Spatio-temporal variations of harmful algal blooms along the coast of Guangdong,Southern China during 1980–2016

Harmful algal blooms(HABs) have become a recurring problem, posing severe impacts on marine ecosystems, fisheries, mariculture industry, and even public health. In this study, the geographic information system(GIS) was utilized to determine spatial and temporal characteristics of HAB events in the coastal waters of Guangdong from 1980–2016. We analyzed distribution patterns and characteristics of HABs by dividing the coast of Guangdong into well-known bays, estuary and coastal waters. Results showed that there were a total of 337 HABs recorded in Guangdong coastal waters. Spatial and temporal distributions varied among dif ferent regions. Most HABs occurred in the Mirs Bay, followed by the west coast of Daya Bay, while a few occurred in the west and east coasts of Guangdong but with an increasing trend in the past two decades. HABs occurred mostly in warmer months of March to May in the western coast of Guangdong, March and April in Mirs Bay, April in Zhujiang(Pearl) River estuary, November in eastern coast of Guangdong. For Daya Bay, most HABs were reported between March and September.The most frequently occurring HABs species were Noctiluca scintillans, P haeocystis globosa, Skeletonema costatum and Scrippsiella trochoidea, occurring mostly in Mirs Bay, western Guangdong coast area, eastern Guangdong coast area and Zhujiang River estuary and Daya Bay, respectively. Ichthyotoxic blooms were more common than toxic blooms, and Heterosigma akashiwo, Chattonella marina, Karenia mikimotoi and P haeocystis globosa were the most common ichthyotoxic species. Our results provide baseline information useful for policy making and management of HABs in the region.     

The “harmful algae and algal toxins in coastal waters of China: investigation and database” project

Journal of Oceanology and Limnology - The “harmful algae and algal toxins in coastal waters of China: investigation and database” project (HAATC) is funded (US$2.3 million) by the...     

I mpact of several harmful algal bloom(HAB) causing species,on life history characteristics of rotifer Brachionus plicatilis Müller

In recent years, harmful algal blooms(HABs) have occurred frequently along the coast of China, and have been exhibiting succession from diatom- to dinofl agellate-dominated blooms. To examine the eff ects of dif ferent diatom and dinofl agellate HABs, the life history parameters of rotifers(B rachionus plicatilis Müller) were measured after exposure to dif ferent concentrations of HAB species. The HAB species examined included a diatom(S keletonema costatum) and four dinofl agellates( Prorocentrum donghaiense, Alexandrium catenella, Prorocentrum lima and Karlodinium venefi cum). Compared with the control treatment(CT), the diatom S. costatum showed no adverse impacts on rotifers. Exposure to dinofl agellates at densities equivalent to those measured in the fi eld resulted in a reduction in all the life history parameters measured. This included a reduction in: lifetime egg production(CT: 20.34 eggs/ind.) reduced to 10.11, 3.22, 4.17, 7.16 eggs/ind., life span(CT: 394.53 h) reduced to 261.11, 162.90, 203.67, 196 h, net reproductive rate(CT: 19.51/ind.) reduced to 3.01, 1.26, 3.53, 5.96/ind., fi nite rate of increase(CT: 1.47/d) reduced to 1.16, 1.03, 1.33, 1.38/d, and intrinsic rate of population increase(CT: 0.39/d) reduced to 0.15, 0.03, 0.28, 0.32/d, for the dinofl agellates P. donghaiense, A. catenella, P. lima and K. venefi cum, respectively. The results showed that the diatom S. costatum had no detrimental consequences on the reproduction and growth of B. plicatilis, however, the four dinofl agellates tested did show adverse ef fects. This suggests that dinofl agellate HABs may suppress microzooplankton, resulting in an increase in algal numbers.     

A two-year (2020–2021) observation of marine phycotoxins in phytoplankton in typical mariculture areas of East China Sea

Journal of Oceanology and Limnology - To learn the marine phycotoxins (MPTs) contamination status in mariculture areas in the East China Sea (ECS), from May 2020 to October 2021, 80...     

