Responses of developing estuarine macrobenthic communities to drilling muds

The effects of drilling mud, used in oil drilling operations, on development of estuarine macrobenthic communities from settling planktonic larvae were assessed by comparing numbers and species of animals that grew in uncontaminated and contaminated aquaria for 8 weeks. Aquaria contained sand and were continuously supplied unfiltered seawater. Seven lignosulfonate-type drilling muds obtained from an active exploratory platform in estuarine waters were tested consecutively at nominal concentrations of 0.5, 5, and 50 parts per million (ppm) in the water column. Numbers of tunicates, mollusks, and annelids per aquarium were significantly (α=0.05) decreased from control numbers in 50 ppm. Structural differences in communities exposed to 50 ppm from those in the control and lower concentrations were indicated by a decrease in Spearman's measure of rank correlation of species abundance and an increase in the Shannon-Weaver index of species diversity. A total of 13 species occurred in 50 ppm compared to 23 species in each of the other situations. Growth in diameter ofMolgula manhattensis was significantly affected in all concentrations of mud.     

Biomass and production of benthic microalgal communities in estuarine habitats

Accurate measures of intertidal benthic microalgal standing stock (biomass) and productivity are needed to quantify their potential contribution to food webs. Oxygen microelectrode techniques, used in this study, provide realistic measures of intertidal benthic microalgal production. By dividing a salt-marsh estuary into habitat types, based on sediment and sunlight characteristics, we have developed a simple way of describing benthic microalgal communities. The purpose of this study was to measure and compare benthic microalgal biomass and production in five different estuarine habitats over an 18-mo period to document the relative contributions of benthic microalgal productivity in the different habitat types. Samples were collected bimonthly from April 1990 to October 1991. Over the 18-mo period, tall Spartina zone habitats had the highest (101.5 mg chlorophyll a (Chl a) m^?2±6.9 SE) and shallow subtidal habitats the lowest (60.4±8.9 SE) microalgal biomass. There was a unimodal peak in biomass during the late winter-early spring period. The concentrations of photopigments (Chl a and total pheopigments) in the 0–5 mm of sediments were highly correlated (r²=0.73 and 0.88, respectively) with photopigment concentrations in the 5–10 mm depth interval. Biomass specific production (μmol O₂ mg Chl a ^?1 h^?1) was highest in intertidal mudflat habitats (206.3±11.2 SE) and lowest in shallow subtidal habitats (104.3±11.1 SE). Regressions of maximum production (production at saturating irradiances) vs. biomass (Chl a) in the upper 2 mm of sediment by habitat type gave some of the highest correlations ever reported for benthic microalgal communities (r² values ranged from 0.43 to 0.73). The habitat approach and oxygen microelectrode techniques provide a useful, realistic ranged from 0.43 to 0.73). The habitat approach and oxygen microelectrode techniques provide a useful, realistic method for understanding the biomass and production dynamics of estuarine benthic microalgal communities.     

Trophic structure of macrobenthic communities in the Calcasieu estuary,Louisiana

Trophic groups were used to investigate broad patterns and predict species interactions of macrobenthic assemblages in Calcasieu Estuary, Louisiana. Macrobenthic assemblages of the estuary were numerically dominated by deposit-feeding species. Surface-deposit feeders were the most abundant macrobenthos of the upper estuary, subsurface-deposit feeders dominated the lower estuary, and a trophically well-mixed assemblage inhabited the middle estuary. There were periodic shifts in species dominance within each region, but the shifts were without temporal pattern and seldom led to changes in trophic structure of the region. The macrobenthic assemblages of the upper estuary were dominated by several early-colonizing species which switched feeding modes with changes in water flow, suggesting that disturbances in the upper estuary had a direct effect on macrobenthic communities. Disturbances also may have eliminated macrobenthic species before they could establish a well-mixed community. The presence of trophically mixed communities in the middle estuary probably was indicative of fewer disturbances there. The dominance by subsurface-deposit feeders in the lower estuary probably indicates that sedimentary food in Calcasieu Lake was seldom utilized at the sediment-water interface. Rather, most food became buried and was available only to subsurface-deposit feeders.     

Response of macrobenthic communities to restoration efforts in a New England estuary

