Fertility of domestic sewage and eutrophication in estuarine harbor

The concentration and partition ratio of various speciations of nutrients in domestic sewage were determined. The transformation and transportation among the speciations, as well as their biological effects during sewage-seawater mixing were simulated in laboratory. The results are compared with field observation and the following findings are: i) The suitable range of ratio DIN/DIP in seawater for growth of phytoplankton in subtropical estuary and harbor is quite wide. It could grow well even in the range of 15-55 in atom ratio, and is independ of the variation in levels of N and P. ii) The transformation rate among the speciations of phosphorus is within the range of 0. 5 to 1. 1 μmol/d . iii) Phytoplankton uptakes P prior to N during its growth. The growth rate for Skeletonema costatum (the major species) and field algae are 0. 34-0. 58/d and 0. 30-0. 31/d, respectively. iv) The red tide species Prorocentrum micans could become the dominant species to a density 107 cells/L after Skeletonema costatum     

What role do beds of submerged macrophytes play in structuring estuarine fish assemblages? Lessons from a warm-temperate South African estuary

Habitat variability is one of the factors influencing species richness within estuarine systems, and a loss of habitat can result in a restructuring of the estuarine ichthyofaunal assemblage, particularly if these conditions persist over long time periods. The potential effects of the loss of extensive submerged macrophyte beds (Ruppia cirrhosa and Potamogeton pectinatus) on an estuarine fish assemblage were investigated through an analysis of a long-term seine net catch dataset from the temporarily open/closed East Kleinemonde Estuary, South Africa. Catch data for a 12-year period, encompassing six years of macrophyte presence and six years of macrophyte senescence, indicated that the loss of this habitat did not influence species richness but changes in the relative abundance of certain species were evident. A shift in dominance from vegetation-associated species to those associated with sandy environments (e.g. members of the family Mugilidae) was observed. However, species wholly dependent on macrophytes such as the critically endangered estuarine pipefish Syngnathus watermeyeri were only recorded during years when macrophyte beds were present, while vegetation-associated species such as the sparid Rhabdosargus holubi persisted at lower levels of relative abundance. The reduced abundance of all vegetation-associated fish species during years of macrophyte senescence was probably reflective of declining food resources resulting from the loss of macrophyte beds and/or increased vulnerability to predation. Submerged beds of aquatic plants are therefore important habitats within temporarily open/closed estuaries, South Africa’s dominant estuary type.     

Spatial patterns in community structure of motile epibenthic fauna in coastal habitats along the Skagerrak – Baltic salinity gradient

Patterns in community structure and functioning of motile epibenthic fauna were investigated in shallow (0–1 m) sediment habitats along the Skagerrak–Baltic estuarine gradient (salinity range from 4 to 34). The study area was divided into five regions, reflecting different sea-basins along the 1260 km coastline, and fauna was collected at six sites within each region. Ten replicate samples of motile epibenthic fauna were taken randomly at each site with a portable drop trap (bottom area 1 m²) in June and September in 2004.     

How facies and diagenesis affect fracturing of limestone beds and reservoir permeability in limestone–marl alternations

Facies and diagenetic heterogeneities in carbonate reservoir rocks affect both, fracture distribution and fracture permeability. Many studies focussed on fracture patterns in limestone–marl alternations, as e.g. fluid flow models, are based on laterally continuous beds. Here we examine 4010 fractures in multiple layers of limestone–marl alternations using a modified scan-line method. The studied successions belong to the Blue Lias Formation (Hettangian–Sinemurian), exposed on the coast of the Bristol Channel, United Kingdom. We combine methods of sedimentology and structural geology with rock physics to gain a better understanding of the role of facies, diagenesis and petrophysical properties (tensile and compressive strength, hardness, porosity) on the distribution of fractures (fracture orientation, density, spacing and height). Fracture distribution varies significantly despite similar bed thicknesses, indicating that planar bedding planes (i.e. well-bedded limestones, WBL) and beds with bedding plane irregularities (i.e. semi-nodular limestones, SNL) must be distinguished. SNL show higher percentages of non-stratabound fractures (67%) while they are more stratabound in WBL (57%). Additionally, beds with variable bed thicknesses (in scale of 15 m long beds) exhibit a wide range of fracture spacing, whereas fractures in beds with more continuous bed thicknesses are more regularly spaced. Considering all lithologies, the percentage of non-stratabound fractures increases proportionally with CaCO₃ content. Three subsections studied in detail reveal different main sedimentological and diagenetic features (from early lithified over differentially compacted to physically compacted). All of them are characterised by dissimilar percentages of stratabound and non-stratabound fractures in limestone beds and marl interbeds. Our findings demonstrate that the distribution of fractures in individual well-bedded limestones is not necessarily representative for successions of limestone–marl alternations; multiple layers should therefore be studied in outcrop analogues as basis for fluid flow models of reservoirs composed of such lithologies.     

