Variation of reactivity of particulate and sedimentary organic matter along the Zhujiang River Estuary

To investigate organic matter source and reactivity in the Zhujiang River (Pearl River)Estuary and its adjacent areas, particulate organic carbon (POC), particulate hydrolysable amino acids (PHAA), and Chl a during two cruises in July 1999 and July 2000 were measured. The highest POC and PHAA concentration was observed in the waters with maximum Chl a. The spectra distribution,relative content (dry weight in milligram per gram), PHAA-C% POC and other indicators such as the ratios of amino acids vs. amino sugars (AA/AS) and glucosamine vs. galactosamine (Glum/Gal) suggested that particulate amino acids in the water column and sediments in the Zhujiang River Estuary were mainly derived from biogenic processes rather than transported from terrestrial erosion. In inner estuary where high turbidity was often observable, organic matter was mainly contributed by re-suspension of bottom sediments with revealed zooplankton, microbial reworked characteristics, which suggest that these organic matters were relatively “old“. In the estuarine brackish region, organic matter in water column is mainly contributed by relatively fresh, easily degradable phytoplankton derived organic matter.During physical - biological processes within the eastuary, organic matter derived from phytoplankton was subjected to alteration by zooplankton grazing and bacterial reworking.     

Year-round accumulation of particulate organic matter in the estuarine turbidity maximum: comparative observations in three macrotidal estuaries (Chikugo, Midori, and Kuma Rivers), southwestern Japan

The inner part of the Ariake Sea is one of the most productive estuarine systems in Japan. To examine potential food items for estuarine organisms, we conducted monthly observations of the dynamics of particulate organic matter along the macrotidal Chikugo River estuary in 2005 and 2006. In the neighboring macrotidal Midori and Kuma River estuaries, comparative observations were made. High turbidity and strong vertical mixing were observed only at low salinities (<10) in the Chikugo River estuary. In contrast, the Midori and Kuma River estuaries were characterized by less turbid and less mixed waters. Concentrations of particulate organic carbon often exceeded 5?mg?l^?1 in or close to the estuarine turbidity maximum (ETM) of the Chikugo River estuary. However, such high concentrations were rarely observed in the other two estuaries. The observed differences could be attributable to different hydrodynamic processes related to the different lengths of tidal reaches: 23, 8, and 6?km in the Chikugo, Midori, and Kuma Rivers, respectively. In the Chikugo River estuary, spatiotemporal changes of chlorophyll a suggested that phytoplankton occurred abundantly up- and/or downstream from the ETM especially during the warm season. In contrast, pheophytin (i.e., plant detritus) always accumulated in or close to the ETM. Carbon stable isotope ratios and carbon to nitrogen ratios indicated that the plant detritus was derived from phytoplankton and terrestrial plants. The Chikugo River estuary has a high potential to support the production of estuarine organisms through abundant plant detritus in the well-developed ETM all the year round.     

Winter and spring phytoplankton composition and production in a shallow eutrophic Baltic lagoon

Taxonomic composition and productivity of winter and spring phytoplankton in a eutrophic estuary have been investigated in order to elucidate the carbon flux under conditions of limitation by physical factors – light and temperature. In spite of the important differences in nutrients, solar radiation and water temperature between winter and spring season, mean concentrations of particulate organic carbon were equal to 13.2 and 13.0 mgC l⁻¹, respectively. Chlorophyll a averaged at 79 μgChl l⁻¹ in winter, that is 69% of spring. Although community respiration accounted for only 6–26% of light saturated photosynthesis, integrated net primary production of the 1.2 m deep water column was negative until April. High attenuation of the water body (K_o = 2.9 m⁻¹) lead to a negative carbon balance (net heterotrophy) below 35 cm for all sampling dates. Thus, the high winter POC and phytoplankton values can only originate from summer or autumn primary production. This assumption was supported by a carbon loss rate of just 3% of total organic carbon per day for the whole water column. The composition of phytoplankton was very constant through both seasons: 39% Chlorophyceae, 33% Cyanobacteria and 25% Bacillariophyceae. As expected, phytoplankton was low light acclimated, having high α values (slope of light limited photosynthesis), but moderate maximum photosynthesis rates at saturating irradiances, which were heavily affected by temperature. Calculation of net carbon flux yet showed net heterotrophy of the Bodden waters in winter and early spring were caused by external physical limitation (low surface irradiance and low temperature) in combination with a high light attenuation of the water body.     

