Phytoplankton Functional Groups in a Tropical Estuary: Hydrological Control and Nutrient Limitation

Hydrology and nutrients have been indicated as the main driving factors acting on phytoplankton biomass and composition in estuarine systems, although grazing may occasionally have some influence. In order to identify these factors over temporal and spatial scales, we analyzed physical, chemical, and biological properties of a tropical river-dominated estuary during the dry and rainy seasons. As far as we know, this is the first time that the functional groups approach has been used to analyze the changes in phytoplankton composition in an estuary. This recent framework is based on the tolerances and sensitivities in relation to environmental conditions of groups of species, which are labeled by alpha-numeric codes (Reynolds et al., J. Pl. Res. 24:417–428, 2002). In the estuary of Paraíba do Sul River, all phytoplankton groups were represented by freshwater organisms, indicating the strong influence of the river. However, remarkable shifts in composition and biomass occurred from the low to high flushing seasons, due much more to the river discharge than to nutrient availability. The overall results showed no nitrogen, phosphorus, or silica limitation to phytoplankton growth (mean values: dissolved inorganic nitrogen?=?30.5 µM, soluble reactive phosphorus?=?1.45 µM, and silica?=?208.05 µM). The higher river flow supports a lower phytoplankton biomass composed mainly of nanoplankton (<20 µm) fast-growing functional groups, which are able to maintain biomass even in high flushing conditions (X₁), or large heavy organisms, such as some heavy diatoms of group P, which are able to be in suspension in shallow and turbulent systems. The lower river flow led to the coexistence of large organisms (>20 µm) of the groups P and F, which include slow-growing populations typically found in mesotrophic lakes. Although the functional group approach was originally developed for temperate lakes, our data support this approach for a tropical estuarine environment.     

Shifts in Zooplankton Community Structure: Implications for Food Web Processes in the Upper San Francisco Estuary

Zooplankton are an important trophic link and a key food source for many larval fish species in estuarine ecosystems. The present study documents temporal and spatial zooplankton dynamics in Suisun Bay and the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta—the landward portion of the San Francisco Estuary (California, USA)—over a 37-year period (1972–2008). The zooplankton community experienced major changes in species composition, largely associated with direct and indirect effects of introductions of non-native bivalve and zooplankton species. A major clam invasion and many subsequent changes in zooplankton abundance and composition coincided with an extended drought and accompanying low-flow/high-salinity conditions during 1987–1994. In the downstream mesohaline region, the historically abundant calanoid copepods and rotifers have declined significantly, but their biomass has been compensated to some extent by the introduced cyclopoid Limnothoina tetraspina. The more upstream estuary has also experienced long-term declining biomass trends, particularly of cladocerans and rotifers, although calanoid copepods have increased since the early 1990s due to the introduced Pseudodiaptomus spp. In addition, mysid biomass has dropped significantly throughout the estuary. Shifts in zooplankton species composition have also been accompanied by an observed decrease in mean zooplankton size and an inferred decrease in zooplankton food quality. These changes in the biomass, size, and possibly chemical composition of the zooplankton community imply major alterations in pelagic food web processes, including a drop in prey quantity and quality for foraging fish and an increase in the importance of the microbial food web for higher trophic levels.     

Distribution and Grazing of Dominant Zooplankton Species in the Ob Estuary: Influence of the Runoff Regime

Major interactions between terrestrial and marine environments in the Kara Sea occur within the estuaries of the largest Siberian rivers, the Ob and Yenisei. Mesozooplankton community plays an important role in the transformation of allochthonous organic matter. All published data on zooplankton activity in the Ob Estuary have been obtained for the period of decreased river discharge. The aim of our study was to assess zooplankton distribution and grazing under various hydrological regimes (high-low river discharge and varying wind direction) in order to better understand the mechanisms governing this process. The study was carried out along a quasi-latitudinal transect in the Ob Estuary at the beginning of August (high discharge) and end of September 2010 (decreased discharge) and end of August 2014 (high discharge and onshore winds). Zooplankton grazing was assessed with the gut fluorescent approach. Under high river discharge, zooplankton biomass was low (mean 98 mg wet weight m^?3), peaks of species abundance were spatially separated, and grazing did not exceed 2% of phytoplankton biomass. Weakening river discharge at the end of September led to the formation of hydrographic fronts, and zooplankton biomass was an order of magnitude higher (mean value 947 mg wet weight m^?3) with dense local aggregations with biomass reaching 3600 mg wet weight m^?3. These aggregations formed a pelagic “biofilter” grazing up to 26% of phytoplankton biomass per day. The peaks of abundance of the majority of species coincided at the pronounced hydrographic front forming dense local aggregations with biomass reaching 3600 mg wet weight m^?3. These aggregations formed a pelagic biofilter utilizing daily up to 26% of phytoplankton biomass.     

