Introduction,spat-rearing and experimental culture of bay scallop,Argopecten irradians lamarck

Bay scallops were introduced from the east coast of the U.S. into China to shorten the economic turn-over from 2 to 1 year. Parent scallops were carried to Qingdao on Dec. 20, 1982 and stocked in indoor tanks at controlled temperature and fed with a mixture ofPhaeodictylum tricornutum, Pyramimonas sp. andChlorella sp. They spawned on Jan. 26 of the next year. The larvae were reared at a temperature of 18–21°C and fed withIsochrysis galbana, Pyramimonas sp. andChorella sp. In 4 weeks’ growing, the spats averaged 827 μm. They attained a height of 6.9 mm on May 9. In the middle of May, the seed scallops were transferred to Luoyuan Bay in Fujian Province, and Jiaozhou Bay, as well as the area off Taiping Jiao Cape, Qingdao, Shandong Province for experimental culture in plastic netcages suspended on a single line raft. Bay scallops cultured in Luoyuan Bay grew to an averaged shell height of 10.4 mm. In Jiaozhou Bay and the Taiping Jiao Cape culture area, they grew to 50 mm in average shell height (marketable size) and 26 g in average weight by late September; and attained 59 mm in average shell height (R. 39–75 mm) and 46 g in average weight in late December. The ovary and testis could be distinguished by color in August. In early September, eggs and sperms were collected for our laboratory where the second generation of seed scallops was successfully reared to suitable size for growing outdoor and breeding. This species can be harvested within a year after fertilization of the eggs, so we consider it suitable for culture in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea. This is the first reported successful introduction of Atlantic mollusks to the China Seas. This paper was published in Chinese inOceanologia et Limnologia Sinica 17 (5): 367–374, 1986.     

Growth,reproduction & population structure of the freshwater crabSinopotamon yangtsekiense bott, 1967, from Zhejiang,China

Monthly investigations were mae on the population of Chinese freshwater crab,Sinopotamon yangtsekiense Bott, 1967 from April, 1984 to March, 1985. The data on 4413 specimens show that the growth was affected mainly by temperature. During the April to November growth period, the crabs' major development occurred from June through October. One year was required for a fine white oocyte to develop into a mature egg. The reproduction period was June–October. Females bearing eggs were taken from June–August, and crabs with young were found from July–October. The females reproduced once a year but could for more than one year. The number of eggs carried by a female varied greatly according to the size of the crab, ranging from 30 to 100 eggs. New-born crabs become mature after 1–2 years. The sex ratio was approximately 1∶1 in the overall population. However, the larger crabs are predominantly male. The age distribution ofS. yangtsekinese was estimated from size frequency histograms. There were more adult crabs (over 70%) from June to October and more immature crabs (over 50%) from November to May.     

Studies on the eggs and larvae,ofSardinella aurita (Cuv. & Val.) in the fishing grounds of Southern Fujian and the Taiwan Bank

In this paper, the morphological characters of eggs and larvae ofSardinella aurita (Cuvier & Valenciennes), its spawning ground, spawning seasons and spawning conditions have been studied. Sardinella aurita likes to breed in the upwelling area and selects the Waixie fishing ground as its main spawning ground. The months from February to September are its spawning seasons, reaching its peak in April. In the main spawning ground, the temperature of the surface layer was found to be 24.4–25.2°C, the salinity 33.87–34.07%. and the depth of water between 34–60m. The distribution of the larvae is closely related to the distribution of plankton, the path of migration of adult fish, and the current direction of the water system. In order to protect fishery resources, it is necessary to prohibit catching the spawning fish in the Waixie fishing ground in April, and the catching of immatures from March to June. This paper was published in Chinese inOcean. Limn. Sinica 14(3): 240–248, 1983.     

