2010年西北冰洋浮游植物区域差异与环境关系

Global warming has caused Arctic sea ice to rapidly retreat,which is affecting phytoplankton,the primary producers at the base of the food chain,as well as the entire ecosystem.However,few studies with large spatial scales related to the Arctic Basin at high latitude have been conducted.This study aimed to investigate the relationship between changes in phytoplankton community structure and ice conditions.Fifty surface and 41 vertically stratified water samples from the western Arctic Ocean(67.0°–88°26′N,152°–178°54′W) were collected by the Chinese icebreaker R/V Xuelong from July 20 to August 30,2010 during China's fourth Arctic expedition.Using these samples,the species composition,spatial distribution,and regional disparities of phytoplankton during different stages of ice melt were assessed.A total of 157 phytoplankton taxa(5 μm) belonging to 69 genera were identified in the study area.The most abundant species were Navicula pelagica and Thalassiosira nordenskioeldii,accounting for 31.23% and 14.12% of the total phytoplankton abundance,respectively.The average abundance during the departure trip and the return trip were 797.07×10~2 cells/L and 84.94×10~2 cells/L,respectively.The highest abundance was observed at Sta.R09 in the north of Herald Shoal,where Navicula pelagica was the dominant species accounting for 59.42% of the abundance.The vertical distribution of phytoplankton abundance displayed regional differences,and the maximum abundances were confined to the lower layers of the euphotic zone near the layers of the halocline,thermocline,and nutricline.The species abundance of phytoplankton decreased from the low-latitude shelf to the high-latitude basin on both the departure and return trips.The phytoplankton community structure in the shallow continental shelf changed markedly during different stages of ice melt,and there was shift in dominant species from centric to pennate diatoms.Results of canonical correspondence analysis(CCA) showed that there were two distinct communities of phytoplankton in the western Arctic Ocean,and water temperature,ice coverage and silicate concentration were the most important environmental factors affecting phytoplankton distribution in the surveyed sea.These findings will help predict the responses of phytoplankton to the rapid melting of Arctic sea ice.     

Infaunal macrobenthos of the oxygen minimum zone on the Indian western continental shelf

The Arabian Sea is characterized by a mid‐depth layer of reduced dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration or oxygen minimum zone (OMZ ‐DO concentration <0.5 ml·l^?1) at ~150–1000 m depth. This OMZ results from the flux of labile organic matter coupled with limited intermediate depth water ventilation. Generally, benthic animals in the OMZ have morphological and physiological adaptations that maximize oxygen uptake in the limited oxygen availability. Characteristics of OMZ benthos have been described from only a few localities in the Arabian Sea. We measured the bottom water DO and studied the characteristics of infaunal macrobenthos of the Indian western continental shelf by collecting samples at 50, 100 and 200 m in depth from 7° to 22° N. The DO values observed at 200 m (0.0005–0.24 ml·l^?1) indicated that this area is lying within an OMZ. Five major taxa, namely Platyhelminthes, Sipunculoidea, Echiuroidea, Echinodermata and Cephalochordata were absent from the samples collected from this OMZ. In general, declines in total macrobenthic density and biomass and polychaete species richness and diversity were observed in this OMZ compared with the shallower depths above it. Community analyses of polychaetes revealed the dominance of species belonging to families Spionidae, Cirratulidae and Paraonidae in this OMZ. Low oxygen condition was more pronounced in the northern continental shelf edge (≤0.03 ml·l^?1), where the majority of spionids including Prionospio pinnata and cirratulids were absent; whereas amphipod, isopod and bivalve communities were not impacted.     

Benthic fauna of Blagopoluchiya Bay (Novaya Zemlya Archipelago,Kara Sea)

The benthic fauna was studied in the Blagopoluchiya Bay (Kara Sea, Novaya Zemlya Archipelago) during an expedition of the R/V Professor Shtokman in autumn 2013. The inner basin of the bay, with depths of around 150 m, is separated from the outer slope of Novaya Zemlya by a shoal 30 m in depth. Six macrobenthic communities were described at nine stations (25 bottom grab samples) taken along a transect from the inner part of the bay to the outer part of the slope. The depths, position on the transect axis and sediment types were the major factors influencing the distribution of the communities. The benthic abundance and biomass in the inner and outer parts of the bay did not differ significantly. The diversity of macrobenthic organisms (α-diversity as the number of species in the sample and β-diversity as the rate of increase in species number in the area) was lower in the inner part of the bay. The intertidal zone (littoral) has been described. The littoral fauna was very poor; it comprised only the amphipods Gammarus setosus inhabiting the near-surface area.     