The distribution and flux of particulate matter in the Bideford River Estuary,Prince Edward Island,Canada

The temporal and spatial distribution of total and organic particulate matter is investigated in the Bideford River estuary. Particulate matter is homogenously distributed in both the water column and the surface sediment, due to high rates of resuspension and lateral transport. The measured mean sedimentation rate for the estuary is 183·5 g of particulate matter m^?2 day^?1, of which more than half is due to resuspension.The surface sediment of the estuary is quantitatively the dominant reservoir of organic matter, with an average of 902·5 g of particulate organic carbon (POC) m^?2 and 119·5 g of particulate organic nitrogen (PON) m^?2. Per unit surface area, the sediment contains 450 times more POC and 400 times more PON than the water column. Terrestrial erosion contributes high levels of particulate matter, both organic and inorganic, to the estuary from the surrounding watershed. Low rates of sediment export from the estuary result in the accumulation of the terrigenous material. The allochthonous input of terrigenous organic matter masks any relationship between the indigenous plant biomass and the organic matter.In the water column, a direct correlation exists between the organic matter, i.e. POC and PON, concentration and the phytoplankton biomass as measured by the plant pigments. Resuspension is responsible for the residual organic matter in the water column unaccounted for by the phytoplankton biomass.The particulate content of the water column and the surface sediment of the estuary is compared to that of the adjacent bay. Water-borne particulate matter is exported from the estuary to the bay, so that no significant differences in concentration are noted. The estuarine sediment, however, is five to six times richer in organic and silt-clay content than the bay sediment. Since sediment flux out of the estuary is restricted, the allochthonous contribution of terrigenous particulate matter to the bay sediment is minor, and the organic content of the bay sediment is directly correlated to the autochthonous plant biomass.     

Primary production, plant and detrital biomass, and particle transport in the Columbia River Estuary

The dynamics of primary production and particulate detritus cycling in the Columbia River Estuary are described, with particular reference to mechanisms that account for patterns within the water column, on the tidal flats, and in the adjacent wetlands. Analysis of patterns in phytoplankton flora and biomass and in distribution of detrital particulate organic matter (DPOC) in the water column indicated that salinities of 1–5 delineated an essentially freshwater flora from a marine or euryhaline flora, and that living phytoplankton was converted to DPOC at the freshwater-brackishwater interface. Similarly, the benthic diatom assemblages on tidal flats reflected either the fresh or the brackish nature of the water inundating the flats. Emergent vascular plants were grouped into six associations by cluster analysis, the associations being separated mainly on the bases of different relative abundances of freshwater, euryhaline or brackishwater species, and on whether samples occurred in high or low marsh areas.Annual rates of net areal 24-hr production averaged 55, 16, and 403gC m⁻²y⁻¹ for phytoplankton, benthic algae, and emergent vascular vegetation, respectively. Total production over the whole estuary was 17,667 metric tons C y⁻¹ for phytoplankton, 1,545mt C y⁻¹ for benthic algae, and 11,325mt C y⁻¹ for emergent vascular plants, for a grand total to 30,537mt C y⁻¹. Phytoplankton biomass turned over approximately 39 times per year on average, while benthic algae turned over about twice and emergent plants once per year.Budgets for phytoplankton carbon (PPOC) and DPOC were developed based on PPOC and DPOC import and export, grazing loss, and in situ production and conversion of PPOC to DPOC. It is suggested that 36,205mt y⁻¹ of PPOC is converted to DPOC in the estuary, principally at the freshwater-brackishwater interface. About 40,560mt y⁻¹ of PPOC is exported to the ocean, and 159,185mt y⁻¹ of DPOC is transported into the marine zone of the estuary (no data are available on DPOC export to the ocean). Thus, the estuary acts principally as a conduit for the transport of particles to the sea, and only secondarily as a converter of viable phytoplankton cells to detrital carbon and as a trap for DPOC.     

