Modeling Trophic Structure and Energy Flows in a Coastal Artificial Ecosystem Using Mass-Balance Ecopath Model

Using a large-scale enclosed sea area in northern Hangzhou Bay as a case study, the trophic interactions, energy flows, and ecosystem properties of a coastal artificial ecosystem were analyzed by ecotrophic modeling using Ecopath with Ecosim software (EwE, 5.1 version). The model consists of 13 functional groups: piscivorous fish, benthic-feeding fish, zooplanktivorous fish, herbivorous fish, crabs, shrimp, mollusca, infauna, carnivorous zooplankton, herbivorous zooplankton, macrophytes, phytoplankton, and detritus. Input information for the model was gathered from published and unpublished reports and from our own estimates during the period 2006–2007. Results show that the food web in the enclosed sea area was dominated by a detritus pathway. The trophic levels of the groups varied from 1.00 for primary producers and detritus to 3.90 for piscivorous fish in the coastal artificial system. Using network analysis, the system network was mapped into a linear food chain, and five discrete trophic levels were found with a mean transfer efficiency of 9.8% from detritus and 9.4% from primary producer within the ecosystem. The geometric mean of the trophic transfer efficiencies was 9.6%. Detritus contributed 57% of the total energy flux, and the other 43% came from primary producers. The ecosystem maturity indices—total primary production/total respiration, Finn’s cycling index, and ascendancy—were 2.56, 25.0%, and 31.0%, respectively, showing that the coastal artificial system is at developmental stage according to Odum’s theory of ecosystem development. Generally, this is the first trophic model of a large-scale artificial sea enclosure in China and provides some useful insights into the structure and functioning of the system.     

Distribution and Trophic Importance of Anthropogenic Nitrogen in Narragansett Bay: An Assessment Using Stable Isotopes

Narragansett Bay has been heavily influenced by human activities for more than 200 years. In recent decades, it has been one of the more intensively fertilized estuaries in the USA, with most of the anthropogenic nutrient load originating from sewage treatment plants (STP). This will soon change as tertiary treatment upgrades reduce nitrogen (N) loads by about one third or more during the summer. Before these reductions take place, we sought to characterize the sewage N signature in primary (macroalgae) and secondary (the hard clam, Mercenaria mercenaria) producers in the bay using stable isotopes of N (δ¹⁵N) and carbon (δ¹³C). The δ¹⁵N signatures of the macroalgae show a clear gradient of approximately 4‰ from north to south, i.e., high to low point source loading. There is also evidence of a west to east gradient of heavy to light values of δ¹⁵N in the bay consistent with circulation patterns and residual flows. The Providence River Estuary, just north of Narragansett Bay proper, receives 85% of STP inputs to Narragansett Bay, and lower δ¹⁵N values in macroalgae there reflected preferential uptake of ¹⁴N in this heavily fertilized area. Differences in pH from N stimulated photosynthesis and related shifts in predominance of dissolved C species may control the observed δ¹³C signatures. Unlike the macroalgae, the clams were remarkably uniform in both δ¹⁵N (13.2 ± 0.54‰ SD) and δ¹³C (−16.76 ± 0.61‰ SD) throughout the bay, and the δ¹⁵N values were 2–5‰ heavier than in clams collected outside the bay. We suggest that this remarkable uniformity reflects a food source of anthropogenically heavy phytoplankton formed in the upper bay and supported by sewage derived N. We estimate that approximately half of the N in the clams throughout Narragansett Bay may be from anthropogenic sources.     

Non-linear Responses of a Coastal Aquatic Ecosystem to Large Decreases in Nutrient and Organic Loadings

Between 1991 and 2000, Boston Harbor, a bay–estuary in the northeast USA, experienced a decrease in loadings of total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and particulate organic carbon (PC) of between ∼80% and ∼90%. The average concentrations of TN and TP in the harbor water column were decreased in linear proportion to the loadings. The changes to the chlorophyll-a (chl-a), PC, and bottom water DO concentrations were curvilinear relative to the loadings, with larger changes at low than high loadings. For TN and TP, the starts of the decreases in concentrations coincided with the starts of the decreases in loadings. For the three variables that showed curvilinear responses, the starts of the changes lagged by 2 to 3 years the starts of the decreases in TN loadings. Total suspended solid concentrations and water clarity in the harbor were unchanged. The study shows that for systems such as Boston Harbor, decreases in nutrient loadings will have quite different effects depending on the base loadings to the system.     

