Interactions of aquaculture and waste disposal in the coastal zone

Throughout the world, the coastal zones of many countries are used increasingly for aquaculture in addition to other activities such as waste disposal. These activities can cause environmental problems and health problems where they overlap. The interaction between aquaculture and waste disposal, and their relationship with eutrophication are the subjects of this paper. Sewage discharge without adequate dispersion can lead to nutrient elevation and hence eutrophication which has clearly negative effects on aquaculture with the potential for toxic blooms. Blooms may be either toxic or anoxia-causing through the decay process or simply clog the gills of filter-feeding animals in some cases. With the development of aquaculture, especially intensive aquaculture, many environmental problems appeared, and have resulted in eutrophication in some areas. Eutrophication may destroy the health of whole ecosystem which is important for sustainable aquaculture. Sewage discharge may also cause serious public health problems. Filter-feeding shellfish growing in sewage-polluted waters accumulate micro-organims, including human pathogenic bacteria and viruses, and heavy metal ion, presenting a significant health risk. Some farmed animals may also accumulate heavy metals from sewage. Bivalves growing in areas affected by toxic algae blooms may accumulate toxins (such as PSP, DSP) which can be harmful to human beings.     

Spatial and seasonal variations in the trophic spectrum of demersal fish assemblages in Jiaozhou Bay,China

Trophic structure of fish communities is fundamental for ecosystem-based fisheries management, and trophic spectrum classifies fishes by their positions in food web, which provides a simple summary on the trophic structure and ecosystem function. In this study, both fish biomass and abundance trophic spectra were constructed to study the spatial and seasonal variations in the trophic structure of demersal fish assemblages in Jiaozhou Bay, China. Data were collected from four seasonal bottom trawl surveys in Jiaozhou Bay from February to November in 2011. Trophic levels(TLs) of fishes were determined by nitrogen stable isotope analysis. This study indicated that most of these trophic spectra had a single peak at trophic level(TL) of 3.4–3.7, suggesting that demersal fish assemblages of Jiaozhou Bay were dominated by secondary consumers(eg. Pholis fangi and Amblychaeturichthys hexanema). The spatial and seasonal variations of trophic spectra of Jiaozhou Bay reflected the influence of fish reproduction, fishing pressure and migration of fishes. Two-way analysis of variance(ANOVA) showed that seasonal variations in trophic spectra in Jiaozhou Bay were significant(P 0.05), but variations among different areas were not significant( P 0.05). The trophic spectrum has been proved to be a useful tool to monitor the trophic structure of fish assemblages. This study highlighted the comprehensive application of fish biomass and abundance trophic spectra in the study on trophic structure of fish assemblages.     

Temporal and spatial variation of fish assemblages in Dianshan Lake,Shanghai, China

Using multi-mesh gillnets and trawls, the fish communities in Dianshan Lake at 6 stations from Oct. 2009 to Jul. 2010 were investigated seasonally to reveal the biodiversity and its spatial and temporal distribution patterns. The long-term changes in their structural characteristics were then analyzed to identify the main infl uencing factors and several measures for lake restoration were put forward. Thirty six species, belonging to 9 family and 30 genera, were collected, amongst which, the order Cypriniformes accounted for 61.1% of the total species number. In terms of importance value, Cypriniformes was the predominant group, Coilia nasus the dominant species, while Cyprinus carpio and Rhinogobius giurinus were the subdominant taxa. The community types did not differ among stations, but between seasons. There were no significant differences between seasons and among stations in species diversity, but richness differed both spatially and seasonally. Along with the process of eutrophication and the drastic reduction of the area colonized by macrophytes from 1959 to 2009–2010, the fish diversity declined markedly, and species numbers of herbivores and piscivores declined proportionately more than those of invertivores, omnivores, and planktivores. The decline of potamophilus and river-lake migratory fish was more marked than those of sedentary, river-sea migratory, and estuarine fishes. Eutrophication concomitant with sharp reduction of macrophyte area and overfishing may be the main reasons for the decline in fish diversity in Dianshan Lake.     