Spatial and long-term temporal variation of meiobenthic-hyperbenthic copepods in Lake Pontchartrain,Louisiana

The distribution and abundance of the meiobenthic-hyperbenthic copepods of Lake Pontchartrain (a large, 1630 km², shallow, mean depth of 3·7m, brackish, 0·3–5‰, lake in Southeastern Louisiana) were characterized monthly from August 1978 to August 1979. Ten stations, all with water depth > 2m, were established and sampled quantitatively by removing four benthic subsamples (containing as much as 25 cm overlying water) from replicated box cores. Averaged across stations over time, total copepod densities ranged from 31–89 × 10 cm^?2. A total of only 15 copepod species were identified from benthic samples; 8 harpacticoids, 4 cyclopoids and 3 calanoids. The copepod assemblage in Pontchartrain differs from all other known benthic assemblages in that the species composition is dominated by species which are often associated with the water column; true infaunal species are rare or found in reduced abundance. Four species comprised 90% of all individuals collected. All four are epibenthic or commonly collected as zooplankton and include Scottolana canadensis which comprised 47% of all individuals collected, Halicyclops fosteri which dominated fall collections, Acartia tonsa and Pseudobradya sp. Burrowing species were largely restricted to the more saline eastern stations. The rarity of burrowing species might be related to low salinity, however the highly unstable bottom in Pontchartrain with silty-clayey sediments commonly resuspended into the water column, may also influence burrowers. Cluster analysis reveals diffuse seasonal grouping of stations for all seasons except fall, with spatial groupings from the central and western sides. Physical processes appear to dictate the community structure of benthic-hyperbenthic copepods in Lake Pontchartrain.     

Reduced survival and condition of the bivalves Protothaca staminea and Mytilus edulis buried by decomposing bark

The bivalves Protothaca staminea and Mytilus edulis were exposed to five depths of decomposing bark from an active log transfer facility for 13–96 days in a field experiment at Auke Bay, Alaska. Survival and condition of both species was inversely related to depth and duration of bark coverage. As little as 6 cm of bark reduced survival; survival declined most rapidly between 10 and 15 cm of bark. The depths of bark under which half the animals died after 96 days of exposure were 12·8 ± 1·6 cm for P. staminea and 10·9 ± 1·5 cm for M. edulis. Interstitial water in the bark deposits had low concentrations of dissolved O₂ (2·5–5·3 mg/liter) and elevated concentrations of hydrogen sulfide (1·0–8·1 mg/liter total sulfide) and ammonia (46–131 μg-at N/liter) compared to the surface water from the control treatment. Survival of P. staminea and M. edulis was inversely related to concentrations of hydrogen sulfide and ammonia and directly related to dissolved O₂ concentrations.     

Distribution and ecology of Nectocarcinus antarcticus and N. bennetti (Brachyura: Portunidae) in the New Zealand region

The distributions of two swimming crabs endemic to the New Zealand region are described, mostly from material obtained at 118 of 2544 New Zealand Oceanographic Institute benthic stations sampled.

Nectocarcinus antarcticus (Jacquinot) was found within the geographic limits 34°S‐51°S and 166° E‐176° W, with concentrations around Cook Strait, the Chatham Rise, Foveaux Strait, and the Auckland Is. N. bennetti (Takeda & Miyake) occurred between 44° S and 53° S, and 165° E and 180°, most frequently in the south and west, on the ‘highs’ of the Campbell Plateau. Although the distributions overlap between 44° S and 51° S, and this overlap zone produced most of the available material, only one joint occurrence of the two species was noted. This apparent separation was not satisfactorily explained by any of the ecological factors recorded. The depth ranges of both species were broadly similar (0–550 m for TV. antarcticus, 20–474 m for JV. bennetti); both were most frequently obtained at depths less than 200 m. Both occurred primarily on the coarser sediment grades, though N. antarcticus occupied a broader range of grades than N. bennetti.