海洋沉积物有机碳和稳定氮同位素分析的前处理影响

海洋沉积物中的有机碳和稳定氮同位素为海洋古环境和碳氮循环提供了大量信息,然而不同的前处理方法对有机碳和稳定氮同位素测定结果的准确性产生不同程度的影响.笔者通过大量条件实验,分析了前处理过程中影响结果准确性的可能因素.①器皿材质:使用聚丙烯和玻璃离心管进行酸处理所得样品的δ13C和δ15N基本无差别.②干燥方式:样品经热烘干燥会导致样品中轻碳组分和易挥发组分的逸散,引起样品中δ13C的分馏.鲜样和酸处理后样均采用热烘干燥会引起样品中δ15N发生明显分馏.③驱酸方式和洗酸程度:水洗造成溶解性有机碳和氮的损失,致使δ13C和δ15N值较真实值偏正,但酸蒸法不能保证氯离子的有效驱除.洗至中性后的洗酸次数对δ13C影响甚小,但会导致δ15N继续偏正.全程采用冷冻干燥,选用PP离心管作为主要酸处理水洗和干燥的器皿,具有很好的重复性,可获得较理想、准确的δ13C和δ15N测试数值.     

Deciphering the Seasonal Cycle of Copepod Trophic Dynamics in the Strait of Georgia,Canada, Using Stable Isotopes and Fatty Acids

Characterizing trophic flows is central to our understanding of energy transfer in marine ecosystems. The food webs of coastal systems are difficult to study because the proportion of autochthonous to allochthonous sources often varies seasonally and is often overlaid on a seasonal cycle of zooplankton composition. Here, we use a combination of fatty acids and stable isotopes to disentangle the trophic pathways in a productive coastal system (the Strait of Georgia (SoG), Canada). Over the span of a year, Metridia pacifica, a ubiquitous omnivorous copepod, can utilize a wide range of dietary items including diatoms, flagellates, bacteria, detritus, and microzooplankton. M. pacifica can switch from herbivory to carnivory in response to declining chlorophyll concentrations after the spring bloom and can occasionally utilize detrital sources. These findings are discussed in the context of previous knowledge of the SoG ecosystem, the current state of ecosystem modeling in the region, and the use of stable isotopes and fatty acids to assess trophic dynamics.     

Decadal Changes in Water Quality and Net Productivity of a Shallow Danish Estuary Following Significant Nutrient Reductions

We utilized an extensive data set (1977–2013) from a water quality monitoring program to investigate the recovery of a Danish estuary following large reductions in total phosphorus (TP) and total nitrogen (TN) loading. Monthly rates of net transport and biogeochemical transformation of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and phosphorus (DIP) were computed in two basins of the estuary using a box model approach, and oxygen-based rates of net ecosystem production (NEP) were determined. Since 1990, nutrient loading was reduced by 58 % for nitrogen and 80 % for phosphorus, causing significant decreases in DIN (60 %) and DIP (85 %) concentrations. Reductions in nutrient loadings and concentrations reduced annual chlorophyll levels by 50 % in the inner estuary and improved Secchi depth by approximately 1 m during the same period, particularly in the summer period. In the outer, deeper region of the estuary trends in water quality was less evident. Improvements in the inner estuary were strongly coupled to declines in DIN. Thresholds of DIN and DIP concentrations limiting phytoplankton growth indicated that both regions of the estuary were nitrogen limited. NEP rates indicated the development of more net autotrophic conditions over time that were likely associated with higher benthic primary production stimulated by improved light conditions. Box model computations revealed a modest reduction in summer net production of DIP over time, despite the persistence of elevated fluxes for several years after external loads were reduced. Since the mid-1990s, nutrient loading and transformation were stable while nutrient concentrations continued to decline and water quality improved in the inner estuary. The oligotrophication trajectory involved an initial fast transformation and modest retention of nutrients followed by a gradual decline in the rate of improvement towards a new stable condition.     

