Spatio-Temporal Variations in Co-Occurrence Patterns of Fish Communities in Haizhou Bay,China: Null Model Analysis

Co-occurrence pattern of fish species plays an important role in understanding the spatio-temporal structure and the stability of fish community. Species coexistence may vary with time and space. The co-occurrence patterns of fish species were examined using the C-score under fixed-fixed null model for fish communities in spring and autumn over different years in the Haizhou Bay, China. The results showed that fish assemblages in the whole bay had non-random patterns in spring and autumn over different years. However, the fish co-occurrence patterns were different for the northern and southern fish assemblages in spring and autumn. The northern fish assemblage showed structured pattern, whereas the southern assemblage were randomly assembled in spring. The co-occurrence patterns of fish communities were relatively stable over different years, and the number of significant species pairs in northern assemblage was more than that in the southern assemblage. Environmental heterogeneity played an important role in determining the distributions of fish species that formed significant species pairs, which might affect the co-occurrence patterns of northern and southern assemblages further in the Haizhou Bay.     

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.     

Influence of the Physical Environment on the Migration and Distribution of Nibea albiflora in the Yellow Sea

This study investigates the migration and distribution of the warm-temperate fish Nibea albiflora. Their spawning migration and wintering migratory routes within in the Yellow Sea are described in detail. Considering the main physical features and environment of the Yellow Sea, it appears to be have one wintering ground and three migratory routes from the wintering ground to the spawning grounds. The fish begin to migrate from the wintering ground to the spawning grounds in the northwest region of the Yellow Sea in late March. The Yellow Sea has three spawning grounds. The first is located near the Yalu River on the Liaodong Peninsula and the second one is located in Rushan Bay of Shandong Peninsula. The third spawning ground is located in Haizhou Bay in the southern region of the Yellow Sea. This study found that the temperature of the Yellow Sea influences the migration of N. albiflora, and that the migratory routes coincide with the thermal fronts in the sea. Nutrients for juvenile fish are taken from the coastal upwelling area. Chlorophyll is a good environmental indicator of phytoplankton biomass and thereby provides the status of biological resources. Different types of sediment in near-shore zones are also of practical significance for the growth of fish. The study of the effects of marine environments on the migration of various fishes is not only significant to the fishing industry, but can also provide a scientific basis for the understanding of the ecological implications of the relevant physical processes.     

Autumn larval fish assemblages in the northwest African Atlantic coastal zone

A study on the assemblage composition and vertical distribution of larval fish was conducted in the southern area of the Moroccan Atlantic coast in Autumn 2011. A total of 1 680 fish larvae taxa were identified from 21 families. The majority of the larvae were present in the upper layers. Clupeids were the most abundant larvae taxa followed by Myctophidae, Gadidae and Sparidae, hence the larval fish assemblages(LFA) were variable in different depth layers. Total fish larvae showed a preference for surface layers, and were mainly found above 75 m depth, with some exceptions. The maximum concentration of fish larvae was concentrated up to 25 m essentially above the thermocline, where chlorophyll a and mesozooplankton were abundant. Spatially, neritic families were located near the coast and at some offshore stations especially in the northern part, while oceanic families were more distributed towards offshore along the study area. Cluster analysis showed a segregation of two groups of larvae. However, a clear separation between neritic families and oceanic families was not found. Multivariate analysis highlighted the relationship between the distribution of larvae of different families and environmental parameters. Temperature and salinity seem to have been the factors that acted on associations of fish larvae. Day/night vertical distributions suggest there was not a very significant vertical migration, probably due to adequate light levels for feeding.     

Zooplankton Distribution in Coastal Water off Gopalpur,North-Western Bay of Bengal

An interannual study on zooplankton abundance, biomass, and species composition was carried out during different seasons in two local coastal water types off Gopalpur, north-western Bay of Bengal. Although, Type-1 was observed with higher zooplankton abundance in comparison to Type-2, pattern of variation followed similar seasonal trends in both water types during individual years. Well pronounced seasonality was observed in zooplankton distribution. Zooplankton community was composed of 217 holoplankton and 22 meroplankton. The holoplankton community was predominated by copepod in terms of species diversity and abundance followed by hydrozoa, tintinnida, malacostraca, gastropoda, chaetognatha and chordata. The meroplankton were represented by larval forms viz. bivalve veliger, brachyuran zoea larvae, caridean larvae, copepod nauplii, fish egg and gastropod veliger. Dominance of copepod species viz. Acrocalanus longicornis, Paracalanus aculeatus and Paracalanus parvus were observed frequently in both water types. The species richness was higher in Type-1 in comparison to Type-2 during both the years. Salinity regimes and availability of phytoplankton prey influenced the distribution and species composition of zooplankton assemblage.     

