Fate and recycling of carbon compounds

This article is a brief and selective introduction to the literature and concepts concerning the fate and recycling of carbon compounds in the marine environment. It provides a framework for the other papers in the session and emphasises the areas of ignorance and the implications to be drawn from them.The fate of carbon compounds in oceanic water columns and sediments is reviewed in terms of regions and processes. Particular attention is given to certain regions — surface film and associated zone, the water column and the upper layer of the bottom sediments — and processes — microbial activity, association of organic materials and minerals and the formation and diagenesis of particulate organic matter.Most of the organic matter in the ocean is rapidly recycled but the processes, rates and fluxes are poorly understood. Major areas of ignorance include the half-lives of individual compounds and of classes of compounds and the role of microorganisms, both in the water column and in the bottom sediments. Measurements and experiments need to be conducted in the oceans and in the laboratory. Chemical and biochemical changes in the short and long term require recognition if the residual organic matter of sediments is to be interpreted in terms of past oceanic conditions.     

基于ArcGIS的江苏省连云区海洋空间规划分区研究

文章以江苏省连云港市连云区海域为研究区,提出了兼顾海洋资源开发与生态环境保护的海洋空间规划分区体系,包括工业与城镇建设区、生物资源利用区和生态保护区3个类别;构建了海洋环境生态承载力评价和海洋开发利用适宜性评价指标体系,基于ArcGIS完成了规划区网格划分和相关评价,并据此进行叠置分析,完成连云区海域分区的空间划分,其中工业与城镇建设区总面积占比为23.58%、生物资源利用区占55.52%、生态保护区占20.90%。海洋空间规划分区体系和基于ArcGIS划分方法在连云区的应用实践表明,该方法体系能够较好地协调海洋保护与开发的空间格局划分,可以为我国海洋空间规划分区研究和实践提供借鉴。     

Sewage diversion effects on the water column of a subtropical estuary

A study of the phytoplankton community and water column chemistry in Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaii, before and after the diversion of secondary treated sewage from the bay has shown that changes in total nutrient concentrations in the water column cannot be accurately predicted without taking into account water column-benthos interactions. During the first year after sewage diversion, the decomposition of about 400 tonnes of benthic organisms, primarily filter feeders, resulted in water column dissolved organic nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations roughly an order of magnitude higher than those expected in the absence of such interactions. The biomass of phytoplankton appears to have been N limited both before and after sewage diversion, with internal nutrient recycling accounting for 70–99% of phtyoplankton nutrient uptake. Both the biomass and growth rate of the phytoplankton declined as a result of the sewage diversion, with post-diversion growth rates evidently well below nutrient-saturated values. Since the principal stresses on the bay's coral reef community as a result of the sewage discharges appear to have resulted from the elevated concentrations of plankton in the water, various measures of seston concentration appear to be the most ecologically significant indicators of nutrient enrichment in this system.     

Phosphorus regeneration and burial in near-shore marine sediments (the Gulf of Trieste, northern Adriatic Sea)

According to bioassay studies and high dissolved nutrient N/P ratios in the seawater column, phosphorus (P) is thought to control marine productivity in the northern Adriatic Sea. P in near-shore marine sediments of the Gulf of Trieste, the northernmost part of the Adriatic Sea, was investigated using pore water P distributions, and benthic P flux studies under oxic and anoxic conditions. The data show that P regeneration is up to three-fold more extensive in sediments overlain by oxygen-depleted waters and proceeds in parallel with Fe and Mn enhanced benthic fluxes. It appears from the incubation experiments that degradation of sedimentary organic matter is the main contribution to the flux of P at the sediment–water interface, while the release of phosphate adsorbed on the iron oxide surface is of minor importance.It appears that about 50% of P in the Gulf of Trieste is retained within in the sediments, probably bonded to clay minerals and carbonate grains or precipitated as fluoroapatite. In these sediments total P (P_tot) is preserved preferentially over organic C (C_org). P regenerated from surficial sediments contributes about 1/3 of the P that is assimilated by benthic microalgae. The phytoplankton P requirement should be entirely supplied from fresh-water sources. These results suggest that oxygen depletion in coastal areas caused by eutrophication enhances P regeneration from sediments, providing the additional P necessary for increased biological productivity. The development of anoxic bottom waters in coastal areas enhances the recycling of P, exacerbating the nutrient requirement in the area. A geochemical record of P burial in a longer sedimentary sequence revealed an increasing trend of P_tot and organic P (P_org) contents occurring approximately 50 years BP (after 1950), probably due to increasing use of inorganic fertilizers and detergents in the area.     

