Picophytoplankton abundance and community structure in the Philippine Sea,western Pacific

Flow cytometric determinations of the abundance distribution and community structure of picophytoplankton (i.e.,Prochlorococcus spp.,orange fluorescence Synechococcus spp.and picoeukaryotes) were used for samples taken from the Philippine Sea in the western tropical Pacific Ocean from September to October of 2004.A fluorescence probe was employed to detect Chlorophyll a (Chl a).Abundances of Prochlorococcus spp.,orange fluorescence Synechococcus spp.and picoeukaryotes ranged from 0.1 to 58×103 cells ml-1,0.38 to 17×102 cells ml-1 and 0.42 to 26×102 cells ml-1,respectively.Synechococcus spp.and picoeukaryotes co-occurred in relatively shallow water with the maximum abundance observed at 50 to 70 m depth,while Prochlorococcus spp.only occurred in the 70 to 200 m layer.Prochlorococcus spp.was the dominant picophytoplankton population in terms of abundance and biomass.The cell size and carbon biomass content were estimated for the three picophytoplankton groups.In addition,among the three groups of picophytoplankton,the relative contribution of red fluorescence to the total red fluorescence varied with depth.The fluorescence and light scatter properties of individual cells indicated that in the upper 100 m layer,picoeukaryotes were a major contributor to total red fluorescence,while at the depth below 100 m,Prochlorococcus spp.and Synechococcus spp.made an important contribution to the total red fluorescence.     

Observation of the abyssal western boundary current in the Philippine Sea

Mooring observations were conducted from July 16, 2011 to March 30, 2012 east of Mindanao, Philippines(127°2.8′E, 8°0.3′N) to observe the abyssal current at about 5600 m deep and 500 m above the ocean bottom. Several features were revealed: 1) the observed abyssal current was highly variable with standard deviations of 57.3 mm/s and 34.0 mm/s, larger than the mean values of-31.9 and 16.6 mm/s for the zonal and meridional components, respectively; 2) low-frequency current longer than 6 days exhibited strong seasonal variation, flowing southeastward(mean flow direction of 119.0° clockwise from north) before about October 1, 2011 and northwestward(mean flow direction of 60.5° counter-clockwise from north) thereafter; 3) the high-frequency flow bands were dominated by tidal currents O 1, K 1, M 2, and S 2, and near-inertial currents, whose frequencies were higher than the local inertial frequency. The two diurnal tidal constituents were much stronger than the two semidiurnal ones. This study provides for the first time an observational insight into the abyssal western boundary current east of Mindanao based on long-term observations at one site. It is meaningful for further research into the deep and abyssal circulation over the whole Philippine Sea and the 3D structure of the western boundary current system in this region. More observational and high-resolution model studies are needed to examine the spatial structure and temporal variation of the abyssal current over a much larger space and longer period, their relation to the upper-layer circulation, and the underlying dynamics.     

Abyssal Circulation in the Philippine Sea

The abyssal circulation in the Philippine Sea(PS)is investigated,with outputs from the Simple Ocean Data Assimilation version 2.2.4(SODA224).The deep-water currents in SODA224 are carefully evaluated,with sparse in situ observations in the North Pacific Ocean.In the upper deep layer(20003000 m)of the PS,a strong westward current,which originates from the Northeast Pacific Basin and enters the PS through the Yap-Mariana Junction,exists along 1114 N.This strong westward current bifurcates into two western boundary currents off the Philippines.The northward-flowing current flows out of the PS around 2021 N,whereas the southward-flowing current transports deep water from the northern hemisphere to the southern hemisphere.In the lower deep layer(30004500 m),the inflow water first flows northward to the east of the Western Mariana Basin and then turns westward at approximately 18 N.The inflow water mainly enters the Philippine Basin(PB),with a small part turning southward to constitute a weak cyclonic circulation.The water entering the PB mainly merges into a strong southward western boundary current in the south-ern PB.In the bottom layer(below 4500 m),both the northeast and northwest PB show single cyclonic gyres,whereas the south PB shows a single anticyclonic gyre.Moreover,comparisons with the observations indicate the possible existence of a cyclonic sense of circulation over the Philippine Trench.The current study provides the implications for future observations,which are needed to fur-ther investigate the temporospatial variations of the abyssal circulation in the PS on multiple scales.     