Historical changes in the Columbia River Estuary

Historical changes in the hydrology, sedimentology, and physical oceanography of the Columbia River Estuary have been evaluated with a combination of statistical, cartographic, and numerical-modelling techniques. Comparison of data digitized from US Coast and Geodetic Survey bathymetric surveys conducted in the periods 1867–1875, 1926–1937, and 1949–1958 reveals that large changes in the morphology of the estuary have been caused by navigational improvements (jetties, dredged channels, and pile dikes) and by the diking and filling of much of the wetland area. Lesser changes are attributable to natural shoaling and erosion. There has been roughly a 15% decrease in tidal prism and a net accumulation of about 68 × 10⁶m³ of sediment in the estuary. Large volumes of sediment have been eroded from the entrance region and deposited on the continental shelf and in the balance of the estuary, contributing to formation of new land. The bathymetric data indicate that, ignoring erosion at the entrance, 370 to 485 × 10⁶m³ of sediment has been deposited in the estuary since 1868 at an average rate of about 0.5 cm y⁻¹, roughly 5 times the rate at which sea level has fallen locally since the turn of the century.Riverflow data indicate that the seasonal flow cycle of the Columbia River has been significantly altered by regulation and diversion of water for irrigation. The greatest changes have occurred in the last thirty years. Flow variability over periods greater than a month has been significantly damped and the net discharge has been slightly reduced. These changes in riverflow are too recent to be reflected in the available in the available bathymetric data.Results from a laterally averaged, multiple-channel, two-dimensional numerical flow model (described in Hamilton, 1990) suggest that the changes in morphology and riverflow have reduced mixing, increased stratification, altered the response to fortnightly (neap-spring) changes in tidal forcing, and decreased the salinity intrusion length and the transport of salt into the estuary.The overall effects of human intervention in the physical processes of the Columbia River Estuary (i.e. decrease in freshwater inflow, tidal prism, and mixing; increase in flushing time and fine sediment deposition, and net accumulation of sediment) are qualitatively similar to those observed in less energetic and more obviously altered estuarine systems. A concurrent reduction in wetland habitats has resulted in an estimated 82% reduction in emergent plant production and a 15% reduction in benthic macroalgae production, a combined production loss of 51,675 metric tons of organic carbon per year. This has been at least partially compensated by a large increase in the supply of riverine detritus derived from freshwater phytoplankton primary production. Comparison of modern and estimated preregulation organic carbon budgets for the estuary indicates a shift from a food web based on comparatively refractory macrodetritus derived from emergent vegetation to one involving more labile microdetritus derived from allochthonous phytoplankton. The shift has been driven by human-induced changes to the physical environment of the estuary.While this is a relatively comprehensive study of historical physical changes, it is incomplete in that the sediment budget is still uncertain. More precise quantification of the modern estuarine sediment budget will require both a better understanding of the fluvial input and dredging export terms and a sediment tranport model designed to explain historical changes in the sediment budget. Oceanographic studies to better determine the mechanisms leading to the formation of the turbidity maximum are also needed. The combination of cartography and modelling used in this study should be applicable in other systems where large changes in morphology have occurred in historical time.     

Fluxes of riverine nutrient to the Zhujiang River Estuary and its potential eutrophication effect

The Zhujiang River Estuary is becoming eutrophic due to the impact of anthropogenic activities in the past decades. To understand nutrient dynamics and fluxes to the Lingdingyang water via four outlets(Humen,Jiaomen, Hongqimen and Hengmen), we investigated the spatial distribution and seasonal variation of dissolved nutrients in the Zhujiang River Estuary, based on fourteen cruises conducted from March 2015 to October 2017,covering both wet(April to September) and dry(October to March next year)...     