Studies on the breeding habits of the minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) in the Yellow Sea

Minke whales caught in the Yellow Sea range from 4.16 m to 8.60 m in length with an average length of 6.93 m for the female and 6.14 m for the male. Sex ratio of the female is 74.3%. The pregnancy ratio of all sexually matured females is 65.8%. The minimum size of the pregnant whale observed is 6.60 m in length. Females having a body length of more than 7 m long are all sexually matured. According to the studies on the embryos obtained from the females caught in the northern Yellow Sea, there is only one breeding season each year. Mating mostly occurs from July through September, and the length of pregnancy is ten to eleven months with the peak of calving from May through July. Most females breed one calf each time, only two cases with twins. Sex ratio of female fetus is 56.6%, and the newly born calf measures 250–270 cm in body length. This paper was published in Chinese inOceanologia et Limnologia Sinica 13 (4): 338–345.     

Response of Vegetation in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to Global Warming

Using satellite-observed Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) dada and station-observed surface air temperature anomalies for the Northern Hemisphere (NH), we analyze the spatio-temporal characteristics of vege- tation variations in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and their correlations with global warming from 1982 to 2002. It is found that the late spring and early summer (May-June) are the months with the strongest responses of vegetation to global warming. Based on the Rotated Empirical Orthogonal Function (REOF) method, the study shows that the first REOF spatial pattern of average NDVI for May-June reveals the northern and southern zones with great inter-annual variations of vegetation, the northern zone from the eastern Kunlun Mountains to the southwestern Qilian Mountain and southern zone from the northern edge of the Himalayas eastward to the Hengduan Mountains. The vegetation, especially grassland, in the two zones increases significantly with global warming, with a correlation coefficient of 0.71 between the first REOF of May-June vegetation and the April-May surface air temperature anomaly in the NH during 1982-2002. A long-term increasing trend in May-June vegetation for the plateau region as a whole is also attributed mainly to global warming although there are considerable regional differences. The areas with low NDVI (grassland and shrubland) usually respond more evidently to global warming, especially since the 1990s, than those with moderate or high NDVI values.     

Feeding ofAcanthocylops robustus on zooplankton

Feeding of freshwater cyclopoid copepodAcanthocyclops robustus on zooplankton was examined by a senes of feeding experiments during August–September of 1993. Study results showedA. robustus can capture and eat all type items provided from the Stary Haklovsky fishpond, a shallow eutrophic water body near Budějovice City, Czech Republic. Selection by the predator was determined largely by prey body-size and density, but was also affected by prey types. Variable but significant changes in feeding rates were found in various size distribution and concentration of prey types. Percentages of small (80–235μm) and large (445–610μm) prey consumed were 42.47 and 3.85%, respectively. Starvation did not cause statistically significant difference. The feeding onCeriodaphnia quadrangula showed significant difference between large and small prey. Feeding rate increased with increasing prey concentration.     

Study of phytoplankton community in the channel from Dongting Lake to Changjiang River, China

1 INTRODUCTION Dongting Lake (28°18'–29°45'N, 111°35'– 113°18'E) is the second largest freshwater lake in China, and directly connected with the Changjiang River (Yangtse River) through the channel. The sur- face area was about 2 740 km2 (at the low     

Description of the biology of Caspian vimba, Vimba vimba (Linnaeus, 1758), in Gorgan Bay-Miankaleh Wildlife Refuge (southeast Caspian Sea)

We collected Vimba vimba throughout the spawning season (mid April to mid June, 2007) in Gorgan Bay (south-western Iran) and investigated its age, growth, and reproductive traits. The maximum age was 5⁺ years. Both sexes grew allometrically (positive for males: b=3.140 9 and negative for females: b=2.791 4). The von Bertalanffy growth functions were described by the formulae L _t =32.565(1-e^{−0.184(t+0.530)}) for males and L _t =35.950(1-e^{−0.179(t+0.529)}) for females. The overall sex ratio was balanced, but males were predominant in the smaller size classes and females in the larger size classes. Based on the gonadosomatic index (GSI) values, spawning appears to occur between late April and late May in the bay. The highest mean GSI was 6.44 for males in early May and 20.36 for females in late April. Absolute fecundity varies from the minimum of 5 436 eggs for age 3⁺ fish to the maximum of 36 141 eggs for age 5⁺ fish. Fecundity was also positively correlated with fish size (length and weight). Egg diameter ranged from 1.05 to 1.70 mm in the mean of 1.42 mm. There was no correlation between female size and ova diameter.     