Species composition and diversity of Euphausiacea in the East China Sea

[1]Cai Bingji. 1978. The taxonomy study on     

Unique ‘spring-loaded’ gnathopod in the recently re-discovered and highly range-restricted estuarine amphipod Quadrivisio aviceps

The amphipod Quadrivisio aviceps (KH Barnard 1940), previously known from just three records collected at two small estuaries in the Western Cape, South Africa, was re-discovered at one of the original collection sites (the Palmiet River lagoon). The population at the second site (the Klein River estuary) appears to have died out, and surveys of other nearby estuaries failed to detect any additional populations. The species thus now appears to be restricted to a few hundred metres within a single small estuary, making it perhaps South Africa's most range-restricted marine crustacean. The gnathopod 2 of males has an extremely unusual shortened and elbowed dactyl, as well as a newly discovered and unique horseshoe-shaped ‘spring’ of elastic resilin tissue inserted within the muscles of the propodus. The function of the structure could not be confirmed, but it is thought to be a previously unknown vibration or sound-generating mechanism.     

Species composition and distribution of the planktonic diatoms in the western Taiwan Strait

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Distribution and composition characteristics of heavy minerals in surficial sediment of Minjiang Estuary

Heavy minerals with a size range of 0.125～49.250 mm in the surficial sediment of Minjiang Estuary are studied. Thirty-four heavy minerals have been identified, with an average content of 1.92%. Major minerals include magnetite, epidote, hematite, hornblende, ilmenite, and zircon mica. These types are the same as those in the 0.063～0. 125 mm range; however, the average content is lower, which reveals that the heavy minerals in Minjiang Estuary are mainly enriched in the very-fine sand fraction. According to the content and distribution characteristics of the major heavy minerals, Minjiang Estuary can be divided into 4 mineral assemblage zones. In each zone the assemblage of heavy minerals is greatly affected by the hydrodynamic condition and the sedimentary environment. Heavy mineral types also show that detrital matters in Minjiang Estuary are originated from the weathering and erosion of the bedrock in the Minjiang River drainage area.     

Species composition and distribution of marine nematode community in the North Taiwan Strait

I~IOW~ne nelnatode is a ban gIOup of benthic OrgAnsrns. Abbot 5 000 spotes Of free-livingnelnatedes have ben dedbo so far, and it has ho estimated that abbot 20 (XX) are as yetunknoWn. Chinese bothologist has Paid attention to marine nelnatodes in China seas in yare. The spatial distribution and shoes commotion of marine nelnatedes in the HUanghe EstUary, Qinhuangdao waters, QingdaO Bay and Xiamen ~ have ho reported (Zhang etal., 1990, 1991, 1993; ac and Li, 1998). ~ new shoes in the…     

Species composition,diversity and density of plagic Ostracoda in the East China Sea

On the basis of seasonal investigations at 23°30'~33°00'N,118°30'~128°00'E of the East China Sea during 1997~2000,dynamics on the density and diversity of Ostracoda was discussed.Results showed that totally 26 species were identified.The Ostracoda diversity was opposite to the change of its density in most seasons which reflected an uneven assignment of Ostracoda density among its different species.The Ostracoda density was 0.70 ind./m3 in spring,1.72 ind./m3 in summer,2.57 ind./m3 in autumn and 0.90 ind./m3 in winter.Euconchoecia chierchiae in spring and winter,Euconchoecia maimai in summer and Cypridina dentata in autumn were main dominant species in each season.The Ostracoda density did not show an obvious linear relationship with the hydrologic factors in summer and autumn,but was related to the surface salinity in spring and the surface temperature in winter.Its high density areas mainly distributed in the north offshore in all the seasons while in the south offshore in winter and in spring,and the south nearshore in summer and autumn,implied the zooplankton was a typical warm water animal,whose high density distribution in autumn were located in a similar position to Todarodes pacificus,Navodon Septentrionalis,Scomber japonicus and other fishes in the sea,so as to be an important indicator for fishing ground.The main species dominating in Ostracoda now are different from the species twenty years ago probably attributes to global warming.     