Changes in macrobenthic communities were studied over a 3.5 yr period following restoration activities in Alewife Cove, a small estuary located in southeastern Connecticut, U.S. Development around this estuary had resulted in reduced freshwater and tidal inflows, loss of critical habitats such as salt marshes, and eutrophication. Early in 1988 the lower reach of the estuary was dredged to increase tidal flushing and enhance environmental quality. Following dredging, tidal range within the Cove increased from 52 to 83 cm. Due to erosion within the Cove's lower channel and sediment migration into the Cove, tidal flows and ranges approached pre-dredge levels by 1991. Despite these changes, the percentage of silt/clay in the surface sediments in the middle and upper basins of the Cove declined by 30–45% over the study period. Changes in infaunal community structure in the lower reach following dredging were not great, primarily comprising shifts in the relative abundances of species typical of sandier versus muddier sediments. Directional changes in community structure were most evident in the middle and upper basins, away from the dredged area. Infaunal species richness increased significantly, with many species previously found only in the sand habitats of the lower reach establishing populations in the middle and upper basins. There was a significant decrease in the summer abundances of the pollution indicator polychaeteCapitella capitata throughout much of the middle and upper basins. Restoration efforts in Alewife Cove centering on altered bydrology resulted in selected positive changes. Increases in tidal flow altered environmental conditons in the middle and upper basins where shifts in infaunal community structure indicated decreases in organic loading of sediments over 2–3 yr. Continued changes in the physical dynamics of the lower reach reduced tidal flow, arresting the positive ecological changes that were beginning to occur. This type of restoration approach of small estuaries can have positive results, but there may be a lag in the ecological response of the system. Macrobenthic communities, in particular summer abundance patterns of selected species, provided an integrated assessment of ecological changes in the Cove.     

High resolution mapping and classification of oyster habitats in nearshore Louisiana using sidescan sonar

Sidescan sonar holds great promise as a tool to quantitatively depict the distribution and extent of benthic habitats in Louisiana’s turbid estuaries. In this study, we describe an effective protocol for acoustic sampling in this environment. We also compared three methods of classification in detail: mean-based thresholding, supervised, and unsupervised techniques to classify sidescan imagery into categories of mud and shell. Classification results were compared to ground truth results using quadrat and dredge sampling. Supervised classification gave the best overall result (kappa=75%) when compared to quadrat results. Classification accuracy was less robust when compared to all dredge samples (kappa=21–56%), but increased greatly (90–100%) when only dredge samples taken from acoustically homogeneous areas were considered. Sidescan sonar when combined with ground truth sampling at an appropriate scale can be effectively used to establish an accurate substrate base map for both research applications and shellfish management. The sidescan imagery presented here also provides, for the first time, a detailed presentation of oyster habitat patchiness and scale in a productive oyster growing area.     

Responses of tidal creek macrobenthic communities to the effects of watershed development

This study examined the effects of watershed development on macrobenthic communities in tidal creeks of Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, U.S. Two types of creeks were evaluated: upland creeks which drained watersheds consisting of at least 15% terrestrial land cover, and salt marsh creeks which drained no upland habitat (i.e., only intertidal habitat). Samples of macrobenthic organisms were taken along the longitudinal axis of twenty-three primary (first order) tidal creeks. Water and sediment quality data were also collected including measurements of dissolved oxygen, salinity, temperature, sediment characteristics, and toxic chemicals in the creek sediments. Hypoxic conditions occurred more than 15% of the time in both reference and developed creeks and were a natural attribute of these systems. The most severe and frequent hypoxia occurred in impacted salt marsh creeks. Salinity fluctuations were the greatest in developed upland creeks and salinity range was identified as a potentially reliable indicator of the degree to which watershed development has altered hydrodynamic processes. The creeks draining urban and industrial watersheds were degraded environments characterized by watersheds with high (>50%) levels of impervious surface, broad fluctuations in salinity, severe hypoxia, and potentially toxic levels of chemicals in the sediment. These creeks had low macrobenthic diversity and abundance and were numerically dominated by the oligochaeteMonopylephorus rubroniveus in mud sediments, and the polychaeteLaeoreis culveri in sand sediments. Suburban watersheds had 15–35% impervious surface and creeks draining them were exposed to frequent hypoxia and broad salinity fluctuations. The levels of chemical contaminants in sediments of suburban and impacted salt marsh creeks were generally not different from the levels in reference creeks. Macrobenthic diversity and abundance were higher for suburban and impacted salt marsh creeks than for urban and industrial creeks. However, suburban and salt marsh impacted creeks were numerically dominated by a few pollution indicative species including the oligochaetesM. rubroniveus andTubificoides brownae and the polychaeteL. culveri. These creeks appear to be exhibiting early signs of degradation (e.g., a simplified food web). Two promising community-level macrobenthic metrics for assessing environmental quality were identified: the proportional abundance of pollution indicative taxa, and the proportional abundance of pollution sensitive taxa. These indicators were significantly (p<0.05) correlated with the salinity range, the level of chemical contaminants in sediments, and amount of impervious surface in the watershed.     

Variability of dissolved reactive phosphate flux rates in nearshore estuarine sediments: Effects of groundwater flow

Theoretical diffusive flux rates for dissolved reactive phosphate (DRP) were determined for sediments in a small area of the Indian River, Florida for the period March–May 1982. Flux rates from the sediment varied from 29 to 70 × 10^?6g per m² per day in seagrass associated sediments to 3–25 × 10^?6g per m² per day for an area devoid of seagrass. Simultaneous measurements of groundwater seepage velocities indicated greater velocities in seagrass associated sediments (1.03 × 10^?6m per sec) than an area devoid of grass (0.77 × 10^?6m per sec). Measured seepage flux accounted for more than 99% of the combined estimated diffusive and seepage flux of DRP for nearshore seagrass sediments. Also noted was an apparent direct relationship between tidal height, DRP and seepage velocity in nearshore sediments (25 m from shore) which further demonstrates the importance of hydrogeologic variables to these areas.     