An Australian pyro-tornadogenesis event

On 18 January 2003, fires had a devastating impact on Australia’s capital, Canberra. A series of reviews and scientific studies have examined the events of that day and indicate that the worst impacts were due to a series of violent pyro-convective events and resultant pyro-cumulonmibi. These coupled fire–atmosphere events are much more energetic than normal fires. In one instance, an intense pyro-convective cell developed a tornado. We demonstrate that this was indeed a tornado, the first confirmed pyro-tornadogenesis in Australia, and not a fire whirl. Here, we discuss aspects of the formation, evolution and decay of the tornado, which was estimated to have been of at least F2 intensity, highlighting a process that can significantly increase the damage of a wildfire event.     

Phytoplankton Growth Balanced by Clam and Zooplankton Grazing and Net Transport into the Low-Salinity Zone of the San Francisco Estuary

We estimated the influence of planktonic and benthic grazing on phytoplankton in the strongly tidal, river-dominated northern San Francisco Estuary using data from an intensive study of the low salinity foodweb in 2006–2008 supplemented with long-term monitoring data. A drop in chlorophyll concentration in 1987 had previously been linked to grazing by the introduced clam Potamocorbula amurensis, but numerous changes in the estuary may be linked to the continued low chlorophyll. We asked whether phytoplankton continued to be suppressed by grazing and what proportion of the grazing was by benthic bivalves. A mass balance of phytoplankton biomass included estimates of primary production and grazing by microzooplankton, mesozooplankton, and clams. Grazing persistently exceeded net phytoplankton growth especially for larger cells, and grazing by microzooplankton often exceeded that by clams. A subsidy of phytoplankton from other regions roughly balanced the excess of grazing over growth. Thus, the influence of bivalve grazing on phytoplankton biomass can be understood only in the context of limits on phytoplankton growth, total grazing, and transport.     

Spatial and Temporal Variability of the CO2 Fluxes in a Tropical, Highly Urbanized Estuary

The spatial and temporal variations of the flux of CO₂ were determined during 2007 in the Recife estuarine system (RES), a tropical estuary that receives anthropogenic loads from one of the most populated and industrialized areas of the Brazilian coast. The RES acts as a source of nutrients (N and P) for coastal waters. The calculated CO₂ fluxes indicate that the upstream inputs of CO₂ from the rivers are largely responsible for the net annual CO₂ emission to the atmosphere of +30 to +48 mmol m^?2 day^?1, depending on the CO₂ exchange calculation used, which mainly occurs during the late austral winter and early summer. The observed inverse relationship between the CO₂ flux and the net ecosystem production (NEP) indicates the high heterotrophy of the system (except for the months of November and December). The NEP varies between ?33 mmol m^?2 day^?1 in summer and ?246 mmol m^?2 day^?1 in winter. The pCO₂ values were permanently high during the study period (average ~4,700 μatm) showing a gradient between the inner (12,900 μatm) and lower (389 μatm) sections on a path of approximately 30 km. This reflects a state of permanent pollution in the basin due to the upstream loading of untreated domestic effluents (N/P?=?1,367:6 μmol kg^?1 and pH?=?6.9 in the inner section), resulting in the continuous mineralization of organic material by heterotrophic organisms and thereby increasing the dissolved CO₂ in estuarine waters.     

Spatial and Seasonal Patterns of Salinity in a Large and Shallow Tropical Estuary of the Western Caribbean

Salinity profiles and meteorological data were analyzed during February, May, and September 2006 in Chetumal Bay, a large, shallow estuary of the Western Caribbean. Local meteorological conditions revealed three seasons: (1) a dry season (March–May); (2) a wet season (June–October); and (3) the nortes season, with northerly wind events (October–February). During the nortes and wet seasons, salinity ranged between 13 and 16 psu, and salinity was highest in the dry season, ranging between 18 and 22 psu over most of the area; a strong stratification and a significant contribution of salty water characterized this season. Strong horizontal gradients were observed near Rio Hondo during the three seasons. Deep and narrow peculiar bathymetric features called the pozas showed a strong stratification and a relatively high salinity. The northern part of Chetumal Bay and probably the entire system are far from being homogeneous.     