Sea-level changes controlled detrital sediment inputs to the Bicol Shelf in the western Philippine Sea since 150 ka

Detrital sediments derived from the Philippine Islands are one of the main sources of deep-sea sediments in the western Philippine Sea.However,systematic research on their characteristics and transport mechanisms are lacking.We used parametric end-member analysis to quantitatively partition the grain size of detrital sediments in core MD06-3052 from the Bicol Shelf in the western Philippine Sea;three endmembers EMI,EM2,and EM3,whose respective modes were at 2,10,and 45 μm,were separated.We also measured the Sr and Nd isotopic compositions of different size fractions(4 and 20 μm) of the detrital sediments and the results showed that the detrital sediments mainly originate from the Philippine Islands.Components EMI and EM2 are transported to the Bicol Shelf mainly by surface and bottom currents from the islands,and component EM3 is delivered by gravity flow from the exposed shelf during low sea-level stands.The content of the total detrital fraction and the three end-members,as well as the mass accumulation rates(MARs) of the coarse detritus(EM2 and EM3),were considerably higher during glacial periods(40-14 ka and 150-130 ka) than during other intervals;the glacials corresponded to a low sea level,while the MAR of the fine detritus(EMI) did not increase remarkably during 40-14 ka.We therefore concluded that the input of coarse detritus to the Bicol Shelf from the islands was mainly controlled by sea-level change.Variations of the input of fine-grained detritus(EM1) was influenced not only by sea level but also by ocean currents and regional precipitation.Overall,our results help understand "source-to-sink" processes in the western Pacific marginal seas and their response to global change.     

Last 150-year variability in Japanese anchovy (Engraulis japonicus) abundance based on the anaerobic sediments of the Yellow Sea Basin in the western North Pacific

Relatively short historical catch records show that anchovy populations have exhibited large variability over multi-decadal timescales. In order to understand the driving factors (anthropogenic and/or natural) of such variability, it is essential to develop long-term time series of the population prior to the occurrence of notable anthropogenic impact. Well-preserved fish scales in the sediments are regarded as useful indicators reflecting the fluctuations of fish populations over the last centuries. This study aims to validate the anchovy scale deposition rate as a proxy of local anchovy biomass in the Yellow Sea adjoining the western North Pacific. Our reconstructed results indicated that over the last 150 years, the population size of anchovy in the Yellow Sea has exhibited great fluctuations with periodicity of around 50 years, and the pattern of current recovery and collapse is similar to that of historical records. The pattern of large-scale population synchrony with remote ocean basins provides further evidence proving that fish population dynamics are strongly affected by global and basin-scale oceanic/climatic variability.     

Seasonal community structure of mesozooplankton in the Daya Bay, South China Sea

Mesozooplankton are key components of coastal ecosystems, linking the microbial food web to the classic food chain. In this study, species composition and abundance of mesozooplankton is studied for the Daya Bay in April (spring) and October (fall), 2006. A total of 27 species of mesozooplankton were identified in spring and 58 species in fall. Dominant species were Oithona tenuis, Flaccisagitta enflata, Penilia avirostris and Centropages tenuiremis in spring, shifting to Microsetella norvegica, Oithona tenuis and Parvocalanus crassirostris in fall. Higher mesozooplankton abundance was found at Aotou Cove and Dapeng’ao Cove compared to other stations, indicating the influence of eutrophication on mesozooplankton community in the Daya Bay. The outbreak of Noctiluca scintillans bloom in spring reduced the species diversity and abundance of mesozooplankton.     

Response of the equatorial western Pacific thermohaline structure to wind variation

During the Global Weather Experiment oceanographic measurements were recorded during winter and summer in the western Pacific region 5°S−5°N, 160°E−175°E. The variations of the upper ocean temperature and salinity fields were produced by the large seasonal and spatial wind fluctuations. The vertical temperature structure of the thermocline at the equator, the meridional slope of the thermocline south of the equator, and the northward penetration of high salinity water were related to the direction and intensity of the zonal wind-stress. (NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory) Contribution No. 1307 from the Institute of Ocean., Academia Sinica. Received Sept. 3, 1985     

Current structure and its variation in the equatorial area of the western north Pacific Ocean

Based on the current measurement data from the R/V Ryofu Maru of JMA in the equatorial area along 137°E (1972–83) and 155°E (1972–79) the structures of the zonal velocity of the Equatorial Undercurrent (EUC) and the North Equatorial Countercurrent (NECC) and their variations are systematically analyzed in detail. At 155°E, the current at the equator and 100–300 m depth was a typical eastward EUC, it intensified in 1973–75, i.e., in the non-El Niño period. While the corresponding current at 137°E was mostly westward, and the origin of the EUC shifted to north of the equator around 0.5–1.5°N owing to the influence of the New Guinea Coast. The EUC origin disappeared in early July, 1982. Comparing with the EUC disappearance at 159°W, the average speed of an eastward travelling wave would be～1.1m/s. The velocity core of the NECC at 137°E generally shifted northward in winter and southward in summer, and was stronger in summer and weaker in winter. The fluctuations of the NECC were closely related to those of the wind stress curl over the region 2–10°N, 160°E–150°W.     

