Bacterial diversity, composition and temporal-spatial variation in the sediment of Jiaozhou Bay, China

Studies on the diversity and distribution of bacterial populations will improve the overall understanding of the global patterns of marine bacteria and help to comprehend local biochemical processes and environments. We evaluated the composition and the dynamics of bacterial communities in the sediment of Jiaozhou Bay (China) using PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Sediment samples were collected from 10 different sites in May, August, and November 2008 and in February 2009. There was significant temporal variation in bacterial community composition at all sites. However, the spatial variation was very small. The DGGE analyses of bacterial communities were used to divide the 10 stations into three types. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) revealed that the changes in bacterial communities were driven by sediment properties. Sequence analysis of DGGE band-derived 16S rRNA gene fragments revealed that the dominant bacterial groups in the sediment were of the classes γ-proteobacteria and δ-proteobacteria and phyla Bacteroidetes and Nitrospirae. Our results provide considerable insight into the bacterial community structure in Jiaozhou Bay, China.     

The bacterial diversity and community composition altered in the oxygen minimum zone of the Tropical Western Pacific Ocean

The oxygen minimum zones(OMZs) are globally expanding,yet the variation pattern of microbial communities related to dissolved oxygen levels remain unclear.Spatial variability of bacterial diversity and community composition(repre sented by 16 S rRNA) of six stations was investigated within the water column in the seamount area of Tropical Western Pacific Ocean(TWPO) in May 2019.The seawater has dissolved oxygen(DO) concentration of 3.01-6.68 mg/L and the core of the oxygen minimum zones was located between the depths of 650 m and 1 750 m.The bacterial alpha-diversity showed unimodal pattern with the decreasing DO with depths and peaked in the upper oxycline(UO) of OMZs.The bacterial community structure of the mixed layer(ML) and the bottom layer clustered and separated from each other,while those of UO and the OMZ core(OM) clustered and overlapped.Overall,bacterial community composition transitioned from being Alphaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria-dominant in ML to being Gammaproteobacteria and Nitrososphaeria/Deltaproteobacteria-dominant in UO and OM,and then changed to being Clostridia and unidentified Actinobacteria-dominant in the bottom layer.Moreover,both bacterial alpha-diversity and the abundant classes fitted varying sectioned functions with DO.The DO solely explained 40.37% of the variation of bacterial community composition among layers(P0.001).The predicted function profiling showed that the water column was predominant by chemoheterotrophy,cyanobacteria,and photoautotrophy in ML,by chemoheterotrophy and nitrate/sulfide cycling in UO and OM,and by chemoheterotrophy and ferme ntation in the bottom layer.Our findings revealed the DO-associated variation in bacterial diversity and community composition,and help to clarify the potential responses of microbes and their involved biogeochemical processes to the expansion and intensification of OMZs.     

The land-sourced pollution in the Jiaozhou Bay

In recent years, natural environment of the Jiaozhou Bay has been changed largely by fast developing industry and agriculture of the cities around, from which wastewaters were generated. The size of the bay has been continuously shrunk with reduced river flows, resulting in serious contamination to the marine lives in the bay. After analyzing the basic historical data, the authors put forward a suggestion of how to protect the bay ecology for sustaining the resources in the Jiaozhou Bay.     

Biogeochemical characteristics of nitrogen and phosphorus in Jiaozhou Bay sediments

Sediment samples were cored from 3 locations representing the inner bay, the outer bay and the bay mouth of Jiaozhou Bay in September 2003 to study the source and biogeochemical characteristics of nitrogen and phosphorus in the bay. The content and vertical distributions of total nitrogen （TN）, total phosphorus （TP）, organic nitrogen （ON）, organic phosphorus （OP）, inorganic nitrogen （IN）, inorganic phosphorus （IP）, the ratio of organic carbon and total nitrogen （OC/TN）, and the ratio of total nitrogen and total phosphorus （TN/TP） in the sediments were analyzed. The results show that both TN and TP in surface sediments decrease from the inner bay to the outer bay. In general, ON occupies 50%-70% of TN and IP accounts for more than 60% of TP. In ratio of OC：TN, the nitrogen accumulated in the sediments from the inner bay and the bay mouth came mainly from terrestrial sources, and the portion of autogenetic nitrogen was 28.9% and 13.1%, respectively. However, in the outer bay, nitrogen was mainly autogenetic, accounting for 62.1% of TN, whereas phosphorus was mainly land-derived. The sedimentation fluxes of nitrogen and phosphorus varied spatially. The overall diagenesis rate of nitrogen was higher than that of phosphorus. Specifically, the diagenesis rate of OP was higher than that of IP. However, the diagenesis rate of ON was not always higher than that of IN. In species, the diagenesis rate of IN is sometimes much higher than that of the OC. In various environments, the diagenesis rate is, to some degree, affected by OC, pH, Eh, and Es.     

