Examination of Silicate Limitation of Primary Production in Jiaozhou Bay,North China：Ⅲ.Judgment Method ,Rules and Uniqueness of Nutrient Limitation Among N,P,and Si

Analysis and comparison of Jiaozhou Bay data collected from May 1991 to February 1994 (12 seasonal investigations) provided by the Ecological Station of Jiaozhou Bay revealed the characteristic spatiotemporal variation of the ambient concentration Si∶DIN and Si∶16P ratios and the seasonal variation of Jiaozhou Bay Si∶DIN and Si∶16P ratios showing that the Si∶DIN ratios were <1 throughout the year in Jiaozhou Bay; and that the Si∶16P ratios were <1 throughout Jiaozhou Bay in spring, autumn and winter. The results proved that silicate limited phytoplankton growth in spring, autumn and winter in Jiaozhou Bay. Analysis of the Si∶DIN and Si∶P ratios showed that the nutrient Si has been limiting the growth of phytoplankton throughout the year in some Jiaozhou Bay waters; and that the silicate deficiency changed the phytoplankton assemblage structure. Analysis of discontinuous 1962 to 1998 nutrient data showed that there was no N or P limitation of phytoplankton growth in that period. The authors consider that the annual cyclic change of silicate limits phytoplankton growth in spring, autumn and winter every year in Jiaozhou Bay; and that in many Jiaozhou Bay waters where the phytoplankton as the predominant species need a great amount of silicate, analysis of the nutrients N or P limitation of phytoplankton growth relying only on the N and P nutrients and DIN∶P ratio could yield inaccurate conclusions. The results obtained by applying the rules of absolute and relative limitation fully support this view. The authors consider that the main function of nutrient silicon is to regulate and control the mechanism of the phytoplankton growth process in the ecological system in estuaries, bays and the sea. The authors consider that according to the evolution theory of Darwin, continuous environmental pressure gradually changes the phytoplankton assemblage's structure and the physiology of diatoms. Diatoms requiring a great deal of silicon either constantly decrease or reduce their requirement for silicon. This will cause a series of huge changes in the ecosystem so that the whole ecosystem requires continuous renewal, change and balancing. Human beings have to reduce marine pollution and enhance the capacity of continental sources to transport silicon to sustain the continuity and stability in the marine ecosystem. This study was funded by the NSFC (No. 40036010) and subsidized by Special Funds from the National Key Basic Research Program of P. R. China (G199990437), the Postdoctoral Foundation of Ocean University of Qingdao, the Director's Foundation of the Beihai Monitoring Center of the State Oceanic Administration and the Foundation of Shanghai Fisheries University.     

Examination of Silicate Limitation of Primary Production in Jiaozhou Bay, China Ⅱ. Critical Value and Time of Silicate Limitation and Satisfaction of the Phytoplankton Growth

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Examination of Silicate Limitation of Primary Production in Jiaozhou Bay,China Ⅱ.Critical Value and Time of Silicate Limitation and Satisfaction of the Phytoplankton Growth

Analysis and comparison of Jiaozhou Bay data collected from May 1991 to February 1994 revealed the spatiotemporal variations of the ambient Si(OH)₄:NO₃ (Si:N) concentration rations and the seasonal variations of (Si:N) ratios in Jiaozhou Bay and showed that the Si:N ratios were <1 throughout Jiaozhou Bay in spring, autumn, and winter. These results provide further evidence that silicate limits the growth of phytoplankton (i.e. diatoms) in spring, autumn and winter. Moreover, comparison of the spatiotemporal variations of the Si:N ratio and primary production in Jiaozhou Bay suggested their close relationship. The spatiotemporal pattern of dissolved silicate matched well that of primary production in Jiaozhou Bay. Along with the environmental change of Jiaozhou Bay in the last thirty years, the N and P concentrations tended to rise, whereas Si concentration showed cyclic seasonal variations. With the variation of nutrient Si limiting the primary production in mind, the authors found that the range of values of primary production is divided into three parts: the basic value of Si limited primary production, the extent of Si limited primary production and the critical value of Si limited primary production, which can be calculated for Jiaozhou Bay by Equations (1), (2) and (3), showing that the time of the critical value of Si limitation of phytoplankton growth in Jiaozhou Bay is around November 3 to November 13 in autumn; and that the time of the critical value of Si satisfaction of phytoplankton growth in Jiaozhou Bay is around May 22 to June 7 in spring. Moreover, the calculated critical value of Si satisfactory for phytoplankton growth is 2.15–0.76 μmol/L and the critical value of Si limitation of phytoplankton growth is 1.42–0.36 μmol/L; so that the time period of Si limitation of phytoplankton growth is around November 13 to May 22 in the next year; the time period of Si satisfactory for phytoplankton growth is around June 7 to November 3. This result also explains why critical values of nutrient silicon affect phytoplankton growth in spring and autumn are different in different waters of Jiaozhou Bay and also indicates how the silicate concentration affects the phytoplankton assemblage structure. The dilution of silicate concentration by seawater exchange affects the growth of phytoplankton so that the primary production of phytoplankton declines outside Jiaozhou Bay earlier than inside Jiaozhou Bay by one and half months. This study showed that Jiaozhou Bay phytoplankton badly need silicon and respond very sensitively and rapidly to the variation of silicon. This study was funded by NSFC (No. 40036010) and subsidized by Special Funds from National Key Basic Research Program of P. R. China (G19990437), the Postdoctoral Foundation of Ocean University of Qingdao, the Director's Foundation of the Beihai Monitoring Center of the State Oceanic Administration and the Foundation of Shanghai Fisheries University.     

