Distribution of the primary production and chlorophyll <Emphasis Type="Italic">a</Emphasis> in the Kara Sea in September of 2007

The studies were performed from September 10 to 29 of 2007 in the Kara Sea in transects westward of the Yamal Peninsula, near the St. Anna Trough, in the Ob River’s estuary, and on the adjacent shelf. The concentration of chlorophyll a in the euphotic layer changed from 0.02 to 4.37 mg/m³, amounting on the average to 0.76 mg/m³. The primary production in the water column varied from 10.9 to 148.0 mg C/m² per day (the mean was 56.9 mg C/m² per day). It was shown that frontal zones divided the Kara Sea into distinct areas with different productivities. The maximum levels of the primary production were measured in the deep part of the Yamal transect (132.4 mg C/m² per day) and the shallow Kara Sea shelf near the Ob River’s estuary (74.9 mg C/m² per day). The characteristics of these regions were the low salinity of the surface water layer (19–25 psu) and the elevated silicon content (12.8–28.1 μg-atom Si/l), which is explainable by the river water inflow. The frontal zones of the Yamal Current in the Yamal and Ob transects displayed high values of the assimilation numbers, amounting to 2.32 and 1.49 mg C/mg of chlorophyll per h, respectively (the maximal for the studied regions).     

Measuring chlorophyll <Emphasis Type="Italic">a</Emphasis> concentrations in the Sea of Japan using probe and flow fluorimeters

The spatial variability of chlorophyll a concentrations was studied from the data of two near-shore expeditions and the cruise of the R/V Akademik M.A. Lavrent’ev in October–November 2010 over the northwestern part of the Sea of Japan. The sections across eddies showed a maximum of chlorophyll a at a depth of 40 m. According to the data from the cruise, the chlorophyll a concentration was maximum in the north of the sea and decreased to the south. In parallel, the procedures for chlorophyll a determination were compared for spectrophotometry with a fluorescence probe and a fluorescence flow system. The probe data of chlorophyll a fluorescence showed a high correlation with the chlorophyll a concentrations by spectrophotometry. On the contrary, data on chlorophyll a concentrations from spectrophotometry did not agree with those from the flow system. It was shown that a fluorimeter in the flow system recorded dissolved organic matter along with the chlorophyll a fluorescence.     

Spatial variability of the primary production and chlorophyll <Emphasis Type="Italic">a</Emphasis> concentration in the drake passage in the austral spring

The spatial distribution of the primary production (PP) and the chlorophyll a concentration (Chl) were investigated during two research cruises in the Drake Passage area in October–November of 2007 and 2008. The algorithm evaluating the integral PP (PP_int) for the water column in this area was developed based on the data on the surface chlorophyll (Chl_s) and the incident solar irradiance obtained in 2004–2008 in the Atlantic Sector of the Southern Ocean. The results obtained both by the experimental and model approaches suggested that the Polar Front (PF) region of the Drake Passage was characterized by low values of both the PP_int (<100 mg C/m² per day) and Chl_s (0.08–0.20 mg/m³) in October–November. Low values of the Chl_s and relatively high phaeophytine a concentrations indicated the winter succession state of the phytoplankton community in the Antarctic Ocean and the southern Polar Frontal Zone (PFZ). The seasonal warming of the surface water layers and the developing pycnocline resulted in a phytoplankton bloom and a Chl_s concentration of more than 1 mg/m³ in mid-November in this area and the Subantarctic waters.     

Spatial variability of the chlorophyll <Emphasis Type="Italic">a</Emphasis> and the specific structure of the phytoplankton in the northwestern part of the Sea of Japan during the winter period

To evaluate the structure and photosynthetic activity of the phytoplankton of the northwestern part of the Sea of Japan, the results of the surveys conducted from February 26 to March 9, 2003, during the 30th cruise of the R/V Akademik Lavrentyev were used. The species composition was considered taking into account the influences of the hydrological conditions. In particular, the studied water area was divided into four zones with various sizes of the mixed layer depth (MLD). An inverse relationship between the MLD and the content of chlorophyll a (Chl a) in various zones was established. The diatom algae were the basic dominants of the composite structure of the phytoplankton everywhere. It is revealed that, at a MLD increase, smaller forms of microalgae receive development. The intrapopulation relations are caused by the adaptation of various species of phytoplankton to the influence of external factors, among which the size of MLD is fundamental.     

