Zooplankton Feeding Ecology: Contents of Fecal Pellets of the Copepods Acartia tonsa and Labidocera aestiva from Continental Shelf Waters Near the Mouth of the Mississippi River

Abstract. Feeding habits of adult female Acartia tonsa and Labidocera aestiva and L. aestiva CV copepodites were examined by comparing fecal pellet contents and available phytoplankton. Samples were collected from eight stations in the northern Gulf of Mexico near the mouth of the Mississippi River. Fecal pellets of both copepods contained remains of a wide variety of chain-forming and solitary phytoplankters of various sizes, as well as remains of other crustaceans. Contents of fecal pellets generally mirrored the composition and relative abundance of fluctuating assemblages of available natural phytoplankton. Both species fed upon a wide size range of cells, from solitary centric diatoms of 2–8 um diameter up to large solitary centrics of 33–53 urn diameter. Both copepods also ingested the elongate solitary pennate diatom Thalassiothrix sp. (264–330 urn long) and chain-forming diatoms such as Skeletonema costatum. Remains of large or chain-forming diatoms and crustaceans were more dominant in fecal pellets of L. aestiva. This suggests that L. aestiva is primarily a raptorial feeder, grasping larger particles while A. tonsa is a more typical suspension feeder. Both copepods are opportunistic omnivores, however, and there is considerable overlap in their diets.     

Zooplankton Feeding Ecology: Contents of Fecal Pellets of the Copepod Undinula vulgaris from Continental Shelf Waters of the Gulf of Mexico

Abstract. The in situ diet of the copepod Undinula vulgaris was examined by comparing contents of fecal pellets produced on natural food with assemblages of available phytoplankton. Samples were collected in continental shelf waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico. U. vulgaris was an indiscrimi-nant suspension feeder, ingesting a broad size, shape, and taxonomic array of phytoplankters. Contents of fecal pellets generally matched those of available phytoplankton assemblages. The presence within the same fecal pellets of remains of microplankters ranging over two orders of magnitude in longest dimension suggests that feeding is nonselective, and that U. vulgaris may rapidly switch between several modes of feeding.     

Zooplankton Feeding Ecology: Contents of Fecal Pellets of the Copepod Anomalocera ornata from Continental Shelf and Slope Waters of the Gulf of Mexico

Abstract. The diet of the copepod Anomalocera ornata was examined by comparing contents of fecal pellets produced on natural diets with assemblages of available phytoplankton. Samples were collected in continental shelf and slope waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico. A wide size and taxonomic array of phytoplankters was ingested, and remains of phytoplankton taxa in fecal pellets reflected the composition of phytoplankton assemblages in the water. Absence of crustacean remains in fecal pellets suggests that A. ornata feeds primarily as an opportunistic grazer.     

Seasonal factors affecting egg production and viability of eggs of Acartia tonsa Dana from East Lagoon, Galveston, Texas

Egg production and hatching success were determined between March 1981 and March 1982 for the copepod Acartia tonsa Dana from East Lagoon, Galveston, Texas. During three-day experiments in the laboratory, field collected females were fed diets of (1) natural particles collected over the water column, (2) some modification of this and (3) the diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii. The latter served to isolate the effects of temperature and salinity from the effects of the natural particle diets on egg production. Specific rates of egg production, i.e. μg egg biomass/μg body biomass/time, were consistently higher per unit carbon than nitrogen.The influence of seasonal factors on egg production was compared. Salinity was inversely correlated with egg production, but had less effect than temperature. Positive correlations with temperature were always higher for specific rates per unit nitrogen than carbon. At 15°C, females produced 0·25 of their body carbon (or nitrogen) as eggs per day, whereas at 28°C, they produced at least their own biomass as eggs per day (up to 1·80). These high rates of A. tonsa were probably due to its reproductive biology and adaptation to the subtropical habitat as well as the high temperatures and food concentrations. The correlation between specific egg production rate and temperature was less with the natural particle diets than with the unialgal diet. This indicated that the quantity or quality of natural particle assemblages in East Lagoon influenced egg production. Egg viability was highest in the spring, but was not related to diet or the percentage of females with spermatophores.     

Factors affecting the accumulation and elimination of silver (110mAg) in marine isopods

The bioaccumulation and elimination of silver-110 m was investigated in Idothea primastica. The retention of ^110mAg in the fecal pellets of Idothea was also investigated. The concentation factor was found to be relatively high (> 10³) at equilibrium and the bioaccumulation process was independent of temperature at 10°C and 20°C. It was also found that neither the loss rate from the animals nor the loss rate from fecal pellets were influenced by temperature. However, the loss rate from fecal pellets was significantly greater than that from whole animals. The retention half-times were found to be 130 days for the fecal pellets and 231 days for the animals. The loss rate of ^110mAg was higher in seawater than in brackish water.     