元素分析-同位素比值质谱法测量海洋沉积物中有机碳和氮稳定同位素组成的实验室间比对研究

海洋沉积物中有机碳、氮稳定同位素(δ~(13)C、δ~(15)N)作为一种有效指标,可对不同地质时期空气、温度、降水等参数的变化进行标记。元素分析-同位素比值质谱法是一种测量海洋沉积物有机碳、氮稳定同位素组成的合理、有效的方法。目前我国有诸多实验室使用元素分析仪(EA)与稳定同位素比值质谱仪(IRMS)联用的方法对沉积物中的有机碳、氮稳定同位素进行测试。各实验室之间测试技术及数据稳定性缺少比对依据,测试结果缺乏有效的溯源,使用过程中缺乏规范和统一。本文选取了我国2018年研制的三个国家一级海洋沉积物碳氮稳定同位素标准物质(GBW04701、GBW04702、GBW04703)及两个国际标准物质(EMA-B2152、EMA-B2151),在我国十家实验室对EA-IRMS在线技术测试方法进行实验室间的测量比对实验,以验证方法的稳定性、精密度和准确度。测试结果表明:各家协作实验室的数据准确、稳定,方法的重复性和再现性良好,测得的δ~(13)C和δ~(15)N精密度分别好于0.10‰、0.14‰。通过比对研究,同时证明了EA-IRMS在线技术适用于海洋沉积物中的有机碳、氮稳定同位素的测定,初步建立了一套适合海洋沉积物样品分析的方法。     

Eutrophication of a Maryland/Virginia Coastal Lagoon: a Tipping Point,Ecosystem Changes,and Potential Causes

Water quality in the Maryland/Virginia Coastal Bays has been declining for many years from anthropogenic inputs, but conditions appear to have worsened abruptly following a shift from long-term dry to long-term wet conditions in the early 2000s. Annually and regionally averaged total nitrogen concentrations are approximately twofold higher, but ammonium (NH₄ ⁺) concentrations are up to an order of magnitude higher than in the early 1990s. Averaged nitrate concentrations, however, changed to a lesser degree throughout the time course; water column concentrations remain very low. Total phosphorus has only increased in some bay segments, but increases in phosphate (PO₄ ^3?) have been more pervasive. There were differences in the year in which large increases in each nutrient were first noted: PO₄ ^3? in ~2001–2002, followed by NH₄ ⁺ ~a year later. The effects of a combination of steadily increasing anthropogenic nutrient increases from development, superimposed on nutrient loads from farming and animal operations, and groundwater inputs were accelerated by changes in freshwater flow and associated, negatively reinforcing, biogeochemical responses. Regionally, chlorophyll a concentrations have increased, and submersed aquatic vegetation has decreased. The system is now characterized by sustained summer picoplanktonic algal blooms, both brown tide and cyanobacteria. The retentive nature of this coastal lagoon combined with the reducing nature of the system will make these changes difficult to reverse if the current dual nutrient management practices are not accelerated.     

Isotopic and Elemental Composition of Marine Macrophytes as Biotracers of Nutrient Recycling Within a Coastal Lagoon in Baja California,Mexico

Nutrient sources of San Quintin Bay, a coastal lagoon affected by coastal upwelling off Baja California (Mexico), were traced using generalized additive (mixed) models (GAMM) to the stable nitrogen isotopic composition, C:N and N content of two co-occurring macrophytes (the macroalgae Ulva spp. and the seagrass Zostera marina). The geochemical tracers followed a spatial trend that partly responded to the long-term nutrient gradient from the ocean towards the interior of the bay. N content in Z. marina and Ulva spp. decreased linearly (while C:N increased) towards the middle section of the bay to concentration levels that indicate potential N limitation for growth. Concurrently midway into the bay (6–9 km), the δ¹⁵N of both macrophytes showed a gradual enrichment in ¹⁵N reflecting progressive denitrification. The spatial pattern of δ¹⁵N and the decrease in C:N of the macrophytes towards the innermost section of the bay indicated an additional nonoceanic source of dissolved nitrogen in this zone. The similarity of the δ¹⁵N pattern of Z. marina and Ulva spp. implies that their δ¹⁵N composition is mainly controlled by the availability of N, in spite of the physiological differences between taxa. A better fit of GAMM to N content and C:N was obtained for Z. marina than for Ulva spp. indicating that the former delineate more steadily and smoothly the influence of upwelling along the spatial gradient. Nonetheless, Ulva spp. may be analyzed in combination with Z. marina to characterize the environmental conditions at the time of sampling.     