Determination of the chlorophyll <Emphasis Type="Italic">a</Emphasis> concentration by MODIS-Aqua and VIIRS satellite radiometers in Eastern Arctic and Bering Sea

The waters of the Bering and Chukchi seas, as well as the De Long Strait, are investigated based on the data obtained in August 2013 during the scientific expedition of the Far Eastern Floating University on the research vessel Professor Khlyustin. Chlorophyll a concentrations calculated from MODIS-Aqua and VIIRS satellite data by ocean color and obtained by means of shipboard flow-through fluorometric measurements are comparatively analyzed. Vessel data are corrected for standard spectrophotometric measurements and the vertical depth distribution of phytoplankton. It has been found that, in the waters of the Eastern Arctic, satellite radiometers showed overestimated chlorophyll a concentrations in the upper seawater layer visible from the satellite. This is associated with the additional contribution of colored dissolved organic matter in the sea surface color. In the De Long Strait, satellite measurements incorrectly estimate the depth integrated chlorophyll a concentration, since the bulk of phytoplankton cells at a chlorophyll a concentration of 10–20 g/L is at depths of 25–30 m with luminosity of 5%.     

Seasonal change of oceanographic conditions and chlorophyll <Emphasis Type="Italic">a</Emphasis> vertical distribution in the southwestern Okhotsk Sea during the non-iced season

Seasonal changes in oceanographic conditions related to primary productivity was investigated in the southwestern Okhotsk Sea during non-iced seasons, using the observation data conducted in 2000∼2006. Based on hydrographic characteristics, the studied area could be classified into two regions, the Coastal Region which is influenced under the Soya Warm Current and the Forerunner Water of the Soya Warm Current, and the Offshore Region where the Intermediate Cold Water was located in the subsurface layer. This study is the first report on seasonal change of nutrient and chlorophyll a concentrations in the offshore region of the southwestern Okhotsk Sea. Variability of concentrations of chlorophyll a and nutrients is temporally and regionally high in the Coastal Region. The maximum chlorophyll a concentration in April was observed at the surface layer of both regions. The most remarkable feature on the vertical structure in the Offshore Region was the consistent existence of the Intermediate Cold Water and the development of seasonal thermocline in the subsurface layer during summer and autumn. The stratification formed within the euphotic zone in the Offshore Region resulted in the formation of the subsurface chlorophyll a maximum (SCM) from May to October. Throughout the research period, although less amplitude of nutrients at the surface was observed in the Coastal Region than that in the Offshore Region, comparable amplitude of chlorophyll a concentration was observed between regions. These results suggested differences of environmental conditions for primary production between the two regions. Depending on the presence of SCM, relationships between chlorophyll a concentration at the sea surface and chlorophyll a standing stock within the euphotic layer were different. At most stations with SCM, the surface chlorophyll a concentration was lower than 0.6 mg m-3. This suggests that the presence of SCM and the chlorophyll a standing stock within the euphotic layer may be estimated using the surface chlorophyll a concentration from spring to autumn in the studied area.     

Spatial Distribution and Seasonal Dynamics of the Chlorophyll <Emphasis Type="Italic">a</Emphasis> Concentration in the Sea of Azov Based on MERIS Images

The chlorophyll a concentration (Cchl a) in the Sea of Azov is estimated by the two-band NIR-red algorithm [34] from MERIS images for 2002–2012. The sea-truth spectrophotometric measurements and MERIS remote estimates of Cchl a are compared. The monthly average Cchl a values are mapped from MERIS data for its lifetime for the first time. The features of the spatiotemporal distribution of Cchl a are ascertained. Differences between the seasonal dynamics of Cchl a in the Sea of Azov according to the literature data and the dynamics derived from MERIS data are found, namely: the summer–autumn phytoplankton growth period is longer than the spring period and is characterized by higher Cchl a values throughout the water area.     

High mortality and poor growth of green mussels, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Perna viridis</Emphasis>, in high chlorophyll-<Emphasis Type="Italic">a</Emphasis> environment

The current study was carried out from May 2014 to April 2015 to estimate the stock status of P. viridis in Marudu Bay. The gonad development was monitored by histological examination, while the population parameters including asymptotic length (L_∞), growth coefficient (K), mortality rate (Z, F and M), exploitation level (E) and recruitment of P. viridis were estimated using the lengthfrequency data. Results of the current study demonstrated that P. viridis in Marudu Bay spawned throughout the year with two major peaks, one in April to May and another one in October to December. The recruitment pattern was continuous with the peak in May to June 2014, which corresponded to the first spawning peak in April. However, no significant recruitment was observed from the second spawning peak due to the difference in spawning timing between male and female populations. The estimated asymptotic length (L_∞), growth coefficient (K), total mortality (Z), natural mortality (M), fishing mortality (F) and growth performance (ф) of P. viridis in Marudu Bay were estimate to be 117 mm, 0.97 yr^-1, 4.39 yr^-1, 1.23 yr^-1, 3.16 yr^-1 and 4.123, respectively. The exponent b of the lengthweight relationship was 2.4 and exploitation level (E) was 0.72. The high mortality, low condition indices and negative allometric of P. viridis in Marudu Bay is caused by a lack of suitable food in the surrounding water.     