Distribution of organic carbon in sediments and its influences on adjacent sea area in the turbidity maximum of Changjiang Estuary in China

Distributions and sources of total organic carbon （TOC）in seabed sediments and their implications for hydrodynamics are analyzed, in the turbidity maximum of the Changjiang Estuary. Ecology ecoenvironmental effects of estuary water on the continuously increasing terrigenous organic carbon from the Changjiang River are also explored through variations of organic carbon content and water quality indicators. Results show that, hydrodynamics exert important influences on distributions of organic carbon in the tur- bidity maximum of Changjiang Estuary. For their redistribution effect of terrigenous organic carbon within the moving layer in the whole region, variations from land to sea are not indicated by surficial and vertical average values of TOC and total nitrogen （TN） contents in core sediment, as well as organic stable carbon isotopes in surface sediments. However, on the long-time scale, the trend of terrigenous organic carbon decreasing from land to sea is still displayed by variations of stable carbon isotopic average values becoming heavier from land to sea. Previous studies have shown that high content of Chl a cannot appear in the Changjiang Estuary in despite of adequate nourishment supply, because photosynthesis of phytoplankton is constrained by high suspended sediment concentration（SSC）. However, an area with a high content of Chl a occurs, which may be caused by resuspended benthic algae with bottom fine grain-size sediments. Tremendous pressures are imposed on the environment of Changjiang Estuary, because of uhrophication trends and special hydrodynamics. Phytoplankton bloom area tends to extend from the outer sea to the mouth of Changjiang River.     

Hydrodynamic control of phytoplankton in low salinity waters of the James River estuary,Virginia, U.S.A.

Autotrophic biomass and productivity as well as nutrient distributions and phytoplankton cell populations in the James River estuary, Virginia, were quantified both spatially and temporally over a 17-month period. Emphasis was placed on the very low salinity region of the estuary in order to gain information on the fate of freshwater phytoplankters. Differing amounts of freshwater plant biomass are advected into the estuary as living material, DOC or POC and the demonstrated variability of this input must play an important role in marine biogeochemical cycling.Late summer and fall maxima in both chlorophyll a and the photosynthetic production of particulate organic carbon in very low salinity regions were inversely correlated with river discharge.During periods of low river discharge greater than 50% of the chlorophyll a biomass measured at 0‰ disappeared within a narrow range of salinity (0–2‰). Cell enumeration data suggest that species introduced from the freshwater end-member tend to comprise the bulk of the biomass removed. Confounding factors, which may contribute to the regulation of both the abundance and species of phytoplankters mid-river, include the flocculation of colloidal material with phytoplankton cells, the presence of the turbidity maximum and the growth of endemic phytoplankton populations.An inverse relationship exists between the phytoplankton abundance in very low salinity waters and the abundance of biomass measured in the lower portion of the river (estuary). Thus, autotrophic production in the fresh and very low salinity areas may indirectly regulate the onset on the spring bloom in the estuary by controlling the amount of nutrients available.     

2016年春季季风转换期的珠江冲淡水分布与生态特征分析*

基于2016年4—6月珠江口航次的现场调查资料及卫星数据, 对春季季风转换期的风场分布特征, 冲淡水路径的时空变化情况以及相应的生态响应进行了分析。结果显示珠江口及其临近海域在4—5月表现为过渡性风场, 受冬季风和夏季风的共同作用, 且风向多变。至6月, 冬季风消失, 西南季风控制了整个研究海域, 与此同时珠江径流量逐月增大, 冲淡水的分布特征也随着风场及径流变化发生转变。具体表现为4—5月份冲淡水向粤西沿岸方向扩展, 且在5月流幅更宽, 可达离岸70km处。6月冲淡水向东西两个方向扩展, 向西的冲淡水在河口外受到夏季风场以及背景流场的抑制, 形成以盐度和浊度为特征的锋面; 向东的冲淡水离岸扩展, 在粤东外海形成大面积的羽状流。此外, 珠江口叶绿素和溶解氧的分布主要受冲淡水的影响, 其分布形态与冲淡水路径相似。垂向上, 可观测到珠江口低氧的形成过程, 海水层化, 稳定水柱的形成以及生物分解过程共同导致了珠江口底部的溶解氧较低。浊度的分布主要受径流携带的悬沙影响, 与盐度有很强的负相关性。     

