富营养化水域浮游植物群集对冲淡水和上升流的响应

A comprehensive study on the phytoplankton standing stocks, species composition and dominant species in the eutrophic Changjiang(Yangtze River) Estuary(CE) was conducted to reveal the response of phytoplankton assemblage to Changjiang Diluted Water(CDW) and upwelling in the spring. Phytoplankton presented peak standing stocks(13.03 μg/L of chlorophyll a, 984.5×103 cells/L of phytoplankton abundance) along the surface isohaline of 25. Sixty-six species in 41 genera of Bacillariophyta and 33 species in 19 genera of Pyrrophyta were identified, as well as 5 species in Chlorophyta and Chrysophyta. Karenia mikimotoi was the most dominant species, followed by Prorocentrum dentatum, Paralia sulcata, Pseudo-nitzschia delicatissima and Skeletonema costatum. A bloom of K. mikimotoi was observed in the stratified stations, where the water was characterized by low nitrate, low phosphate, low turbidity, and specific ranges of temperature(18–22 °C) and salinity(27–32). K.mikimotoi and P. dentatum accumulated densely in the upper layers along the isohaline of 25. S. costatum was distributed in the west of the isohaline of 20. Benthonic P. sulcata presented high abundance near the bottom,while spread upward at upwelling stations. CDW resulted in overt gradients of salinity, turbidity and nutritional condition, determining the spatial distribution of phytoplankton species. The restricted upwelling resulted in the upward transport of P. sulcata and exclusion of S. costatum, K. mikimotoi and P. dentatum. The results suggested that CDW and upwelling were of importance in regulating the structure and distribution of phytoplankton assemblage in the CE and the East China Sea.     

Seasonal succession in the diatom community of Sendai Bay,northern Japan,following the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku earthquake

Sendai Bay in northern Japan suffered serious damage from massive tsunamis generated by the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku earthquake. The physical disturbance caused by a tsunami may affect the coastal ecosystem, including the planktonic diatom community. We investigated seasonal changes in the diatom community structure at a coastal and an offshore station in Sendai Bay, from June 2011 (3 months after the tsunami) to April 2014. Diatom abundance increased at both stations during the spring. Sporadic increases were also recorded at the coastal station during the summer because of silicate input from river discharge. Seasonal succession of the diatom communities was similar at both the coastal and offshore stations. The onset of the spring bloom consisted mainly of Chaetoceros spp. when water temperatures were low. Subsequently, species such as Skeletonema costatum s.l. became dominant as salinity and nutrient concentrations decreased. Cell density decreased from summer into early winter. Leptocylindrus danicus became dominant in the summer, but was replaced by Thalassiosira cf. mala from autumn into winter. Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that most of the variation in the diatom community could be explained by temperature, salinity, NO₃ ^?, NO₂ ^?, PO₄ ^3?, and SiO₂. In addition, the occurrence of diatom species before the tsunami showed a similar pattern to that after the tsunami, suggesting that the tsunami did not have a serious impact on the diatom community in Sendai Bay.     

Changes in the Composition of the Diatom Flora During the Last Century Indicate Increased Eutrophication of the Oder Estuary, South-western Baltic Sea

Four short sediment cores from the Oder estuary, south-western Baltic Sea, were studied with respect to their siliceous microfossil and organic carbon content. The sediments were dated by²¹⁰Pb. The objective was to detect and date changes in the composition of the diatom flora and link these changes to increased human impact in the drainage area during recent centuries. Two of the cores showed an unperturbed sedimentary sequence representing a complete historical record. A change in the composition of the diatom assemblages attributable to anthropogenic factors was recorded. This was dated to about 1900 in the Oderhaff. The change consisted of an increase in species that thrive in eutrophic waters and those indicating increased salinity or the availability of inorganic nutrients.     

Seasonal and interannual dynamics in diatom production in the Cariaco Basin,Venezuela

We examine the diatom flux collected between November 1996 and April 1998, and between January and October 1999 at the time-series study site in the Cariaco Basin, off Venezuela. The temporal dynamics of the total diatom flux mainly reflect seasonal, trade wind-driven changes in surface hydrographic conditions, including changes associated with the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Highest diatom fluxes (>1.8×10⁷ valves m^?2 d^?1) coincided with the upwelling season in boreal winters 1997 and 1999. Changes in the composition of the diverse diatom community reflect variations in hydrographic and atmospheric conditions, as well as nutrient availability. Cyclotella litoralis, a neritic diatom typical of nutrient-rich waters, along with resting spores of several Chaetoceros spp., dominate during periods of high diatom flux, following trade wind-driven upwelling. During the boreal summers of 1997 and 1999, nutrient-depleted surface waters resulted in low diatom fluxes (<5.2×10⁶ valves m^?2 d^?1). The seasonal pattern of high diatom production was altered from July 1997 through April 1998, when the ENSO affected the Caribbean Sea. The occurrence of ENSO during boreal winter 1997–1998 caused a major change in the qualitative composition of the diatom assemblage: the highly diverse diatom assemblage was composed of a mixture of pelagic (Nitzschia bicapitata, Thalassionema nitzschioides var. inflata, T. nitzschioides var. parva, Azpeitia tabularis) and coastal species (C. litoralis, resting spores of Chaetoceros, T. nitzschioides var. nitzschioides). The simultaneous occurrence of neritic and open-ocean diatoms during boreal summers reflects the fact that the Cariaco Basin is influenced by both offshore and coastal waters, with considerable short-term variability in hydrographic conditions and nutrient availability.