Distribution of ephyrae and polyps of jellyfish <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aurelia</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">aurita</Emphasis> (Linnaeus 1758) <Emphasis Type="Italic">sensu lato</Emphasis> in Mikawa Bay,Japan

We surveyed the distribution of colonies of polyps of Aurelia aurita sensu lato (s.l.) in Mikawa Bay, Japan. First, we surveyed the distribution of ephyrae of A. aurita s.l. at 75 stations encompassing the whole of Mikawa Bay in early 2008. A total of 37 ephyrae were sampled mostly from fishing ports. Ephyrae were most abundant around the islands located near the mouth of the bay, and decreased from the western part to the eastern part of Mikawa Bay. Next, we selected five fishing ports in Mikawa Bay where ephyrae occurred and surveyed the underside of floating piers and underwater overhangs of wharfs. We found dense colonies of polyps of A. aurita s.l. under nearly all of the floating piers at the two islands located near the mouth of the bay. Fitting a logistic regression model to the dataset showed that the percentage coverage of Aurelia polyps was significantly greater at the two islands compared with the other locations. In addition, the coverage of Aurelia polyps was greater when the coverage of other fouling organisms was in the range of 65–90%, and the coverage of Aurelia polyps was lower on floating piers with a vinyl surface and on concrete wharfs. The combined distribution of polyp colonies of A. aurita s.l. in Ise Bay and Mikawa Bay suggested that A. aurita s.l. in the two bays probably forms a single population and shoals of medusae mainly originate from protected harbors along the mouth-part of the bays.     

Diel Patterns in Chlorophyll <Emphasis Type="Italic">a</Emphasis> Specific Absorption Coefficient and Absorption Efficiency Factor of Picoplankton

Diel patterns in the chlorophyll a specific absorption coefficient of surface picoplankton, a*_pico (γ) (m²·[mg chlorophyll a]⁻¹), were studied at 7 stations under daily cycle of in situ light condition in the western subarctic Pacific and Japan Sea. All the data were normalized by dividing the anomaly with daily averaged a*_pico (γ). Opposite diel patterns were observed for the normalized a*_pico (443) and a*_pico (675) with maximum toward dawn or dusk and minimum toward midday at 4 stations under low-irradiance (LI) conditions and vice versa at 3 stations under high-irradiance (HI) conditions. The absorption efficiency factors at red absorption peak, Q _a (675), were determined by reconstruction with intracellular chlorophyll a concentration and cell diameter. The normalized Q _a (675) also showed diel pattern with maximum toward midday and minimum toward dawn or dusk under LI. The diel pattern in a*_pico (675) and Q _a (675) were primarily caused by changes in intracellular chlorophyll a concentration due to photoadaptation under LI. The diel pattern in a*_pico (443) was influenced by pigmentation, as recognized by blue to red ratio [a*_pico (443)/a*_pico (675)] under HI. This study proposed that the opposite diel pattern in a*_pico (γ) might occur for a wide range of algal species. The results presented here have important consequences for the interpretation of diel variations in optical properties observed in the open ocean.     

Effects of temperature on growth,photophysiology, Rubisco gene expression in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Prorocentrum donghaiense</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Karenia mikimotoi</Emphasis>

To explore the effects of temperature changes on dinoflagellate bloom succession in the coastal waters of the East China Sea, changes in the growth, photophysiology, and Rubisco gene expression of Prorocentrum donghaiense and Karenia mikimotoi, two harmful algal species, were investigated at different temperatures (16 to 28°C). The maximal specific growth rate and the maximal mRNA expression of Rubisco gene in P. donghaiense and K. mikimotoi occurred at 20 and 24°C, respectively. The photosynthetic activity of P. donghaiense was generally stable, but K. mikimotoi photosynthesis increased when temperatures rose from 16 to 28°C. The effective photochemical efficiency (F _q ^′ /F _m ^′ ) and the maximal relative electron transfer rate (rETR_max) of K. mikimotoi increased significantly with increasing temperature, and the lowest and highest values occurred at 16 and 28°C, respectively. It seems that P. donghaiense has higher photosynthetic capacity than K. mikimotoi due to its higher F _q ^′ /F _m ^′ , rETR_max, and photosynthetic efficiency (α). However, K. mikimotoi has a higher growth rate than P. donghaiense. These results suggest that the photosynthetic activity and genetic responses of dinoflagellates are species-dependent. It is likely that temperature changes affect species composition during blooms, leading to the observed patterns of bloom succession.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Zostera marina</Emphasis> seed burial can be enhanced by Manila clam <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ruditapes philippinarum</Emphasis>: A microcosm study