Application and comparison of two symptom-based eutrophication-assessment methods in Jiaozhou Bay,China

Increasing numbers of approaches to assess eutrophication,such as estuarine trophic status,the Oslo-Paris Commission Common Procedure,and the Water Framework Directive,focus on the symptoms of eutrophication.In China,however,nutrient index methods dominate the assessment of coastal waters.In this study,an integrated method that includes both water quality and ecological response was compared with the Northwest Pacific Action Plan(NOWPAP)Common Procedure.Observation data from Jiaozhou Bay,Shandong,China,were used in a comparison of the two methods in a trophic status study.Overall,both clearly revealed a high level of nutrient enrichment in the bay,indicated by high nutrient concentrations.Though the two methods differed in their methodological design in the assessment of the ecological effects of nutrient enrichment,they have acquired similar results:the integrated method suggested that the status was good,and the NOWPAP Common Procedure suggested that the status was low(indicating that the bay had no serious eutrophication problem).The introduction of filter feeders(shellfish aquaculture)into the bay on a reasonable scale may have been effective in mitigating eutrophic conditions,and perhaps explains the low ecological impacts there.Our results will be useful to ecosystem-based eutrophication management in the bay and in similar areas.     

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.     

Silicon limitation on primary production and its destiny in Jiaozhou Bay, China——Ⅳ：Study on cross-bay transect from estuary to ocean

The authors analyzed the data collected in the Ecological Station Jiaozhou Bay from May 1991 to November 1994, including 12 seasonal investigations, to determine the characteristics, dynamic cycles and variation trends of the silicate in the bay. The results indicated that the rivers around Jiaozhou Bay provided abundant supply of silicate to the bay. The silicate concentration there depended on river flow variation. The horizontal variation of silicate concentration on the transect showed that the silicate concentration decreased with distance from shorelines. The vertical variation of it showed that silicate sank and deposited on the sea bottom by phytoplankton uptake and death, and zooplankton excretion. In this way, silicon would endlessly be transferred from terrestrial sources to the sea bottom. The silicon took up by phytoplankton and by other biogeochemical processes led to insufficient silicon supply for phytoplankton growth. In this paper, a 2D dynamic model of river flow versus silicate concentration was established by which silicate concentrations of 0.028–0.062 μmol/L in seawater was yielded by inputting certain seasonal unit river flows (m³/s), or in other words, the silicate supply rate; and when the unit river flow was set to zero, meaning no river input, the silicate concentrations were between 0.05–0.69 μmol/L in the bay. In terms of the silicate supply rate, Jiaozhou Bay was divided into three parts. The division shows a given river flow could generate several different silicon levels in corresponding regions, so as to the silicon-limitation levels to the phytoplankton in these regions. Another dynamic model of river flow versus primary production was set up by which the phytoplankton primary production of 5.21–15.55 (mgC/m²·d)/(m³/s) were obtained in our case at unit river flow values via silicate concentration or primary production conversion rate. Similarly, the values of primary production of 121.98–195.33 (mgC/m²·d) were achieved at zero unit river flow condition. A primary production conversion rate reflects the sensitivity to silicon depletion so as to different phytoplankton primary production and silicon requirements by different phytoplankton assemblages in different marine areas. In addition, the authors differentiated two equations (Eqs. 1 and 2) in the models to obtain the river flow variation that determines the silicate concentration variation, and in turn, the variation of primary production. These results proved further that nutrient silicon is a limiting factor for phytoplankton growth. This study was funded by NSFC (No. 40036010), and the Director's Fund of the Beihai Sea Monitoring Center, the State Oceanic Administration.     