Zooplankton Feeding Ecology: Contents of Fecal Pellets of the Cyclopoid Copepods Oncaea venusta, Corycaeus amazonicus, Oithona plumifera, and O. simplex from the Northern Gulf of Mexico

Abstract. In situ feeding habits of the cyclopoid copepods Oncaea venusta, Corycaeus amazonicus, Oithona plumifera , and O. simplex were investigated by scanning electron microscope examination of fecal pellets, the contents of which reflected copepod gut contents upon capture. Peilet contents were compared with assemblages of phytoplankton present in surface waters at times of copepod collection. All samples were from the northern Gulf of Mexico. All four copepods fed upon phytoplankton and O. venusta also ingested other crustaceans. Dominant components of fecal pellets generally did not mirror those of available phytoplankton assemblages. In some cases, O. venusta ingested primarily larger-sized particles even when these were not most abundant, and in other cases it did not ingest large cells even when they were present in bloom concentrations. The presence of small (< 2–5 urn diameter) centric diatoms in O. venusta pellets suggests the possibility of feeding by mechanisms other than suspension or raptorial feeding. Limited observations suggest that C. amazonicus and O. plumifera may feed raptorially on larger particles even when these are not particularly abundant, and that the small O. simplex (< 500 nm total length) feeds mainly upon nanoplankton. It appears that cyclopoid feeding mechanisms are complex, and likely more so than those of many calanoids.     

南海北部底层沉积物捕获器中海雪和生物粪粒组成及来源探究

Sediment traps are an important tool for studying the source, composition and sedimentation processes of sinking particulate matter in the ocean. An in situ observational mooring(TJ-A-1) is located in the northern South China Sea(20.05°N, 117.42°E) at a water depth of 2 100 m and equipped with two sediment traps deployed at 500 m and 1 950 m. Samples were collected at 18-day intervals, and 20 samples were obtained at both depths from May 2014 to May 2015. Large amounts of fecal matter and marine snow were collected in the lower trap. The fluxes of marine snow and fecal pellets exhibited a fluctuating decrease between May 2014 and early August 2014 and then stabilized at a relatively low level. Scanning electron microscopy observations revealed that the main components of the marine snow and fecal pellets were diatoms, coccolithophores, radiolarians, and other debris, all of which are planktons mostly produced in photic zone. Used in conjunction with the particle collection range estimates from the lower trap and data on ocean surface chlorophyll, these marine snow and fecal pellets were related to the lateral transport of deep water and not vertical migrations from overlying water column. Moreover, the source area might be southwest of Taiwan.     

饵料浓度对中华哲水蚤摄食的影响

用饵料浓度差减法和排粪率法研究中华哲水蚤(Calanus sinicus)在饵料(青岛大扁藻、新月菱形藻)浓度从1500到350000个/cm3时摄食率的变化。实验证明中华哲水蚤具有很强的摄食潜力,摄食率在实验饵料浓度范围内一直在增加,在较低的饵料浓度(如青岛大扁藻4000个/cm3)下停止摄食。     

广东沿海及海南岛东南部海底表层孢粉分布及其环境意义

为了探讨海洋表层沉积物的孢粉分布与可能陆源地区植被、气候以及孢粉传播机制的关系,为南海古环境研究提供可靠的基础,采用野外取样、室内实验、计算孢粉百分比和孢粉浓度等方法,对广东沿海及海南岛东南部(108°34′12″—120°E,17°—23°43′12″N,水深为37—3370m)40个表层沉积物样品进行孢粉分析,揭示表层孢粉在整个广东沿海及海南岛东南部的分布和传播规律,尤其关注以往未涉及的广东沿岸海域的孢粉分布情况。研究发现草本花粉如禾本科Poaceae、蒿属Artemisia、藜科Chenopodiaceae、十字花科Brassiceae除在广东沿海近岸带含量较高外,一般都低,可能与沿岸热带亚热带草地分布以及水稻、甘蔗、蔬菜种植有关,推测是以冬季表层环流为动力由北向南传播的。松属Pinus花粉百分比高(20%)且传播较远,以珠江口和东沙群岛附近的样点最高,向西南逐渐降低,说明松属花粉是以冬季风为主要动力传播的。近海区域表层沉积的芒箕孢子含量很高(60%),可能与剧烈的人类活动干扰有关。而热带、亚热带阔叶林花粉(如栲属和栎属)的数量却远远低于其在陆地植被中的数量。广东沿岸的栲属Castanopsis、栎属Quercus、三缝孢Trilete-spore等花粉主要来源于海南岛和广东沿岸,可能是随河流及南海北部表层环流输送的。单缝孢及水生植物莎草科Cyperaceae的百分含量以靠近珠江口的样点较高,可能与河流的注入有关。     

