Zooplankton community structure,abundance and biovolume in Jiaozhou Bay and the adjacent coastal Yellow Sea during summers of 2005–2012: relationships with increasing water temperature

Zooplankton abundance, biovolume and taxonomic composition in Jiaozhou Bay and the adjacent coastal Yellow Sea were evaluated using ZooScan measurement of samples collected by net towing every August from 2005 to 2012. Zooplankton abundance and biovolume ranged from 1 938.5 to 24 800 ind./m~3 and 70.8 to 1 480.1 mm~3/m~3 in Jiaozhou Bay and 73.1 to 16 814.3 ind./m~3 and 19.6 to 640.7 mm~3/m~3 in the coastal Yellow Sea. Copepods were the most abundant group in both regions, followed by N octiluca scintillans and appendicularians in Jiaohzou Bay, and chaetognaths and N octiluca scintillans in adjacent coastal Yellow Sea. Over the study period, the most conspicuous hydrographic change was an increase in water temperature. Meanwhile, a general decrease in zooplankton abundance was observed, particularly in copepod populations. Based on redundancy analysis(RDA), the warming trend was the key environmental factor influencing to decrease of copepod abundance. The proportion of small-sized copepods increased while the mean size of all copepods decreased, in significant correlation with water temperature. Our results indicate that zooplankton, particularly copepods, are highly sensitive to change in water temperature, which is consistent with predicted impacts of warming on aquatic ectotherms. Due to their dominance in the zooplankton, the decline in copepod size and abundance could lead to an unfavourable decrease in energy availability for predators, particularly planktivorous fish.     

Effects of Liaoning Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Plant on the Zooplankton Community in Summer of 2017

To evaluate the effects of the Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Plant on the zooplankton community in the surrounding seawater during summer, multiple environmental factors and zooplankton distribution along the east coast of Liaodong Bay were investigated in the summer of 2017. In particular, the influences of seawater temperature, salinity, and chlorophyll a(Chl a) on the zooplankton community were analyzed. Zooplankton abundances and Chl a concentrations along the east coast of Liaodong Bay showed an initial increase followed by a decrease from July to September. During the three months, the zooplankton abundance was the highest(8116.70 ind m~(-3)) in August. The Shannon-Wiener index showed a downtrend from July to September, with the average value falling from 1.65 in July to 1.50 in September. Calanus sinicus, Paracalanus parvus, copepodid, and bivalve larvae were the dominant species/groups in the three months. The effects of the nuclear power plant's outlet on the environment factors were mainly reflected in the increased seawater temperature. Redundancy analysis showed that the zooplankton community was jointly affected by seawater temperature, salinity and Chl a concentration, and the degree of this impact varied monthly. The impact of seawater temperature on the zooplankton community was stronger than that of salinity. The primary impact of the Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Plant on the structure and distribution of the zooplankton community in the surrounding seawater during the summer was increased seawater temperature, which caused a reduction in the abundance of dominant species/groups.     

Community composition,abundance and biomass of zooplankton in Zhangzi Island waters,Northern Yellow Sea

Samples were collected monthly from the sea area around Zhangzi Island,northern Yellow Sea,from July 2009 to June 2010.Vertical net towing was used to examine spatial and temporal variability in zooplankton abundance and biomass.Overall,C alanus sinicus and Saggita crassa were the dominant species found during the study period,while the amphipod T hemisto gracilipes was dominant in winter and spring.Vast numbers of the ctenophore species of the genus Beroe were found in October and November.It was not possible to count them,but they constituted a large portion of the total zooplankton biomass.Zooplankton species diversity was highest in October,and species evenness was highest in April.Zooplankton abundance(non-jellyfi sh)and biomass were highest in June and lowest in August,with annual averages of 131.3 ind./m3and 217.5 mg/m3,respectively.Water temperature may be responsible for the variations in zooplankton abundance and biomass.B eroe biomass was negatively correlated with other zooplankton abundance.Longterm investigations will be carried out to learn more about the infl uence of the environment on zooplankton assemblages.     