Macrobenthic community structure and species composition in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea in jellyfish bloom

To understand the characteristics of macrobenthic structures and the relationship between environment and benthic assemblages in jellyfish bloom, we studied the macrobenthos and related environmental factors in the coastal waters of the Yellow Sea and East China Sea. Data were collected during two seasonal cruises in April and August of 2011, and analyzed with multivariate statistical methods. Up to 306 macrobenthic species were registered from the research areas, including 115 species of Polychaeta, 78 of Crustacea, 61 of Mollusca, 30 of Echinodermata, and 22 of other groups. Nine polychaete species occurred at frequencies higher than 25% from the sampling stations： Lumbrineris longifolia, Notomastus latericeus, Nin6e palmata, Ophelina acuminata, Nephtys oligobranchia, Onuphis geophiliformis, Glycera chirori, Terebellides stroemii, and Aricidea fragilis. Both the average biomass and abundance of macrobenthos are higher in August （23.8 g/m^2 and 237.7 ind./m^2） than those in April （11.3 g/m^2 and 128 ind./m^2）; the dissimilarity ofmacrobenthic structures among stations is as high as 70%. In terms of the dissimilarity values, we divided the stations into four clusters in spring and eight in summer. The ABC curve shows that the macrofauna communities in high jellyfish abundance were not changed. Canonical correspondence analysis showed that depth, temperature, median grain size, total organic carbon of sediment and total nitrogen in sediment were important factors affecting the macrozoobenthic community in the study area.     

Seasonal variations of net-phytoplankton community structure in the southern Yellow Sea

Based on the field survey data of four cruises in 2011, all phytoplankton communities in the southern Yellow Sea (SYS) were investigated for the species composition, dominant species, abundance and diversity indices. A total of 379 species belonging to 9 phyla were identified, of which the most abundant group was Bacillariophyta (60.9%), followed by Pyrrophyta (23.7%) and Haptophyta (6.9%). The seasonal distribution of abundance was: summer (4137.1×10³ ind m^?3) > spring (3940.4×10³ ind m^?3) > winter (3010.6×10³ ind m^?3) > autumn (340.8 ×10³ ind m^?3), while the horizontal distribution showed a decreasing tendency from inshore to offshore regions. The dominant species of phytoplankton varied in different seasons. The dominant species were Thalassiosira pacifica, Skeletoema spp. and Chaetoceros cinctus in spring, Chaetoceros debbilis, Chaetoceros pseudocurvisetus and Chaetoceros curvisetus in summer, Thalassiosira curviseriata, Alexandrium catenella and Ceratium fusus in autumn, Paralia sulcata, Phaeocystis sp. and Bacillaria paradoxa in winter, respectively. In SYS, the group of temperate coastal species was the major ecotype, and the groups of the central SYS species and oceanic species were also important constituents. The average values of Shannon-Weaver diversity index (H’) and Pielou evenness index (J) were 2.37 and 0.65 respectively. The indices H’ and J in the open sea were higher than those in coastal waters. Obvious co-variation tendencies between H’ and J were observed in all but the summer cruise of this survey.     

舟山海域不同功能区微微型自养浮游生物的时空分布

【目的】揭示舟山附近海域不同功能区之间微微型自养浮游生物的时空分布。【方法】于2017年冬季、2018年春季、夏季、秋季,在舟山岛附近近岸海域不同功能区中选取6个典型站位,采集表层海水,获得24个样品。运用流式细胞仪技术对样品进行微微型自养浮游生物丰度检测,并分析其相关的环境因子及其时空分布特点。【结果】聚球藻(Synechococcus,Syn)丰度的季节分布由大到小依次为冬、春、秋、夏,微微型自养真核生物(Picoeukaryotes, Euk)丰度的季节分布由大到小依次为夏、秋、冬、春。相关性分析表明,春季,聚球藻与微微型真核浮游植物丰度均与pH呈显著正相关关系(P <0.05),微微型自养真核生物丰度与COD含量呈显著正相关关系(P <0.05);秋季,微微型自养真核生物丰度与NH_4~+、NO_2~-、Chl-a含量呈显著正相关关系(P <0.05),冬季,微微型自养真核生物和聚球藻丰度均与Chl-a含量呈显著正相关关系(P <0.05)。【结论】舟山附近近岸海域微微型自养浮游生物的丰度可直接或间接反映海域污染情况,可作为检测水体污染的指标之一。     