Examination of Daytime Length''''s Influence on Phytoplankton Growth in Jiaozhou Bay, China

1　INTRODUCTIONSystematicstudyisusefulforhumanvisualizationandcomprehensionofanetworkofcomplicatedcompo nentsandprocessesinvolvingfrequentenergyflow ,consideringenergyasthebasisofbothstructureandprocess (Automa ,1 993) .Energylanguageisaconceptfordepictingasysteminwhichallphenomenaareac companiedbyenergytransformation .Thefunctionoftheecosystemovertheworlddependsontheenergyfixationbymarineplantphotosynthesis ,mostofthemarefixedbymicrophytoplanktonnearseasurfaceexposedtosunlight (Niebaken …     

Abundance and Biomass of Benthic Bacteria in Jiaozhou Bay, China

The abundance and biomass of benthic heterotrophic bacteria were investigated for the 4 typical sampling stations in the northern muddy part of Jiaozhou Bay, estuary of the Dagu River, raft culturing and nearby areas of Huangdao in March, June, August and December, 2002. The abundance and biomass range from 0.98×10⁷ to 16.87×10⁷ cells g⁻¹ sediment and 0.45 to 7.08 μg C g⁻¹ sediment, respectively. Correlation analysis showed that heterotrophic bacterial abundance and biomass are significantly correlated to water temperature (R=0.79 and 0.83, respectively,P<0.01).     

Examination of Daytime Length＇s Influence on Phytoplankton Growth in Jiaozhou Bay, China

This study showed how the daytime length in Jiaozhou Bay affected the water temperature, which in turn affected the phytoplankton growth when solar radiation was sufficient for phytoplankton photosynthesis. Jiaozhou Bay observation data collected from May 1991 to February 1994 were used to analyze the daytime length vs water temperature relationship. Our study showed that daytime length and the variation controlled the cycle of water temperature flunctuation. Should the cyclic variation curve of the daytime length be moved back for two months it would be superimposed with temperature change. The values of daytime length and temperature that calculated in the dynamical model of daytime length lag vs water temperature were consistent with observed values. The light radiation and daytime length in this model determined the photochemistry process and the enzymic catalysis process of phytoplankton photosynthesis. In addition, by considering the effect of the daytime length on water temperature and photosynthesis, we could comprehend the joint effect of daytime length, water temperature, and nutrients, on the spatiotemperal variation of primary production in Jiaozhou Bay.     

Nutrient and chlorophyll a anomaly in red-tide periods of 2003-2008 in Sishili Bay, China

Sishili Bay is the most important aquiculture and tourism area for the city of Yantai, China; however, red tides occurred frequently and have caused huge economic losses in this bay in recent years. To gain a better understanding of the local ecological environments in the bay, we conducted this research between 2003 and 2008 to analyze variations in nutrients and chlorophyll (chl-a) during high frequency red tide period (May to September). The results show that the chl-a concentration increased from 2.70 in 2003 to 7.26 mg/m3 in 2008, while the concentration of total inorganic nitrogen (TIN) and silicate (SiO3-Si) increased lineally from 5.18 and 1.45 μmol/L in 2003 to 18.57 and 9.52 μmol/L in 2008, respectively, and the annual phosphate (PO4-P) varied between 0.15 and 0.46 μmol/L. Special attention was given to a red tide in August 2007 occurred when water temperature was high and nutrient concentrations increased sharply because of a heavy rainfall. Overall, the results show the P limitation in Sishili Bay, and reveal that red tides were caused by eutrophication from terrestrial inputs and local warm weather, particularly during rainy periods. Therefore, to control red tide, greater efforts should be made to reduce sewage discharges into Sishili Bay, particularly during rainfall seasons.     