The size ranges of the two species were similar; carapace lengths were 8.0–62.0 mm for N. antarcticus and 5.8–68.0 mm for N. bennetti. The larger specimens of both species were found towards the southern limits of distribution. Larger specimens of N. antarcticus were absent from depths greater than 120 m; smaller N. antarcticus and all N. bennetti occurred throughout their respective depth ranges. Ovigerous N. antarcticus (smallest, 8.8 mm carapace length) were obtained at depths of 17–263 m from May to October; ovigerous N. bennetti (smallest 36.1 mm) were from depths of 150–183 m in May only.     

南麂列岛潮间带的微小型底栖藻类

本文首次记录南麂列岛国家级海洋自然保护区潮间带的微小型底牺藻类。经初步鉴定南麂列岛潮间带共有微小型底栖藻类４门５４属１５５种，以硅藻类占优势（４１属１２５种）。其优势种在岩礁为附生性的海生斑条藻，沙滩为附生性的小形舟形藻和翼茧形藻，泥滩为底栖性的圆筛藻和斜纹藻。不同生境其种类组成差异显著，在各生境均出现的共有种仅６种。微小型底栖藻类年平均丰度：岩礁为７０９４．６１个／ｇ，沙滩为４６８２１．６３个／ｇ，泥滩为４５６．５个／ｇ，岩礁和沙滩以春季最高；泥滩以夏季最高；秋、冬季各生境的丰度均较低。     

Morphology of lake Waikaremoana,New Zealand,and reconnaissance of its benthic fauna

As shown by an extensive echo‐sounding survey, the morphology of Lake Waikaremoana is a drowned valley system; complex troughs and banks at the eastern end are consistent with infilling and damming by slip material. In September 1972, water temperatures were near isothermal (surface‐bottom, 9.3–8.8°c), and clarity measured by secchi disc averaged 12.2 m. Very fine‐grained clayey silts occur on the surface of sediments throughout the lake.

Five benthic dredging stations yielded ten groups of organisms; of these, oligocheates and gasteropods (Potamopyrgus antipodarum only) occurred most widely, to the greatest depths (248 m), and in the greatest numbers. Animals in the eight remaining groups were few and limited to shallower depths.     

Tropical species at the northern limit of their range: Composition and distribution in Bermuda's benthic habitats in relation to depth and light availability

Surveys were undertaken on the shallow Bermuda marine platform between 2006 and 2008 to provide a baseline of the distribution, condition and environmental characteristics of benthic communities. Bermuda is located in temperate latitudes but coral reefs, tropical seagrasses and calcareous green algae are common in the shallow waters of the platform. The dominant organisms of these communities are all living at or near their northern latitudinal range limits in the Atlantic Ocean. Among the major benthic autotrophs surveyed, seagrasses were most restricted by light availability. We found that the relatively slow-growing and long-lived seagrass Thalassia testudinum is restricted to habitats with much higher light availability than in the tropical locations where this species is commonly found. In contrast, the faster growing tropical seagrasses in Bermuda, Syringodium filiforme, Halodule sp. and Halophila decipiens, had similar ecological compensation depths (ECD) as in tropical locations. Increasing sea surface temperatures, concomitant with global climate change, may either drive or allow the poleward extensions of the ranges of such tropical species. However, due to latitudinal light limitations at least one abundant and common tropical autotroph, T. testudinum, is able to occupy only shallower depths at the more temperate latitudes of Bermuda. We hypothesize that the poleward shift of seagrass species ranges would be accompanied by restrictions to even shallower depths of T. testudinum and by very different seagrass community structures than in tropical locations.     