Local effects of blue mussels around turbine foundations in an ecosystem model of Nysted off-shore wind farm, Denmark

The development of off-shore wind farms along the coastline of north-west Europe is rapidly increasing; it is therefore important to study how this will affect the marine environment. The present study modelled the growth and feed-backs of blue mussels in natural beds and on turbine foundations in an off-shore wind farm (OWF) located in a shallow coastal ecosystem by coupling a dynamic energy budget (DEB) model to a small-scale 3D hydrodynamic–biogeochemical model. The model results showed that blue mussels located higher up in the water column on turbine pillars achieved a 7–18 times higher biomass than those located on the scour protection because the former experience an enhanced advective food supply. Secondly, the high biomasses of blue mussels on foundations created local ‘hot spots’ of biological activity and changed ecosystem dynamics due to their feed-backs e.g. ingestion of microplankton and copepods, excretion of ammonium and egestion of faecal pellets. The model results were supported by field measurements around foundations of Chl a concentrations and biomasses of the fauna community. Our study emphasised that OWFs seem to be particularly favourable for blue mussels in the western Baltic Sea and that the functioning of the OWFs as artificial reef ecosystems depends upon how the blue mussels interact with their local pelagic and benthic environment.     

北冰洋西部表层沉积物中生源组分及其古海洋学意义

通过对中国首次和第二次北极科学考察在北冰洋西部所采取的66个表层沉积物中生源组分的分析,探讨了该海区表层生产力变化与水团的相互关系。楚科奇海西南部呈现出高的有机碳和生源蛋白石含量,而中部和东部哈罗德浅滩至阿拉斯加沿岸,以及楚科奇海台、北风脊和加拿大海盆表现出低的有机碳和生源蛋白石含量。楚科奇海陆架区表层沉积物以底栖有孔虫为主,丰度低;而楚科奇海台、北风脊和加拿大海盆则以浮游有孔虫占绝对优势,丰度较高。生源组分的分布特征显然与通过白令海峡进入楚科奇海的三股太平洋水和大西洋次表层水相关。楚科奇海西侧沿富营养的阿纳德尔流方向的区域呈现出高的表层生产力。而东侧受寡营养的阿拉斯加沿岸流及阿拉斯加西北沿岸陆源物质输入的影响,呈现出低的表层生产力。北纬75°以北及加拿大海盆受海冰覆盖影响,也表现出最低的表层生产力。而受北大西洋次表层水的影响,楚科奇海陆架外侧高纬海域表现出较高的钙质生物生产力。表层沉积物中Corg/N比值及其分布反映楚科奇海表层沉积物中的有机碳以海洋自身来源为主,且主要受生物泵过程控制。有机碳和生源蛋白石含量呈现高的正相关关系,说明硅藻等浮游植物的初级生产力可能控制着生物泵对碳的吸收和释放。     

Temporal Variations in the Dissolved Nutrient Stocks in the Surface Water of the Western North Atlantic Ocean

