The bivalve Lembulus bicuspidatus may enhance denitrification in shelf sediment at the Angola–Benguela Frontal Zone

We collected living individuals of the bivalve Lembulus bicuspidatus, which shows an unusual preference for the oxygen-deficient habitat found at the Angola–Benguela Frontal Zone of the southeastern Atlantic. With a series of incubation experiments with ¹⁵N-labelled nitrate as a tracer in combination with membrane-inlet mass spectrometry, we studied the potential contribution of L. bicuspidatus to nitrate reduction in the upper sediment layer. Our preliminary results suggest that L. bicuspidatus enhances nitrate reduction if the oxygen concentration is sufficiently low. The Lembulus-mediated nitrate reduction rate is then similar to the rate of microbial nitrate reduction in the surrounding sediment.     

Streams in the Harz National Parks (Germany) — a hydrochemical and hydrobiological evaluation

Between 1995 and 2001, 16 measuring points at small and medium sized brooks in the Harz National Parks were sampled. The samples have been evaluated by means of hydrochemistry and macroinvertebrate biology. Although nearly all streams are largely uncontaminated by oxygen-consuming substances, they are settled only by a small number of macroinvertebrate species. There is a clear correlation between this number and pH. The reduction in species number with decrease of pH is mainly caused by the absence of most Ephemeroptera, some Coleoptera and Trichoptera. Comparing biological evaluation of acidity with physico-chemical measurements, a unacceptable underestimation was found. The reason could be that different sensitivities to acidification between regional populations seem to exist.

Despite of the low species number, there is a very specific macroinvertebrate fauna that emphasizes the conservation value of the Harz National Parks.     

Relict sand dredging for beach nourishment in the central Tyrrhenian Sea (Italy): effects on benthic assemblages

The aim of this study is to analyse the effects in space and time of relict sand-dredging activities on macrobenthic assemblages, in an area situated offshore Montalto di Castro (central Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy), and to analyse the recolonisation processes of macrobenthos in the dredged areas. The area in question is characterised by relict sand deposits (Holocenic paleo-beaches), used for beach nourishment along the Latium coast. The effects of sand extraction on benthic assemblages were investigated before, during and after three dredging operations. The sites analysed are located within the dredged areas (inside stations) and in neighbouring, not dredged, areas (outside stations). The results showed that the impact of sand extraction was confined to the dredged stations and to the areas in proximity to the dredged areas. During dredging activities, the structure of benthic assemblages within the impacted stations was characterised by low species richness and diversity. Both the direct removal of sediment and the re-suspension and consequent deposition of fine sediment affected benthic assemblages of the impacted stations. A few months after the dredgings, a recolonisation process was still observed at all the impacted stations. A gradual recolonisation process was observed at those stations affected by only one dredging, whereas a different recolonisation was observed at those stations affected by two dredgings over time. This study suggests that differences of re-colonisation processes of benthic assemblages are related to the intensity of dredging operations in terms of dredging frequency.     

大型底栖动物污染指数在乐清湾潮间带环境质量评价中的应用

采用大型底栖动物污染指数对乐清湾生态监控区2004~2006年潮间带环境质量的现状和变化趋势进行了分析,结果表明:2004~2006年监控区潮间带环境质量基本稳定,6个潮间带断面所在海区环境质量由好到差依次为浦歧、清江口、百亩礁、龙湾、西门岛和黄华海区,各海区高、中、低3个潮带的环境质量有一定的变化趋势,中、低潮带的环境质量明显好于高潮带。与潮间带邻近海域的水质状况进行的比较表明,MPI法的潮间带环境质量评价不如化学指标法灵敏,且评价结果存在滞后性。虽然MPI法是纯粹的数值计算法,不能准确反映群落内关键生态信息,在使用过程中有时还需借助生物、生态知识进行结果的修正,但是这种将图形数字化的生态评价方法降低了对评价人员专业要求的门槛,适应数字化平台的数据管理,因而较其它方法具有计算简便、易于掌握的优势。     

Assessing the benthic quality status of the Bohai Bay (China) with proposed modifications of M-AMBI

Multivariate AZTI's Marine Biotic Index (M-AMBI) was designed to indicate the ecological status of European coastal areas. Based upon samples collected from 2009 to 2012 in the Bohai Bay, we have tested the response of variations of M-AMBI, using biomass (M-BAMBI) in the calculations, with different transformations of the raw data. The results showed that the ecological quality of most areas in the study indicated by M-AMBI was from moderate to bad status with the worse status in the coastal areas, especially around the estuaries, harbors and outfalls, and better status in the offshore areas except the area close to oil platforms or disposal sites. Despite large variations in nature of the input data, all variations of M-AMBI gave similar spatial and temporal distribution patterns of the ecological status within the bay, and showed high correlation between them. The agreement of new ecological status obtained from all M-AMBI variations, which were calculated according to linear regression, was almost perfect. The benthic quality, assessed using different input data, could be related to human pressures in the bay, such as water discharges, land reclamation, dredged sediment and drilling cuts disposal sites. It seems that M-BAMBI were more effective than M-NABMI (M-AMBI calculated using abundance data) in indicating human pressures of the Bay. Finally, indices calculated with more severe transformations, such as presence/absence data, could not indicate the higher density of human pressures in the coastal areas of the north part of our study area, but those calculated using mild transformation (i.e., square root) did.     