Composition and flight periodicity of adult caddisflies in New Zealand hill‐country catchments of contrasting land use

A total of 6085 adult Trichoptera (excluding Hydroptilidae) representing 12 families, 31 genera, and 56 species were collected by a combination of Malaise net and light trapping from July 1998 to July 1999 at three hill‐country sites of contrasting catchment land use (100% native forest, a pasture site with native forest headwaters, and 100% pasture) in the Waikato, northern New Zealand. Forty‐eight species of Trichoptera were collected from Malaise nets and 45 species from light traps. Eleven species of Trichoptera were only ever collected from the Malaise nets and seven species from only the light traps. At the native forest site, Malaise nets collected more species and taxa of conservation interest than did light traps, possibly reflecting diurnal activity or non‐attraction to light by some species. Several species of Trichoptera showed site specificity and most of these were found at the native forest site. Twenty‐eight species were active for at least 6 months of the year with at least four species active all year. A minimum overnight air temperature of at least 9°C was required to induce Trichoptera flight activity, but large‐scale flight activity may require temperatures greater than 14°C. Trichoptera with free‐living and net spinning larvae exhibited extended flight periods, and for three species examined there were bi‐modal activity peaks. Adult caddisflies with cased larvae which grazed on epilithic food resources generally had reduced flight periods and one species had a well‐defined, synchronous periodicity. These findings suggest flight periodicity may partly be a functional response to larval food availability.     

Fishers’ knowledge indicates short-term temporal changes in the amount and composition of catches in the southwestern Atlantic

The scarcity of data on fish catches difficult management of small-scale fisheries in developing countries. This study applies fishers’ knowledge to investigate temporal changes in the amount (biomass) and composition (major ecological categories) of fishing resources exploited by small-scale coastal fisheries in the southeastern Brazilian coast. Four hypotheses were investigated: (1) The amount of fish caught reported by fishers would decrease over time. (2) Older fishers would report higher fish catches than younger fishers. (3) Recent interviews would mention large-sized predators less often. (4) Recent interviews would mention less high valued fishing resources. Interviews with 421 fishers in 36 communities in the southeastern Brazilian coast were analyzed, covering a time span of 14 years, from 1995 to 2009. The hypothesis 1 was confirmed, 3 was partially confirmed, while 2 and 4 were not confirmed. Fishers’ age was unrelated to all variables. The results from fishers’ interviews indicated the temporal trends of: (1) a decrease in the biomass of fish caught; (2) an increase in the occurrence of smaller fish and invertebrates in the catch; (3) an increase of high value fishing resources; and (4) maintenance of large predators. The first two indicators suggest excessive fishing, but the later indicators (3 and 4) suggest that the socioecological system of the southeastern Brazilian coast had not yet undergone major ecological shifts.     

Chemical composition and Pb(Ⅱ) binding of dissolved organic matter in a hypersaline lake in China

Dissolved organic matter(DOM) plays a vital role in promoting carbon and nutrient cycling.It is a food source for organisms and controls the migration and transformation of trace metals and other contaminants in aquatic systems. The contributions of aquatic DOM to the environment and ecology of a system are closely related to its abundance and chemical structure. In this study, the chemical composition and binding properties of DOM in a hypersaline lake watershed were investigated for the first ...     

Acoustic habitat and shellfish mapping and monitoring in shallow coastal water – Sidescan sonar experiences in The Netherlands

Sidescan sonar has been applied in a number of shallow water environments along the Dutch coast to map and monitor shellfish and seabed habitats. The littoral setting of these surveys may hamper data acquisition flying the towfish in zones of turbulence and waves, but also offers valuable opportunities for understanding, interpreting and validating sidescan sonar images because of the ability to ground-truth during low water periods, enabling easy identification and validation. Acoustical images of some of the mussel banks on the tidal flats of the Wadden Sea, recorded at high tide, show a marked resemblance with optical Google Earth images of the same banks. These sonar images may thus serve as ‘acoustic type signatures’ for the interpretation of sonar patterns recorded in deeper water where ground-truthing is more difficult and more expensive. Similarly, acoustic type signatures of (Japanese) oyster banks were obtained in the estuaries in the southwest of the Netherlands.     

Estimating absolute salinity (SA) in the world׳s oceans using density and composition

The practical (S_p) and reference (S_R) salinities do not account for variations in physical properties such as density and enthalpy. Trace and minor components of seawater, such as nutrients or inorganic carbon affect these properties. This limitation has been recognized and several studies have been made to estimate the effect of these compositional changes on the conductivity–density relationship. These studies have been limited in number and geographic scope. Here, we combine the measurements of previous studies with new measurements for a total of 2857 conductivity–density measurements, covering all of the world׳s major oceans, to derive empirical equations for the effect of silica and total alkalinity on the density and absolute salinity of the global oceans and to recommend an equation applicable to most of the world׳s oceans. The potential impact on salinity as a result of uptake of anthropogenic CO₂ is also discussed.     

