The structure and distribution of the phytoplankton community in the deep region of the Northern Kara Sea

The phytoplankton community and its distribution were investigated in the eastern branch of the St. Anna Trough and over the adjacent Kara Sea shelf in September 2011 and in August 2014. The spatial and seasonal differences in the phytoplankton structure were analyzed in connection with ice melting and changes in the temperature, salinity, and biogenic regime. Four 4 zones were defined: the Kara Sea shelf, the upper part of the St. Anna Trough slope, the lower part of the St. Anna Trough slope, and its deep part. It was shown that over the Kara Sea shelf where riverine runoff influence was observed, the phytoplankton community differs from the community of the St. Anna Trough in both investigated periods: in September and August. Rearrangement of the phytoplankton community was observed in the frontal zone associated with the upper part of the slope in September of 2011. The main features of this rearrangement were a change in dominant species composition and a 1.5–2-fold increase in the number and biomass of algae. Over the lower part of the slope and deep area of the St. Anna Trough in August 2014 and September 2011, the phytoplankton community was at different successive stages: in August, at the late spring and summer stage, and in September, at the summer–autumn stage.     

The upper desalinated layer in the Kara Sea

An area of about 40000 km² of desalinated upper layer waters with a salinity of less than 25 psu was found during cruise 54 of the R/V Akademik Mstislav Keldysh in the southwestern part of the Kara Sea (September 2007). Close to the boundary of this region located near the eastern coast of Novaya Zemlya, the salinity was less than 16 psu. The thickness of the desalinated layer was about 10 m. The results of the chemical analysis revealed that the observed desalination of the sea water was produced, first of all, by the Yenisei River, while the contribution of the Ob River’s waters was secondary. However, the most desalinated region near the eastern coast of Novaya Zemlya was separated from the Ob-Yenisei estuary and corresponded to a quasi-isolated lens. It is likely that the formation of this lens, as well as the major part of the desalinated upper layer waters, occurred in June when the flood of the Yenisei was maximal, while the further drift of the desalinated waters to the west of the Ob-Yenisei estuary was forced by the prevailing northern wind. The additional desalination (by 2–3 psu and even more) of the upper layer waters near the eastern coast of Novaya Zemlya might be related to the melting of the Novozemelskiy ice massif. The regularities of the temporal evolution of the upper desalinated layer, as well as the influence of this layer on the hydrological structure and dynamics of the southwestern Kara Sea, are discussed.     

春季渤海不同区域砂壳纤毛虫的群落特征

As one of the important microzooplankton in marine pelagic habitats, tintinnids are classified as neritic genera,oceanic genera and cosmopolitan genera. Until now, we know little about the interaction between neritic and oceanic genera in continental shelves. Low species richness area was found in the mixing area between neritic and oceanic genera in the East China Sea. In this study, we investigated the spatial distribution of tintinnid community throughout the entire Bohai Sea in May(spring) of 2014 to find out:(1) whether the tintinnid assembalges differed in the three major bays bordering this shallow inland sea;(2) whether there was low species richness area in the Bohai Sea. Three genera and 11 species attributed to neritic and cosmopolitan taxa were reported from this region. Tintinnid abundance averaged(81±216) ind./L(0–1 234 ind./L). Tintinnid community differed within the three major bays, with each characterized by different tintinnid taxa. Referring to the average abundance of three bays, tintinnids were most abundant in the Laizhou Bay((328±445) ind./L), and least abundant in the Liaodong Bay((34±57) ind./L). A low species richness area occurred in the central Bohai Sea(20–40 m isobaths), in some stations of which no tintinnid was recorded. Our study demonstrates that tintinnid community varied greatly over small spatial scales, and low species richness area was found in the mixing area between neritic and oceanic genera within this inland sea.     