Modern changes of tidal troughs among the radial sand ridges in northern Jiangsu coastal zone

Using satellite images taken on different dates,GIS analysis of aerial photos,bathymetric maps and other field survey data,tidal troughs and major sand ridges in the northern Jiangsu coastal area were contrasted.The results show that there have been three types of movement or migration of tidal trough in this area:(1) Periodic and restricted,this type of trough usually developed along the beaches with immobile gully head as a result of the artificial dams and the swing range increased from gully head to the...     

Fishery resources in arid zone mangroves in gulf of Kachchh, Gujarat, northwest coast of India

The finfish and shellfish resources were assessed quantitatively and qualitatively in regard to their abundance in creek waters at three sites within a period of two years, from January 1999 to December 2000, in the western mangrove areas of Kachchh. The catch rate varied from 0.69 to 6.99 kg h⁻¹. It was low during monsoon (July to October), which could be due to the freshwater-flow-induced salinity reduction in all the sites. Among 38 species recorded, 5 were shellfish and 33 were finfish. The spawning period of fishes was found to be during summer and early monsoon period (May to August). Surface water temperatures varied from 17 °C to 37 °C. Salinity values varied from 34 to 44 and the pH ranged between 7 and 8.9. Variation in dissolved oxygen content was from 3.42 to 5.85 mL L⁻¹. The high fishery densities in these semi arid mangrove creek areas were recorded during monsoon and early winter season.     

DNA barcoding assessment of green macroalgae in coastal zone around Qingdao,China

An assessment with assistance of DNA barcoding was conducted on green macroalgae in coastal zone around Qingdao, China, during the period of April–December, 2011. Three markers were applied in molecular discrimination, including the plastid elongation factor tufA gene, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the ribosomal cistron and rubisco large subunit gene 3′ regions (rbcL-3P). DNA barcoding discriminated 8 species, excluding species of genus Cladophora and Bryopsis due to failures in amplification. We ascertained and corrected 4 species identified by morphological methods for effectively assisting the classification. The gene tufA presented more advantages as an appropriate DNA marker with the strongest amplification success rate and species discrimination power than the other two genes. The poorest sequencing success largely handicapped the application of ITS. Samples identified by tufA and rbcL as Ulva flexuosa were clustered into the clade of U. prolifera by ITS in the neighbor-joining tree. Confusion with discrimination of the complex of U. linza, U. procera and U. prolifera (as the LPP complex) still existed for the three DNA markers. Based on our results, rbcL is recommended as a preferred marker for assisting tufA to discriminate green macroalgae. In distinguishing green-tide-forming Ulva species, the free-floating sample collected from the green tide in 2011 was proved to be identical with U. prolifera in Yellow Sea for ITS and rbcL genes. This study presents a preliminary survey of green macroalgae distributed in the coastal area around Qingdao, and proves that DNA barcoding is a powerful tool for taxonomy of green macroalgae.     

海岸带海陆交互作用过程及其生态环境效应研究进展

海岸带是地球表层物质、能量和信息流通交换最活跃区域之一,具有动态变化的盐度、溶解氧等地球化学梯度,其界面过程体现在大气降水-河水-海水-地下水-沉积物之间的物质循环和能量交换。在人类活动与气候变化双重影响下,海岸带面临着气候灾害、海岸侵蚀、海水入侵、滨海湿地退化、水体富营养化以及重金属、新型污染物等生态环境问题,成为地球科学和环境科学领域研究的热点。本文围绕海岸带水文-生物地球化学循环、人类活动影响下的海岸带环境问题、海岸带环境对气候变化的响应、海岸带海陆交互界面观测新技术新方法4个方面,综述了国内外研究进展与发展趋势,展望了海陆交互作用及其生态环境效应研究的未来发展方向。      

A comparison between benthic gillnet and bottom trawl for assessing fish assemblages in a shallow eutrophic lake near the Changjiang River estuary