Changes in Coastal Benthic Algae Succession Trajectories and Assemblages Under Contrasting Nutrient and Grazer Loads

Eutrophication plays a crucial role in coastal systems, driving changes in the composition and abundance of flora and fauna with consequent effects for the entire ecosystem. Sensitive to nutrient levels, micro- and macroalgal blooms serve as valuable indicators of eutrophication. The San Antonio Bay (Northern Argentinean Patagonia, 40° 43′ S, 64° 56′ W) provides an appropriate system to study in situ eutrophication processes on coastal communities. In a multi-scale approach, using two different kind of settlement substrates (micro: polyethylene terephthalate, and macro: ceramic), the present study followed benthic algal dynamics over one year, distinguishing changes in natural succession and seasonality. Strong differences were found in the biofilm assemblages after three days, marked by tube dwelling diatoms and Cocconeis spp. under high nutrient-grazer conditions and needle like diatoms (e.g. Nitzschia spp., Tabularia spp.) under lower nutrient-grazer loads. The succession continued by the colonization of macroalgae, with a higher recruitment rate in the nutrient and grazer rich environment with a concomitant higher diversity. Our results show that under higher nutrient-grazer conditions natural benthic succession not only differs in trajectory but in its final taxa composition promoting higher biodiversity and biomass accumulation. In addition, taxa specific substrate preferences interfere with the observed eutrophication pattern, suggesting substrate dependant interrelations between the bloom forming taxa. These findings provide evidence that nutrient enrichment can not only affect an established assemblage but also affect the early succession stages, changing the succession trajectory and thus the final assemblage.     

Progress in the Study of Marine Stable Nitrogen Isotopic Changes and Its Geological Records

Marine stable nitrogen isotope containing much key biogeochemical information, is an important way in identifying marine nitrogen sources and understanding the marine nitrogen cycles. These isotopic signals can be preserved in marine sediments and used to trace the marine biogeochemical cycles and environment changes during geological history. Studies in recent decades have illustrated the key role of nitrogen fixation and denitrification. Because of the spatiotemporal variability and the complexity of ocean processes and nitrogen sources in the marine environment, we need to combine the modern observations with geological records, integrate oceanography, biology, and geology, and consider the hydrological environment, geological processes and climate changes, to understand the coupling between the ocean nitrogen cycle, climate and environmental changes.     

Using Stable Isotopes to Assess the Contribution of Terrestrial and Riverine Organic Matter to Diets of Nearshore Marine Consumers in a Glacially Influenced Estuary

Terrestrial and marine ecosystems in Southeast Alaska are linked by the flow of freshwater from precipitation and glacial runoff, which transports nutrients and organic matter (OM) downstream to estuaries. We examined the contribution of terrestrial-riverine and marine OM to diets of fishes (N = 257, four species) and invertebrates (N = 90, six species) collected from glacially influenced estuaries in Southeast Alaska using multiple stable isotopes (δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N, and δ³⁴S). Multivariate analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) was used to quantify variation in stable isotope composition of consumers across 6 months and three sites with watersheds that differed in their glacier and forest composition. Fishes showed weak differences (ANOSIM R = 0.141) in stable isotope composition among sampling months, moderate differences (ANOSIM R = 0.375) among sites, and strong differences (ANOSIM R = 0.583) among species. Invertebrates showed moderate differences (ANOSIM R = 0.352) in stable isotope composition among sampling months and strong differences among sites (ANOSIM R = 0.710) and species (ANOSIM R = 0.858). We found the greatest differences in stable isotope composition between the two estuary sites with watersheds containing the highest and lowest glacial coverage, indicating that the contribution of allochthonous OM to consumer diets varies across watershed types. Invertebrates collected from the site with the lowest glacial coverage in the watershed were more depleted in δ¹³C and δ³⁴S, indicating higher use of terrestrial-riverine OM, than those at sites with higher watershed glacial coverage. High variation in stable isotope composition among species, months, and sites underscores the complexity of estuary food web responses to future glacier loss.     

Causes and Consequences of Ecosystem Service Regionalization in a Coastal Suburban Watershed

The demand for ecosystem services and the ability of natural ecosystems to provide those services evolve over time as population, land use, and management practices change. Regionalization of ecosystem service activity, or the expansion of the area providing ecosystem services to a population, is a common response in densely populated coastal regions, with important consequences for watershed water and nitrogen (N) fluxes to the coastal zone. We link biophysical and historical information to explore the causes and consequences of change in ecosystem service activity—focusing on water provisioning and N regulation—from 1850 to 2010 in a coastal suburban watershed, the Ipswich River watershed in northeastern Massachusetts, USA. Net interbasin water transfers started in the late 1800s due to regionalization of water supply for use by larger populations living outside the Ipswich watershed boundaries, reaching a peak in the mid-1980s. Over much of the twentieth century, about 20 % of river runoff was diverted from reaching the estuary, with greater proportions during drought years. Ongoing regionalization of water supply has contributed to recent declines in diversions, influenced by socioecological feedbacks resulting from the river drying and fish kills. Similarly, the N budget has been greatly perturbed since the suburban era began in the 1950s due to food and lawn fertilizer imports and human waste release. However, natural ecosystems are able to remove most of this anthropogenic N, mitigating impacts on the coastal zone. We propose a conceptual model whereby the amount and type of ecosystem services provided by coastal watersheds in urban regions expand and contract over time as regional population expands and ecosystem services are regionalized. We hypothesize that suburban watersheds can be hotspots of ecosystem service sources because they retain sufficient ecosystem function to still produce services that meet increasing demand from the local population and nearby urban centers. Historical reconstruction of ecosystem service activity provides a perspective that may help to better understand coupled human–natural system processes and lead to more sustainable management of coastal ecosystems.     