Fluxes and sources of suspended organic matter in an estuarine turbidity maximum region during low discharge conditions

Water column concentrations of total suspended solids (TSS), particulate organic carbon (POC) and particulate nitrogen (PN) were measured at three different depths in four different locations bracketing the estuarine turbidity maximum (ETM) along the main channel of a temperate riverine estuary (Winyah Bay, South Carolina, USA). Measurements were carried out over full tidal cycle (over 24 h). Salinity, temperature, current magnitude and direction were also monitored at the same time throughout the water column. Tidally averaged net fluxes of salt, TSS, POC and PN were calculated by combining the current measurements with the concentration data. Under the extreme low river discharge conditions that characterized the study period, net landward fluxes of salt were measured in the lower part of the study area, suggesting that the landward transport through the main channel of the estuary was probably balanced by export out through the sides. In contrast, the net fluxes of salt in the upper reaches of the study area were near zero, indicating a closed salt balance in this part of the estuary. In contrast to salt, the net fluxes of TSS, POC and PN in the deeper parts of the water column were consistently landward at all four sites in Winyah Bay indicating the non-conservative behavior of particulate components and their active transport up the estuary in the region around the ETM.The carbon contents (%POC), carbon:nitrogen ratios (org[C:N]a) and stable carbon isotopic compositions (δ¹³C_POC) of the suspended particles varied significantly with depth, location and tidal stage. Tidally averaged compositions showed a significant increase up the estuary in the %POC and org[C:N]a values of suspended particles consistent with the preferential landward transport of carbon-rich particles with higher vascular plant debris content. The combination of tidal resuspension and flood-dominated flow appeared to be responsible for the hydrodynamic sorting of particles along the estuary that resulted in denser, organic-poor particles being transported landward less efficiently. The elemental and isotopic compositions indicated that vascular C₃ plants and estuarine algae were the major sources of the particulate organic matter of all the samples, without any significant contributions from salt marsh C₄ vegetation (Spartina alterniflora) and/or marine phytoplankton.     

基于改进的RCA水质模型对珠江口夏季缺氧及初级生产力的数值模拟研究

针对珠江口藻类生长受泥沙遮光限制明显的问题, 对RCA(row and column of Aesop)三维水质模型进行改进, 加入泥沙模块及悬沙遮光对藻类生长的限制作用。应用改进的RCA水质模型, 对珠江口的营养盐、浮游植物及溶解氧进行模拟研究, 结果显示, 改进的RCA水质模型较好地再现了洪季珠江口营养盐、浮游植物和溶解氧在水平及垂向上的空间分布, 这表明该水质模型能较好地反映珠江河口中生态因子的关键过程。珠江口的缺氧现象在物理和生化过程的共同作用下, 被限制在伶仃洋的西滩和中滩及磨刀门海域。在洪季, 大量冲淡水进入珠江口形成锋面, 颗粒态有机物(particulate organic matter, POM)在锋面的影响下, 大量集中沉降在伶仃洋的西滩及中滩特定区域及磨刀门外, 产生较高的底泥耗氧率(sediment oxygen demand, SOD)。而在高SOD的区域, 水体分层通常也较明显, 因而产生缺氧现象。另一方面, 伶仃洋水体中磷的限制作用明显, 加上悬浮泥沙的遮光作用, 不利于浮游植物生长, 使得初级生产力低; 而在陆架上, 悬沙浓度减少使初级生产力增加, 但由于海源颗粒有机碳(particulate organic carbon, POC)的沉积分散于整个陆架上, 无法产生伶仃洋内的高SOD区域, 加上水体分层不明显, 并没有产生缺氧现象。     