Nutrient compositions of cultured Skeletonema costatum,Chaetoceros curvisetus,and Thalassiosira nordenskildii

We cultured different-sized fractions of dominant phytoplankton species,Skeletonema costatum,Chaetoceros curvisetus,and Thalassiosira nordenski ldii,collected in different sea areas in various seasons,and measured and compared their C,N,P,Si contents.The N content of these species is similar,while the C,P,and Si contents of S.costatum from eutrophic Changjiang (Yangtze River) estuary are higher than those from Jiaozhou Bay (JZB),particularly the content of Si.The C,N,P,and Si contents of cultured phytoplank...     

Large scale northward expansion of warm water species Skeletonema tropicum (Bacillariophyceae) in China seas

Skeletonema tropicum is regarded as a species with an affinity to warm waters and it has never been reported in seas where temperatures drop below 11°C in winter. Previous studies in China reported that S. tropicum was restricted to subtropical and warm temperate seas (East and South China Seas), but the species was recently found during August cruises of 2009 and 2010 in Jiaozhou Bay, Yellow Sea, located several hundred kilometers to the north. Here, winter water temperatures often drop below 5°C. Identification of S. tropicum was confirmed under light and scanning electronic microscopes and maximum cell abundance in Jiaozhou Bay was estimated as 1.73×10 4 cell/L. This record of S. tropicum in Jiaozhou Bay represents a significant northward expansion in the geographic range of the species. Ship ballast water was identified as a possible carrier of S. tropicum from southern places along Chinese coastline, and in addition, thermal pollution from local power stations and seawater desalination plants may provide suitable conditions for species over-wintering.     

Black carbon and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface sediments of China’s marginal seas

This study investigates the distribution of black carbon (BC) and its correlation with total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (ΣPAH) in the surface sediments of China’s marginal seas. BC content ranges from <0.10 to 2.45 mg/g dw (grams dry weight) in the sediments studied, and varied among the different coastal regions. The Bohai Bay sediments had the highest BC contents (average 2.18 mg/g dw), which comprises a significant fraction (27%–41%) of the total organic carbon (TOC) preserved in the sediments. In ...     

Spatial distribution and controlling factors of sedimentary bodies in Jiaozhou Bay and Adjacent Sea Areas, Qingdao

The distributions of thickness of unconsolidated Quaternary sedimentary layers in Jiaozhou Bay and Qingdao offshore area were studied by using 1079-km high-resolution shallow seismic profiles and drilling core data, and the factors controlling the Quaternary evolution were discussed. The results show that such thickness distributions resulted from the coactions of geologic structures and marine hydrodynamic conditions since the Holocene. The geologic structures controlled the slope deposit, proluvial and fluvial fillings since the late Pleistocene. Holocene marine hydrodynamics eroded away sediments at the bay mouth, and tides carried these eroded materials to the sides of the bay mouth and released them there, forming channel-ridge-alternating geomorphic features. During transgressive processes, the sea level rose rapidly, and insufficient sediment supply and tidal actions yielded the relict sediments in the east of Qingdao offshore area.     

Spatial-temporal variation of phytoplankton community structure in Jiaozhou Bay,China

To better understand the spatial-temporal variation in phytoplankton community structure and its controlling factors in Jiaozhou Bay,Qingdao,North China,four seasonal sampling were carried out in 2017.The phytoplankton community structure and various environmental parameters were examined.The phytoplankton community in the bay was composed of mainly diatoms and dinoflagellates,and several other species of Chrysophyta were also observed.Diatoms were the most dominant phytoplankton group throughout the year,except in spring and winter,when Noctiluca scintillans was co-dominant.High Si/N ratios in summer and fall reflect the high dominance of diatoms in the two seasons.Temporally,the phytoplankton cell abundance peaked in summer,due mainly to the high temperatures and nutrient concentrations in summer.Spatially,the phytoplankton cell abundance was higher in the northern part of the bay than in the other parts of the bay in four seasons.The diatom cell abundances show significant positive correlations with the nutrient concentrations,while the dinoflagellate cell abundances show no correlation or a negative correlation with the nutrient concentrations but a significant positive correlation with the stratification index.This discrepancy was mainly due to the different survival strategies between diatoms and dinoflagellates.The Shannon-Wiener diversity index(H')values in the bay ranged from 0.08 to 4.18,which fell in the range reported in historical studies.The distribution pattern of H' values was quite different from that of chlorophyll a,indicating that the phytoplankton community structure might have high biomass with a low diversity index.Compared with historical studies,we believe that the dominant phytoplankton species have been changed in recent years due mainly to the changing environment in the Jiaozhou Bay in recent 30 years.     