Changes in patterns of undetectability and molar ratios of dissolved nutrients in the euphotic zone of the oligotrophic western North Atlantic Ocean were investigated utilizing the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) data set of the US Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS). Our aim was to examine the temporal dynamics of nutrient stocks over a decade (1989∼1998) and to gain insight into the interactions between the different biotic and abiotic factors underlying BATS. Patterns of nutrient undetectability clearly revealed the depleted nature of the nutrients in surface water at the BATS location, particularly phosphorous. The N:P ratio was consistently far above the nominal Redfield ratio (mean, 38.5) but was significantly lower during the 1993∼1994 period (22.1). Over the same period the proportion of samples depleted in N only increased while the proportion of samples depleted in P only decreased. This indicates an overall reduction of N relative to P in the surface water at BATS during the 1993∼1994 period, the reasons for this anomaly, though, are not clear. The correlation analysis between the biotic and abiotic variables at BATS has indicated some interesting relationships that can help understand some of the parameters affecting nutrient stocks in the euphotic zone and their consequent impacts on marine biota. Although nutrient stocks in the oligotrophic environment are limited, they might be subject to interannual variation that may become anomalous in some cases. These variations might underlay significant feedback mechanisms by affecting marine productivity, the prime factor controlling the sequestration of atmospheric CO₂ by the oceans. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

春、夏季惠州市海水环境质量及其有机污染评价

为加强惠州市海洋生态环境保护工作,并为其提供科学依据,文章利用2016年春季和夏季惠州市海洋环境综合调查数据,选取溶解氧、化学需氧量、无机氮和活性磷酸盐4个环境因子,分析其近岸海域和海洋基本功能区的海水环境质量,并评价海水有机污染状况。研究结果表明:春季近岸海域海水环境质量优于夏季,无机氮和活性磷酸盐为主要超标因子;港口航运区海水环境质量良好,其他功能区均有环境因子超标现象;近岸海域受到有机污染,旅游休闲娱乐区在2个季节均受到有机污染;海水环境尚未对海洋生物产生影响。     

海洋工程对觉华岛国家级海洋公园海域生态环境影响研究

文章根据2016—2019年觉华岛周边海域生态环境监测结果,并结合期间大规模海洋开发活动,分析了觉华岛国家级海洋公园海域环境变化趋势。结果表明:2016—2019年,觉华岛周边海域水质要素监测结果均符合《海水水质标准》中的二类标准,沉积物要素监测结果均符合《海洋沉积物质量》中的一类标准。水质与沉积物大部分监测要素的平均含量年际变化呈先降低再上升的变化趋势,生物环境状况整体水平变化情况与水质和沉积物的变化趋势有良好的对应关系,说明海洋工程建设对觉华岛国家级海洋公园海域生态环境造成了一定的负面影响,但影响程度不大。     

跨海大桥工程对附近海域水质和生态环境的影响及其跟踪监测验证

为掌握跨海大桥工程的建设实施对附近海域水质和生态环境的影响,文章以舟山市小干二桥工程为例,系统分析工程施工期对附近海域水质和生态环境的影响因素、影响方式、影响性质和影响程度,并结合收集的工程附近海域历年水质和生态环境状况的跟踪监测资料,对比分析工程实施前后附近海域水质和生态环境的实际变化情况,验证工程的建设实施对附近海域水质和生态环境的影响程度。研究结果表明:小干二桥工程的建设实施对附近海域水质和生态环境的影响较小。     

海洋浮游微食物网结构及其影响因素

微食物环是海洋生态系统中重要的物质和能量过程,是传统食物链的有效补充。微食物环研究是当前海洋生态学研究的热点之一,但对其结构的系统研究较少,海洋微食物网结构在2000年才被Garrison提出。尽管微食物网各个类群的丰度在不同海洋环境中有相对变化,但是这些变化都处于一定的范围之内,其丰度结构约为纤毛虫10 cell ml-1、鞭毛虫103 cell ml-1、微微型真核浮游生物104 cell ml-1、蓝细菌104-5 cell ml-1、异养细菌106 cell ml-1、病毒107 particle ml-1。海洋浮游食物链中捕食者和饵料生物粒径的最佳比值为10:1,实际研究中该比值会略低,例如纤毛虫与其饵料的粒径比值为8:1,鞭毛虫为3:1。Pico和Nano浮游植物的丰度比（Pico:Nano）是研究微食物网结构的指数之一,该指数具有不受研究尺度影响的优点,可用于研究区域性和全球性微食物网结构。近年来,学者们从多角度对海洋微食物网的结构开展了研究,不同海区微食物网各类群丰度、生物量的时间和空间变化研究有很多报道,微食物网的结构可受空间、季节、摄食、营养盐等多种因素影响。在对不同空间微食物网的研究中,学者往往研究不同物理性质的水团中各类群生物丰度的不同,以此来表征微食物网结构的不同;同一海区微食物网结构的季节变化也是使用各个类群丰度和生物量的变化来表示,该变化主要受水文环境因素影响。摄食者对微食物网各类生物的影响通过三种途径：1. 中型浮游动物摄食;2. 中型浮游动物摄食微型浮游动物,通过营养级级联效应影响低营养级生物;3. 中型浮游动物通过释放溶解有机物、营养盐影响细菌和低营养级生物。浮游植物通过产生化感物质和溶解有机物影响微食物网结构,而营养盐的浓度及变化则可以对微食物网产生直接或间接影响。     