Fish assemblage structure in the hypoxic zone in the Changjiang (Yangtze River) estuary and its adjacent waters

Fish assemblage structure in the hypoxic zone in the Changjiang (Yangtze River) estuary and its adjacent waters were analyzed based on data from bottom trawl surveys conducted on the R/V Beidou in June, August and October 2006. Four fish assemblages were identified in each survey using two-way indicator species analysis (TWIA). High fish biomass was found in the northern part, central part and coastal waters of the survey area; in contrast, high fish diversity was found in the southern part of the survey area and the Changjiang estuary outer waters. Therefore, it is difficult to maintain high fishery production when high fish diversity is evenly distributed in the fish community. Fish became smaller and fish size spectra tended to be narrower because of fish species variations and differences in growth characteristics. Fish diversity increased, the age to maturity was reduced and some migrant species were not collected in the surveys. Fish with low economic value, small size, simple age structure and low tropic level were predominant in fish assemblages in the Changjiang estuary and its adjacent waters. The lowest hypoxic value decreased in the Changjiang estuary and its adjacent waters.     

Spatio-seasonal patterns of fish diversity,Haizhou Bay,China

Spatial-seasonal patterns in fish diversity in Haizhou Bay were studied based on stratified random surveys conducted in 2011.Principal component analysis was conducted to distinguish different diversity components,and the relationships among 11 diversity indices were explored.Generalized additive models were constructed to examine the environmental effects on diversity indices.Eleven diversity indices were grouped into four components:(1) species numbers and richness,(2) heterogeneous indices,(3) evenness,and(4) taxonomic relatedness.The results show that diversity indices among different components are complementary.Spatial patterns show that fish diversity was higher in coastal areas,which was affected by complex bottom topography and spatial variations of water mass and currents.Seasonal trends could be best explained by the seasonal migration of dominant fish species.Fish diversity generally declined with increasing depth except for taxonomic distinctness,which increased with latitude.In addition,bottom temperature had a significant effect on diversity index of richness.These results indicate that substrate complexity and environmental gradients had important influences on fish diversity patterns,and these factors should be considered in fishery resource management and conservation.Furthermore,diversity in two functional groups(demersal/pelagic fishes) was influenced by different environmental factors.Therefore,the distribution of individual species or new indicators in diversity should be applied to examine spatio-seasonal variations in fish diversity.     

Influence of the physical environment on the migration and distribution of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nibea albiflora</Emphasis> in the Yellow Sea

This study investigates the migration and distribution of the warm-temperate fish Nibea albiflora. Their spawning migration and wintering migratory routes within in the Yellow Sea are described in detail. Considering the main physical features and environment of the Yellow Sea, it appears to be have one wintering ground and three migratory routes from the wintering ground to the spawning grounds. The fish begin to migrate from the wintering ground to the spawning grounds in the northwest region of the Yellow Sea in late March. The Yellow Sea has three spawning grounds. The first is located near the Yalu River on the Liaodong Peninsula and the second one is located in Rushan Bay of Shandong Peninsula. The third spawning ground is located in Haizhou Bay in the southern region of the Yellow Sea. This study found that the temperature of the Yellow Sea influences the migration of N. albiflora, and that the migratory routes coincide with the thermal fronts in the sea. Nutrients for juvenile fish are taken from the coastal upwelling area. Chlorophyll is a good environmental indicator of phytoplankton biomass and thereby provides the status of biological resources. Different types of sediment in near-shore zones are also of practical significance for the growth of fish. The study of the effects of marine environments on the migration of various fishes is not only significant to the fishing industry, but can also provide a scientific basis for the understanding of the ecological implications of the relevant physical processes.     

Analyses of egg size,otolith shape,and growth revealed two components of small yellow croaker in Haizhou Bay spawning stock

The geographic al variations in life history characteristic s of small yellow cro aker Larimich thys polyactis,caused by experienced different environmental conditions,have been observed in China seas.Previous studies based on spatial distribution,migration route,and body morphometrics suggested a complex stock structure.In this study,to clarify the source of a spawning stock,we investigated the reproduction strategy and inter-structure of the Haizhou Bay(HZB)spawning stock in the middle Yellow Sea from both egg survey and adult otolith increment analysis.Egg and adult samples were collected from three surveys during spawning season in 2013.Distinct spatial and temporal variations were detected in egg distribution and size,and otolith shape analy sis of adult fishes revealed two morphotypes with different increment growth using random forest cluster.The results indicate the existence of two components within the same spawning stock in HZB from different wintering grounds,and accordingly special protection should be required for this stock given the significance to maintain connectivity between adj acent subpopulations.     