Hydrogeological Characterisation And Water-Supply Potential Of Basement Aquifers In Tropical Africa

Crystalline basement rocks, with a mantle of weathered alternation products, occur beneath very extensive areas of tropical Africa. Low-productivity aquifers are widely, but rather unpredictably, present in this formation. They yield small water supplies vital to the rural population for domestic purposes and for livestock watering. On a more localised basis, a potential may exist to develop larger supplies that are adequate for small towns or for small-scale irrigation. This paper reviews advances in the understanding of this extensive hydrogeological system, resulting from British research and experience since 1980.     

古河口湾沉积物的识别--以格目底煤矿区为例

古河口湾沉积环境的恢复主要根据下列证据进行:1.淡化水证据:小个体薄壳生物组合和沉积物中低的硼含量;2.古地理位置处于古河流入海部位;3.潮汐能量大于河流能量,潮汐作用控制了主要沉积过程;4.沉积层序与现代河口湾层序可以类比。虽然河口湾生命短暂,沉积物常被改造,但一个时期的古代河口湾沉积物仍是可以被识别的。     

A Comparison of Water Quality Between Low- and High-Flow River Conditions in a Tropical Estuary, Hilo Bay, Hawaii

Effects of storms on the water quality of Hilo Bay, Hawaii, were examined by sampling surface waters at 6 stations 10 times during low-flow and 18 times during high-flow (storms) river conditions. The direction of a storm’s impact on water quality parameters was consistent among storms and most stations; however, direction of the impact varied with the parameter. High river flow conditions increased concentrations of nitrate and decreased those of dissolved organic nitrogen (N); effects on ammonium and particulate N were station specific. Storms also increased dissolved organic and particulate carbon (C) concentrations. Dissolved phosphorus (P) concentrations were not affected by high river flow events. Dissolved organic forms dominated the N, C, and P pools under both low- and high-flow river conditions. Soil-derived particles and fecal indicator bacteria increased during storms, while chlorophyll a concentrations and bacterial cell abundances decreased. Our results suggest that an increase in storms with global warming could impact water quality of tropical estuaries.     

Nutrient Loading and Transformations in the Columbia River Estuary Determined by High-Resolution In Situ Sensors

The Columbia River estuary is characterized by relatively large tidal currents and water residence times of a few days or less. These and other environmental conditions tend to suppress water column productivity and favor the export of riverborne nutrients to the coastal ocean. However, hotspots of biological activity may allow for significant nutrient transformation and removal within the estuary, but these processes have previously been difficult to quantify due to the challenges of obtaining measurements at appropriate frequency and duration. In this study, nutrient biogeochemical dynamics within the salt-influenced region of the estuary were quantified using high-resolution in situ observations of nutrients and physical water properties. During 2010, three autonomous nutrient sensors (Satlantic SUNA, SubChem Systems Inc. APNA, WET Labs Cycle-PO4) that together measured nitrate?+?nitrite, orthophosphate, ammonium, silicic acid, and nitrite were deployed on fixed observatory platforms. Hourly measurements captured tidal fluctuations and permitted an analysis of river and ocean end-member mixing. The results suggested that during summer, the lower estuary released high concentrations of ammonium and phosphate despite low concentrations in the river and coastal ocean. This was likely a result of organic matter accumulation and remineralization in the estuarine turbidity maximum and the lateral bays adjacent to the main channel.     