Phytoplankton abundance and community structure in the Antarctic polar frontal region during austral summer of 2009

The Antarctic polar front region in the Southern Ocean is known to be most productive. We studied the phytoplankton community structure in the Indian sector at this frontal location during late austral summer (February, 2009) onboard R/V Akademic Boris Petrov. We used the phytoplankton and microheterotrophs abundance, as also the associated physico-chemical parameters to explain the low phytoplankton abundance in the study region. This study emphasizes the shift of phytoplankton, from large (>10 μm) to small (<10 μm) size. The phytoplankton abundance appears to be controlled by physical parameters and by nutrient concentrations and also by the microheterotrophs (ciliates and dinoflagellates) which exert a strong grazing pressure. This probably reduces small (<10 μm) and large (>10 μm) phytoplankton abundance during the late austral summer. This study highlights the highly productive polar front nevertheless becomes a region of low phytoplankton abundance, due to community shifts towards pico-phytoplankton (<10 μm) during late austral summer.     

SEA SURFACE SALINITY AND BOTTOM WATER OXYGENATED CONDITIONS IN WESTERN EQUATORIAL PACIFIC MARGINAL SEAS DURING THE LAST GLACLAL AGE

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Paleoproductivity evolution in the West Philippine Sea during the last 700 ka

In order to reconstruct the paleoproductivity evolution history of the West Philippine Sea during the last 700 ka,the vertical gradient of δ 13 C in dissolved inorganic carbon(δ 13 C between those of foraminifera Pulleniatina obliquiloculata and Cibicidoides wuellerstorfi) and planktonic foraminiferal assemblages were analysed in piston Core MD06-3047 retrieved from the Benham Rise(east of the Luzon Island).Paleoproductivity evolution in the West Philippine Sea during the last 700 ka is closely related to glacial-interglacial cycles and precession-controlled insolation.Controlling factors of paleoproductivity could have been both thermocline fluctuations related with ENSO-like processes and eolian input associated with East Asian winter monsoon,and the former could have been the primary factor.A higher productivity and a shallower thermocline coeval with the occurrence of low CO 2 concentrations in the EPICA Dome C ice core might indicate that biological export production in the low-latitude could act as a significant sink in the global carbon cycle,and modify atmospheric CO 2 concentrations.Spectral analysis further reveals that the paleoproductivity is mainly controlled by thermocline fluctuations subjected to ENSO processes responding to processional variability of insolation.High coherences in eccentricity,obliquity and precession periods further revealing the close link between thermocline fluctuations,paleoproductivity and atmospheric CO 2 levels.     

Phytoplankton distribution and community structure in the East China Sea (ECS) continental shelf

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Mitochondrial DNA control region diversity and population structure of Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) in the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan

To investigate the genetic variation and population structure of Pacific herring in the Yellow Sea and the genetic differentiation between the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan,fragments of 479-bp mitochondrial DNA control region were sequenced for 110 individuals collected from three different periods in the Yellow Sea and one locality in the Sea of Japan.High haplotype diversity and moderate nucleotide diversity were observed in Pacific herring.AMOVA and exact test of population differentiation showed no significant genetic differentiations among the three populations of the Yellow Sea and suggested the populations can be treated as a single panmictic stock in the Yellow Sea.However,a large and significant genetic differentiation(WST50.11;P50.00) was detected between the populations in the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan.The high sea water temperature in the Tsushima Strait was thought a barrier to block the gene exchange between populations of the two sea areas.The neutrality tests and mismatch distribution indicated recent population expansion in Pacific herring.     