热带东印度洋春季浮游植物群落结构空间特征分析

基于2013年3月至5月采集的热带东印度洋海域(10.0°S～4.0°N, 83.0°～97.5°E)浮游植物水样样品,分析了其种类组成、优势类群、细胞丰度等群落特征参数,综合比较了水平和垂向上浮游植物种类及丰度的差异性,初步探讨了其成因。结果表明:2013年春季热带东印度洋微型浮游植物共鉴定出306种,主要由硅藻、甲藻、金藻、蓝藻、裸藻和隐藻六大门类组成,其优势类群主要以粒径较小的隐藻、微型甲藻、菱形藻、环沟藻等为主。水平分布上,各水层浮游植物细胞丰度分布趋势相似,但斑块特征明显,其高值区位于88°E断面赤道以南次表层水域(30 m、75 m),局部区域细胞丰度值可达104 cells/L以上;与其毗邻的东南部、东部水域为低值区,并向赤道延伸。垂直剖面上,硅藻和甲藻广泛分布在各取样深度,但分布特征有明显的空间差异和规律,0 m、30 m大部分站位硅藻种类比例在0.2～0.3甚至更低,甲藻在0.7～0.8,随着水层加深(75 m、100 m、150 m、300 m),硅藻种类占比上升到0.5～0.6,甲藻降低到0.4～0.5,无论硅藻还是甲藻种类数75 m层最丰富。30 m和75 m水层细胞丰度明显高于其他水层。甲藻是热带东印度洋微型浮游植物种类和细胞丰度的重要贡献者,低生物量海域表现的更为明显,贡献率大于80%。该研究将极大丰富东印度洋浮游植物群落空间特征基础信息较匮乏的现状,为量化、评估该海域的生物资源提供数据支撑。     

The Dnepr Canyon: evidence for a continuous submarine channel link between the outer shelf and the deep-sea basin of the northwestern Black Sea

Multibeam bathymetric surveys and single-beam profiles were collected in 2003–2010 from aboard the Ukrainian RV Professor Vodyanitskiy (cruises PV-58 and PV-60, 2003 and 2004), and the German RV Meteor (cruise M-72, legs 1 and 4, 2007) and RV Maria S. Merian (cruise MSM-15, leg 2, 2010) along the continental margin of the NW Black Sea. Integrating published, reprocessed and novel data has revealed the existence of a major continuous channel extending from the Dnepr paleo-delta into greater water depths. It is more than 90 km long, 1.1 km wide and up to 125 m deep. On the upper slope (120–960 m water depth), a number of smaller channels merge into the large, Y-shaped Dnepr Canyon, which then continues obliquely downslope via this submarine channel to at least 1,815 m water depth off the Crimean continental margin, NW Black Sea. The channel could be an important, hitherto unknown link between the shallow oxic and deep anoxic environments of the Black Sea, along which sediment and organic matter could be funneled into the deep-sea basin. This would have far-reaching implications for investigations dealing with marine geology and biology, climate change, as well as oil and natural gas exploitation. The unusual alignment of the channel along the margin of the basin, as well as the location and mode of channel termination in deeper waters deserve future research.     

Temporal variations in diatom abundance and downward vertical flux in the oligotrophic North Pacific gyre

The abundance of diatoms in the water column and the downward vertical flux of diatom cells from the euphotic zone were investigated during a time series of 11 monthly cruises (June 1994–July 1995) to Station ALOHA (22°45′N, 158°00′W) as one component of the Hawaii Ocean Time-series (HOT) Program. The diatom community was studied using light microscopy and by high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) pigment analyses. Distinct diatom assemblages were found in the mixed-layer and in the Deep Chlorophyll Maximum Layer (DCML). Diatom cell abundances in the water column were generally low during the year, except in July 1994, when they increased in the upper euphotic layer. Two lightly silicified species (Hemiaulus hauckii [Grunow] and Mastogloia woodiana [Taylor]) were mainly responsible for this increase. Other less abundant diatom species present in the mixed-layer assemblage showed a similar temporal pattern. H. hauckii contained Richelia-type endosymbionts with heterocysts and was presumably able to fix dinitrogen. Both species of diatoms also were an important component of the vertical diatom flux out of the euphotic zone, which, likewise, was highest in July 1994. During this maximum export period, aggregates of these two species were collected in the drifting sediment traps. In the DCML, diatom abundances and export were low throughout the year, with the exception of one genus (Pseudonitzschia) for which a slight concentration increase was observed in spring. Reflecting the observed diatom cell abundance and vertical flux, fucoxanthin concentrations (a pigment marker for diatoms) did not indicate any significant increase of diatom pigment biomass in the DCML during the year. Ratios of diadinoxanthin to chromophyte pigments suggested that the phytoplankton cells sinking out of the euphotic zone in midsummer originated from the mixed-layer. The attenuation of the pigment vertical fluxes with depth was significantly lower for fucoxanthin, indicating a generally slower decay of diatom flux with depth compared with other phytoplankton groups. Our findings suggest that, in the subtropical North Pacific Ocean, summer conditions seem to favor the development of selected species of diatoms in the mixed-layer and that these assemblages appear to be more important with regard to export production than those in the DCML.     