Zooplankton spatial and diurnal variations in the Changjiang River estuary before operation of the Three Gorges Dam

Estuarine plankton communities can serve as indicators of ecosystem modification in response to anthropogenic influences. The main objectives of this study were to describe the spatial distribution and diurnal variability in zooplankton abundance and biomass over almost entire salinity gradient of the Changjiang (Yangtze) River estuary and to provide a background reference for future studies. To accomplish this, data were collected from 29 stations in the estuary from May 19 to 26, 2003, including two anchor stations. The spatial and diurnal variations in zooplankton characteristics, i.e. abundance, biomass, and gross taxonomic composition, were examined. Generally, both the abundance and biomass gradually increased seaward and presented distinct spatial variations. In addition, the spatial data revealed a significant correlation between abundance and biomass; however, there was no significant correlation between abundance and biomass for the diurnal data. Although the zooplankton composition indicated distinct spatial differences in terms of dominant groups, copepods accounted for >50% of the total zooplankton abundance in most regions and times. Three zooplankton assemblages were recognized through hierarchical cluster analysis. These assemblages existed along the salinity gradient from fresh water to seawater, and their positions coincided with those of the three principal water masses in the estuary. The assemblages were classified as: (1) true estuarine, (2) estuarine and marine, and (3) euryhaline marine, which were characterized by the copepods Sinocalanus dorrii, Labidocera euchaeta, and Calanus sinicus, respectively. Both spatial and diurnal data indicated that there was no significant correlation between zooplankton abundance/biomass and depth-integrated phytoplankton abundance.     

Diel vertical migration of mesozooplankton in the northern Yellow Sea

The Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass(YSCWM),one of the most vital hydrological features of the Yellow Sea,causes a seasonal thermocline from spring to autumn.The diel vertical migration(DVM) of zooplankton is crucial to structural pelagic communities and food webs,and its patterns can be affected by thermocline depth and strength.Hence,we investigated zooplankton community succession and seasonal changes in zooplankton DVM at a fixed station in the YSCWM.Annual zooplankton community succession was affected by the forming and fading of the YSCWM.A total of 37 mesozooplankton taxa were recorded.The highest and lowest species numbers in autumn and spring were detected.The highest and lowest total densities were observed in autumn(14 464.1 inds./m3) and winter(3 115.4 inds./m3),respectively.The DVM of the dominant species showed obvious seasonal variations.When the YSCWM was weak in spring and autumn,most species(e.g.Paracalanus parvus,Oithona similis,and Acartia bifilosa) stayed above the thermocline and vertically migrated into the upper layer.Calanus sinicus and Aidanosagitta crassa crossed the thermocline and vertically migrated.No species migrated through the stratification in summer,and all of the species were limited above(P.parvus and A.crassa) or below(C.sinicus and Centropages abdominalis)the thermocline.The YSCWM disappeared in winter,and zooplankton species were found throughout the water column.Thus,the existence of thermocline influenced the migration patterns of zooplankton.Cluster analyses showed that the existence of YSCWM resulted in significant differences between zooplankton communities above and below the thermocline.     

Zooplankton community of Keibul Lamjao National Park (KLNP) Manipur,India in relation to the physico-chemical variables of the water

Keibul Lamjao National Park(KLNP), a floating park in Loktak Lake, Manipur(India) was studied from Winter(WIN) to Post Monsoon(POM) for its zooplankton composition and some selected water parameters. The resultant data were subjected to multivariate techniques ? Principal Component Analysis(PCA) and Canonical Correspondence Analysis(CCA). Analyses of water parameters with PCA revealed that the first PC axis(PC1) accounts for maximum variance in the seasonal data, explaining a variability of 91%. The PCA revealed that the seasonal variability in water parameters was due to the wet and dry cycle of seasons and the stations were distinguished on the basis of transparency and turbidity. Zooplankton abundance was dominated by copepods followed by cladocerans. Temporally, abundance of copepods reached a maximum during Post-monsoon(POM)(3 880 ind./L). Spatially, S6 was found to be most abundant of the other stations in zooplankton. Copepodites and nauplii larvae were the major components of zooplankton. The Rotifera were the least abundant among the three zooplankton groups. Brachionus formed the major component of Rotifera zooplankton at all the stations during the study period. In the Cladocera, Macrothrix was present during all the four seasons, while Pleuroxus, Oxyurella, Kurzia and, Diaphanosoma were rare. The CCA shows that maximal temporal variability in zooplankton abundance was explained by temperature and rainfall. ANOVA revealed no significant difference in mean zooplankton abundance among the seasons, but there was a statistically significant difference among the sites.     