Water quality and eutrophication in the Guangzhou Sea Zone of the Pearl River estuary

To gain a better understanding of water quality and eutrophication, we investigated the seasonal and spatial distribution of water quality at 17 stations in the Guangzhou Sea Zone (GZSZ). Nutrients, chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), salinity, chemical oxygen demand, and other physical and chemical parameters were determined in February, May, August and October from 2005 to 2007. The concentrations showed ranges of 93.2–530.4 μmol/L for dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), 0.62–3.16 μmol/L for phosphate (PO₄-P) and 50–127 μmol/L for silicate (SiO₃-Si). The results indicated that DIN was strongly influenced by domestic sewage coming from Guangzhou City and NO₃-N was the main form of DIN in most areas, while concentrations of phosphate and silicate were generally controlled by Pearl River runoff, land-based sources along the land or islands, and algae assimilation. N/P ratios were very high in both dry season and wet season, and varied from 57 to 667, suggesting that P was potentially the most limiting nutrient in the GZSZ. The concentrations of Chl-a were 3–96 μg/L, and were highly correlated with the distribution characteristics of COD. The concentrations of nutrients have increased over the past two decades (1982–2007). This means it is necessary to control the input of nutrients to the GZSZ, especially that of phosphate.     

AVAILABILITY OF PHOSPHORUS FROM SELECTED INORGANIC PHOSPHATES TO JUVENILE ABALONE, HALIOTIS DISCUS HANNAI INO

The availability of phosphorus to juvenile abalone,Haliotis discus hannai from primary, secondary and tertiary calcium phosphate, primary sodium or potassium phosphate separately or in combination was determined in a 120-day feeding trial. Seven semi-purified diets were formulated to contain relatively constant dietary phosphorus, ranging from 0.78%–0.82%. The concentrations of dietary phosphorus were presumed to be slightly below the requirement for abalone. A brown alga,Laminaria japonica, was used as a control diet. Abalone juveniles of silimar size (average weight 1.18 g; average shell length 18.74 mm) were distributed in a single-pass, flow-through system using a completely randomized design with eight treatments and three replicates each treatment. The survival ranged from 71.1% to 81.1%, and was not significantly (P>0.05) related to dietary treatment. However, the weight gain rate (41.72%–65.02%), daily increment in shell length (36.87–55.07 μm) and muscle RNA-DNA ratio (3.44–4.69) were significantly (P<0.05) affected by dietary treatment. Soft body alkaline phosphatase activity (10.9–19.8 U/g wet tissue) and carcass levels of lipid (7.71%–9.33%) and protein (46.68%–49.35%) were significantly (P<0.05) responsive to available phosphorus of the diets. Dietary treatment had significant effect (P<0.05) on concentrations of phosphorus in the whole body (WB) and soft body (SB). Apparent digestibility coefficients (45%–97%) of phosphorus were also significantly (P<0.05) different between dietary treatments. The results indicated that among these inorganic compounds, primary calcium, potassium and sodium phosphates separately or in combination could be utilized effectively by juvenile abalone as dietary phosphorus sources (availability ranging from 87%–97%). However, secondary and tertiary calcium phosphates were found to be low in availability, the values being 45% and 77%, repectively. Project 39670572 supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC).     