Two fishing methods including gillnetting and trawling to estimate attributes of fish assemblage were compared in Dianshan Lake from August 2009 to July 2010. Species composition dif fered significantly between the gears, with four significant contributors in gillnet catches and one in trawl catches. Trawling collected more proportions of benthic species by number and biomass than gillnetting. Size distribution was significantly influenced by fishing technique; gillnetting captured relatively less small-sized fishes and trawling captured less large-sized individuals. Trawling produced species richness closer to the one expected than gillnetting. On the whole, trawl catch was a quadratic polynomial function of gillnet catch and a significantly negative correlation was found between them, both of which varied as dif ferent polynomial functions of temperature. However, trawl and gillnet catches were significantly correlated only in one of five month groups. It is concluded that single-gear-based surveys can be misleading in assessments of attributes of fish assemblages, bottom trawling is a more ef fective gear for assessing fish diversity than benthic gillnetting, and using gillnet catches as an indicator of fish density depends on fishing season in the lake.     

Residues of organochlorine pesticides in intertidal flat surface sediments from coastal zone of Jiangsu Province,China

Sixteen surface sediment samples were collected and analysed to evaluate the residues of organochlorine pesticides(OCPs) from intertidal flat in Jiangsu Province. Overall, 22 OCPs were detected with total concentrations of OCPs ranging widely from 0.96 to 12.14 ng/g(dry wt). Total hexachlorocyclohexane(HCH) and total dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane(DDT) levels varied from 0.01 to 0.67 ng/g and from 0.23 to 4.85 ng/g, respectively. DDTs were the predominant compounds. The dominance of β-HCH indicated a history of HCH pollution. According to the ratios of( p, p'-DDD+ p, p'-DDE)/ p, p '-DDT and o, p ′-DDT/ p, p ′-DDT, new input of DDTs did not occur in most sites, and the main sources were historical usage of technical DDTs. OCPs such as dieldrin, endrin, p, p ′-DDD, and p, p ′-DDT exceeded the effects range low, showing adverse biological effects that would occasionally occur at some sites of the study area.     

Seafloor asymmetry in the Atlantic Ocean

1　Introduction　Themid oceanridgesystemisthelargestgeologicstructureonEarth .Oneoftheoriginalmodelsonridgeprocessesconsiderstheupwellingoftheunderly ingasthenosphereastheresultoftheactiveascendingofalarge scaleconvectioncellinthemantle (Holmes ,1931;Hess…     

A comparative study of fish community in four main estuaries of China southeastern coastal areas and their adjacent waters

Based on literature and survery data of fish composition collected by bottom trawl investigation from 2006 to 2007 infour main estuaries of China southeastern coastal areas and their adjacent waters,changes of the taxonomic diversity across spatialand temporal scales of fish community were analyzed by taxonomic diversity indices.The results are as follows:a total number of1397 fish species(including some freshwater species),belonging to 2 classes,42 orders,186 families and 593 genera,were collected inthe studied sea areas.The species richness increased with lower latitudes,particularly so with Perciformes.There were 339 fish spe-cies in the Yangtze River Estuary and adjacent waters,belonging to 2 classes,31 orders,101 families and 231 genera.There were 535fish species in the Minjiang River Estuary and adjacent waters,belonging to 2 classes,33 orders,133 families and 323 genera.A totalnumber of 803 fish species were collected in the Jiulongjiang River Estuary and adjacent waters,which belonged to 2 classes,35 orders,155 families and 419 genera.And 1021 fish species which belonged to 2 classes,32 orders,153 families,and 466 genera were collectedin the Pearl River Estuary and adjacent waters.The numbers of orders and families of fish species from the northern to the southern wa-ters first increased and then decreased.The average variation in taxonomic distinctness(Λ+)gradually decreased with lower latitudes inthe four estuaries and adjacent waters.There were no significant differences in the average taxonomic distinctness(△+)among the fourestuaries and adjacent waters,and fish fauna were closely related with each other,and all of them belonged to the same zoogeographicalfauna(Indian-Malaysia fauna).Fish composition in the Minjiang River Estuary and adjacent waters was more similar to that in the Jiu-longjiang River Estuary and adjacent waters among the four estuaries.Compared with the historical data,the average taxonomic dis-tinctness of fish community showed a great decrease in the Minjiang River Estuary and the Jiulongjiang River Estuary and their adjacentwaters.     