Comparison of copepod collection efficiencies by three commonly used plankton nets: A case study in Bohai Sea,China

Selection of net with a suitable mesh size is a key concern in the quantitative assessment of zooplankton, which is crucial to understand pelagic ecosystem processes. This study compared the copepod collecting efficiency of three commonly used plankton nets, namely, the China standard coarse net(505 μm mesh), the China standard fine net(77 μm), and the WP-2 net(200 μm). The experiment was performed at six stations in the Bohai Sea during the autumn of 2012. The coarse net substantially under-sampled small individuals(body widths 672 μm) and led to the lowest species number in each tow, whereas the fine net collected all small copepod species but failed to collect rare species. The WP-2 net appeared to be a compromise of the two other nets, collecting both small copepods and rare species. The abundance of copepods collected by the coarse net(126.4 ± 86.5 ind m~(-3)) was one to two orders of magnitude lower than that by the WP-2 net(5802.4 ± 2595.4 ind m~(-3)), and the value of the fine net(11117.0 ± 4563.41 ind m~(-3)) was nearly twice that of the WP-2 net. The abundance of large copepods(i.e., adult Calanus sinicus) in the three nets showed no significant differences, but the abundance of small copepods declined with decreasing mesh size. The difference in abundance resulted from the under-sampling of small copepods with body widths 672 μm and 266 μm by the coarse and WP-2 nets, respectively.     

Distribution and abundance of pelagic tunicates in the North Yellow Sea

In this paper, the distribution patterns and abundance of pelagic tunicates in the North Yellow Sea of China during the period 2006-2007 were analyzed. Zooplankton samples were obtained with vertical towing from bottom to surface using a WP2 plankton net(200 μm mesh size; mouth area: 0.25 m2). Five species belonging to two classes were identified: Oikopleura dioica, O. longicauda and Fritillaria borealis belonging to class Appendicularia; Salpa fusiformis and Doliolum denticulatum of class Thaliacea. O. dioica and O. longicauda were the dominant species, occurring in the samples of all four seasons, with different distribution patterns. Their maximum abundance were 1664.7 ind. m-3(spring) and 1031.7 ind. m-3(spring) respectively. Following Oikopleura spp. were D. denticulatum, which was found only in autumn with an average abundance of 149.6 ind. m-3, and S. fusiformis, which was detected all the year long except for autumn with low abundance(max. abundance 289.4 ind. m-3 in summer). Only a very small amount of F. borealis was detected in summer samples, with an average abundance of 2.7 ind. m-3. The relationship between tunicates abundances and the environmental factors was analyzed using the stepwise regression model for each species. The variation of appendicularian abundance showed a significant correlation with the surface water temperature and with the concentration of Chl-a. No relationship was found between tunicates abundance and salinity, likely due to the slight changes in surface salinity of the studied area during the four seasons. Salps abundance and that of doliolids were significantly correlated to bottom water temperature, indicating that these two species(S. fusiformis and D. denticulatum) migrate vertically in the water column. In particular D. denticulatum, known to be a warm water species, showed not only an important correlation with water temperature, but also a spatial distribution connected to the warm currents in the North Yellow Sea. The occurrence of D. denticulatum represents an interesting result never found in past research work. Water temperature, algal distribution and currents were the most relevant environmental factors influencing the tunicate abundance and distribution in the North Yellow Sea. Further research is needed in order to get more information on the ecology of these organisms and to better understand their role in the ecosystem including the oceanic food web.     