Increased benthic grazing: An alternative explanation for low phytoplankton biomass in northern San Francisco Bay during the 1976–1977 drought

Among the consequences of extremely low river flow into northern San Francisco Bay during a two-year drought were (1) a gradual increase in salinity, (2) an unusual decline in chlorophyll a concentration, and (3) the upstream migration of estuarine benthic invertebrates to the normally brackish area of the bay. Total abundance in the benthos at a shallow monitoring site increased from a normal 2000 to greater than 20 000 individuals m^?2 during the summer of 1977, presumably in response to the increased salinity. Estimated filtration rates derived from equations in the literature for one of the species, the suspended-feeding bivalve Mya arenaria ranged from 1 to 4 m³ m^?2 day^?1 during 1977 depending on abundance and mean size on sampling dates. Because water depth at this site is less than 2 m, Mya could have filtered all of the particles (including diatoms) from the water column on the order of once per day. Several other immigrant species undoubtedly contributed to the removal of particles from the near-bottom water as well. Increased benthic grazing, therefore, could have accounted for the anomalously low phytoplankton biomass observed during the drought. These results suggest that during periods of prolonged low river flow and increased salinity benthic food webs could become more important than planktonic food webs in the upper part of the estuary.     

Biogenic debris from the pelagic tunicate, Oikopleura dioica, and its role in the vertical transport of a transuranium element

The accumulation and retention of ²⁴¹Am by the pelagic tunicate Oikopleura dioica were examined using laboratory cultures and radiotracer methodology. Animals (i.e., trunks and tails) and discarded empty houses accumulated Am from seawater, giving volume/volume concentration factors of 59±8 and 10±1, respectively. The half-time for retention of Am in empty labelled houses transferred to non-contaminated seawater was 29 h; the retention half-time of Am in houses discarded by larvaceans feeding on Am-labelled diatoms was 219 h; the half-time of Am in fecal pellets produced by animals feeding on a monospecific diet of diatoms was 134 h, and 247 h for fecal pellets from animals fed a mixed diet. Approximately 30% of filtered cells remained in houses after the houses were discarded. Sinking rates of discarded houses and fecal pellets were found to vary with temperature and size, ranging from 26–157 m day^?1 (house) and from 25–166 m day^?1 (fecal pellets). The ubiquity and abundance of appendicularians, together with their prodigious production of houses (e.g., 10±2 houses day^?1 at 17°C for each experimental animal) point to their potential significance in the vertical transport of Am, and probably other reactive metals, to intermediate depths in the ocean.     

Distribution,reproduction, and feeding of West African shrimp <Emphasis Type="Italic">Plesionika carinata</Emphasis> Holthuis, 1951 (Decapoda,Pandalidae)

Plesionika carinata is endemic in the West African tropical biogeographical realm and is distributed from the western Sahara coast (23°35′ N) to southern Namibia (29° S). A total of 263 individuals with a total carapace length of 31 to 71 mm have been studied. P. carinata juveniles are pelagic and occur over depths from 340 to 2000 m or more, mainly over the lower part of the continental slope in summer and over the upper part of the continental slope in autumn. Adults are mainly benthic and occur on the edge of the shelf and the upper part of the continental slope (at depths of 300 to 880 m). Ovigerous females have 750 to 3330 eggs 0.45–0.5 × 0.5–0.65 mm in size on pleopods. Plesionika carinata feeds on abundant micronectonic and macroplanktonic crustaceans (euphausiids and pelagic shrimps) at earlier pelagic stages; it is detritophagous/necrophagous and predatory near the bottom when adult.     