Quantification of Magmatic and Hydrothermal Processes in a Peralkaline Syenite-Alkali Granite Complex Based on Textures, Phase Equilibria, and Stable and Radiogenic Isotopes

The Puklen complex of the Mid-Proterozoic Gardar Province, SouthGreenland, consists of various silica-saturated to quartz-bearingsyenites, which are intruded by a peralkaline granite. The primarymafic minerals in the syenites are augite ± olivine +Fe–Ti oxide + amphibole. Ternary feldspar thermometryand phase equilibria among mafic silicates yield T = 950–750°C,a_SiO2 = 0·7–1 and an f_O2 of 1–3 log unitsbelow the fayalite–magnetite–quartz (FMQ) bufferat 1 kbar. In the granites, the primary mafic minerals are ilmeniteand Li-bearing arfvedsonite, which crystallized at temperaturesbelow 750°C and at f_O2 values around the FMQ buffer. Inboth rock types, a secondary post-magmatic assemblage overprintsthe primary magmatic phases. In syenites, primary Ca-bearingminerals are replaced by Na-rich minerals such as aegirine–augiteand albite, resulting in the release of Ca. Accordingly, secondaryminerals include ferro-actinolite, (calcite–siderite)_ss,titanite and andradite in equilibrium with the Na-rich minerals.Phase equilibria indicate that formation of these minerals tookplace over a long temperature interval from near-magmatic temperaturesdown to     

四川盆地东部天然气地球化学特征与TSR强度对异常碳、氢同位素影响

对四川盆地东部50个天然气样品组分和碳、氢同位素组成分析结果显示,天然气以烃类气体为主,干燥系数高(C1/C1+=0.975~1.0),H2S含量变化较大(H2S=0.00%~16.89%)。利用烷烃气碳、氢同位素组成和判识油型气热演化程度图版,确定四川盆地东部天然气主要为原油裂解气,且热演化程度已处于油气裂解阶段。在四川盆地东部,烷烃气碳、氢同位素组成普遍存在局部倒转现象,即δ13C1δ13C2δ13C3和δD1δD2,这主要与研究区域不同硫酸盐热化学还原作用(TSR)强度有关,因为在该反应过程中不仅会产生大量的CH4,其碳同位素较重,同时,水参与了硫酸盐与烃类的化学还原反应使得水中的H+与烃类中H+发生同位素交换,从而引起TSR生成CH4的氢同位素分馏大于干酪根直接生烃过程造成的氢同位素分馏。异常δ13CCO2值与TSR反应过程中部分碳同位素较轻的CO2与硫酸盐中金属离子(Mg2+、Fe2+、Ca2+等)以碳酸盐的形式沉淀后,导致气藏中残余重碳同位素组成的CO2与酸性气体腐蚀碳酸盐岩储集层形成的CO2相混合有关。     

达里诺尔湖水体稳定氢、氧同位素组成变化对结冰过程的响应

利用自然界中广泛分布的环境同位素进行湖泊水体演化过程分析已经成为现代湖泊科学的重要研究方向.通过采集内蒙古达里诺尔湖(简称"达里湖") 2013年1月份的湖冰、湖水, 2012年夏季湖水与湖区大气降水等, 共分析了77个样品中稳定氢(H)、氧(O)同位素值的变化情况, 在此基础上对达里湖水体稳定H、O同位素组成变化及其对结冰过程的响应进行了详细分析, 结果显示: (1)伴随结冰过程的完成, 各站点深层冰体(厚度~65 cm)中δD、δ18O值比表层冰体(厚度~15 cm)中的值出现不同幅度的偏重.而冰下水体中δD、δ18O平均值则比冰体中的平均值分别偏轻约13.85‰、2.23‰.在冰层形成的快速与稳定阶段, δD、δ18O值的变化幅度也存在差异.同时, 冬季外源水体的输入对各站点间同位素值差异的影响比夏季更明显; (2)夏季湖水、冬季湖水与湖冰的同位素值均落在全球大气降水线与湖区大气降水线之外, 显示湖泊冰封之前, 蒸发对湖泊水体同位素偏移存在一定程度的影响; 而冬季湖水与湖冰的同位素值基本位于同一斜率区间, 且全部落在夏季湖水同位素值的右侧, 显示两者之间并不存在明显的蒸发分馏作用, 造成上述现象的因素只能归结于结冰过程.      