Environmental Drivers of Temporal and Spatial Fluctuations of Mesozooplankton Community in Daya Bay,Northern South China Sea

The response of zooplankton to the ecological environment in Daya Bay is unclear under the influence of both climate changes and anthropogenic activities on a seasonal to inter-annual scale. Based on monthly surveys and historical data, we found the zooplankton community had changed temporally and spatially. A total of 134 species was recorded during the study, and copepods dominated numerically in terms of diversity and abundance. Both copepods and cladocerans were the main contributors to zooplankton abundance. The community structure of zooplankton was temporally classified into the warm and cold groups, and spatially into the three groups located in the marine cage-culture area(MCCA), the outflow of nuclear power plants(ONPP) and unpolluted waters(UPW). The zooplankton was characterized by low biomass(dry weight), high diversity and abundance in the warm period in contrast to that in the cold period. Compared with the other two groups, the MCCA group of zooplankton showed high abundance, low diversity and biomass. Variations in dominant species were closely related to temperature, salinity and chlorophyll a concentration.Species diversity and dry weight decreased in comparison with 30 years ago, while zooplankton abundance increased. The seasonal variation in zooplankton was affected mainly by temperature that was controlled by monsoon, while the spatial difference in the community structure was probably due to eutrophication in the MCCA and thermal water discharge from ONPP. The zooplankton community is undergoing great changes with the tendency of miniaturization and gelatinization in recent 30 years in Daya Bay.     

Variation of Zooplankton Ecological Group During Spring in China Estuaries

Zooplankton was major indicator species of the environment. To explore the effect of marine environment on zooplankton distribution in the coast of China, the zooplankton samples from stations in Guanhe Estuary(GE), Changjiang(Yangtze River) Estuary(CE), Oujiang Estuary(OE), Jiulongjiang Estuary(JE) and Beilun Estuary(BE)(covering 14 latitudes) in spring were surveyed and the variation of zooplankton ecological group was researched. According to the adaptability temperature, the zooplankton was divided into two ecological groups: warm-temperate species and subtropical species. The warm-temperate species was the main dominant species and subtropical species was only dominant species in BE. Calanus sinicus, a warm-temperate species, was the only dominant species in all five estuaries. From north to south, the proportion of warm-temperate species in the five estuaries gradually decreased depends on the number, were 83.33%, 48.39%, 45.00%, 43.75% and 30.43%, respectively. In contrary, the proportion of subtropical species was gradually increased. The warm-temperate species predominated over the total abundance and the percentage was whopping high in the north estuaries, including GE(96.16%), CE(95.57%), OE(97.83%) and JE(95.53%). The abundance percentage of subtropical species have remarkably higher(82.39%) in BE. Five estuaries zooplankton community was subdivided into three zooplankton groups, which were the northern warm temperate zooplankton group, the southern subtropical zooplankton group and the estuarine brackish-water group. The water temperature and coastal current of China Sea are recognized as the main factors determining the distribution and community structure of estuarine zooplankton in spring.     

The relation between distribution of zooplankton and salinity in the Changjiang Estuary

Seasonal netzplankton samples from stations in the Changjiang (Yangtze River) Estuary were collected from May, 2004 to February, 2005. The dominant species and their contribution to the total zooplankton abundance were determined. Moreover, the relationship between the salinity and abundance was studied with stepwise linear regression. During the whole year, the salinity was positively correlated with the abundance, while the temperature, negatively. Linear regression analysis showed also a high positive correlation with salinity for total abundance in August and November, while in February and May, no obvious relations were found. The most abundant community was composed of neritic and brackish-water species. The North Passage (NP) (salinity <5) was greatly diluted by freshwater while the North Branch (NB) was brackish water with salinity range of 12–28. Consequently, clear decline in abundance of zooplankton was along the estuarine haloclines from the maximum in the area of high salinity to the minimum in the limnetic zone. Total zooplankton abundance and biomass were lower in NP than the NB in all seasons. In short, the salinity influenced the abundance of each species of zooplankton, and ultimately determined the total abundance of zooplankton. Furthermore, a winter peak in the abundance existed, which might be caused by the flourishing of Sinocalanus sinensis, a widely distributed species in the Changjiang Estuary.     