Spatial segregation of two common Gobius species (Teleostei: Gobiidae) in the northern Adriatic Sea

The habitat characteristics and spatial segregation of the two common gobies Gobius fallax Sarato, 1889 and Gobius auratus Risso, 1810 were investigated by fish frequency and abundance estimates through visual counts in the northern Adriatic Sea. The latter species is represented by a recently described, unusual colour morph in the northern Adriatic Sea. Gobius fallax was observed at five of the nine locations examined and its abundance did not differ between two of three transect locations at Piran (Slovenia) and at the western coast of Cres (Kvarner region, Croatia). Gobius auratus was not found in the Gulf of Trieste but was present at several Kvarner locations, and co‐occurred with G. fallax at one location at Cres. Both inhabit rocky substrates but they show different preferences for substrate inclinations and bathymetric segregation. Gobius fallax was most frequent between 2 and 8 m depth and was most abundant on substrate inclining less than 30°. Its highest abundance over entire transects was 0.3 indiv.·m^?2 but within certain transect sections this increased to 1.25 indiv.·m^?2. Gobius auratus attained its highest abundance in depths below 8 m and at substrate inclinations between 30 and 90°. This species attained its highest values at the western coast of Cres, where it reached a maximum of 1.5 indiv.·m^?2 over entire transects but even up to 3.0 indiv.·m^?2 in certain transect sections. At Krk, the maximum abundance over entire transects was only 0.3 indiv.·m^?2.     

Spatial variation in low-level <Superscript>134</Superscript>Cs in the coastal sediments off central Honshu in the Sea of Japan: implications for delivery,migration, and redistribution patterns

In 2014 and 2015, we examined the spatial distribution of cesium-134 (half-life: 2.06 years) from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) in marine sediments within coastal–basin areas (water depths of 40–520 m) off central Honshu Island (the main island of Japan) in the Sea of Japan. The ¹³⁴Cs concentrations in both the surface sediment (0–1 cm depth) and whole-core inventory exhibited wide variations, and were highest at the site closest to the Agano River Estuary area (6.7 Bq/kg-dry and 886 Bq/m², respectively). This indicates that ¹³⁴Cs in coastal areas was delivered by riverine suspended solids (SS). Given the spatial variation in ¹³⁴Cs concentrations, we believe that ¹³⁴Cs partially migrated northeastward within ~50 km along Honshu Island (at water depths shallower than ~140 m), and southwestward, including the Sado Basin area. This is predominantly attributable to the transport of SS by bottom currents and unsteady downward delivery onto the steep slopes of the basin. The total amount of ¹³⁴Cs in the study area in 2014 was estimated at approximately 0.6 TBq (decay-corrected to March 11, 2011, date of FDNPP accident).     

Distribution of benthic foraminifera in Upper Quaternary sediments of the Deryugin Basin (Sea of Okhotsk)

Benthic foraminifera are investigated in sediment core LV28-34-2 (53°51.971′N, 146°47.499′E, sea depth 1431 m, core length 965 cm). The distribution of foraminifera is studied in coarse-grained (>0.125 mm) sediment fractions of 191 samples taken with a step of 5 cm. The core covers the interval from oxygen isotope stage (OIS) 6 up to the Holocene. The foraminiferal assemblages of the penultimate (OIS 6) and last (OIS 5d-2) glaciations are characterized by low abundances and prevalence of Uvigerina auberiana. The specific structure of the OIS 6 assemblages differs from the last glaciation ones by the mass presence of Cassidulina teretis, which characterizes low temperatures and a high influx of organic matter to the sea floor. The major factor responsible for the weak development of benthic foraminifers during the glacial time is the deficiency of food resources. The foraminiferal assemblage of the interglacial optimum (OIS 5e) is composed of both calcareous and agglutinated species (Martinottiella communis).The inflow of Pacific waters was probably more intensive, the bioproductivity was higher, and the critical carbonate compensation depth was shallower at that time than during the glaciations. During the deglaciation, the quantity and structure of the foraminiferal assemblages reflected two pulses of warming (terminations 1B and 1A) with an intervenient cooling event (Younger Dryassic). The assemblages of warm periods were characterized by exclusively high foraminiferal abundances, which sharply decreased during the Younger Dryassic cooling. The specific structure of the foraminiferal assemblage during deglaciation was relatively uniform, being composed of only calcareous taxa typical of highly productive areas of the ocean. The paleoenvironmental conditions were similar to the conditions of the interglacial optimum (OIS 5e), although the preservation of calcareous tests is better. In the Holocene sediments, the concentration of benthic foraminifera is substantially lower than during the deglaciation, which is explainable by their dilution in the sediments by diatoms; the composition of the foraminiferal assemblages is similar to that of their glacial counterparts.     