Catalogue of Polychaete species(Annelida) described from China Seas during 2008–2017

China Seas are one of the most diverse regions in the Pacific. Though much ef fort has been made to explore its biodiversity, the polychaetes diversity is still poorly known. A large number of species records are based on ecological investigation rather than taxonomical studies. We update the Polychaete species taxonomicaly described from China coastal waters during 2008–2017 and list them as a catalogue.The catalogue contains 47 species of 32 genera and 17 families, the type depository, type locality and geographic distribution. Some taxonomic problems are present in remarks.     

Spatial-temporal pattern and differences of land use changes in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area of China during 1975�C2005

Regional land use changes are an important part of global changes. The research on land use changes in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area of China attracts a lot of attention owing to the Three Gorges Dam building. The Three Gorges Reservoir Area becomes one of the important research areas. This study analyzed the transforming processes and traits of each land use type and the regional differences of land use changes during the past 30 years, summarized the distribution of different land use types in different buffer zones and regresses the equation areas and different buffer distances based on buffer analyses and regression analyses, and then analyzed the transforming rules in different buffer distances, got the optimal influence distances. The research results indicate that, (1) cultivated land lies at the northwest of the reservoir and was decreasing, however, the construction land was increasing, especially the urban construction land, a large number of land was flooded because of the reservoir water level rise; (2) urban area was sprawling quickly in developed and neighboring areas, and a great deal of cultivated land and a considerable amount of grassland were occupied; in the earlier time, rural settlements occupied lots of cultivated land and a sum of forestry land in the later time; (3) the optimum influenced distances for cultivated land and forestry land were 10–35 km, and for urban and rural settlements were in 5–20 km. Overall, this research can reflect the spatial-temporal characteristics of land use changes during the 30 years, and it is helpful for urban planning and land use planning in the reservoir area.     

Spatio-temporal changes of underground coal fires during 2008–2016 in Khanh Hoa coal field (North-east of Viet Nam) using Landsat time-series data

Underground coal fires are one of the most common and serious geohazards in most coal producing countries in the world. Monitoring their spatio-temporal changes plays an important role in controlling and preventing the effects of coal fires, and their environmental impact. In this study, the spatio-temporal changes of underground coal fires in Khanh Hoa coal field(North-East of Viet Nam) were analyzed using Landsat time-series data during the 2008-2016 period. Based on land surface temperatures retrieved from Landsat thermal data, underground coal fires related to thermal anomalies were identified using the MEDIAN+1.5×IQR(IQR: Interquartile range) threshold technique. The locations of underground coal fires were validated using a coal fire map produced by the field survey data and cross-validated using the daytime ASTER thermal infrared imagery. Based on the fires extracted from seven Landsat thermal imageries, the spatiotemporal changes of underground coal fire areas were analyzed. The results showed that the thermalanomalous zones have been correlated with known coal fires. Cross-validation of coal fires using ASTER TIR data showed a high consistency of 79.3%. The largest coal fire area of 184.6 hectares was detected in 2010, followed by 2014(181.1 hectares) and 2016(178.5 hectares). The smaller coal fire areas were extracted with areas of 133.6 and 152.5 hectares in 2011 and 2009 respectively. Underground coal fires were mainly detected in the northern and southern part, and tend to spread to north-west of the coal field.     

Impact of several harmful algal bloom (HAB) causing species,on life history characteristics of rotifer <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brachionus plicatilis</Emphasis> Müller

In recent years, harmful algal blooms (HABs) have occurred frequently along the coast of China, and have been exhibiting succession from diatom- to dinoflagellate-dominated blooms. To examine the effects of different diatom and dinoflagellate HABs, the life history parameters of rotifers (Brachionus plicatilis Müller) were measured after exposure to different concentrations of HAB species. The HAB species examined included a diatom (Skeletonema costatum) and four dinoflagellates (Prorocentrum donghaiense, Alexandrium catenella, Prorocentrum lima and Karlodinium veneficum). Compared with the control treatment (CT), the diatom S. costatum showed no adverse impacts on rotifers. Exposure to dinoflagellates at densities equivalent to those measured in the field resulted in a reduction in all the life history parameters measured. This included a reduction in: lifetime egg production (CT: 20.34 eggs/ind.) reduced to 10.11, 3.22, 4.17, 7.16 eggs/ind., life span (CT: 394.53 h) reduced to 261.11, 162.90, 203.67, 196 h, net reproductive rate (CT: 19.51/ind.) reduced to 3.01, 1.26, 3.53, 5.96/ind., finite rate of increase (CT: 1.47/d) reduced to 1.16, 1.03, 1.33, 1.38/d, and intrinsic rate of population increase (CT: 0.39/d) reduced to 0.15, 0.03, 0.28, 0.32/d, for the dinoflagellates P. donghaiense, A. catenella, P. lima and K. veneficum, respectively. The results showed that the diatom S. costatum had no detrimental consequences on the reproduction and growth of B. plicatilis, however, the four dinoflagellates tested did show adverse effects. This suggests that dinoflagellate HABs may suppress microzooplankton, resulting in an increase in algal numbers.     