红海湾底质硫化物的分布和变化

根据南海区半封闭型海湾规模化养殖技术研究的需要,对红海湾底质硫化物进行了研究。用碘量法分析的结果表明：红海湾底质中硫化物含量的区域分布极不均匀,呈北部河口区＞虾池＞鱼湾＞中部＞南部自然水域＞礁滩区的特点。虾池、鱼的硫化物含量清淤前分别为清淤后的8.4、3．6倍;湾南部硫化物含量春季明显高于夏季,其余区域的两季差异不明显。46份样品中约13％、28％分别超过国内外评价标准,超标测站位于河口和清淤前的虾池、鱼。礁滩护养增殖区、南部自然水域、湾中部牡蛎养殖区和清淤后的虾池、鱼尚未见硫化物的污染。     

The Characteristic Patterns of Macrofaunal Fouling Assemblages in Nearshore Waters of the South China Sea

The spatio-temporal patterns of macrofaunal fouling assemblages were quantitatively investigated in the nearshore waters of the South China Sea. The work was undertaken by deploying seasonal panels at two sites (H-site, L-site) for one year, and the fouling communities on the panels were examined and analyzed. The results indicated that species composition of assemblages was obviously different between the two sites. At both sites the assemblages were characteristic with solitary dominant species throughout the year, with Amphibalanus reticulates dominating at H-site and Hydroides elegans at L-site. Shannon index and biomass of the assemblages varied with depth and season at both sites. At H-site the total biomass in summer and autumn were significantly higher than those in spring and winter, while at L-site the assemblage biomass also differed significantly among the four seasons, and the greatest biomass occurred at the depth of 2.0 m in winter. The abundance of all seasonal samples in non-metric multidimensional scaling was clustered as one group at L-site and three groups at H-site. The environmental factors were more likely to be related to the variation of fouling assemblages. Furthermore, it also suggests that in tropical seas the integrated adaptability would qualify a species for dominating a fouling assemblage despite its short life cycle, rather than the usually assumed only species with long life span. This study reveals the complexity and characteristic dynamics of macrofaunal fouling assemblages in the tropical habitats, and the results would provide valuable knowledge for biodiversity and antifouling research.     

The application of stereo-video technology for the assessment on population change of black rockfish Sebastes schlegeli in a vessel reef area in Haizhou Bay,China

The assessment of population structure and abundance of fish assemblages associated with artificial reefs(ARs) is an important aspect of AR management.In the present study,we used a DiveOperated Stereo Video(stereo-DOV) technique to assess the population structure and abundance of Sebastes schlegeli associated with two metallic,and three wooden,vessel reefs in Haizhou Bay during 2012 and2013.The study used video systems to obtain length measurements and estimates of abundance.The size composition of S.schlegeli differed among reefs and individuals around vessel reefs were all adults,with total lengths(TL) of 20 cm.Juvenile fish were encountered by divers in a rocky area near the island away from the vessel reefs.The largest individual S.schlegeli(with the highest TL) among five reefs were found around a metallic vessel reef in both 2012 and 2013.TL of S.schlegeli from all reefs increased by an average of 3.2 cm(P0.05) from 2012 to 2013,with an estimated mean weight increase of 250.4 g(P0.05).The video survey also indicated a decrease in the biomass of schools near two metallic vessels between the years.Stereo-video technology was found to be suitable for rockfish surveys around the reefs.     

山东唐口二叠纪孢粉组合特征

通过对唐口二叠纪孢粉组合的分析研究,建立了该区二叠纪3个孢粉组合带,①Densosporites(套环孢)-Crassispora(厚环孢)组合;②Gulisporites(匙唇三缝孢)-Sinulatisporites(曲环三缝孢)组合;③Anticapipollis(逆沟粉)-Macrotorispora(大一头沉孢)组合。这3个组合带分别反映太原组、山西组、下石盒子组及上石盒子组的孢粉组合面貌,其地质时代分属于早二叠世、中二叠世,晚二叠世早期。     

红海湾海藻资源的研究

调查了红海湾的海藻资源状况。结果表明 ,红海湾海藻种类约有 1 9科 40种 ,其中主要经济海藻约 1 6种。敞开型硬相海岸的年平均生物量高达 1 847 2 6g/m2 ,以褐藻类为主 ;内湾屏蔽型软相海岸的年平均生物量为 1 1 2 42g/m2 ,以绿藻类为主。敞开型硬相海岸海藻的多样性和生物量明显高于内湾屏蔽型软相海岸     

Pb distribution and translocation in Jiaozhou Bay

The trends of distribution, translocation and seasonal change of heavy metal Pb were studied based on the surface and bottom water sampling in Jiaozhou Bay in 1979, and compared with those in 1990＇s. The results showed that the source of Pb in the bay was from wastewater and sewage in the east of Jiaozhou Bay from ocean vessels. Pb concentration was higher in spring and lower in summer and autumn, and remained stable through sedimentation in the bottom layer. The overall water quality was good in 1970＇s. Compared with the environmental monitoring data of 1995-1999, Pb pollution had become serious. Therefore, more efforts should be made to protect the bay from Pb pollution.     