Vegetation NPP Distribution Based on MODIS Data and CASA Model —— A Case Study of Northern Hebei Province

1 Introduction Vegetation is an important component of terrestrial eco- system, it plays an important role in global matter and energy cycle, carbon balance and climate change. CO2 has effects on global warming, photosynthesis function, Net Primary Productivity (NPP) and earth environmental condition. NPP is one of the important biophysical variables of vegetation activity, and is a beginning link of biogeochemical carbon cycle. Vegetation absorbs CO2 from atmosphere through photosynthesi…     

ARTIFICIAL CULTURE OF AMPHIOXUS (BRANCHIOSTOMA BELCHERI TSINGTAUENSE)

Mature amphioxus (Branchiostoma belcheri tsingtauense) collected by trawl in June, 1994 from Qingdao Shazikou sea area bottom sands, were cultured under controlled indoor conditions, where they spawned and their eggs were fertilized and hatched into larvae which gradually settled at the bottom and dug into the sands after 40-50 days culture in a water trough outdoors. The total survival rate of the larvae(LSR)was 5.5% before they went into the sands, 1.9% in 4 months, 0.7% in 10 months. The survival rate of the young fish which had dug into the sands (YSR) was 35.6% in 4 months, and 12.6% in 10 months. The amphioxus number tended to be constant from the 11th month on. In the first five months after incubation, the amphioxus body length increased by an average of about 1.5 mm a month, and about 0.4 mm a month from Dec. to May of next year. The maximum length after ten months was 24 mm; the average was about 11 mm. After two years culture in the water trough, the maximum length could reach 34-35 mm, when the amphioxus gonads began to develop.     

TREND OF PRECIPITATION VARIATION IN HUBEI PROVINCE SINCE THE 1960S

1INTRODUCTIONOneoftheeffectsofglobalwarmingisthatprecipita-tionhasincreasedoversomeareasintheworld,andthegaugedataofprecipitation (excludingAntarctica)showthatglobalprecipitationhasincreasedslightlybyabout9mmforthe20thcentury, whichwas verysmallcomparedwiththeinterannualandmul-ti-decadalvariability(NEWetal.,2001).Butregion-ally,thereexisted agreatdealofdifferences,suchasinmostpartsofAfrica, Amazon,westernSouthAmerica,theweatherhasbecomedrier,andinmostpartsofEuropeandCanada,thereexisted…     

Simulation and analysis on seasonal variability of average salinityin the Yellow Sea

The CTD (conductivity, temperature and depth) data collected by six China-Korea joint cruises during 1996-1998 and the climatological data suggest that the seasonal variability of average salinity in the Yellow Sea (Sa) presents a general sinusoid pattern. To study the mechanism of the variability, annual cycles of Sa were simulated and a theoretical analysis based on the governing equations was reported.Three main factors are responsible for the variability: the Yellow Sea Warm Current (YSWC), the Changji-ang (Yangtze) River diluted water (YRDW) and the evaporation minus precipitation (E-P). From December to the next May, the variability of Sa is mainly controlled by the salt transportation of the YSWC. But in early July, the YSWC is overtaken and replaced by the YRDW which then becomes the most important controller in summer. From late September to November, the E-P gradually took the lead. The mass exchange north of the 37癗 line is not significant.     

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.     

Pigment characterization for the 2011 bloom in Qinhuangdao implicated "brown tide" events in China

A large-scale bloom occurred from May to June in 2011 in sea area near Qinhuangdao of the Bohai Sea, leading to huge damage of the scallop culture industry. Similar blooms have been observed in this region for three years. The causative species of the bloom, which dominated the phytoplankton community with the maximum cell density around 109 cell/L, could not be identified with morphological features due to the small cell size (~2 mm). A pigment analytical method was then adopted to analyze the pigment profile of the phytoplankton samples collected from the blooming sea area. It was found that pico-sized (<2 mm), nano-sized (2-20 mm), and bulk phytoplankton samples had similar pigment profile, representing the pigment signature of the bloom-causative species. The major pigments detected included 19-butanoyloxyfucoxanthin (But-fuco), fucoxanthin (Fuco), diadinoxanthin (Diad) and chlorophyll a (Chl a), and high content of But-fuco was the most significant characteristics of the phytoplankton samples. Based on the pigment composition and content, the bloom-causative species could be tentatively identified as pelagophyte, "type 8" group of haptophyte, or silicoflagellate. Some unique features of the bloom, such as the extremely high cell density, small-sized and But-fuco containing cells, occurring in early summer, and the feeding-cessation effects on scallops, suggest it be a "brown tide" event similar to those reported in the east coast of the United States of America. The recurrent "brown tide" events and their dramatic impacts on the shellfish mariculture industry in Qinhuangdao need close attention in the coming years.     