Runoff responses to climate change in arid region of northwestern China during 1960–2010

Based on runoff, air temperature, and precipitation data from 1960 to 2010, the effects of climate change on water resources in the arid region of the northwestern China were investigated. The long-term trends of hydroclimatic variables were studied by using both Mann-Kendall test and distributed-free cumulative sum (CUSUM) chart test. Results indicate that the mean annual air temperature increases significantly from 1960 to 2010. The annual precipitation exhibits an increasing trend, especially in the south slope of the Tianshan Mountains and the North Uygur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang in the study period. Step changes occur in 1988 in the mean annual air temperature time series and in 1991 in the precipitation time series. The runoff in different basins shows different trends, i.e., significantly increasing in the Kaidu River, the Aksu River and the Shule River, and decreasing in the Shiyang River. Correlation analysis reveals that the runoff in the North Xinjiang (i.e., the Weigan River, the Heihe River, and the Shiyang River) has a strong positive relationship with rainfall, while that in the south slope of the Tianshan Mountains, the middle section of the north slope of the Tianshan Mountains and the Shule River has a strong positive relationship with air temperature. The trends of runoff have strong negative correlations with glacier coverage and the proportion of glacier water in runoff. From the late 1980s, the climate has become warm and wet in the arid region of the northwestern China. The change in runoff is interacted with air temperature, precipitation and glacier coverage. The results show that streamflow in the arid region of the northwestern China is sensitive to climate change, which can be used as a reference for regional water resource assessment and management.     

Taxonomy,Morphology and Phylogeny of a New Oligotrich Ciliate–<Emphasis Type="Italic">Omegastrombidium hongkongense</Emphasis> n. sp. (Protozoa: Ciliophora) from Clear Water Bay,Hong Kong

One new marine oligotrich ciliate, Omegastrombidium hongkongense n. sp., was isolated from a bloom of Noctiluca scuntillans near Port Shelter, Hong Kong. The morphology and infraciliature of this new species were studied on both living and protargol-stained specimens. Its phylogenetic position was discussed based on the sequence of the small subunit rRNA gene. O. hongkongense is different from its congeners with special characters. The cells are usually heart-shaped, and the cell size usually is (20–35) × (20–30) μm in vivo. Its deep buccal cavity extends obliquely to about 1/2 of cell length. It shows prominent apical protrusion. The adoral zone of membranelles is divided into 17–19 collar membranelles and four buccal membranelles. It has one ball-like macronucleus. The girdle kinety forms a closed loop which obliquely surrounds the body. The ventral kinety and thigmotactic membranelles are not observed. The SSU rRNA sequence of O. hongkongense was close to those of Strombidium paracalkinsi and Varistrombidium kelum with approximately 99% similarity. In the phylogenetic trees, O. hongkongense can be grouped with O. elegans and V. kielum species with very low support (16% ML).     

Spatiotemporal distribution of fish eggs and larvae in the Huanghe(Yellow) River estuary,China in 2005–2016