Survival, growth and immune activity of scallop Chlamys farreri cultured at different depths in Haizhou Bay (Yellow Sea, China) during hot season

Survival, growth and immune response of the scallop, Chlamys farreri, cultured in lantern nets at five different depths (2, 5, 10, 15, and 20 m below the sea surface) were studied in Haizhou Bay during the hot season (summer and autumn) of 2007. Survival and growth rates were quantified bimonthly. Immune activities in hemolymph (superoxide dismutase (SOD) and acid phosphatase (ACP)) were measured to evaluate the health of scallops at the end of the study. Environmental parameters at the five depths were also monitored during the experiment. Mortalities mainly occurred during summer. Survival of scallops suspended at 15 m (78.0%) and 20 m (86.7%) was significantly higher than at 2 m (62.9%), 5 m (60.8%) or 10 m (66.8%) at the end of the study. Mean shell height grew significantly faster at 10 m (205.0 μm/d) and 20 m (236.9 μm/d) than at 2, 5 or 15 m in summer (July 9 to September 1); however, shell growth rate at 20 m was significantly lower than at the other four depths in autumn (September 2 to November 6). In contrast to summer, scallops at 5 m grew faster (262.9 μm/d) during autumn. The growth of soft tissue at different depths showed a similar trend to the shell. Growth rates of shell height and soft tissue were faster in autumn than in summer, with the exception of shell height at 20 m. SOD activity of scallops increased with depth, and ACP activity was significantly higher at 15 and 20 m than at other depths, which suggests that scallops were healthier near the bottom. Factors explaining the depth-related mortality and growth of scallops are also discussed. We conclude that the mass mortality of scallop, C. farreri, during summer can be prevented by moving the culture area to deeper water and yield can be maximized by suspending the scallops in deep water during summer and then transferring them to shallow water in autumn.     

Sediment Characteristics,Sources, and Transport Patterns in Kompong Som Bay,Cambodia: Indications from Grain Size and Heavy Minerals

In this paper, we analyzed the grain size and heavy mineral compositions of 52 surface sediment samples collected from the Kompong Som Bay of Cambodia and the adjacent rivers to depict the marine sedimentary environments and transport processes. Heavy minerals in sediments are dominated by authigenic pyrite, siderite, and tourmaline, with average percentages of 36.52%, 29.02%, and 10.94%, respectively. Two provinces can be divided according to the spatial similarity of minerals. The sediments from Province I, covered by silt grains in the northern bay, are characterized by autogenic pyrite, indicating a weakly reducing environment;whereas in Province II, covered by sand grains in the southern bay, the siderite-tourmaline-authigenic pyrite-zircon-hornblende assemblage occurs, indicating a mild reducing environment and locally oxidizing environment. Most of the sediments in the Kompong Som Bay are introduced from the Preak Piphot River and Srae Ambel River, except that some of them in the south areas come from coastal erosion. Generally, the sediments are difficult to be transported because of the low sediment loads entering the sea and weak hydrodynamic conditions. However, they are transported from the north to the south during the tide ebbing when the hydrodynamic force is much stronger. The sediment distribution and transport patterns are controlled by many factors, including submarine topography, hydrodynamic conditions, the southwest monsoon, land contours, and sediment supply.     

A Numerical Study of Water Circulation in A Thermally Stratified Embayment

1　Introduction　Thesub inertialcirculationincoastalembaymentanditsexchangewiththeopenshelfwaterscanhaveimportantenvironmentconsequences .AnexampleofsuchasystemisJervisBay ,asmallsemi closedembay mentlocatedontheEastCoastofAustralia .Thebayisapproximately 15kmlongand 8kmwidewithanareaof 12 4km2 .Theaverageddepthofthebayis 15mandisconnectedtothecontinentalshelfthroughanopeningwhichis 3.75kmwideand 4 0mdeep (Fig.1) .Theadjacentcontinentalshelfgraduallyincreasesitsdepthto 12 0mwithinadistanceo…     

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.