天津近岸海域大型底栖动物摄食功能群特征及其与环境因子的关系

摄食功能群是指生态系统中食性相同的生物群落,研究摄食功能群有助于科学评估区域生态健康状况。基于2015年9月、2016年5月和2016年9月的天津近岸海域大型底栖动物调查数据,结合同步获取的环境因子,分析研究区大型底栖动物摄食功能群组成及其变化特征,探究大型底栖动物摄食功能群组成及变化的原因。结果表明,3个航次的大型底栖动物被划分为5个摄食功能群,但均未发现植食者。3个航次的摄食功能群组成差别不大,但均以碎屑食者和肉食者的物种数和丰度占比最高,杂食者和浮游生物食者的最低;生物量上则是以浮游生物食者和杂食者的占比最高。各类群的物种数和丰度以海河口东沽航道为界,基本呈现北高南低的分布格局。聚类分析结果表明海河口东沽航道内的摄食功能群结构组成与其他区域明显不同,与环境因子多因素方差分析结果一致,说明摄食功能群结构指标能够敏感地响应环境压力。冗余分析和多因素方差分析表明营养盐是影响研究区大型底栖动物摄食功能群结构组成的主要环境因子。与以往研究相比,天津近岸海域大型底栖动物摄食功能群组成状况未发生明显变化,需进一步加强该区域海洋生态保护修复工作,为京津冀一体化经济发展打下坚实的基础。     

1988-2016年洞庭湖大型底栖动物群落变化及驱动因素分析

洞庭湖是我国第二大淡水湖泊,其水文条件对湖泊湿地生态系统健康的维系发挥着不可替代的作用.近年来,水环境恶化日益威胁湖区水生态系统健康.然而,有关底栖动物水生态健康评价的研究仍然停留在物种群落结构方面,缺乏底栖动物群落功能对水污染响应的研究,尤其在较长时间尺度上.因而,本研究分析了19882016年近30 a来洞庭湖的水质和底栖动物群落数据,探寻底栖动物群落功能对水环境恶化的响应规律.结果表明,洞庭湖水体总氮浓度是威胁底栖动物物种和功能群落变动的主要因素.此外,不断恶化的水环境驱动底栖动物物种和功能群落结构改变,表现为敏感水生昆虫的比例下降,寡毛类、小型软体动物比例的上升,并伴随着体长为1.00~1.99 cm、背扁型、侧扁型、不移动等功能性状类别比例的下降.同时,水环境恶化降低物种丰富度、功能丰富度和劳氏二次熵多样性.基于距离的冗余分析结果显示,水体氮营养盐、重金属离子和有机污染物共同驱动底栖动物物种群落结构的变异,而营养盐类与无/有机污染物决定着其功能群落结构的变异.鉴于洞庭湖水质不断恶化的状况,本研究建议采取一系列措施,包括合理管控湖区周边废水直排入湖、取缔湖区内的非法采砂以及调控枯水季洞庭湖水位等.生物监测和评价方面,建议将底栖动物物种和功能群落一并纳入评价体系,且优先选用物种丰富度、功能丰富度和劳氏二次熵指数评估换水周期较短的大型浅水湖泊水质变化对底栖动物物种和功能多样性的影响.     

杭州湾大型底栖动物季节分布及环境相关性分析

对杭州湾大型底栖动物进行了夏(2006年7-8月)、冬(2006年12月-2007年1月)、春(2007年4月)、秋(2007年10-11月)季调查,分析了大型底栖动物的季节分布及其与环境的关系。结果表明:本海域四季共鉴定出113种大型底栖动物,多毛类、软体动物和甲壳类是该海域大型底栖动物的主要类群;主要优势种为双鳃内卷齿蚕、西方似蛰虫和多鳃卷吻沙蚕等多毛类。方差分析表明,除甲壳类丰度外,杭州湾大型底栖动物群落参数无显著季节差异,群落分析表明,杭州湾群落特点比较单一,未分辨出显著差异的群落;丰度/生物量比较法分析表明,秋季杭州湾海域受到了污染的扰动;典范对应分析表明,多毛类主要受物理因子(如温度、盐度、水深等)影响,而软体动物、甲壳类和其他类动物主要受生物化学因子(如叶绿素、总有机碳、浮游生物等)影响。从典范对应分析的结果,可以推断出杭州湾大型底栖动物受自然环境特征的影响较人类活动的影响大。