Decreasing fish resources in estuaries is a subject of anthropogenic activities.Studies of the spatiotemporal distribution of fish eggs and larvae can help identify the status and processes underlying recruitment in a fishery.As the fifth largest river estuary in the world,the Huanghe(Yellow)River estuary(HRE)is a typical estuary that has been seriously affected by human activities.Annual surveys on ichthyoplankton and environmental factors were conducted in the months of May of 2005 and 2009-2016 in the HRE to investigate the spatiotemporal distribution of fish eggs and larvae and the associated influencing factors.A total of 23 and 20 species of eggs and larvae,respectively,were collected.The dominant orders were Perciformes(51.2%)and Clupeiformes(25.6%).The average number of fish species eggs and larvae were 6.0 and 4.1 in average abundance of 0.91 and 0.13 ind./m~3,respectively.The dominant species were mainly low-commercial-value small-sized fishes,such as Clupanodon punctatus,Hare,ngula zutnasi,and Acanthogobius,whereas certain traditional commercial fishes,such as Trichiurus lepturus,and Clupea pallasii,were not seen.Analysis of the fish egg and larval community revealed four temporal assemblages and two spatial assemblages.Salinity was the main factor on the spatial distribution of ichthyoplankton communities,the species number and Shannon-Weiner diversity index(H')of the fish egg and larval community near the river mouth with lower salinity were significantly lower than the community far away from the river mouth with higher salinity.In addition,increases of water temperature promoted the number and abundance of fish species eggs,and the areas of abundant prey tended to have a more diversified and abundant of ichthyoplankton species.In overall,overfishing,dam construction,and other human activities were the main drivers that led to the substantial decline in fishery resources in the HRE.     

Wavelet analysis and nonparametric test for climate change in Tarim River Basin of Xinjiang during 1959–2006

Using wavelet analysis, regression analysis and the Mann-Kendall test, this paper analyzed time-series (1959–2006) weather data from 23 meteorological stations in an attempt to characterize the climate change in the Tarim River Basin of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. Major findings are as follows: 1) In the 48-year study period, average annual temperature, annual precipitation and average annual relative humidity all presented nonlinear trends. 2) At the 16-year time scale, all three climate indices unanimously showed a rather flat before 1964 and a detectable pickup thereafter. At the 8-year time scale, an S-shaped nonlinear and uprising trend was revealed with slight fluctuations in the entire process for all three indices. Incidentally, they all showed similar pattern of a slight increase before 1980 and a noticeable up-swing afterwards. The 4-year time scale provided a highly fluctuating pattern of periodical oscillations and spiral increases. 3) Average annual relative humidity presented a negative correlation with average annual temperature and a positive correlation with annual precipitation at each time scale, which revealed a close dynamic relationship among them at the confidence level of 0.001. 4) The Mann-Kendall test at the 0.05 confidence level demonstrated that the climate warming trend, as represented by the rising average annual temperature, was remarkable, but the climate wetting trend, as indicated by the rising annual precipitation and average annual relative humidity, was not obvious.     

Coastal eutrophication, land use changes and Ceratium furca (Dinophyceae) blooms in Pago Pago Harbor, American Samoa 2007�C2009

The bloom forming dinoflagellate, Ceratium furca, has been linked with coastal eutrophication worldwide in tropical and subtropical locations. During the summer of 2007, an unusual 6-month long bloom of C. furca was observed in Pago Pago Harbor, Tutuila Island, American Samoa. Incidents of dinoflagellate blooms in this area have not been previously reported. The bloom was first reported in May and dissipated in November 2007. In February?CMarch 2009, a similar C. furca bloom was observed. During both blooms, no fish mortality events were reported. Maximum cell counts were observed on September 20, 2007 at 9 200 cell/mL. At this time, total nitrogen was measured at 1.2 mg/L while total phosphate was below detection limits. Changes in land use practices may have been the primary driver of these blooms. Intense fertilization of athletic fields coupled with ineffective management strategies is hypothesized to have a direct link to the increase in nutrients found in the Pago Pago Harbor and may have been the trigger for the initialization of these blooms. During 2008, the fields were not used due to an infestation of the fire ant, Solenopsis geminata. Once controlled, the fields were opened again in 2009 and fertilizers were applied in January, a month before the bloom was observed.     

Half-a-century(1971–2020) of glacier shrinkage and climatic variability in the Bhaga basin,western Himalaya

Glacier shrinkage is a globally occurring phenomena.High-resolution change detection based on frequent mapping and monitoring of high-altitude glaciers is necessary to precisely evaluate future water availability and to understand glacier evolution under different climatic scenarios in the HindukushKarakoram-Himalayan(HKH) region.This also holds true for the Bhaga basin of the western Himalaya.This study investigates glacier and glacier lake changes in the Bhaga basin,over the last five decades ...     