Seagrass seed bank plays a key role in the regeneration of new vegetation when seagrasses are removed by the natural or man-made disaster. Various factors may affect the development of sediment seed bank. We conducted a microcosm experiment to test the effects of burrowing and feeding activities of Manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum on the burial of Zostera marina seeds in sediments. The effects of lasting time (3-hour, 1-day, 3-day, 7-day, 14-day and 28-day), clam density (0, 2, 4 and 8 clams with shell length of 3 cm in each microcosm) and clam size (shell length of 2, 3 and 4 cm at 4-clam density) on seed burial were examined in plastic microcosm cores (30 cm high × 10 in inner diameter) in a 28-day period. Results showed that the seed burial depth significantly increased with time, the density and the size of clams. No seeds were buried in the sediment in the cores without clams during the whole experiment period. For the 3-cm clams, about 91.61% of the seeds were buried in the sediment at the end of the experiment in the high-density treatment (8 clams at each core); while in the medium and low-density treatments (4 and 2 clams in each core, respectively), about 76.93% and 60.61% of the seeds were buried in the sediment, respectively. For the size treatments, large (4 cm) clams buried 89.56% of the seeds at the end of the experiment, much more than those of medium (3 cm, 76.93%) and small (2 cm, 61.50%) size clams. During the whole experiment period, nearly all of the buried seeds were at a depth of from 0 cm to 5 cm. These results suggested that Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum may play an important positive role in seagrass seed bank dynamics in the field.     

Molecular phylogeny of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chondracanthus</Emphasis> (Rhodophyta), focusing on the resurrection of <Emphasis Type="Italic">C. okamurae</Emphasis> and the description of <Emphasis Type="Italic">C. cincinnus</Emphasis> sp. nov.

Determining the taxonomic status of the red algal genus Chondracanthus based on morphological characters is challenging due to the similarity and high degree of plasticity of the thallus. Since the taxonomic history of several Chondracanthus species remains unclear, we analyzed the plastid rbcL and mitochondrial COI genes of the specimens from Korea and Japan, in combination with morphological observations, to examine their phylogenetic relationships. Our results confirmed the distinction of C. okamurae, which is separated from C. intermedius, and identified a novel species, C. cincinnus sp. nov. Three species (C. okamurae, C. intermedius and C. cincinnus) formed a monophyletic clade with C. tenellus. C. okamurae is distinguished by linear, narrow, cylindrical to compressed, slightly recurved axes, and a high-intertidal to subtidal distribution. It was collected from Korea and Japan, while C. intermedius was identified from Japan only. A new species, Chondracanthus cincinnus sp. nov., is characterized by linear, compressed, strongly recurved axes, and a low-intertidal to subtidal distiribution. Based on the molecular phylogeny using rbcL and COI data, we herein resurrect C. okamurae as a distinct species and identify C. cincinnus as a new species.     

Dietary shift and feeding intensity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Stenobrachius leucopsarus</Emphasis> in the Bering Sea

The food habits of the dominant myctophid Stenobrachius leucopsarus were examined in the central basin of the Bering Sea in relation to oceanographic conditions, in summer 2002 and 2003 and spring 2006. S. leucopsarus exhibited an ontogenetic and seasonal dietary shift. In spring, small fish (≤40 mm) preyed mainly on Neocalanus flemingeri/plumchrus whereas large fish fed mainly on Neocalanus cristatus. In summer, small fish preyed mainly on Metridia pacifica whereas large fish fed mainly on euphausiids (Thysanoessa spp.). In the summer of 2003, when water temperature in the epipelagic layer (≤100 m) was warmer, reflecting the prevalence of the Alaskan Stream, small-sized S. leucopsarus showed a higher stomach content index, perhaps reflecting the greater abundance of M. pacifica. Thus, the present study shows that the physical variability in the epipelagic layer affects not only diets but also feeding performance of micronekton.     