南海北部神狐海域营养盐浓度与结构的分布特征及影响因素

生源要素是海洋初级生产的基础,其在海洋环境中的循环受到多种物理、化学和生物过程的影响,对其浓度分布、结构特点及影响因素的认识是理解海洋生态系统动力学的基础。于2019年2月在南海北部神狐海域进行了现场考察和海水样品采集,对海水中的溶解态无机营养盐浓度进行了分析,并结合温度、盐度、叶绿素a(Chl a)、pH和溶解氧(DO)等水文环境参数,研究了神狐海域海水中营养盐浓度与结构的分布特征及影响因素等。在0～30 m的海水中各营养盐浓度均很低,随着深度的增加,营养盐浓度逐渐增大。在水深3 000 m左右处,无机氮、磷酸盐和硅酸盐浓度分别达到了38.02 μmol/L、2.71 μmol/L和149.07 μmol/L。温度、pH和DO与各营养盐浓度均具有显著的相关性,表明环境因素影响着营养盐的生物地球化学过程。此外,在75 m深度,研究区域东北方向的站位营养盐浓度相对较低,并呈现向西南方向逐渐增大的变化趋势,可能与高温、高盐和低营养盐的黑潮水入侵有关。根据端元混合模型计算所得保守混合浓度与实测值的差值显示,在75 m深度硅酸盐和磷酸盐以生物消耗为主,而硝酸盐存在添加。随磷酸盐浓度增加,各站位无机氮浓度呈线性升高,但硅酸盐浓度则以幂函数式升高,表明不同营养盐之间再生速率和再利用效率有所不同。神狐海域的N/P比与Si/N比和Si/P比呈现出截然相反的变化趋势。在0～30 m,N/P比较小而Si/N比和Si/P比较大;在75 m,受不同生物作用影响,N/P比变大,Si/N比和Si/P比变小;在75 m以下N/P比逐渐降低至14.44,而Si/N比和Si/P比则逐渐升高;在1 000 m以下,各营养盐比例均保持稳定。氮异常指数的计算结果显示,神狐海域300 m以上的海水中固氮作用强于反硝化作用,而300 m以下反硝化作用增强。神狐海域营养盐浓度与结构的分布特征表明黑潮入侵和生物活动显著影响了此区域营养盐的生物地球化学过程。     

广西北海半岛夏季营养盐及水质状况分析

近年北部湾藻华灾害频发,为了解与藻华暴发密切相关的营养盐及水质状况,2020年8月作者对北部湾北海半岛铁山港、营盘、涠洲岛、斜阳岛及涠洲岛西部远岸海域共21个站位采集表层海水,分析营养盐含量和结构特征,并利用富营养化指数和有机污染指数对该海域水质进行等级划分与评价。结果表明：北海半岛海域DIN、PO₄-P和SiO₃-Si均值分别为0.210、0.021和0.270 mg/L。其中,铁山港营养盐由港内至港外呈递减趋势,营盘海域由近岸至远岸,DIN和SiO₃-Si含量先递减再增加,PO₄-P则表现为递增,涠洲岛海域及远岸各站位营养盐分布无明显特征。北海半岛海域N/P、Si/N和Si/P均值分别为11.8、1.7和14.6,显示47.6%海域为潜在N限制,而潜在P限制和Si限制海域均为9.5%;叶绿素a仅与COD显著相关,相关系数为0.475。调查海域富营养化指数均值1.82,以铁山港港内富营养化程度最高,由港内严重富营养至港外贫营养递减,营盘近岸7号站位中度富营养,其余76.2%调查站位仍处于贫营养水平;有机污染指数均值1.85,良好和较好水质共占38.1%,其余61.9%水质受到不同程度有机污染,亦以铁山港水质污染最为严重,重度污染仅在该海域发现。可见,北海半岛夏季表层海水以潜在N限制为主,铁山港和营盘近岸富营养化和有机污染较严重,其余站位基本良好,影响表层水体叶绿素a含量的主要因素是有机质,可能与海域微生物强烈降解作用相关。本研究可为北部湾海洋环境保护和赤潮研究提供基础环境数据。     