长江河口和密西西比河河口水文测验工作比较

长江是我国第一大河,密西西比河是美国第一大河流,两条河流在许多方面都有相似的地方。本文首先对两大河口进行了简介,并对国内外河口测验现状进行了介绍,继而从站网分布、测验整编、数据的传输、体制和管理、经费来源和服务关系等方面对长江河口和密西西比河河口进行了比较分析,进一步深入分析原因及其形成根源,最后为长江河口水文发展提出建议与借鉴。     

Zooplankton dynamics in an intertidal salt-marsh basin

We determined tidal, diel (day-night), and diurnal (day to day) patterns of occurrence for the summer zooplankton assemblage in an intertidal salt marsh basin at North Inlet Estuary, South Carolina. In one time series, 153 μm pump and 365 μm net collections were made every 1–2 h during four consecutive tidal cycles. Taxonomic composition remained unchanged throughout most of the 48-h period, but densities and proportionalities of individual taxa were highly variable. Recurring patterns of abundance were observed and taxon-specific relationships with the tidal and diel cycles were indicated. Zooplankton were not uniformly distributed within flooding-ebbing water masses and distributions could not be explained by simple passive advection with the tides. Diel differences in densities of copepods and bivalves resulted from behavioral responses to changing light conditions. Large pulses of crab and shrimp larvae originating from nocturnal hatching events within the intertidal basin exited but did not return during the next flood tide. Higher densities of postlarval decapods on flood tides indicated settlement and recruitment to the shallow basin. In a second time series, replicated collections of the 153 μm and 365 μm assemblages were made during the daytime ebb tide every 1–3 d from May through October 1991 to determine relationships between diurnal changes in depth, salinity, and temperature and zooplankton composition and abundance. Diurnal variations in densities and proportionalities were less than those observed during the 48-h study and patterns were not regular. For most taxa, relationships between depth and abundance were the same in both time series. During periods of reduced salinity, densities of copepods,Uca zoeae, and barnacle nauplii decreased and densities ofUca megalopae andPenaeus postlarvae increased. However, zoeae emerged and postlarvae recruited throughout the 5-mo period, indicating that considerable flexibility in responses and tolerances existed within the populations. The diversity of life-history strategies and behavioral adaptations found among the zooplankton assures continuous occupation of flooded intertidal habitats. We suspect that the evolution and maintenance of temporally staggered recurring patterns of occurrence results in reductions in the competition for resources.     

长江口与杭州湾河海管理分界选划研究

根据南汇嘴区域用海项目的分布特点,提出了2个较为合适的长江口与杭州湾河海管理分界选划方案,即以"南汇嘴坐标点"标识或滴水湖出海水闸作为岸线分界点,分别向东延伸至海洋功能区划外缘线的连线作为海上分界线。划定河海管理分界线将明确纳入海域管理的杭州湾水域的范围,提高海域精细化管理水平。     

Mercury Dynamics in a San Francisco Estuary Tidal Wetland: Assessing Dynamics Using In Situ Measurements

We used high-resolution in situ measurements of turbidity and fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) to quantitatively estimate the tidally driven exchange of mercury (Hg) between the waters of the San Francisco estuary and Browns Island, a tidal wetland. Turbidity and FDOM??representative of particle-associated and filter-passing Hg, respectively??together predicted 94?% of the observed variability in measured total mercury concentration in unfiltered water samples (UTHg) collected during a single tidal cycle in spring, fall, and winter, 2005?C2006. Continuous in situ turbidity and FDOM data spanning at least a full spring-neap period were used to generate UTHg concentration time series using this relationship, and then combined with water discharge measurements to calculate Hg fluxes in each season. Wetlands are generally considered to be sinks for sediment and associated mercury. However, during the three periods of monitoring, Browns Island wetland did not appreciably accumulate Hg. Instead, gradual tidally driven export of UTHg from the wetland offset the large episodic on-island fluxes associated with high wind events. Exports were highest during large spring tides, when ebbing waters relatively enriched in FDOM, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and filter-passing mercury drained from the marsh into the open waters of the estuary. On-island flux of UTHg, which was largely particle-associated, was highest during strong winds coincident with flood tides. Our results demonstrate that processes driving UTHg fluxes in tidal wetlands encompass both the dissolved and particulate phases and multiple timescales, necessitating longer term monitoring to adequately quantify fluxes.     