Seasonal fluctuations and compositions of two populations of small demersal fishes on the west coast of Scotland

The soft sediment fish communities below 20 m depth were studied at two sites on the west coast of Scotland (Irvine Bay, Firth of Clyde and the Lynn of Lorne) using small meshed beam trawls. In both cases the emphasis was on the small demersal fish (<15 cm) within these communities. The Irvine Bay community was studied between May 1978 and December 1979 and the Lynn of Lorne community between February 1975 and October 1976.Twenty-seven fish species were recorded in Irvine Bay and 32 in the Lynn of Lorne. In both communities four species constituted more than 78% of the total annual abundance, two gobies (Lesueurigobius friesii and Pomatoschistus norvegicus) were high in the dominance ranking for both sites. The species abundance lists were similar for both sites (0·62 level of similarity) but the species lists for each site were different (0·36 level of similarity). The overall mean density of small demersal fish was similar for both sites (Irvine Bay = 0·045 individuals m^?2 and the Lynn of Lorne = 0·047 individuals m^?2). There were two periods of high abundance for both communities (late autumn to winter and late spring). There was, however, a low repeatability between successive years. The species richness (D) was relatively high (Irvine Bay = 1·5-3·08, Lynn of Lorne = 1·4-3·34) as was the species diversity (H′) (Irvine Bay = 1·17-1·97, Lynn of Lorne = 1·23-1·95). The proportional representation ($\text{J′}$) of each species within the community was greater in Irvine Bay ($\text{J′}$ = 0·57-0·77) than in the Lynn of Lorne ($\text{J′}$ = 0·50-0·72). Therefore these two communities of small demersal fish appeared to be similar at the community level but the way in which this was achieved was different.     

Studies of a mangrove basin,Tuff Crater,New Zealand: I. Mangrove biomass and production of detritus

The mangrove, Avicennia marina var. resinifera in a tidally-flooded explosion crater, Tuff Crater, near the southern latitudinal limit of mangroves in New Zealand adopts two distinct growth forms, taller tree-like mangroves up to 4 m tall along the banks of the tidal creek, and low stunted shrub mangroves less than 1 m tall on the mudflats. Twelve trees were felled and on the basis of a biomass/height relationship for the taller trees and a biomass/canopy width relationship for the lower, above-ground biomass (excluding pneumatophores) was estimated. Average above-ground biomass for the taller mangrove was estimated to be 104·1 t ha^?1 and for the lower 6·8 t ha^?1. While the value for the taller mangroves is similar to figures reported for more complex tropical mangroves, the fact that 94% of the basin is covered by low generally sparse mangroves means that total biomass for the basin is estimated to be 153 t, an average of only 7·6 t ha^?1. Litter-fall beneath the taller mangroves is estimated as 7·6±2·5 t ha^?1 a^?1 and beneath the lower mangroves 3·3±0·5 t ha^?1 a^?1. The value for the taller mangroves is similar to that reported from mangroves in many other parts of the world, but because of the extensive low sparse mangroves the total for the basin is estimated as 53·7 t a^?1, an average rate of 2·7 t ha^?1 a^?1, a very low rate of litter-fall when compared with elsewhere. Decomposition of mangrove leaves occurs relatively rapidly with leaves losing half their dry weight in 10 weeks and then continuing to degrade but at a slower rate. Substrate sediment samples contain high organic matter content, and although some organic matter appears to be exported via the tidal creek, a proportion of the detrital production is evidently recycled in situ.