Distribution and abundance of pelagic tunicates in the North Yellow Sea

In this paper, the distribution patterns and abundance of pelagic tunicates in the North Yellow Sea of China during the period 2006-2007 were analyzed. Zooplankton samples were obtained with vertical towing from bottom to surface using a WP2 plankton net(200 μm mesh size; mouth area: 0.25 m2). Five species belonging to two classes were identified: Oikopleura dioica, O. longicauda and Fritillaria borealis belonging to class Appendicularia; Salpa fusiformis and Doliolum denticulatum of class Thaliacea. O. dioica and O. longicauda were the dominant species, occurring in the samples of all four seasons, with different distribution patterns. Their maximum abundance were 1664.7 ind. m-3(spring) and 1031.7 ind. m-3(spring) respectively. Following Oikopleura spp. were D. denticulatum, which was found only in autumn with an average abundance of 149.6 ind. m-3, and S. fusiformis, which was detected all the year long except for autumn with low abundance(max. abundance 289.4 ind. m-3 in summer). Only a very small amount of F. borealis was detected in summer samples, with an average abundance of 2.7 ind. m-3. The relationship between tunicates abundances and the environmental factors was analyzed using the stepwise regression model for each species. The variation of appendicularian abundance showed a significant correlation with the surface water temperature and with the concentration of Chl-a. No relationship was found between tunicates abundance and salinity, likely due to the slight changes in surface salinity of the studied area during the four seasons. Salps abundance and that of doliolids were significantly correlated to bottom water temperature, indicating that these two species(S. fusiformis and D. denticulatum) migrate vertically in the water column. In particular D. denticulatum, known to be a warm water species, showed not only an important correlation with water temperature, but also a spatial distribution connected to the warm currents in the North Yellow Sea. The occurrence of D. denticulatum represents an interesting result never found in past research work. Water temperature, algal distribution and currents were the most relevant environmental factors influencing the tunicate abundance and distribution in the North Yellow Sea. Further research is needed in order to get more information on the ecology of these organisms and to better understand their role in the ecosystem including the oceanic food web.     

Diversity and community structure of eukaryotic microalgae in surface sediments in the central Bohai Sea,China, based on a metabarcoding approach

Sediment samples were collected at 17 stations in the central Bohai Sea, China, and the diversity and community structure of eukaryotic microalgae were assessed by metabarcoding the V4 region of 18S rDNA. A total of 930 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were detected for microeukaryotes, including 98 algal OTUs. The algal communities comprised 42 genera belonging to 19 classes of six phyla, and they were dominated by chrysophytes and dinoflagellates. Dinoflagellates were also the most diverse microalgal group. The nano-sized dinoflagellates Biecheleria halophila and Azadinium trinitatum occurred abundantly in the study area; however, they have not been reported previously, as they may be overlooked or misidentified in light microscopy. Many pico-sized chlorophytes were detected in the sediment samples. Sixteen of the detected OTUs were assigned to potentially harmful and/or bloom-forming microalgae, suggesting some potential risks of harmful algal blooms in the central Bohai Sea. The capacity of metabarcoding to detect morphologically cryptic and small species makes this method a sufficiently sensitive means of detection for assessing eukaryotic microalgae in sediments.

     

Annual variation in Calanus sinicus abundance and population structure in the northern boundary area of the Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass

The Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass （YSCWM） was suggested as an over-summering site of the dominant copepod species Calanus sinicus in coastal Chinese seas. Population abundance and structure were investigated by monthly sampling along three transects across the northern boundary of the YSCWM during 2009-2010. Results show that thermal stratification existed from June to October and that the vertical thermal difference increased with depth. Generally, total abundance was lowest in October and highest in June, and the female/male sex ratio was highest in February and lowest in August. Evident spatial differences in abundance were observed during the existence of the YSCWM. In June, total abundance averaged 158.8 ind/m~ at well-stratified stations, and 532.1 ind/m3 at other stations. Similarly, high abundances of 322.0 and 324.4 ind/m3 were recorded from July to August inside the YSCWM, while the abundance decreased from 50.4 to 1.9 ind/m3 outside the water mass. C. sinicus distribution tended to even out over the study area in September when the YSCWM disappeared. We believe that the YSCWM may retard population recruitment in spring and preserve abundant cohorts in summer. The summer population was transported to neritic waters in autumn. In addition to low temperatures, stable vertical structure was also an essential condition for preservation of the summer population. C. sinicus can survive the summer in marginal areas in high abundance, but the population structure is completely different in terms of C5 proportion and sex ratio.     

Inversion calculation of the western Pacific boundary current during October, 1988

The inverse method developed by Wunsch (1978) is widely used to determine circulation in the oceans (Fu, 1980; Wunsch, Hu and Grant, 1983; Joyce and Wunsch, 1986; Rintoul, 1988). However, for inversion manipulation, measurements down to the bottom are required, and so is a certain solid boundary. In the present paper an equation of potential condition satisfied by the velocity field at the reference level is added to Wunsch's underdetermined matrix equation in order to make the method adequate for the case where measurements do not touch bottom and when a solid boundary does not exist. The western boundary current in the Pacific is calculated and examined in terms of the velocity field and transport with CTD data gathered by theR/V Science I in October 1988. Contribution No. 1748 from the Institute of Oceanology, Academia Sinica