Spatio-temporal variations in the siphonophore community of the northern South China Sea

To understand how hydrological and biological factors affect near-to off-shore variations in the siphonophore community,we sampled zooplankton at 82 stations in the northern South China Sea during summer,winter,and spring.Forty-one species of siphonophore were collected by vertical trawling.The species richness of siphonophores increased from the nearshore to offshore regions in all three seasons of investigation,with maximum richness in summer and minimum richness in winter.The abundance of siphonophores was also higher in summer than in spring and winter,concentrated in the nearshore region in the warm season and scattered in the offshore region in the cold season.Four siphonophore groups were classified according to the frequency of occurrence:nearshore,near-offshore,offshore,and tropical pelagic.Among them,the nearshore group had higher abundance nearshore compared with the offshore.The tropical pelagic group had higher species number offshore than nearshore.Spatial and temporal fluctuations in taxonomic composition and abundance of siphonophores were due to the influence of the coastal upwelling and surface ocean currents of the South China Sea,driven by the East Asia monsoonal system.     

Relationship Between Zooplankton Community Characteristics and Environmental Conditions in the Surface Waters of the Western Pacific Ocean During the Winter of 2014

Understanding the effects of environmental heterogeneity on zooplankton communities has been a hot topic for several decades. However, relatively little is known about the responses of zooplankton communities to environmental conditions at large scales from inshore waters to the open ocean. Here, we used the abundance, biovolume, taxa and size spectra of zooplankton collected from the surface waters of the western Pacific Ocean during the winter of 2014 to study the relationship between zooplankton community characteristics and environmental conditions using multiple linear regression(MLR) analysis and redundancy analysis(RDA). According to a hierarchical cluster analysis based on hydrographic conditions, the study area was classified into five water masses. Significant correlations were identified between the limited nutrients and the zooplankton abundance and biovolume from inshore waters to the open ocean. Non-metric multidimensional scaling(NMDS) revealed two distinct zooplankton assemblages. In the northern inshore, Copepoda and Euphausiacea were the dominant zooplankton taxa and in other water masses, Chaetognatha and gelatinous zooplankton were the dominant zooplankton taxa in addition to Copepoda. Our results suggested that, on a large scale from inshore waters to the open ocean in the western Pacific Ocean, the spatial distribution of zooplankton taxa was mainly influenced by environmental conditions, while in the inshore waters, it was due to the top-down effect of the dominant zooplankton taxa. Finally, the slope of the normalized biovolume size spectra(NBSS) was negatively correlated with chlorophyll-a(Chl-a) concentration and PO_4~(3-)-P concentration in the inshore waters, which indicated that the higher the trophic level the dominant zooplankton taxa were, the steeper the NBSS slope was.     

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

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

黄河入海口水域春季浮游动物群落特征研究

对2008、2009年黄河入海口水域春季浮游动物进行调查,采用香农-威纳多样性指数(Shannon-Weiner index)、Pielou均匀度指数和McNaugton优势度指数对其浮游动物群落特征进行分析。结果表明:浮游动物鉴定出6大类44种,以甲壳动物种类最多;2008年5月黄河入海口水域浮游动物多样性指数范围为0.92～2.65,均匀度变化范围为0.25～0.66;2009年5月浮游动物多样性指数范围为0.76～2.87,均匀度变化范围为0.21～0.70。黄河入海口水域浮游动物时空分布较不均匀,群落特征(包括丰度、多样性指数、均匀度和优势度等)在同一时期同一水域各采样点间差异较大,同一采样点不同年份差异显著。     

Seasonal phenology of the heterotrophic dinoflagellate Noctiluca scintillans(Macartney) in Jiaozhou Bay and adjacent coastal Yellow Sea,China