Biogenic debris from the pelagic tunicate, Oikopleura dioica, and its role in the vertical transport of a transuranium element

The accumulation and retention of ²⁴¹Am by the pelagic tunicate Oikopleura dioica were examined using laboratory cultures and radiotracer methodology. Animals (i.e., trunks and tails) and discarded empty houses accumulated Am from seawater, giving volume/volume concentration factors of 59±8 and 10±1, respectively. The half-time for retention of Am in empty labelled houses transferred to non-contaminated seawater was 29 h; the retention half-time of Am in houses discarded by larvaceans feeding on Am-labelled diatoms was 219 h; the half-time of Am in fecal pellets produced by animals feeding on a monospecific diet of diatoms was 134 h, and 247 h for fecal pellets from animals fed a mixed diet. Approximately 30% of filtered cells remained in houses after the houses were discarded. Sinking rates of discarded houses and fecal pellets were found to vary with temperature and size, ranging from 26–157 m day^?1 (house) and from 25–166 m day^?1 (fecal pellets). The ubiquity and abundance of appendicularians, together with their prodigious production of houses (e.g., 10±2 houses day^?1 at 17°C for each experimental animal) point to their potential significance in the vertical transport of Am, and probably other reactive metals, to intermediate depths in the ocean.     

烟台芝罘岛海岸异常堆积事件

对烟台芝罘岛北岸海岸沉积研究发现,在坡积层中存在异常情况下形成的海滩砂砾石沉积层。异常海滩砂砾石沉积可能与历史风暴潮形成的激浪作用有关。     

基于遥感和GIS的长岛南五岛近30年海岸线时空变迁分析

海岛不仅具有很高的资源、生态和经济价值,而且对维护国家海洋权益具有重大意义。本文基于遥感和GIS技术,利用1982、1995、2006和2015年的Landsat卫星遥感影像,分析了近30年来长岛南五岛海岸线的时空变化特征。结果表明:1982年以来,长岛南五岛近30年的海岸线长度增加了9.54 km,海岸线呈向海推进趋势,平均推进速度为0.54 m/a。海岸线变化主要受人为因素的影响,变化比较大的岸段主要分布在南长山岛和北长山岛的西部,以养殖开发、填海造陆与港口建设为主。研究认为,海岸线的变化,将会导致诸如岸线侵蚀等环境问题,应注意合理开发、利用海岸线资源。     

Factors affecting the biokinetics of technetium (95mTc) in marine macroalgae

Technetium (Tc) biokinetics were investigated in marine macroalgae using ^92mTc as tracer. Green and red algae accumulated Tc (VII) to a very low degree (CF ? 1–20); however, a much higher affinity for pertechnetate was found in some brown algal species (CF > 10³). Comparative tests with different species of brown algae revealed that technetium does not accumulate similarly in all species of this group. Moreover, no significant differences in radionuclide uptake were noted between brown algae exposed to Tc in either the IV or VII oxidation states. Bioaccumulation of technetium appears to be a metabolically controlled process since uptake did not occur in heat-killed individuals and both light and temperature significantly enhanced the accumulation of technetium in brown algae. Dissection of Sargassum vulgare following the uptake phase showed that the rapidly growing air bladder, leaf-like laterals and small branches contained higher Tc concentrations and retained a greater fraction of the radioactivity than the older, cylindrical main axis. Pertechnetate retention in two brown algae was found to be significantly different; their biological half-lives for Tc differed by an order of magnitude ($\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>b</mtext><mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}\text{= 19 and 196}\text{days}$). During depuration, loss took place more rapidly from the younger portions of the seaweed, as evidenced by the highest concentration and greatest fraction of Tc retained in the older, cylindrical main axis. Provided certain precautions are taken, brown algae such as Cystoseira compressa and S. vulgare would serve as good bioindicator organisms for the presence of Tc contamination in marine waters.     

Geochemistry of some major chemical composition in marine sediments of the Haitan Island

INTRODUCTIONTheHaitanIslandislocatedalongthecoastinthemiddlesectionofFujianProvince.ItfacestheTaiwanStraitoneast,bordersontheHaitanStraitonwest,andholdsthestrategicpassageoftheFuqingBay.ThegeographicalPOsitionoftheislandissituatedbetween25'33,--25"40'Nand119o41,--119"52'E.Coveringanareaof251.4km2,itisamongthelargestislandsinFujianProvince.BasedondataofacomprehensiveinvestigationintheseaareaoftheHaitanIslandduringMay1990andJune1993,thegeochemicalcharacteristicsofCo,,,N,P,Fe,Al,T…     