Meiobenthos and nematode community in Yenisei Bay and adjacent parts of the Kara Sea shelf

Material is collected on a meridional profile from Yenisei Bay to adjacent parts of the Kara Sea shelf. The length of the profile is 550 km; 13 to 62 m depths. A multiple corer and Niemistö corer are used as sampling tools. The meiobenthos is represented by 13 taxa. Nematodes are the most abundant taxon, and harpacticoid copepods (Harpacticoida) are subdominant. The abundance and taxonomic diversity of meiobenthos and nematodes increases from the freshwater part of Yenisei Bay towards the Kara Sea shelf. Three types of taxocene are distinguished: freshwater, brackish-water, and marine. The taxocene of the estuary is not distinguished by any specific set of species and consists of species characteristic of the nematode community both in the freshwater and marine zones. The trophic structure of the taxocene of nematodes in Yenisei Bay is dominated by nematodes with well-defined stoma and are differently armed. The estuary and shelf are dominated by selective and nonselective deposit feeders.     

2014年春季渤海浮游植物群落结构

基于2014年春季在渤海进行的水文、化学和生物方面的综合大面调查,研究了渤海浮游植物群落的结构特征,并结合文献资料,分析影响浮游植物群落结构形成的原因。结果显示：2014年渤海春季共鉴定浮游植物3门29属50种,以硅藻为主,还有少数甲藻和金藻。其中,硅藻门中圆筛藻属的种类最多,共12种,其次为角毛藻属,共5种。浮游植物总细胞丰度介于1.08×10⁴~181.09×10⁴个/m³,平均为25.47×10⁴个/m³。硅藻与甲藻细胞丰度比值为12：1,硅藻在物种数量和细胞丰度上均占有绝对优势,为渤海浮游植物的主要类群。浮游植物优势种主要为密联角毛藻（Chaetoceros densus）、斯氏几内亚藻（Guinardia striata）、具槽帕拉藻（Paralia sulcata）和夜光藻（Noctiluca scintillans）。渤海春季浮游植物群落多样性水平较低,且分布不均。渤海中部和渤海海峡海域由于单一优势种过量繁殖导致群落稳定性较差。与历史同期资料对比,渤海海域浮游植物群落出现明显的物种演替现象,角毛藻的优势地位显著性下降,斯氏几内亚藻首次在渤海大面调查中被记录为优势种。本研究为今后渤海环境生态系统和渔业资源变动的研究提供重要基础资料和参考依据。     

2009 年晚春黄海南部浮游植物群落

在2009 年6 月对黄海南部及中部海域30 个站位进行综合调查, 对获得的131 个浮游植物样品用Uterm?hl 方法进行初步分析, 共鉴定浮游植物4 门51 属73 种(不包括未定名种), 其中硅藻32 属47种(不包括未定名种), 甲藻17 属24 种(不包括未定名种), 定鞭藻1 门1 种, 蓝藻1 门1 种, 硅藻在物种丰富度上占有优势。浮游植物的生态类型主要以温带近岸种为主, 优势物种为具齿原甲藻(Prorocentrum dentatum)、柔弱伪菱形藻(Pseudo-nitzschia delicatissima)、具槽帕拉藻(Paralia sulcata)等。调查区浮游植物细胞丰度介于0.089 × 10³～1 045.200 × 10³ 个/L, 平均为15.941 × 10³ 个/L, 甲藻的细胞丰度要高于硅藻。细胞丰度高值区位于调查区的南部海域, 以具齿原甲藻为主, 垂向上在10 m 层出现最大值, 随着深度的增加丰度降低。调查区的Shannon-winner 多样性指数和Pielou 均匀度指数的平面分布基本一致, 并且与细胞丰度的分布呈相嵌形式, 即在细胞丰度高的区域多样性指数较低。     

2009年晚春黄海南部浮游植物群落

在2009年6月对黄海南部及中部海域30个站位进行综合调查,对获得的131个浮游植物样品用Utermohl方法进行初步分析,共鉴定浮游植物4门51属73种（不包括未定名种）,其中硅藻32属47种（不包括未定名种）,甲藻17属24种（不包括未定名种）,定鞭藻1门1种,蓝藻1门1种,硅藻在物种丰富度上占有优势。浮游植物的生...     