Characterizing the capability of mesoscale eddies to carry drifters in the northwest Pacific

Journal of Oceanology and Limnology - Mesoscale eddies are common oceanic phenomena. Although many related studies have been conducted, the ability for mesoscale eddies to carry real particles...     

Variations in nano- and pico-eukaryotic phytoplankton assemblages in the Qinhuangdao green-tide area

Journal of Oceanology and Limnology - Qinhuangdao coastal waters have been frequently hitting by nano- and pico-eukaryotic phytoplankton (NPEP) blooms and green tides (macroalgal blooms) in the...     

Mapping daily temperature and precipitation in the Qilian Mountains of northwest China

Daily meteorological data are the critical inputs for distributed hydrological and ecological models. This study modified mountain microclimate simulation model （MTCLIM） with the data from 19 weather stations, and compared and validated two methods （the MTCLIM and the modified MTCLIM） in the Qilian Mountains of Northwest China to estimate daily temperature （i.e., maximum temperature, minimum temperature） and precipitation at six weather stations from i January 2000 to 31December 2009. The algorithm of temperature in modified MTCLIM was improved by constructing the daily linear regression relationship between temperature and elevation, aspect and location information. There are two steps to modify the MTCLIM to predict daily precipitation： firstly, the linear regression relationship was built between annual average precipitation and elevation, location, and vegetation index; secondly, the distance weight for measuring the contribution of each weather station on target point was improved by average wind direction during the rainy season. Several regression analysis and goodness-of-fit indices （i.e., Pearson＇s correlation coefficient, coefficient of determination, mean absolute error, root-mean-square error and modelingefficiency） were used to validate these estimated values. The result showed that the modified MTCLIM had a better performance than the MTCLIM. Therefore, the modified MTCLIM was used to map daily meteorological data in the study area from 2000 to 2009. These results were validated using weather stations with short time data and the predicted accuracy was acceptable. The meteorological data mapped could become inputs for distributed hydrological and ecological models applied in the Qilian Mountains.     

Climatic variations in the coastal zone — Comparison between the Po River delta (Adriatic Sea,Italy) and the Huanghe River delta (Bohai Sea,China)

The aim of this work is to research the influence of natural climatic changes on the evolution of the coastal zone in modern times and the possible implication of human activities on the configuration of the present coastline. Comparison of data of two very far and different areas, the Po River delta, Adriatic Sea and the Huanghe River delta, Bohai Sea, reveals the planetary diffusion of climatic fluctuations and their effects on coastal evolution. Contribution No. 820 from the Marine Geology Institute, C. N. R., Italy. Contribution No.2207 from the Institute of Oceanology, Academia Sinica. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.     

Strategy of photo-protection in phytoplankton assemblages in the Kongsfjorden,Svalbard, Arctic

Photo-protective functions were investigated in phytoplankton assemblages at Kongsfjorden, Svalbard in spring, using their UV-absorbing compounds (mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs)), xanthophyll pigments (diadinoxanthin (DD) and diatoxanthin (DT)) and < beta >- dimethylsulphoniopropionate (< beta >_-DMSP). The dominant phytoplankton species in the inner bay were dominated by Phaeocystis spp. and nanoflagellates, while the offshore waters were dominated by Thalassiosira spp. In the inner bay, UVabsorbing compounds and xanthophyll pigments exhibited higher ratios of MAA to chlorophyll a (MAA:chl a ratio), and both DD and DT to chlorophyll a (DD:chl a ratio and DT:chl a ratio), respectively. Thus, the photoprotective-pigments such as DD and DT appear to complement MAAs in the natural phytoplankton assemblage. However, the ratio of < beta >_-DMSP to chlorophyll a (< beta >_-DMSP:chl a ratio) did not show a distinct spatial distribution according to environmental factors or interspecies differences. In this study, we found that photoprotective compounds occurred in a manner dependent on the phytoplankton species composition in Kongsfjorden Bay, where Phaeocystis is the dominant species.     