赤潮的危害和预测预报

近岸水域有机物污染,引起海水富营养化是形成赤潮的主要原因。近年来,我国沿海赤潮频发,不仅给渔业生产、海水养殖业带来重大损失,而且破坏了海洋环境,危及人类的健康。对赤潮的观测和监测是开展赤潮预测预报的基础,应加强对时有发生赤潮潜在海区的经常性观测和监测,卫星遥感监测赤潮是目前所采用的一种先进技术。对赤潮的预测分为长期预测、中期预测和短期预测,根据观测结果发布长、中、短期预报应加强对赤潮的防治方法和技术的研究,避免或减少赤潮造成的危害。     

Western Arctic primary productivity regulated by shelf-break warm eddies

The response of phytoplankton to the Beaufort shelf-break eddies in the western Arctic Ocean is examined using the eddy-resolving coupled sea ice–ocean model including a lower-trophic marine ecosystem formulation. The regional model driven by the reanalysis 2003 atmospheric forcing from March to November captures the major spatial and temporal features of phytoplankton bloom following summertime sea ice retreat in the shallow Chukchi shelf and Barrow Canyon. The shelf-break warm eddies spawned north of the Barrow Canyon initially transport the Chukchi shelf water with high primary productivity toward the Canada Basin interior. In the eddy-developing period, the anti-cyclonic rotational flow along the outer edge of each eddy moving offshore occasionally traps the shelf water. The primary production inside the warm eddies is maintained by internal dynamics in the eddy-maturity period. In particular, the surface central area of an anti-cyclonic eddy acquires adequate light, nutrient, and warm environment for photosynthetic activity partly attributed to turbulent mixing with underlying nutrient-rich water. The simulated biogeochemical properties with the dominance of small-size phytoplankton inside the warm eddies are consistent with the observational findings in the western Arctic Ocean. It is also suggested that the light limitation before autumn sea ice freezing shuts down the primary production in the shelf-break eddies in spite of nutrient recovery. These results indicate that the time lag between the phytoplankton bloom in the shelf region following the summertime sea ice retreat and the eddy generation along the Beaufort shelf break is an important index to determine biological regimes in the Canada Basin.     

天津南港工业区海水淡化工程附近海域水质调查

海水淡化工程带给城市经济社会效益的同时,也给海洋环境带来负担。海水淡化工程产生的大量排海浓海水在温度、盐度、有机物和营养盐、重金属、酸度、余氯、溶解氧和机械卷载效应等方面对海洋生态环境和海洋生物会产生一定影响,甚至对人类健康产生间接的危害。文章在2018年调查天津南港工业区海水淡化工程附近海域水质状况的基础上,分析海水水质变化趋势。研究表明：2018年调查区域主要污染因子为无机氮,其次为化学需氧量;其局部海域范围内无机氮和化学需氧量的含量各自呈现规律性变化;其他指标均未出现明显波动;南港工业区海水淡化工程附近海域的调查指标未发生明显变化。     

Organic pollution of an inland marine cave from Bermuda

Inland marine caves have served as biological refugia and, as such, frequently contain unique assemblages of taxonomically significant relict populations known only from a single cave or cave system. However, the absence of photosynthesis in this totally lightless environment and the presence of a highly stratified water column and long residence times for cave waters, characteristically result in depleted dissolved oxygen levels. Under such circumstances, organic pollution, even at low levels, can produce anoxic conditions and may consequently result in the extinction of entire species of cavernicolous fauna. We here present data on the normal environment of marine caves in Bermuda and cite as an example a cave which has become grossly polluted as a result of indiscriminate dumping.     