2022年南黄海绿潮分布与浮游生物群落关系初探

本文以2022年南黄海(119 °E~122.5 °E, 34.5°N~37°N)表层海水浮游生物为对象, 利用高通量测序技术分析绿潮期间浮游生物群落结构特征,同时对环境要素进行调查,综合分析环境与浮游生物分布之间的潜在关联, 为掌握南黄海绿潮的生态效应提供依据。结果表明, 2022年7月上旬调查期间南黄海绿潮浒苔生物量湿重估计值为7.24×10⁴吨, 分布特征为以山东近岸以及海州湾附近为主要堆积处, 浒苔生物量、浮游植物以及浮游动物与溶解性无机磷酸盐均有着显著的正相关性。浒苔覆盖区域中, 浮游植物和浮游动物都有着较高的丰富度, 甲藻和桡足类为主要优势种, 属水平下包括: 新角藻、未分类到属的共甲藻、薮枝螅水母、尖头溞等。与无浒苔覆盖的区域相比, 该区域优势种相对单一, 导致次生灾害发生的可能性大。浮游细菌群落调查中发现脱硫单胞菌纲和优势种γ-变形菌纲都与浒苔生物量有着紧密的联系, 其中脱硫单胞菌与浒苔生物量呈显著性正相关, γ-变形菌纲与浒苔生物量呈显著性负相关。相关性分析表明, 浮游细菌多样性与环境中总溶解性氮、磷以及溶解性有机氮呈显著性相关, 结合浒苔与环境因子相关性分析, 浒苔绿潮的发生可以为某些浮游细菌提供生长所需的营养物质。共线性网络分析表明, 在绿潮发生的浒苔覆盖区域, 浮游生物丰富度高且关系紧密复杂, 因此浒苔绿潮对浮游生物的群落结构以及丰富度有潜在的影响。     

Microbial uncultured community of bottom sediments from the bays of Gydan and Yenisei of the Kara Sea

Using methods of molecular biology (PCR and cloning), we studied the diversity of microorganisms in the surface layers of bottom sediments from the bays of Gydan and Yenisei of the Kara Sea, which have different component composition of the pore water and mineralization level. Representatives of the domains Bacteria and Archaea were identified based on the analysis of the 16S rRNA gene fragment nucleotide sequences. The composition of the community of microorganisms in the bottom sediments changed with the changing salinity gradient of the pore waters. The phylogenetic analysis of the nucleotide sequences showed that the composition of the microbial communities in the southern parts of these bays was affected by fresh-water flows from rivers and streams from the lakes within the catchment area, whereas that in the northern parts was influenced by sea waters. The results indicate the presence of bacteria in the bottom sediments that are capable of using a wide range of substrates as a carbon source including hydrocarbons and organochlorine and aromatic compounds. These data can also indicate the presence of different pollutants in the sediments of these areas and the potential ability of bacteria to degrade chemical compounds that enter the waters and bottom sediments of the Kara Sea.     

Structure of the macrozoobenthic communities in the southwestern Kara Sea

The structure and distribution of the macrobenthic communities were studied in the southwestern Kara Sea. The material was collected in Baidaratskaya Bay in July 2007 and in a section running westward of the Yamal Peninsula in September 2007. The depths of the sampling stations ranged from 5 to 25 m in the Baidaratskaya Bay area and between 16 and 46 m in the Yamal section. A total of 212 benthic invertebrate species were recorded. In both areas, Bivalvia was the group with the highest biomass (54.88 g/m² in the Yamal section and 59.71 g/m² in the Baidaratskaya Bay area), while polychaetes were the group with the highest number of species (45 in the Yamal section and 64 the Baidaratskaya Bay area). Three major macrozoobenthic communities were recognized: the Astarte borealis community (20–46 m, the deepest sampling stations in both areas); the “medium-depth” community (10–20 m, extremely mosaic, usually dominated by Serripes groenlandicus); and the Nephtys longosetosa community (depth smaller than 10 m, characterized by low biomass and the absence of large bivalves and echinoderms). The western Yamal shallow-water communities were shown to be generally similar to those of Baidaratskaya Bay. The comparison of these results with those of the benthos censuses performed in 1927–1945, 1975, and 1993 showed that the benthic communities in the southwestern Kara Sea remained relatively stable during the second half of the 20th century and the early 21st century.     