Growth and Distribution of Amphioctopus fangsiao(d'Orbigny, 1839–1841) in Haizhou Bay,Yellow Sea

Octopus fisheries have prospered in many areas of the world ocean over the last six decades. Despite degradation and overexploitation of Chinese coastal ecosystems, octopus has become a stable Chinese domestic fishery species. Among the octopus species in the Bohai and Yellow, East and South China Seas, Amphioctopus fangsiao(d'Orbigny [in Férussac d'Orbigny], 1839–1841) plays an increasingly important role both economically and ecologically. However, no systematic research has been conducted on its biology and population dynamics in the China Seas. In this study, we characterized the growth and distribution of A. fangsiao in Haizhou Bay, Yellow Sea based on four years of trawl survey data. As the results, A. fangsiao is characterized by allometric growth and an overall sex ratio of 0.97 with a slight male bias. Small octopus can be observed through a whole year, suggesting that A. fangsiao may have an extended or continuous spawning season. A. fangsiao may migrate short distances along with seasonal changes and coastal currents, considering they overwinter in the offshore water and spawn in the inshore water. In addition to fishing pressure, annual variations in the population structure and biomass appeared to be influenced by ambient water temperature. These results provide basic biological information for a better understanding of the population dynamics and the ecological importance of A. fangsiao.     

Effects of dietary supplementation with algal astaxanthin on growth,pigmentation, and antioxidant capacity of the blood parrot ( Cichlasoma citrinellum × Cichlasoma synspilum )

Journal of Oceanology and Limnology - An algal astaxanthin feeding trial was carried out to investigate the effects of natural astaxanthin from Haematococcus pluvialis as feed additives on growth,...     

Peat humification-and δ~(13)C_(cellulose)-recorded warm-season moisture variations during the past 500 years in the southern Altai Mountains within northern Xinjiang of China

To predict future spatio-temporal patterns of climate change, we should fully understand the spatio-temporal patterns of climate change during the past millennium. But, we are not yet able to delineate the patterns because the qualities of the retrieved proxy records and the spatial coverage of those records are not adequate. Northern Xinjiang of China is one of such areas where the records are not adequate. Here, we present a 500-yr land-surface moisture sequence from Heiyangpo Peat(48.34°N, 87.18°E, 1353 m a.s.l) in the southern Altai Mountains within northern Xinjiang. Specifically, peat carbon isotope value of cellulose(δ~(13)C_(cellulose)) was used to estimate the warm-season moisture variations and the degree of humification was used to constrain the δ~(13)C_(cellulose)-based hydrological interpretation. The climatic attributions of the interpreted hydrological variations were based on the warm-season temperature reconstructed from Belukha ice core and the warm-season precipitation inferred from the reconstructed Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillations(AMO). The results show that humification decreased and the δ~(13)C_(celluose)-suggested moisture decreased from ~1510 to ~1775 AD, implying that a constant dryingcondition may have inhibited peat decay. Our comparison with reconstructed climatic parameters suggests that the moisture-level decline was most likely resulted from a constant decline of precipitation. The results also show that humification kept a stable level and the δ~(13)C_(celluose)-suggested moisture also decreased from ~1775 to ~2013 AD, implying that peat decay in the acrotelm primarily did not depend on the water availability or an aerobic environment. Again, our comparison with reconstructed climatic parameters suggests that the land-surface moisturelevel decline was most likely resulted from a steady warming of growing-season temperature.     

Quantitatively determine the dominant driving factors of the spatial–temporal changes of vegetation NPP in the Hengduan Mountain area during 2000-2015