Nursery fidelity,food web interactions and primary sources of nutrition of the juveniles of Solea solea and S. senegalensis in the Tagus estuary (Portugal): A stable isotope approach

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes were used to assess site fidelity of Solea solea and Solea senegalensis juveniles, to investigate food web interactions and to determine the dominant nutrient pathways in two nursery areas in the Tagus estuary, Portugal. Samples of water from the main sources and from the nursery areas and respective saltmarsh creeks were collected for isotope analysis, as well as sediment, benthic microalgae, saltmarsh halophytes, S. solea, S. senegalensis and its main prey, Nereis diversicolor, Scrobicularia plana and Corophium spp. While site fidelity was high in 0-group juveniles, it was lower for 1-group juveniles, possibly due to an increase in mobility and energy demands with increasing size. Analysis of the food web revealed a complex net of relations. Particulate organic matter from the freshwater sources, from each nursery's waters and saltmarsh creeks presented similar isotopic composition. Sediment isotopic composition and saltmarsh halophytes also did not differentiate the two areas. All components of the food web from the benthic microalgae upwards were isotopically different between the nursery areas. These components were always more enriched in δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N at the lower nursery area than at the nursery located upstream, appearing as if there were two parallel trophic chains with little trophic interaction between each other. A mixture of carbon and nitrogen sources is probably being incorporated into the food web. The lower nursery area is more dependent upon an isotopically enriched energy pathway, composed of marine particulate organic matter, marine benthic microalgae and detritus of the C₄ saltmarsh halophyte Spartina maritima. The two nursery areas present a different level of dependence upon the freshwater and marine energy pathways, due to hydrological features, which should be taken into account for S. solea and S. senegalensis fisheries and habitat management.     

Mining at 2,500 Fathoms under the Sea: Thoughts on an Emerging Regulatory Framework

An industry to recover mineral resources on the abyssal plains is emerging. Albeit at an explorative stage in areas beyond national jurisdiction, the commercial mining of seafloor non-living resources containing strategic metals is a realistic proposition, spurred by the demand for renewable, low-carbon energy infrastructure. The achievement of worldwide techno-economic growth must, under the principle of sustainable development, be coupled with the protection of the marine environment and its natural resources. Overall, this presents not only challenges to the development of mining technologies, but also tests the resilience of international standards governing the regulation of mining activities at great depths, including the development of the highest standards of environmental protection ab inito. This paper explores the approach being taken by the International Seabed Authority in advancing the legal regime for the regulation of mining activities in the Area, and in particular the tools and mechanisms targeted toward the protection of the marine environment.     

Spatial variation of nutrients and primary productivity in the Rufiji Delta mangroves,Tanzania

Determinations of spatial and temporal variations in organic matter and nutrient dynamics in water and sediments are crucial for understanding changes in aquatic bodies. In this study, we (i) determine the spatial dynamics of dissolved inorganic nutrients, during the transition from the dry to the rainy season, and (ii) provide future productivity predictions for the Rufiji Delta mangroves, Tanzania, based on the input of various nutrients. Water samples were collected from six locations, three times per year between April 2012 and January 2014, and analysed for dissolved nutrients, total organic and inorganic carbon, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and total carotenoids. The prediction of future net primary productivity in the Rufiji mangroves was undertaken using the software STELLA. The mean nutrient concentrations were of the order: nitrate > phosphate > ammonium > silica > dissolved organic carbon. The study revealed that high nutrient concentrations occurred in the northern part of the Rufiji Delta as a result of anthropogenic influence in the watershed. Modelling of nutrient inputs into the delta indicated enhanced primary productivity, which is expected to increase the vulnerability of water quality in the near future due to eutrophication.