夏季珠江口沉积物?水界面重金属分布特征及其影响因子研究

珠江口受复杂径?潮动力耦合作用的影响,河口重金属迁移转化机制复杂多变。本文基于2018年夏季珠江口及其邻近海域海水和沉积物的调查资料,研究了珠江口多动力因子驱动下7种重金属元素汞、砷、锌、镉、铅、铜和铬的沉积、迁移和积累机制。结果表明:相比于溶解态重金属（水体中）的赋存状况,吸附态重金属（沉积物中）更稳定,污染也更严重;采用皮尔逊相关分析和主成分分析计算出重金属元素与环境因子之间的响应关系,溶解态重金属主要以稀释混合过程为主,吸附态重金属受有机碳和氧化还原作用的影响较大;沉积物?水界面重金属的分配系数显示出铅和铬易被吸附在颗粒物上,而镉和汞易溶解在水体中,揭示了河口复杂动力影响下元素在不同介质的形态转换特征;除了镉?铬、镉?铜和铬?砷这3组元素间不显著相关,其他元素间的显著相关性表明了重金属元素具有相似的来源,并采用主成分分析探讨了重金属元素的潜在来源,主要来源为工业废水,农业和大气沉降次之。研究结果可为有效控制重金属的排放和河口污染治理提供重要支撑。     

The carbonate system of the amur estuary and the adjacent marine aquatic areas

In July 2007, integrated studies of the Amur Estuary and the adjacent aquatic areas were performed on board R/V Professor Gagarinskii within the project of the Amur River basin exploration. On the basis of the data obtained during the cruise, the carbonate system of the Amur Estuary in the summer period was considered. It was shown that the distribution of the carbonate parameters in the Amur Estuary and the adjacent aquatic areas points to the high intensity of the bio-geochemical processes of production and mineralization of organic matter. It was found that the organic matter destruction is prevailing over the photosynthesis in the riverine part of the estuary. This aquatic area is a source of carbon dioxide for the atmosphere and rates as a heterotrophic basin. On the contrary, the surface waters at the outer boundaries of the estuary (the Gulf of Sakhalin and the Tatar Strait) act as a sink of the atmospheric carbon dioxide, which is caused by the intense photosynthesis in this area. This part of the estuary is treated as an autotrophic basin.     

Sea ice,hydrological, and biological processes in the Churchill River estuary region,Hudson Bay

A conceptual scheme for the transition from winter to spring is developed for a small Arctic estuary (Churchill River, Hudson Bay) using hydrological, meteorological and oceanographic data together with models of the landfast ice. Observations within the Churchill River estuary and away from the direct influence of the river plume (Button Bay), between March and May 2005, show that both sea ice (production and melt) and river water influence the region's freshwater budget. In Button Bay, ice production in the flaw lead or polynya of NW Hudson Bay result in salinization through winter until the end of March, followed by a gradual freshening of the water column through April–May. In the Churchill Estuary, conditions varied abruptly throughout winter–spring depending on the physical interaction among river discharge, the seasonal landfast ice, and the rubble zone along the seaward margin of the landfast ice. Until late May, the rubble zone partially impounded river discharge, influencing the surface salinity, stratification, flushing time, and distribution and abundance of nutrients in the estuary. The river discharge, in turn, advanced and enhanced sea ice ablation in the estuary by delivering sensible heat. Weak stratification, the supply of riverine nitrogen and silicate, and a relatively long flushing time (∼ 6 days) in the period preceding melt may have briefly favoured phytoplankton production in the estuary when conditions were still poor in the surrounding coastal environment. However, in late May, the peak flow and breakdown of the ice-rubble zone around the estuary brought abrupt changes, including increased stratification and turbidity, reduced marine and freshwater nutrient supply, a shorter flushing time, and the release of the freshwater pool into the interior ocean. These conditions suppressed phytoplankton productivity while enhancing the inventory of particulate organic matter delivered by the river. The physical and biological changes observed in this study highlight the variability and instability of small frozen estuaries during winter–spring transition, which implies sensitivity to climate change.     