The South China Sea,a <Emphasis Type="Italic">cul-de-sac</Emphasis> of North Pacific Intermediate Water

This study discusses branching of the Kuroshio Current including North Pacific Intermediate Water (NPIW) into the South China Sea (SCS). The spreading path of the subtropical salinity minimum of NPIW is southwestward pointing to the Luzon Strait between Taiwan and Luzon islands. Using a large collection of updated hydrography, results show that the SCS is a cul-de-sac for the subtropical NPIW because even the NPIW’s upper boundary neutral density surface σ _N = 26.5 is completely blocked by the Palawan sill and partly blocked by the southern Mindoro Strait. In autumn, NPIW is driven out of the Luzon Strait by the preceding anticyclonic summer monsoon due to an intraseasonal variation and seasonal phase lag response to the weaker summer monsoon. Stronger inflow under winter monsoon than outflow under summer monsoon results in a net annual transport of NPIW of about 1.1 ± 0.2 Sv (1 Sv = 10⁶ m³s⁻¹) into the SCS. This net transport accounts for the anomaly in NPIW transport across the World Ocean Circulation Experiment section P8 (130° E). An earlier study estimated a large westward NPIW transport of about 3.9 ± 0.2 Sv, resulting in a difference of 1.2 ± 0.2 Sv from the basin-wide mean of 2.7 ± 0.2 Sv. Observations are generally in agreement with numerical results although the intraseasonal signal seems to cause a slight bias and remains to be simulated by future model experiments.     

Habitat suitability index of Chub mackerel (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Scomber japonicus</Emphasis>) from July to September in the East China Sea

The habitat quality of Chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus) in the East China Sea has been a subject of concern in the last 10 years due to large fluctuations in annual catches of this stock. For example, the Chinese light-purse seine fishery recorded 84000 tons in 1999 compared to 17000 tons in 2006. The fluctuations have been attributed to variability in habitat quality. The habitat suitability Index (HSI) has been widely used to describe fish habitat quality and in fishing ground forecasting. In this paper we use catch data and satellite derived environmental variables to determine habitat suitability indices for Chub mackerel during July to September in the East China Sea. More than 90% of the total catch was found to come from the areas with sea surface temperature of 28.0°–29.4°C, sea surface salinity of 33.6–34.2 psu, chlorophyll-a concentration of 0.15–0.50 mg/m³ and sea surface height anomaly of −0.1–1.1 m. Of the four conventional models of HSI, the Arithmetic Mean Model (AMM) was found to be most suitable according to Akaike Information Criterion analysis. Based on the estimation of AMM in 2004, the monthly HSIs in the waters of 123°–125°E and 27°30′–28°00′ N were more than 0.6 during July to September, which coincides with the catch distribution in the same time period. This implies that AMM can yield a reliable prediction of the Chub mackerel’s habitat in the East China Sea.     

Application of a partial least-squares regression model to retrieve chlorophyll-<Emphasis Type="Italic">a</Emphasis> concentrations in coastal waters using hyper-spectral data

Coastal and inland waters represent a diverse set of resources that support natural habitats and provide valuable ecosystem services to the human population. Monitoring the quality of these waters is essential to maintaining the resources they provide, and long-term monitoring may offer a better understanding of the relationship between human development and the health of these resource producers. The implementation of conventional monitoring is typically time-intensive and limited in geographic scale. Alternatively, the use of airborne and spaceborne remote sensors provides a synoptic view of water quality with better spatial coverage to more accurately identify dynamic and unique parameters. Concentrations of optically active constituents (OACs) such as suspended sediments and the phytoplankton pigment chlorophylla (CHLa), act as proxies for water quality and can be detected by optical sensors. Traditional remote sensing techniques were developed using multispectral sensors, and employ band ratio algorithms that seek to predict the concentrations of OACs in relation to water quality. In complex coastal waters, overlapping spectral signatures of OACs often confound these algorithms and reduce their predictive capacity. The objective of this study was to develop a dataset to test the predictive capabilities of partial least-squares regression, a multivariate statistical method, for hyperspectral remote sensing and in situ CHLa concentrations. This paper presents the model performance for a dataset developed in Long Bay, a ~160 km arcuate bay that spans the border between North and South Carolina. The model uses multivariate-based statistical modeling to capitalize on the spectral advantage gained by hyperspectral sensors when observing such waters. Following this approach, a multivariate-based monitoring tool for the prediction of CHLa concentrations is presented with a partial least-squares regression (PLSR) method using hyperspectral and laboratory-analyzed field data. The PLSR model was used based on its ability to identify wavelengths that are more sensitive to CHLa relative to other OACs. The model was able to explain 80% of the observed CHLa variability in Long Bay with root mean square error (RMSE) = 2.03 µg/L. This enhanced mode of water quality monitoring has potential to deliver insights to point-sources and problem areas that may contribute to a decline in the water quality of valuable inland and coastal systems.