Seasonal variations in numerical abundance, cell diameter and population carbon biomass of the heterotrophic dinoflagellate Noctiluca scintillans were studied for 10 years from 2004 to 2013 in Jiaozhou Bay and adjacent coastal Yellow Sea, China, and their ecological functions were evaluated. In both areas, N. scintillans occurred throughout the year and demonstrated an essentially similar seasonality; the cell abundance increased rapidly from the winter minimum to an annual peak in late spring and early summer, and decreased gradually toward the autumn-winter minimum. The peak abundance differed by years, and there was no consistent trend in long-term numerical variations. The cell diameter also showed a seasonal fluctuation, being larger in spring and early summer than the other seasons. Estimated carbon biomass of N. scintillans population reached to a peak as high as 90.3 mg C/m~3, and occasionally exceed over phytoplankton and copepod biomass. Our results demonstrate that N. scintillans in northwestern Yellow Sea displays the seasonal phenology almost identical to the populations in other temperate regions, and play important trophic roles as a heterotroph to interact with sympatric phytoplankton and copepods.     

Population dynamics of four dominant copepods in Prydz Bay, Antarctica, during austral summer from 1999 to 2006

Population dynamics of four dominant Antarctic copepods, Calanoides acutus, Calanus propinquus, Metridia gerlachei and Rhincalanus gigas were studied based on zooplankton samples collected in the Prydz Bay during austral summer from 1999 to 2006. We found that C. acutus was the most abundant species among these four copepods, followed by C. propinquus, M. gerlachei and R. gigas. R. gigas occurred mainly in the warmer oceanic regions and showed distribution patterns discrete from the other three species, whose distribution in the whole survey area overlapped. By December 15th (about one month before our sampling) of the years 1999, 2003 and 2006, sea ice retreated earlier and polynyas existed in the neritic region one month before sampling. These periods were characterized by numerical dominance of C. acutus, C. propinquus and M. gerlachei, elevated proportions of Copepodite I and Copepodite II stages especially in the neritic region. While for the years 2000, 2002, and 2005, the ice edge located more northerly and polynyas did not exist in the neritic region, the copepods abundance was lower, indicating poor recruitment. Population structure of R. gigas was mainly composed of advanced stages Copepodite V and female during all cruises. Log10 (x+1) transformed densities of C. acutus, C. propinquus and M. gerlachei showed positive correlation with temperature and chlorophyll a concentration, while mean population stages of these copopods were negatively correlated with these environmental variables. Younger copepodite stages of C. acutus, C. propinquus and M. gerlachei appeared more often in neritic regions. We confirmed that the polynyas had a great contribution to phytoplankton blooms, which promote copepods reproduction and recruitment success. The study suggested that population dynamics of the four copepods have good correspondence with sea ice and polynya variations during all cruises of the Prydz Bay.     

小东江茂名段浮游生物及污染状况分析

2007年7月对茂名市小东江的浮游生物及污染状况进行调查和分析,结果共检出浮游植物122种,其中蓝藻门15属34种,占(总种类数,下同)27.9%,硅藻门16属26种,占21.3%,绿藻门29属52种,占42.6%,裸藻门3属6种,占4.9%,金藻门1属1种,占0.8%,黄藻门3属3种,占2.5%;浮游动物78种,其中原生动物门26属36种,占46.2%,轮虫动物门9属16种,占20.5%,节肢动物门枝角类8属14种,占17.9%,桡足类10属11种,占14.1%,水生昆虫1属1种,占1.3%。各调查断面浮游植物的种类数平均为37种,细胞密度在11.3×104~19.5×104/L,Ⅴ断面最高,Ⅰ断面最低,平均为14.4×104/L;浮游动物种类数平均为27种,密度平均为2 895/L。相邻断面间Jaccard种类相似性指数范围为0.13~0.23,各断面环境异质性相差较大,该季节河水流动性小。叶绿素a含量为19.9~45.3μg/L,它与细胞密度呈显著的正相关,与无机氮、无机磷和COD均不存在明显的相关性。各断面的浮游植物多样性指数为3.1~4.5,均匀度为0.62~0.85;浮游动物的多样性指数为2.7~3.9,均匀度我0.59~0.80。对βm-αm指示种种类组成和群落结构分析,Ⅱ、Ⅲ、Ⅳ、Ⅴ断面水质属生态中污类型,而Ⅰ断面属生态寡污类型。以国家地表水质量标准评判,各断面COD含量为Ⅰ类水;无机氮含量除Ⅰ断面外,其他断面均为Ⅲ类水;无机磷含量均优于Ⅱ类水;石油类除Ⅰ、Ⅱ断面为Ⅳ类水外,其他断面均为Ⅴ类水。单因子污染指数分析表明,小东江流域水质为中污染至重污染之间。     