Benthic-pelagic coupling and export of organic carbon from a tropical Atlantic continental shelf—Sierra Leone

An approximate carbon budget for the Sierra Leone River Estuary and adjacent inner continental shelf indicates that phytoplankton production is balanced by grazers only in the wet season estuary; on the continental shelf, and in the dry season estuary, phytoplankton production exceeds demand of consumer populations by 70–90%. Regional production is dominated by the dry season estuary where diatom blooms support large population of the phytophagous clupeid fish Ethmalosa fimbriata. It is suggested that as well as what is used in bacterial respiration, not quantified in the study, important amounts of inshore organic carbon production are available for export, or burial, or both, either in inshore mudbanks or at the shelf edge by slumping. This carbon budget for a tropical continental shelf having neither coral-reefs nor coastal upwelling appears to correspond with what is emerging as a generic distinction between shelves and open ocean ecosystems: surplus production on shelves, balance between producers and consumers in the open ocean.     

Comparison of the effects of short-term UVB radiation exposure on phytoplankton photosynthesis in the temperate Changjiang and subtropical Zhujiang estuaries of China

We examined the effect of solar ultraviolet radiation B (UVB, 280–315 nm) on photosynthesis of natural phytoplankton assemblages in the temperate Changjiang River Estuary (CRE) in the East China Sea (ECS), and the subtropical Zhujiang River Estuary (ZRE) in the South China Sea (SCS) from August 2002 to April 2003. The short-term effect of UVB was assessed by exposing samples in quartz tubes/bottles to solar radiation under three treatments: (1) natural sunlight (NS) with UVB (NS-UVB); (2) photosynthetically active radiation (PAR, NS cut off UVB); and (3) NS with additional artificial UVB (NS + A-UVB). Solar UVB apparently inhibited phytoplankton photosynthesis rates. In the temperate CRE-ECS, solar UVB reduced surface phytoplankton photosynthesis by about 28% in August and February, while in the subtropical ZRE-SCS the inhibition was only 22% in September and October. In the CRE-ECS, phytoplankton in the stratified water column displayed stronger UVB inhibition when deeper water samples were exposed to surface UVB. Phytoplankton in the mixed water column did not show strong UVB inhibition, while light shift exposure of deeper phytoplankton in the same water column to surface light produced similar results, indicating that mixing moderates UVB effects. In the ZRE-SCS, surface phytoplankton showed greater photoinhibition in January (sunny). However, in April (cloudy), phytoplankton showed little UVB inhibition. Incubation for a short time without UVB showed a large increase in Chl a at two stations in the ZRE-SCS, but a large decrease at the other station in the presence of UVB. In contrast, in the CRE-ECS, a similar incubation experiment without UVB showed a decrease in Chl a, and small UVB inhibition of Chl a at two stations. Nutrient conditions might have played a role in the difference of UVB inhibition between the two regions as the ZRESCS had relatively high concentrations of all nutrients while PO₄ was only 0.21 μM at one of the CRE-ECS stations. The results suggest that phytoplankton in temperate waters would be more responsive to variation of UVB than ones in subtropical waters.     

Plankton distribution and vertical flux of biogenic matter during high summer stratification in the Krka estuary (Eastern Adriatic)