Temporal and spatial distribution of virioplankton in large shallow freshwater lakes

Virioplankton dynamics at seven sample sites (from two freshwater lakes) with different trophic states were monitored over the period of a year. Water was sampled monthly from August 2004 to July 2005, and the abundances of viruses and bacteria were measured using direct epifluorescence microscopy counting. Results indicated that both natural and anthropogenic factors could influence the distribution of virioplankton. Temporally, viral abundance was significantly correlated to bacterial density and water temperature. Spatially, viral abundance was significantly correlated to trophic state. This in turn indicated that viral abundance was directly dependant on host abundance in eutrophic lakes, while trophic state and temperature could drive the distribution of virioplankton. The virus-bacteria ratio was significantly lower in less productive water-bodies. The result implied that the control of virioplankton on their hosts may change according to the host density.     

Characteristics of the microzooplankton community in Jiaozhou Bay,Qingdao, China

The species composition and abundance of microzooplankton at 10 marine and five coastal stations(Hongdao,Daguhe,Haibohe,Huangdao and Hangxiao) in the Jiaozhou Bay(Qingdao,China) were studied in 2001.The microzooplankton community was found to be dominated by Tintinnopsis beroidea,Tintinnopsis urnula,Tintinnopsis brevicollis and Codonellopsis sp.The average abundance of microzooplankton was highly variable among stations.Specifically,the abundance of microzooplankton was higher at inshore stations and lower ...     

Seasonal variation in fatty acid composition of seston and the copepod Calanus sinicus (Brodsky, 1962) in Jiaozhou Bay and its trophic implications

The fatty acid compositions of seston and Calanus sinicus were investigated to study trophic relationships in Jiaozhou Bay. Principal component analysis was carried out to ordinate the fatty acid patterns of seston in stations and months. The results showed that diatoms were most abundant in the phytoplankton at station A5 (located in the northwest of the bay:36°9′N, 120°20′E) and least abundant at station D7 (located outside of the bay: 35°59′N, 120°26′E). By contrast, dinoflagellates were most abundant at station D7 and least abundant at station A5. According to the annual variations of 16:1ω7 and 18:4ω3/ 16:1ω7, diatoms flourished mainly in spring and summer, while dinoflagellates bloomed exclusively in summer. A distinctive feature of the fatty acid composition of C. sinicus was the prevalence of 20:5ω3 and 22:6ω3. The higher content of 16:1ω7 over 18:4ω3 in females indicated that diatoms contributed more than dinoflagellates to the diet of C. sinicus. The feeding intensity of C. sinicus on diatoms was higher in spring and autumn than in other seasons. The herbivorous indicators 20:1 and 22:1 were comparatively low, suggesting that besides phytoplankton, C. sinicus might feed on a wider range of particles including organic detritus, bacteria and small copepods.     

Phylogenetic analysis of bacteria in sea ice brine sampled from the Canada Basin, Arctic Ocean

Bacterial diversity in sea ice brine samples which collected from four stations located at the Canada Basin, Arctic Ocean was analyzed by PCR-DGGE. Twenty-three 16S rDNA sequences of bacteria obtained from DGGE bands were cloned and sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis clustered these sequences within γ-proteobacteria, Cytophaga-Flexlbacter-Bacteroides （CFB） group, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria. The phylotype of Pseudoalteromonas in the γ-proteobacteria was predominant and members of the CFB group and γ-proteobacteria were highly abundant in studied sea ice brine samples.     

Mercury distribution in the Jiaozhou Bay

The Jiaozhou Bay is a semi-enclosed bay, Qingdao, China. More than 10 rivers enter the bay, of which most take wastes from industrial and household discharges. According to historical seasonal investigations in May, August, November 1979, the content, distribution, and development of heavy metal mercury are analyzed as a historical reference. Water samples were taken from the surface and bottom. The results revealed clear seasonal and regional changes in both horizontal and vertical directions, and close relation with major discharging rivers and plankton production. The seawater was polluted more seriously in spring than in any other seasons. However, it was the cleanest in winter during which least waste was input with low plankton production. According to historical data, the state of mercury pollution in seawater was worsening in the period, and has been improving in recent years. Terrestrial contamination was the main reason for mercury pollution in the bay.     