Changes in the small-jellyfish community in recent decades in Jiaozhou Bay, China

We used long term monitoring data to evaluate changes in abundance and species dominance of small-jellyfish (collected with zooplankton net whose bell diameter was less than 5 cm) between 1991 and 2009 in the Jiaozhou Bay, China. Zooplankton samples were vertically towed with conical plankton net from near-bottom to surface, identified microscopically, and mapped in time-space using Grapher 7.0 and Surfer 8.0. Results show that the abundance of small-jellyfish throughout the bay had been increasing during 2001-2009 on average of 15.2 ind./m 3 , almost 5 times higher than that between 1991 and 2000. The occurrence of peak abundance shifted from spring to summer after 2000, and two peaks appeared in spring and summer, respectively, after 2005. Both the abundance and the frequency of blooms of small-jellyfish increased after 2000 in the bay. In addition, the biodiversity of jellyfish has increased significantly in recent years with a change in dominant species. Several new dominant species appeared after 2000, including Rathkae octopunctata in winter, Phialidium hemisphaericum in spring, summer, and autumn, Phialucium carolinae in spring, and Pleurobrachia globosa in summer and autumn, while some previous dominant species throughout the 1990s (Eirene ceylonensis, Zanclea costata, Lovenella assimilis, and Muggiaea atlantica) were no longer dominant after 2000. The abundance of small-jellyfish was positively correlated with the density of dinoflagellates, and the abundance of zooplankton. We believe that the changes in smalljellyfish abundance and species composition were the result of eutrophication, aquaculture and coastal construction activities around the bay. Concurrently, seawater warming and salinity decrease in recent decades promoted the growth and reproduction of small-jellyfish in the bay.     

Distribution of microbial populations and their relationship with environmental variables in the North Yellow Sea, China

In order to understand the large-scale spatial distribution characteristics of picoplankton,nanophytoplankton and virio-plankton and their relationship with environmental variables in coastal and offshore waters,flow cytometry(FCM) was used to ana-lyze microbial abundance of samples collected in summer from four depths at 36 stations in the North Yellow Sea(NYS).The data revealed spatial heterogeneity in microbial populations in the offshore and near-shore waters of the NYS during the summer.For the surface layer,picoeukaryotes were abundant in the near-shore waters,Synechococcus was abundant in the offshore areas,and bacte-rial and viral abundances were high in the near-shore waters around the Liaodong peninsula.In the near-shore waters,no significant vertical variation of picophytoplankton(0.2-2μm) abundance was found.However,the nanophytoplankton abundance was higher in the upper layers(from the surface to 10 m depth) than in the bottom layer.For the offshore waters,both pico-and nanophytoplankton(2-20μm) abundance decreased sharply with depth in the North Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass(NYSCWM).But,for the vertical dis-tribution of virus and bacteria abundance,no significant variation was observed in both near-shore and offshore waters.Autotrophic microbes were more sensitive to environmental change than heterotrophic microbes and viruses.Viruses showed a positive correla-tion with bacterial abundance,suggesting that the bacteriophage might be prominent for virioplankton(about 0.45μm) in summer in the NYS and that viral abundance might play an important role in microbial loop functions.