The Hengduan mountain area,located in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River of China,is an important ecological barrier that significantly impacts the climate and ecological environment of the surrounding region and western China as a whole.This paper introduces the gravity center model used to analyze the spatial-temporal variation patterns of vegetation Net Primary Productivity(NPP)from 2000 to 2015,which were determined by the use of MOD17 A3 NPP products.Additionally,the dominant driving factors of the spatial–temporal changes of vegetation NPP of the Hengduan Mountain area were quantitatively determined with a geographical detector over 2000-2015.The results revealed that:(1)From 2000 to 2015,there was an increasing trend of vegetation NPP in the Hengduan mountain area.Throughout the whole study region,the vegetation NPP with a mean value of 611.37 gC·m^-2·a^-1 indicated a decreasing trend from southeast to northwest in terms of spatial distribution.(2)The gravity centers of vegetation NPP in 2000-2015 were mainly concentrated in Zhongdian County.During the study period,the gravity center of vegetation NPP moved northward,which indicated that the increment and increasing rate of vegetation NPP in the northern parts were greater than that of the southern areas.(3)The vegetation NPP showed a moderately positive correlation with temperature,accumulated temperature(>10℃),and sunshine,while there was an overall negative relationship between NPP and precipitation.(4)The dominant factors and interactive dominant factors changed in different subregions over different segments of the study period.The dominant factors of most sub-regions in Hengduan mountain were natural factors,and the climate change factors played an increasingly greater role over the 16 years of the study period.     

Steroid sex hormone dynamics during estradiol-17β induced gonadal differentiation in Paralichthys olivaceus(Teleostei)

Steroid sex hormones,such as estradiol-17β(E2)and testosterone(T),are important regulators of sex change in fish.In this study,we examined the effects of E2 treatment on the dynamics of E2 and T during gonadal differentiation in the olive flounder Paralichthys olivaceus using histology and radioimmunoassay(RIA).Flounder larvae were divided into five groups(G0–G4),and fed with 0 (control),0.2,2,20 and 100 mg E2/kg feed from 35 to 110 day post hatching(dph).Fish growth in the G1 and G2 groups was not significantly different from that of the control group(P0.05),while fish in the G3 and G4 groups were less active and showed growth depression and high mortality.The gonads of fish in the G3 and G4 groups were smaller and surrounded by hyperplastic connective tissue.The frequency of females in the G0–G4 groups was 54.5%,75.0%,100%,100%and 93.3%,respectively.The RIA analyses of E2 and T showed that T levels decreased during gonadal differentiation,and increased slightly at the onset of ovarian differentiation,while E2 levels increased gradually and peaked at the onset of ovarian differentiation in the control group.In the E2-treated groups,T levels decreased before the onset of ovarian differentiation.E2 levels were high on the 48 dph,but declined to a lower level on the 54 dph, and then increased gradually during gonadal differentiation.And a sharp increase of E2 levels were observed in all E2-treated groups at the onset of ovarian differentiation.The data suggest that T and E2 play important roles during gonadal differentiation,and an E2 dose of 2 mg/kg feed could induce sex reversal in P.olivaceus.     

Steroid sex hormone dynamics during estradiol-17β induced gonadal differentiation in Paralichthys olivaceus (Teleostei)

Steroid sex hormones, such as estradiol-17β (E2) and testosterone (T), are important regulators of sex change in fish. In this study, we examined the effects of E2 treatment on the dynamics of E2 and T during gonadal differentiation in the olive flounder Paralichthys olivaceus using histology and radioimmunoassay (RIA). Flounder larvae were divided into five groups (G0-G4), and fed with 0 (control), 0.2, 2, 20 and 100 mg E2/kg feed from 35 to 110 day post hatching (dph). Fish growth in the G1 and G2 groups was not significantly different from that of the control group (P>0.05), while fish in the G3 and G4 groups were less active and showed growth depression and high mortality. The gonads of fish in the G3 and G4 groups were smaller and surrounded by hyperplastic connective tissue. The frequency of females in the G0-G4 groups was 54.5%, 75.0%, 100%, 100% and 93.3%, respectively. The RIA analyses of E2 and T showed that T levels decreased during gonadal differentiation, and increased slightly at the onset of ovarian differentiation, while E2 levels increased gradually and peaked at the onset of ovarian differentiation in the control group. In the E2-treated groups, T levels decreased before the onset of ovarian differentiation. E2 levels were high on the 48 dph, but declined to a lower level on the 54 dph, and then increased gradually during gonadal differentiation. And a sharp increase of E2 levels were observed in all E2-treated groups at the onset of ovarian differentiation. The data suggest that T and E2 play important roles during gonadal differentiation, and an E2 dose of 2 mg/kg feed could induce sex reversal in P. olivaceus.