Environmental capacity of petroleum hydrocarbon pollutants in Jiaozhou Bay, China: Modeling and calculation

An environmental capacity model for the petroleum hydrocarbon pollutions (PHs) in Jiaozhou Bay is constructed based on field surveys, mesocosm, and parallel laboratory experiments. Simulated results of PHs seasonal successions in 2003 match the field surveys of Jiaozhou Bay resaonably well with a highest value in July. The Monte Carlo analysis confirms that the variation of PHs concentration significantly correlates with the river input. The water body in the bay is reasonably subjected to self-purification processes, such as volatilization to the atmosphere, biodegradation by microorganism, and transport to the Yellow Sea by water exchange. The environmental capacity of PHs in Jiaozhou Bay is 1500 tons per year IF the seawater quality criterion (Grade Ⅰ/Ⅱ, 0.05 mgL-1) in the region is to be satisfied. The contribution to self-purification by volatilization, biodegradation, and transport to the Yellow Sea accounts for 48%, 28%, and 23%, respectively, which make these three processes the main ways of PHs purification in Jiaozhou Bay.     

Methodology for studies of carbon dynamics between phytoplankton primary production and heterotrophic bacterial secondary production

The SCENTO-System was used to study the carbon dynamics between phytoplankton primary production and heterotrophic bacterial secondary production. Most of the methods used nowadays in situ for limnological synecology studies were applied. Primary production measurement showed an increasing tendency with increasing content of chlorophylla. It provided a true photosynthetic rate lying within the range of eutrophic lakes. Net EOC released from the algae ranged from 8.5 to 27.5 μg C l⁻¹(6h)⁻¹. Accompanying the algal products the number of bacteria increased from 1.475 ×10⁹ to 8.074×10⁹ cells l⁻¹. The bacterial mean cell volume was small, between 0.0315 and 0.0548μm³. Bacterial carbon production from direct growth estimates was compared with independent calculations of bacterial growth from EOC uptake and³H-thymidine incorporation. Direct estimates were 2.97–10.0 μg Cl⁻¹ (24h)⁻¹ with the exception of a zero-growth on the third day. EOC uptake was 123.5–191.0 μg Cl⁻¹ (6h)⁻¹. That calculated from³H-thymidine incorporation was 0.2–0.5 μg Cl⁻¹ (6h)⁻¹.¹⁴C-glucose dark uptake ran parallel to the increasing bacterial biomass. The respiration of glucose was 6.5% (avg.) of the gross uptake. Since the system operated without grazing pressure, a real carbon flow from primary production to bacterial secondary production could be observed.     

Spatiotemporal distributions and environmental drivers of diversity and community structure of nosZ-type denitrifiers and anammox bacteria in sediments of the Bohai Sea and North Yellow Sea,China

Denitrification and anammox processes are major nitrogen removal processes in coastal ecosystems.However,the spatiotemporal dynamics and driving factors of the diversity and community structure of involved functional bacteria have not been well illustrated in coastal environments,especially in human-dominated ecosystems.In this study,we investigated the distributions of denitrifiers and anammox bacteria in the eutrophic Bohai Sea and the northern Yellow Sea of China in May and November of2012 by constructing clone libraries employing nosZ and 16 S rRNA gene biomarkers.The diversity of nosZ-denitrifier was much higher at the coastal sites compared with the central sites,but not significant among basins or seasons.Alphaproteobacteria were predominant and prevalent in the sediments,whereas Betaproteobacteria primarily occurred at the site near the Huanghe(Yellow)River estuary.Anammox bacteria Candidatus Scalindua was predominant in the sediments,and besides,Candidatus Brocadia and Candidatus Kuenenia were also detected at the site near the Huanghe River estuary that received strong riverine and anthropogenic impacts.Salinity was the most important in structuring communities of nosZdenitrifier and anammox bacteria.Additionally,anthropogenic perturbations(e.g.nitrogen overloading and consequent high primary productivity,and heavy metal discharges)contributed significantly to shaping community structures of denitrifier and anammox bacteria,suggesting that anthropogenic activities would influence and even change the ecological function of coastal ecosystems.