Impacts of sea level rise on coastal erosion in the Changjiang River delta and north Jiangsu coastal plain

At present, approximately 36% of coasts are experiencing net erosion in the Changjiang River delta and the north Jiangsu coastal plain. Future sea level rise will accelerate the process of coastal erosion. According to the ratio of the calculated value of coast retreat by Bruun rule to the estimated value by using measured data, the proportion affected by sea level rise in total coastal erosion has been estimated in this paper. When sea level rises by 20cm, the proportion determined by sea level rise will increase from 1.0% at present to 2.2% in the future in the coasts of abandoned Huanghe River delta and from 8.5%–9.6% to 13.5%–15.2% in the north and south banks of the Changjiang River delta. This result is lower than that from the similar research in the world, and this phenomenon is related with the special development process of the coasts in this area. The mechanism of accelerating coastal erosion by sea level rise is that sea level is will increase the intensity of tidal current, wave and storm surge and decrease the ability to reduce the force of waves on the tidal flat and coastal wetland due to the loss of their areas. Therefore, the length of erosion coasts will increase, the sedimentation rate of accretion coasts will decrease or even turn accretion into erosion, the width of tidal flat will reduce and coastal slope will increase. So the project of coastal protection of this area must be reinforced. Project funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.     

Eddies in the northwest subtropical pacific and their possible effects on the South China Sea

Based on an analysis of drifter data from the World Ocean Circulation Experiment during 1979-1998, the sizes of the eddies in the North subtropical Pacific are determined from the radii of curvature of the drifter paths calculated by using a non-linear curve fitting method. To support the drifter data results, Sea Surface Height from the TOPEX/POSEIDON and ERS2 satellite data are analyzed in connection with the drifter paths. It is found that the eddies in the North Pacific （18^＊- 23^＊N and 125^＊-150^＊E） move westward at an average speed of approximately 0.098 ms^-1 and their average radius is 176 km, with radii ranging from 98 km to 298 km. During the nineteen-year period, only 4 out of approximately 200 drifters （2%） actually entered the South China Sea from the area adjacent to the Luzon Strait （18^＊-22^＊N and 121^＊-125^＊E） in the winter. It is also found that eddies from the interior of the North Pacific are unlikely to enter the South China Sea through the Luzon Strait.     

Composition and distribution of diatom assemblages in the surface sediments of the Bering Sea

Diatoms collected from the top 1 cm of the surface sediment layer at seven Bering Sea stations during the Fourth Chi- nese National Arctic Research Expedition （4th CH1NARE-Arctic） in 2010 were studied. In total, 101 taxa belonging to 38 genera were found. The species were divided into four groups： eurythermal species, boreal-temperate species, polar species, and sea-ice species. The diatom assemblages at the stations in the southwestern basin area were primarily composed of boreal-temperate species, such as Neodenticula seminae, Thalassiosira trifulta, Rhizosolenia hebetata f. hiemalis, and Actinocyclus curvatulus. The northeastern shelf stations were dominated by polar species, including Fragilariopsis oceanica, Thalassiosira antarctica spora, Thalassiosira nordensldoeldii, and Thalassiosira hyalina. The overall abundance was highest at the basin stations with 3.7 ×10^6 cells·g^-1 of wet sediment, whereas the eastern shelf stations had the lowest abundance of 0.7×10^6 cells·g^-1 of wet sediment （excluding the resting spores of Chaetoceros spp.）. The relationship between the distribution of the surface sediment diatom assemblages and the environment is discussed.     

再论贺兰山南部北西向构造成因

贺兰山南部分布着多个方向的构造，其中最明显地是一系列的北西向构造，目前这些构造的相互关系以及形成机制还没有得到合理地解释，争论很大；野外构造研究表明，贺兰山南部北西向构造的形成与青铜峡一固原断裂活动有密切的关系，是该断裂由走滑运动向挤压运动转换时的派生构造；从另一角度也说明，在中新生代由青铜峡一固原断裂所限定的地块(卫宁北山)向东运动，而这些北西向构造的形成主要发生在新生代。由于卫宁北山向东运动的动力来源于青藏高原，因此，贺兰山南部北西向构造的形成与青藏高原的演化有密切的联系。所以。作为中国重要地质界限的南北向构造——贺兰山已经被青藏高原的构造活动所叠加。