Accumulation of petroleum hydrocarbons and heavy metals in clams （Ruditapes philippinarum） in Jiaozhou Bay, China

Accumulation and distributions of aliphatic and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals were measured in tissues of the clam Ruditapes philippinarum collected from 5 sites in Jiaozhou Bay, Qingdao, China. The concentrations of total aliphatic hydrocarbon and PAHs ranged from 570 to 2 574 ng/gdw (gram dry weight) and from 276 to 939 ng/gdw, in the most and least polluted sites, respectively. The bio-accumulation of hydrocarbons and PAHs in the clams appeared to be selective. Aliphatic hydrocarbons were predominantly represented by short chain (<nC₂₃) n-alkanes, suggesting that petroleum hydrocarbons were likely the major contamination source. The selective uptake of 3 and 4 ring PAHs, such as naphthalene, fluorene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene and pyrene, by the clams was probably related to the physiological and bio-kinetic processes that were energetically favorable for uptake of compounds with fewer rings. Accumulation of the metals Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, Hg, and As in the clam tissues also showed high variability, ranging from 0.043 to 87 μg/gdw. Among the 7 detected metals, Zn, Cd, Cu, and As had a particularly high potential of accumulation in R. philippinarum. In general, a positive correlation was found between the tissue concentrations and sediment concentrations of hydrocarbons and of some metals. Our study suggests that moderate contamination with polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and low to moderate contamination with metals, currently exists for clam R. philippinarum in Jiaozhou Bay, in comparison with other regional studies. A long-term monitoring program is certainly needed for assessment of the potential ecological influence and toxicity of these contaminants of R. philippinarum in Jiaozhou Bay.     

Quaternary glacio-erosional landforms in Laoshan Mountain and their constraints on the origin of Jiaozhou Bay, Qingdao, east of China

A field investigation on Quaternary glacial landforms in Laoshan Mountain has discovered many glacial potholes, scouring grooves on top of granite ridges, and large boulders. These erosional landforms were formed by the meltwater from the overlying ice cap, suggesting that there was at least an ice cap covering Laoshan Mountain and the surrounding areas or even a continental ice sheet over the vast area of Shandong Province in the Late Pleistocene. The ice sheet was obstructed by the Laoshan Mountain, Dazhu Mountain and Xiaozhu Mountain in the coastal areas as it moved toward the Yellow Sea. The ice flows eroded the bedrock and carved the weak intersection of the fault systems in the NE and NW directions into a deep channel, which gradually formed a fjord in the area of the Jiaozhou Bay basin by 20.00 ka BP. The seawater gradually invaded the fjord from the beginning of the Holocene (11.00 ka BP) and Jiaozhou Bay was eventually formed. Similar fjords are easily found along the east of China and they share a similar origin because of the Quaternary glaciation in the region.     

Silicon limitation on primary production and its destiny in Jiaozhou Bay, China VI： The ecological variation process of the phytoplankton

1 INTRODUCTION In a marine area, temporal and special variation in phytoplankton growth is closely related with that of light, water temperature and nutrient. The key study in this paper is how environmental factors in- cluding light, water temperature an…     

Silicon limitation on primary production and its destiny in Jiaozhou Bay, China——Ⅶ： The complementary mechanism of the earth ecosystem

1 INTRODUCTION In marine waters, water temperature and nutrient Si control the temporal and spatial variation of the phytoplankton growth (Yang et al., 2006). The effect of nutrient Si and water temperature on the mecha- nism of phytoplankton growth has p…     

Silicon limitation on primary production and its destiny in Jiaozhou Bay,China Ⅷ: The variation of atmospheric carbon caused by both phytoplankton and human

Statistical analysis on data collected in the Jiaozhou Bay (Shandong, China) from May 1991 to February 1994 and those collected in Hawaii from March 1958 to December 2007 shows dynamic and cyclic changes in atmospheric carbon in the Northern Pacific Ocean (NPO), as well as the variation in space-time distribution of phytoplankton primary production and atmospheric carbon in the study regions. The study indicates that the human beings have imposed an important impact on the changing trends of the atmospheric carbon. Primary production in the Jiaozhou Bay presents a good example in this regard. In this paper, dynamic models of the atmospheric carbon in the NPO, the cyclic variations in the atmospheric carbon, and primary production in the Jiaozhou Bay are studied with simulation curves presented. A set of equations were established that able to calculate the rate and acceleration of increasing carbon discharged anthropologically into the atmosphere and the conversion rate of phytoplankton to atmospheric carbon. Our calculation shows that the amount of atmospheric carbon absorbed by one unit of primary production in the Jiaozhou Bay is (3.21–9.74)×10-9/(mgC·m-2d-1), and the amount of primary production consumed by a unit of atmospheric carbon is 102.66–311.52 (mgC·m-2d-1/10-6). Therefore, we consider that the variation of atmospheric carbon is a dynamic process controlled by the increase of carbon compound and its cyclic variation, and those from anthropologic discharge, and phytoplankton growth.