The aim of this study was to investigate phytoplankton abundance, composition and vertical export in the highly stratified Krka estuary, Croatia. The estuary is stratified throughout the year, and an interface between fresh- and brackish water plays an important role in production and degradation of biogenic matter. Vertical export of particulate organic carbon (POC), phytoplankton carbon (PPC) and faecal pellet carbon (FPC) was studied by deploying sediment traps in the middle and lower reach of the estuary and in the adjacent coastal zone. Zooplankton faecal pellet (FP) production experiments were conducted to provide additional information on the potential contribution of FP to the total carbon flux. High suspended concentrations of POC, chlorophyll a and phytoplankton was found in the lower reaches of the Krka estuary, adjacent to a source of anthropogenic eutrophication. The fraction of organic detritus to the total POC flux was 61–69% inside the estuary but only 7% at the marine station. This indicates that the primary producers in the surface layer of the Krka estuary are decomposed in and below the interface and then settle as detritus to the bottom. Low sedimentation rates in the coastal zone outside the estuary revealed that the eutrophication does not spread out of the estuary. Mesozooplankton played a modest role in vertical flux regulation, due to their low abundance and dominance of smaller forms as well as low faecal pellet production rates. It is concluded that processes taking place at the freshwater-seawater interface are of major importance for the vertical carbon flux in the investigated area.     

Phytoplankton ecology of a barrier island estuary: Great South Bay,New York

The phytoplankton ecology of Great South Bay, New York, was studied over a 1-year period. The study area, a large barrier island estuary (coastal lagoon with estuarine circulation), was characterized by high levels of inorganic nutrients, high turbidity and a shallow euphotic zone (<2 m). Net annual primary production by phytoplankton was high—450 g C m^?2 year^?1—and accounted for approximately 85% of the total ecosystem primary production. Chlorophyll a-specific productivity was dependent on mean photic zone light intensity in areas of the bay <1 m in depth from September 1979 through June 1980; 65–95% of the total light extinction in those areas was attibutable to suspended solids. Nitrogenous nutrient concentration did not limit phytoplankton productivity. Diatom and dinoflagellate cell densities varied greatly over time, while cryptomonad and chlorophyte species were abundant throughtout the year. Chlorophytes of 2–4 μm (‘small forms’) were numerically dominant, and contributed approximately half of the total phytoplankton biomass. Dilution of bay water by intruding ocean water appeared to control the spatial distribution of chlorophyll a on the south side of the bay; in other areas, growth appeared to exceed the rate of dilution by flushing. Waters entrained in eelgrass beds were significantly higher in salinity and mean photic zone light intensity, and had lower phytoplankton standing stock and depth-integrated primary production than control areas; waters in the sediment plume of active clamdigging boats were statistically similar to control areas with respect to water quality and phytoplankton community characteristics.     

渤海湾海河口区浮游植物动态及其与有机污染的关系

近二十年来，随着海洋环境科学的发展，河口污染和生态问题日益受到重视。关于污水排放对河口内湾浮游植物生态的影响，近年Ketchum, B. H. (1967); McCormick, J.M. 等(1975); Rice, T. R. (1975); Jenkins, S. H. (1978); Thompson, G. B. 等(1981 ); Meyers, V. B. 等(1983)和Joint, I. R.(1984)都做过调查研究和评论。但迄今国内有关这方面的研究报道甚少。 海河口是一个有污染源的生态环境特殊的感潮河口，受自然因素和人类活动的影响很大。由于其地理位置得天独厚，水质肥沃，饵料丰富，历来是许多经济鱼虾类优良的天然产卵、索饵和肥育的场所，在渤海渔业上占有重要位置。但近十多年，由于入海径流量锐减和城市污水排海总量的增加1)，其水质逐渐恶化，环境正由半咸水向海洋化方向演变，对河口渔业构成严重威胁。对此，我所曾于1978-1981年对渤海湾的污染状况及影响进行过多学科的综合调查，在渤海湾污染的浮游植物生态效应、海湾富营养化及其与赤潮的关系等方面，也做过初步研究(邹景忠等，1983; 1984; 1985 )。当时由于受调查范围和项目的限制，对河口有机污染及生态效应的研究还很不够，所获得的一些资料尚不足以作出定量的科学论断。 本文着重探讨海河口区浮游植物的生态变化及其与有机污染的关系，旨在为综合分析和评价海河口区目前的生态质量及演变趋势，为河口环境的综合整治提供科学依据。