岬湾海岸中人工岛建设对岬角涡旋及海湾地形冲淤的影响——以海南岛铺前湾为例

岬湾海岸中一般在岬角的右侧与左侧（面向大海方向）分别发育顺时针与逆时针涡流。这些涡流的存在对泥沙输运、海底地形演变、污染物扩散等都具有重要影响。而在海洋中岛屿的存在将产生局部的岛后尾流。如岛屿与岬角距离较近,岛后尾流可能与岬角涡旋相互作用,反之则相互影响较小。本文以海南岛铺前湾为例,研究在岬湾海岸中湾口处的人工岛建设对湾内涡旋的影响,并进一步分析人工岛建设对整个海湾海底冲淤变化的效应。本项研究主要采用COAWST模型进行研究。结果表明,大潮期在海湾内发育大范围的顺时针涡旋,小潮期涡旋发育不明显,以东向余流为主。人工岛建设并未影响整个海湾的涡旋结构,但人工岛分隔了湾内顺时针涡旋,且在周围产生局部的逆时针与顺时针涡旋。海底冲淤变化的基本格局为湾内以淤积为主,人工岛建设加强了这种趋势,但在人工岛与岸线之间的狭窄通道内,海底出现冲刷。本项研究对岬湾海岸的科学开发管理具有一定意义。     

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.     

Feeding activity of the copepod Acartia hongi on phytoplankton and micro-zooplankton in Gyeonggi Bay,Yellow Sea

To improve our understanding of the trophic link between micro-zooplankton and copepods in Gyeonggi Bay, Yellow Sea, the diet composition, ingestion rates, and prey selectivity of Acartia hongi, known as the most abundant and widespread copepod species, was estimated by conducting in situ bottle incubation throughout the different seasons. The results showed that A. hongi preferentially grazed on ciliate and heterotrophic dinoflagellate of a size ranging from 20 to 100 μm rather than phytoplankton. Although micro-zooplankton comprised only an average 13.7% of the total carbon available in the natural prey pool, micro-zooplankton accounted for >70% of the total carbon ration ingested by A. hongi throughout the year, except for winter diatom blooming periods when A. hongi obtained about 60% of its carbon ration from phytoplankton. Our results demonstrated that A. hongi modified their diet composition and feeding rates in response to change in composition and size of prey available to them, and that A. hongi preferentially ingested micro-zooplankton over phytoplankton. Feeding activity of A. hongi could therefore affect the species composition and size structure of natural plankton communities in this study area, particularly the micro-zooplankton. Strongly selective feeding and high grazing pressure by A. hongi on micro-zooplankton shows the role of trophic coupling between copepods and the microbial food web in the pelagic ecosystem of Gyeonggi Bay.     

冬季大连砂质潮间带自由生活海洋线虫群落结构及多样性的比较

本研究于2015年12月在濒临渤海的大连夏家河子沙滩和濒临黄海的大连金沙滩采集海洋线虫样品,对两处砂质潮间带海洋线虫群落结构及多样性特征进行了研究。研究结果表明,两处砂质潮间带海洋线虫丰度、优势种、摄食结构及多样性差异显著。夏家河子海洋线虫平均丰度为(592.0±318.9) ind./(10 cm²),金沙滩海洋线虫平均丰度为(54.6±53.8) ind./(10 cm²),显著低于夏家河子。共鉴定海洋线虫43种,共有种13个。夏家河子沙滩海洋线虫优势种为Daptonema sp.1、Daptonema sp.2、Theristus sp.1、Setosabatieria sp.1、Prochromadorella sp.1、Daptonema sp.3、Paracyatholaimus sp.1、Sabatieria breviseta,以非选择性沉积食性线虫为主;金沙滩海洋线虫优势种为Oncholaimus sp.1、Chromadorita sp.1、Theristus sp.2, Neochromadora sp.1、Enoplus sp.1、Prochromadorella sp.1,以杂食性或捕食性线虫为主。两处砂质潮间带海洋线虫种数S、丰富度指数d和香农−威纳多样性指数H'存在极显著的差异,其值均表现为夏家河子显著高于金沙滩。相似性分析结果显示,两处沙滩的海洋线虫群落结构存在显著差异。间隙水pH、沉积物有机质含量及中值粒径是引起海洋线虫群落结构及多样性差异的主要因子,其中,沉积物中值粒径对线虫群落特征的影响最为突出。就两处沙滩潮区差异而言,受沉积物粒径特征及pH的影响,夏家河子海洋线虫群落特征在不同潮区之间也存在差异,其低潮带海洋线虫多样性高于高、中潮带,杂食者和捕食者丰度高,反映其海洋线虫群落结构较复杂。金沙滩不同潮区的环境因子无显著差异,线虫群落结构及多样性潮区差异不显著,较为均一。此外,水动力对海洋线虫群落结构沙滩差异和潮区差异也产生重要影响。一方面,水动力通过影响不同粒径沉积物的沉积影响海洋线虫群落特征;另一方面,水动力可影响线虫的分散性,进而对其潮区分布产生影响。