Amino acid and hexosamine composition and flux of sinking particulate matter in the equatorial Pacific at 175°E longitude

Sinking matter collected by sediment traps, which were deployed in the equatorial Pacific Ocean at 175°E for about 11 months during 1992–1993, were analyzed for their flux and labile components in terms of amino acids and hexosamines. The samples provided a temporal resolution of 15 days and were collected from 1357 (shallow trap) and 4363 m (deep trap) depths where sea floor depth was 4880 m. Particle flux along with major components (carbonate, organic matter, biogenic opal and lithogenic material) and amino acid parameters showed distinct temporal variations, which were more pronounced in the shallow trap relative to deep trap. A coupling between the fluxes in the shallow and deep traps was more evident during the period of maximum particle flux, which seems to be connected with the short reappearance of non-El Niño conditions in equatorial Pacific during the 1991–1993 El Niño event. The biogeochemical indicators C/N, Asp/Bala, Glu/Gaba, Bala+Gaba mol%, THAA-C% and THAA-N% implied that the increase in sinking flux was associated with upwelling and enhanced surface production. Degradation of sinking particulate organic matter between the shallow and deep traps was also evident. Occasionally higher mass and major component fluxes in the deep trap relative to the shallow trap are attributed to contribution of resuspended particulates from sea floor (nepheloid layer) or to laterally advected particulates from nearby areas. Carbonate and opal composition of the sinking flux showed a predominance of calcareous plankton; however, Asp/Gly mol ratio and Ser+Thr mol% indicated enhanced occurrence of diatoms during the periods of higher flux.     

Mangrove planning and management in New Zealand and South East Australia – A reflection on approaches

The mangrove Avicennia marina var. australasica occurs on the temperate coastlines of New Zealand's north island and New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia in South East Australia. Mangroves are increasing in area with seaward expansion in New Zealand and landward expansion in temperate Australia. Their expansion has been viewed as unnatural. With pressure from residential and coastal development, planning and management authorities in both countries are being exerted to allow for the removal and destruction of mangroves, partly for protecting and re-instating other impacted habitats such as saltmarsh and mudflats and partly to maintain recreational and amenity values of coastal communities. Estuary management planning is a useful tool that can integrate and balance policy directions for mangroves and other estuarine habitats in a strategic manner. Mangroves should not be considered as ‘bad’ in isolation but viewed as part of the mosaic of tidal habitats important for estuary function and health.     

Distribution and characteristics of marine habitats in a subpolar bay based on hydroacoustics and bed shear stress estimates—Potter Cove,King George Island,Antarctica

Marine habitats worldwide are increasingly pressurized by climate change, especially along the Antarctic Peninsula. Well-studied areas in front of rapidly retreating tidewater glaciers like Potter Cove are representative for similar coastal environments and, therefore, shed light on habitat formation and development on not only a local but also regional scale. The objective of this study was to provide insights into habitat distribution in Potter Cove, King George Island, Antarctica, and to evaluate the associated environmental processes. Furthermore, an assessment concerning the future development of the habitats is provided. To describe the seafloor habitats in Potter Cove, an acoustic seabed discrimination system (RoxAnn) was used in combination with underwater video images and sediment samples. Due to the absence of wave and current measurements in the study area, bed shear stress estimates served to delineate zones prone to sediment erosion. On the basis of the investigations, two habitat classes were identified in Potter Cove, namely soft-sediment and stone habitats that, besides influences from sediment supply and coastal morphology, are controlled by sediment erosion. A future expansion of the stone habitat is predicted if recent environmental change trends continue. Possible implications for the Potter Cove environment, and other coastal ecosystems under similar pressure, include changes in biomass and species composition.     

Offshore wind farms as productive sites or ecological traps for gadoid fishes? – Impact on growth,condition index and diet composition

With the construction of wind farms all across the North Sea, numerous artificial reefs are created. These windmill artificial reefs (WARs) harbour high abundances of fish species which can be attracted from elsewhere or can be the result of extra production induced by these wind farms. To resolve the attraction–production debate in suddenly altered ecosystems (cf. wind farms), the possible consequences of attraction should be assessed; thereby bearing in mind that ecological traps may arise. In this paper we investigated whether the wind farms in the Belgian part of the North Sea act as ecological traps for pouting and Atlantic cod. Length-at-age, condition and diet composition of fish present at the windmill artificial reefs was compared to local and regional sandy areas.Fish data from the period 2009–2012 were evaluated. Mainly I- and II-group Atlantic cod were present around the WARs; while the 0- and I-group dominated for pouting. For Atlantic cod, no differences in length were observed between sites, indicating that fitness was comparable at the WARs and in sandy areas. No significant differences in condition index were observed for pouting. At the WARs, they were slightly larger and stomach fullness was enhanced compared to the surrounding sandy areas. Also diet differed considerably among the sites. The outcome of the proxies indicate that fitness of pouting was slightly enhanced compared to the surrounding sandy areas. No evidence was obtained supporting the hypothesis that the WARs act as an ecological trap for Atlantic cod and pouting.