Zooplankton grazing in a Potomac River cyanobacteria bloom

During summer, bloom-forming cyanobacteria, including Anacystis, Aphanizomenon, and Microcystis aeruginosa, dominate tidal-fresh waters of the upper Potomac River estuary with densities exceeding 10⁸ cells l^?1. In an attempt to determine the importance of these high cyanobacteria densities to planktonic herbivory in the system, short-term grazing experiments were conducted in July and August 1987. Using size-fractionated river phytoplankton assemblages, zooplankton grazing rates were determined for dominant or subdominant planktonic microzooplankton and mesozooplankton feeding on ¹⁴C-labeled river assemblages, ¹⁴C-labeled river assemblages enriched with unlabeled cyanobacteria, and unlabeled river assemblages enriched with ¹⁴C-labeled cyanobacteria. Grazing rates were estimated for the rotifers Polyarthra remata, Hexarthra mira, Asplanchna brightwelli, Brachionus angularis, Epiphanes sp., Trichocerca similis, and the cyclopoid copepod Cyclops vernalis. Neither rotifers nor the copepod grazed heavily on Microcystis. Rotifer grazing rates on labeled cyanobacteria ranged from 4 to 1,650 nl· [individual · h]^?1 while copepod rates ranged from undetectable to 135 μl · [copepod · h]^?1. Grazing rates on labeled river phytoplankton assemblages were 4–100 times higher than noted for zooplankton feeding on cyanobacteria. The addition of the colonial alga to labeled river phytoplankton assemblages resulted in mixed zooplankton responses, that is, lower and higher grazing rates than observed on river assemblages with no added cyanobacteria. Total zooplankton demand for cyanobacteria and river phytoplankton assemblages was estimated for the study period July–August 1987. Rotifer plus C. vernalis herbivory would have removed 1–5% and 49%, respectively, of the standing stock of the two autotroph pools each day. Literature-derived clearance rates for Bosmina indicate, however, that herbivory by this cladoceran could increase demand to 24% and 60%, respectively, in bloom and nonbloom assemblages. These data suggest that the majority of cyanobacterial production remains ungrazed and may be transported to the lower estuary for salinity-induced aggregation and sedimentation.     

Tropical cyclone-tornado casualties

Landfalling tropical cyclones often produce tornadoes. This study investigates how hazardous these tornadoes are to human life by analyzing the resultant casualties, which includes fatalities and injuries. From 1995 to 2009, 63 tropical cyclones made landfall in the United States producing a reported 1,139 tornadoes. Most tornadoes resulted in no casualties but a few extreme cases indicate that the potential exists for a substantial number of casualties. Temporal and spatial analyses indicate that most casualties occur when and where the physical risk of tornadoes is elevated.     

The Arctic Ocean Estuary

Large freshwater contributions to the Arctic Ocean from a variety of sources combine in what is, by global standards, a remarkably small ocean basin. Indeed, the Arctic Ocean receives ∼11% of global river discharge while accounting for only ∼1% of global ocean volume. As a consequence, estuarine gradients are a defining feature not only near-shore, but throughout the Arctic Ocean. Sea-ice dynamics also play a pivotal role in the salinity regime, adding salt to the underlying water during ice formation and releasing fresh water during ice thaw. Our understanding of physical–chemical–biological interactions within this complex system is rapidly advancing. However, much of the estuarine research to date has focused on summer, open water conditions. Furthermore, our current conceptual model for Arctic estuaries is primarily based on studies of a few major river inflows. Future advancement of estuarine research in the Arctic requires concerted seasonal coverage as well as a commitment to working within a broader range of systems. With clear signals of climate change occurring in the Arctic and greater changes anticipated in the future, there is good reason to accelerate estuarine research efforts in the region. In particular, elucidating estuarine dynamics across the near-shore to ocean-wide domains is vital for understanding potential climate impacts on local ecosystems as well as broader climate feedbacks associated with storage and release of fresh water and carbon.     

生长速率假说及其在浮游动物营养动力学中的研究进展

生物体由元素组成,其生长、繁殖以及代谢过程均涉及营养元素的吸收、利用与储存。有机体的P含量决定了RNA的形成,并作用于核糖体,进而对蛋白质和生长速率产生影响。浮游动物体内P含量增加,以及C∶P和N∶P的降低,主要反映了不同生长速率下,富P的核糖体RNA含量的改变。关于生长速率假说（Growth Rate Hypothesis,GRH）的研究表明,在低C∶P、高P含量的饵料条件下,浮游动物C∶P和N∶P的稳态性特征发生改变,将获取的P分配至RNA中,增加蛋白质合成,提高生长速率;反之,浮游动物的次级生产力将会降低,C的同化效率和传递效率下降,进而对生态系统的C收支产生影响。加强浮游动物GRH的研究,有助于增强对生态系统C收支以及未来变化过程的认识。