Phytoplankton of the south-western part of the Kara Sea

The research was performed along a transect from the Yamal Peninsula coast towards the outer shelf of the southwestern part of the Kara Sea in September 2007. 130 phytoplankton species have been identified, among which 63 were found in the area for the first time. The total phytoplankton numbers varied within the range of 0.2 to 11.3 × 10⁹ cells/m², while biomass within the range of 43 to 1057 mgC/m². A well pronounced cross-shelf zoning in the phytoplankton communities was ascertained. The inner shelf zone about 30 km wide with depths down to 30 meters was characterized by the predominance of diatoms (up to 80% of the total algae numbers and biomass). The second group by value was dinoflagellates. Seaward in the area of the depth increase from 30 to 140 m, the zone of the Yamal Current was located, which was 40 km wide and notable for its active water dynamics. The total cell numbers in the zone reached a maximum for the entire investigated area: up to 11.3 × 10⁹ cells/m². The leading group in the phytoplankton was autotrophic flagellates, whose share in the total numbers reached 56–82%. Further than 70 km from the shore, the outer shelf zone was found with the water column rigidly stratified. The highest for the whole area phytoplankton biomass was identified here (up to 1.06 gC/m⁹), 80% of which was concentrated above the halocline. Diatoms dominated in the phytoplankton numbers (up to 92%) and biomass (up to 90%), which was related to the mass development of two species: Chaetoceros diadema and Leptocylindrus danicus.     

Warm-Water Planktonic Foraminifera in Kara Sea Sediments

Oceanology - The article is devoted to research of warm-water planktonic foraminifera species in the Arctic. The fauna of planktonic and benthic foraminifera in the surface and subsurface layer of...     

春季东海产卵场及其邻近海域的浮游植物群落

根据2007年5月在东海产卵场及其邻近海域(26°50′～34°07′N,120°50′～123°59′E)进行的多学科综合调查,研究了该海域浮游植物群落的结构特征.经Uterm(o)hl方法分析,共发现浮游植物4门55属144种,其主要类群为硅藻和甲藻,优势物种为柔弱伪菱形藻(Pseudo-nitzschia delicatissima)、具齿原甲藻(Prorocendrum dentatum=东海原甲藻Prorocentrum donghaiense)和中肋骨条藻(Sletonema costatum).浮游植物的细胞丰度介于0.1×103～1158.6×103个/L,平均值为78.9×103个/L;细胞丰度在表层较高,随水深增加而降低;表层的高值主要分布在长江口至南麂列岛的成淡水交汇处以及象山外海域.调查区浮游植物群落的多样性总体水平较低,Shannon-wiener指数和Pielou指数均与细胞丰度呈镶嵌分布,细胞丰度较高的区域多样性水平较低.     

Genesis of organic matter in the Kara Sea bottom sediments

Based on simultaneous use of organic and geochemical indicators (δ¹³C, C/N, and n-alkanes), the genesis of organic matter (OM) in recent bottom sediments of the Kara Sea was characterized. Maps for percentages and absolute masses of marine and terrigenous OM were drawn. The masses of buried marine and terrigenous OM were compared to its supply to the sea and onto the sea bottom.     