A study on the age and growth of Lake Anchovy (Coilia ectenes taihuensis Yuen et Tin) in Taihu Lake

Scales of the Lake Anchovy in Taihu Lake are used as a basis for its age determination. Annual variation of scale edge growth rate (α) indicates that the annulus forms once a year, mainly in April–June. The relationship formula for body length and scale diameter is L=18.658+118.06R, that for body length and weight isW♀=7.588×10⁻⁶ L ^2.8301;W♂=5.584×10⁻⁶ L ^2.8781. The fish before age II have a higher relative growth rate in body length and weight and a higher growth index. Growth is consistent with the growth equation by Von Bertalanffy. The turning point of the body weight growth curve is located between age II and III; the exact position is atW=0.292W _∞. Variation specificity of the growth course can be reflected by the growth rate and its acceleration curves. Time for capture of the fish should preferably be after age II, when they have reached a body length of 170 mm. That is one of the key measures to increase Lake Anchovy production in Taihu Lake.     

DISTRIBUTION AND POPULATION DYNAMICS OF PARACALANUS PARVUS,PRACALANUS CRASSIROSTRIS,AND ACARTIA BIFILOSA（COPEPODA,CALANOIDA）IN THE BOHAI SEA

Paracalanus parvus,Paracalanus crassirostris,and Acartia bifilosa are dominant and widely distributed in the Bohai Sea,and comprise an important part of zooplankton in terms of biomass as well as production rate.In order to understand their seasonal distribution and population dynamics,their stage-specific abundance in different months of the year were analyzed based on the never analyzed yet samples collected in 1959.The three species showed clear and remarkable seasonal variation in abundance,which maximized in spring and summer,when they formed high biomass patches or concentrations in the nearshore area.For Paracalanus parvus,two peaks were observed in the annual circle,one in June and the other in September,For Paracalanus crassirostris,one peak occurred in summer and a small one in December.The seasonal pattern of Acartia bifilosa was different in different regions.In Bohai Bay it had a two-peak pattern,with the first large peak occurring in May and the second one in October.In Laizhou Bay,a winter peak in December and January could be observed besides the spring one.The number of generations during the reproductive season for the three species was estimated based on the annual cycle in abundance and ambient temperature.     

Heritability and genetic correlation of survival in turbot (Scophthalmus maximus)

We analyzed the survival data of the offspring from 21 sires and 42 dams of turbot. The results show that the cumulative survival rates for turbot from 2 to 18 months range from 17.5% to 28.5%; main mortality occurred during months 2–5; and the highest survival rates of families were 97.9%, 98.8%, 99.4%, 99.7% during months 2–5, 5–6, 6–8, 8–11, and 11–18, respectively, and 99.5%, being 53.5%, 23.8%, 19.5%, 14.9%, and 13.2% higher, respectively, than the mean values in each period. In all periods, the estimated heritabilities for survival were very low without significant difference from zero (P≫0.05) (values ranged from 0.06 to 0.12), indicating low additive genetic effects. The genetic correlations of survival among families in different periods were all positive, but low in magnitude (values range from 0.03 to 0.31). Genetic correlations between long-term survival and other periods’ survival had negative values (−0.06 and −0.15) and three positive values (0.16, 0.12 and 0.14). Genetic correlations between survival and weight were all positive, except for survival at months 2–5 and weight at 18 months, which was not significantly negative (−0.18).