兴凯湖沉积物有机碳和氮及其稳定同位素反映的28kaBP以来区域古气候环境变化

兴凯湖是东北亚最大的淡水湖,也是中俄界湖。我们是国内首次对兴凯湖一根长269 cm的沉积岩心进行了研究,结果显示:δ13Corg和TOC之间显示较好的负相关性,说明δ13Corg低值时期,气候温暖或湿润,δ13Corg值处于高值时期,气候冷干;C/N比值和TOC之间显示较好的正相关性,C/N比值平均值为11.4,显示兴凯湖沉积物有机质以内源浮游植物生产为主;δ15Norg高值对应于气候冷干期,此时沉积物有机质更多的来源于浮游植物,δ15Norg低值对应于暖湿期,但营养盐输入的减少也会造成δ15Norg值降低。兴凯湖沉积物有机碳和氮及其稳定同位素数据综合分析结果表明:28 480～26 160 cal.aBP,湖区气候冷干;26 160～22 880 cal.aBP,湖区气候温暖湿润;22 880～18 180 cal.aBP,流域处于末次盛冰期多年冻土环境;18 185～12 650 cal.aBP,对应于Blling/Older Dryas/Allerd气候波动暖期;90～78 cm段,对应于Younger Dryas事件;11 500～4 570 cal.aBP,进入全新世暖湿期,早期气候温干,晚期气候温湿;4 570～1 470 cal.aBP,气候冷干;1470 cal.aBP以来,又转为暖湿气候。     

Optical Changes in a Eutrophic Estuary During Reduced Nutrient Loadings

Loss of water clarity is one of the consequences of coastal eutrophication. Efforts have therefore been made to reduce external nutrient loadings of coastal waters. This paper documents improvements to water clarity between 1985 and 2008–2009 at four stations in the microtidal estuary Roskilde Fjord and find significant relationships to freshwater nutrient loadings. The paper then investigates to which extent changes in phytoplankton biomass (chlorophyll a (Chl a)), non-algal particulate organic matter (POM*), and residual attenuation in the water (K _b), respectively, can account for this optical improvement. Vertical light attenuation (K _d) declined, on average, by 34 %, accompanying a 71 % reduction of Chl a and an 80 % reduction of POM*. Residual attenuation declined by 26 % over the period in accordance with a measured 34 % decline of dissolved organic nitrogen. Analysis of simultaneous changes in light attenuation and Secchi depth also suggested a reduction of the scatter-to-absorption ratio over time. Considering the stronger reductions of particle concentrations than dissolved organic matter, the contribution of residual attenuation to vertical attenuation increased from 54 to 74 % in 1985 to 78 to 85 % in 2008–2009. Overall, efforts to reduce nutrient loading and improve water clarity appeared to have had a larger impact on POM* than on Chl a and colored dissolved organic matter concentrations in the estuary, which can account for the decrease in the scatter-to-absorption ratio. These optical changes lead to larger improvements of Secchi depth than of vertical light attenuation. The consequence of this is an overestimation (0.45–1.48 m) of the predicted increase of potential seagrass depth limits when based on Secchi depth rather than K _d.     

Enhanced Benthic Nutrient Flux During Monsoon Periods in a Coastal Lake Formed by Tideland Reclamation

Sediment and water quality were investigated in an artificial coastal lake (Saemangeum Lake, Korea) that was formed by constructing a 33-km long sea-dyke offshore from the mouths of two adjacent rivers, which discharge into the Yellow Sea. Sediment showed drastic increases in fine fraction (silt and clay) after the dyke construction. TN, TP, and OC contents in the sediment showed the similar spatial variation to that of fine fraction. A mixing model indicated benthic fluxes of nutrients such as PO₄, NH₄, and SiO₂, which were considerably elevated during the summer monsoon season. It is revealed that this phenomenon was associated with the development of strong salinity stratification, elevated water temperature, and increased groundwater discharge. However, a change in the sedimentation environment due to dyke construction is suggested as the primary reason for the enhanced benthic fluxes.