Estimation of Annual Kara Sea Primary Production

Primary production of phytoplankton and ice and under-ice flora of the Kara Sea and regions thereof has been assessed using region-specific models and MODIS-Aqua satellite data for 2002–2015. Average annual primary production of phytoplankton calculated for the growing season (April–October) amounted to 165 mg С m^–2 day^–1. Annual primary production of phytoplankton was 35 g C/m². Annual primary production of phytoplankton in the entire Kara Sea was 13 × 10¹² g C. Annual primary production of ice and underice flora calculated using an integrated biophysical model was 1.7 × 10¹² g C, or 12% of total primary production of the Kara Sea; the ice cover dynamics and published data were taken into account for the calculations. The results have been compared to earlier primary production estimates for the Kara Sea. The extent of the increase in sea productivity during warming of the Arctic and the decrease in ice cover area are discussed.     

Phosphatized calcareous conglomerate from the Kara Sea floor

Trawling of the bottom in the northeastern Kara Sea during cruise 125 of the R/V Professor Shtokman in 2013 recovered a block of cavernous, partly phosphatized carbonate rock consisting of biogenic carbonate material and partly crystallized diagenetic calcite. The fauna remains are mainly Oligocene–Pliocene planktonic and benthic foraminifers, with less common Oligocene–Miocene coccoliths and single wormlike organisms. Part of the phosphatized material in caverns is impregnated by manganese and iron oxides and enriched in heavy and trace metals. According to the oxygen isotopic composition, this rock formed under moderate temperature conditions. In terms of morphology, mineralogy, and the abundance of organic remains, the block is comparable to methanogenic carbonates found in other parts of the ocean, but shows no isotopically light carbon signatures typical of methane activity. This indicates the diversity of the carbon isotope composition of the Arctic carbonates.     

The Tidal Effect on Climatic Characteristics of the Kara Sea in the Ice-Free Period

Izvestiya, Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics - Using a high-resolution version of the QUODDY-4 three-dimensional finite-element hydrostatic model, we have carried out two series of numerical...     

Development of lipids during a spring plankton bloom in the northern North Sea: I. Particulate fatty acids

The plankton spring bloom in the northern North Sea was extensively investigated during a period of three months in 1976 at a fixed station occupied by the R.V. “Meteor”. Samples of different depth-profiles, representative of the phytoplankton development, were collected eleven times to analyze the concentration of fatty acids of the particulate matter. The water column was divided into an upper and lower layer according to the thermocline depths, because different processes take place in these layers. During the exponential growth phase the fatty acid concentration rose only slightly due to increases in polyunsaturated fatty acids (18:4, 20:5, 22:6), which are typical for marine plankton. With the exhaustion of nutrients the biochemical composition changed and the fatty acid concentration increased sharply from about 3 to 20 μmol C dm^? finally to about 30% of the particulate carbon. The main proportion consisted of oleic acid (28.3%) and palmitic acid (24.2%). The first phytoplankton bloom, dominated by diatoms (Chaetoceros species), was characterized by the increase in fatty acids with 16 carbon atoms, whereas during the second smaller bloom, with dinoflagellates as the main species, more fatty acids with 18 carbon atoms occurred. After the stationary growth phase the phytoplankton biomass strongly decreased, resulting in an increase of particulate matter below the thermocline. The fatty acid pattern there was similar to that during the stationary phase of the phytoplankton bloom in the upper layer.     

Submarine permafrost in the nearshore zone of the southwestern Kara Sea

The results of seismic studies in the shallow waters of the southwestern Kara Sea show the presence of a seismic unit that can be interpreted as relict submarine permafrost. The permafrost table has a strongly dissected upper surface and is located at a water depth of 5–10 m. A 3D modeling of the permafrost table suggests the presence of relict buried thermodenudational depressions (up to 2 km across) at a water depth of 5–10 m. The depressions may be considered to be paragenetic to thermocirques found at the Shpindler site. Relict thermocirques are completely filled with sediment and not exposed at the sediment surface.