Changes in metabolic rates under fluctuating salinity regimes for two subtidal estuarine habitats

The metabolic rate of individual habitats can differ significantly in their contribution to the total system productivity of estuaries. Changing environmental conditions such as those created by tidal exchange can frequently alter these rates. In an effort to quantify these rate responses, metabolic rates were measured for macroalgal and sediment habitats at different salinities. Microcosms representing the two habitats were incubated at three salinity ranges (high: 25 to 31‰; moderate: 12 to 18‰; and low: 0 to 4‰) and production and respiration rates were estimated. The production rates for both habitats were proportional to the salinity of the water in the incubation, with the lowest metabolic rates associated with the lowest salinity. Average macroalgal habitat net production rates were 879 mg O₂ m^?2 h^?1, 609 mg O₂ m^?2 h^?1, and 451 mg O₂ m^?2 h^?1 at high, moderate, and low salinity treatments, respectively, and the dark respiration rates were ?401 mg O₂ m^?2 h^?1, ?341 mg O₂ m^?2 h^?1, and ?333 mg O₂ m^?2 h^?1. Average sediment habitat net production rates were 60 mg O₂ m^?2 h^?1, 13 mg O₂ m^?2 h^?1 and 10 mg O₂ m^?2 h^?1 and the respiration rates were ?114 mg O₂ m^?2 h^?1, ?55 mg O₂ m^?2 h^?1, and ?31 mg O₂ m^?2 h^?1 at high, moderate, and low salinity treatments. The larger contribution of macroalgal habitats to system metabolism may account for observed diurnal changes in water column oxygen levels in some estuaries. Macroalgal production rates explained 83% of the increase in water column oxygen levels during daylight hours and macroalgal respiration rates explained 65% of the decline in oxygen levels during the night. The contribution of macroalgal metabolism to the system can be influenced by even short-term changes in water column salinity. Environmental processes that alter salinity levels on hourly time scales may moderate the effect of macroalgal metabolism on oxygen levels.     

Regional application of an index of estuarine biotic integrity based on fish communities

We applied an index of estuarine biotic integrity (EBI) to 36 sites in 16 estuaries on Cape Cod and in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, U.S. Two estuaries were sampled in 6 years, from 1988–1999 (Waquoit and Buttermilk Bays), and a total of 14 others in Buzzards Bay were sampled in 1993, 1996, and 1998. Habitats at each site were classified as either low or medium quality by density and biomass of submerged rooted vegetation (eelgrass). The EBI and its metrics (fish abundance, biomass, total species, species dominance, life history, and proportion by life zone) were successful in classifying habitat quality. Greatest success and least bias of the EBI and its metrics in classifying habitat quality occurred when eelgrass habitats were least degraded. The EBI tracked habitat degradation over time in Waquoit and Buttermilk Bays. Average EBI values in medium-quality habitats of Buzzards Bay estuaries during 1996 and 1998 were less than expected based on earlier EBI values from Waquoit and Buttermilk Bays, suggesting that many of these sites are in transition from medium to low quality. Our results indicate that the EBI is sensitive to habitat quality change, and further suggest that low-quality habitats may approach a stable fish community structure that is well reflected by the EBI. The relationship of the EBI to an independent measure of water quality demonstrated inherent time lags between the degradation and improvement of water quality, fish habitat, and response of the fish community.     

S/S fractionation by sulfate-reducing microbial communities in estuarine sediments

Sulfur isotope fractionation during microbial sulfate reduction in brackish estuarine sediments was studied using an experimental flow-through reactor approach designed to preserve the in situ physical, geochemical and microbial structure of the sediment. Concurrent measurements of potential sulfate reduction rates and ³⁴S/³²S fractionations were carried out using intact sediment slices (2 cm thick, 4.2 cm diameter) from unvegetated, intertidal sites adjoining a salt marsh along the Scheldt estuary, The Netherlands. A total of 30 reactor experiments were performed with sediments collected in February, May and October 2006. The effects of incubation temperature (10, 20, 30 and 50 °C) and sediment depth (0-2, 4-6 and 8-10 cm) were investigated. Sulfate was supplied in non-limiting concentrations via the reactor inflow solutions; no external electron donor was supplied. Isotope fractionations (ε values) were calculated from the measured differences in sulfate δ³⁴S between in- and outflow solutions of the reactors, under quasi-steady state conditions. Potential sulfate reduction rates (SRR) varied over one order of magnitude (5-49 nmol cm⁻³ h⁻¹) and were highest in the 30 °C incubations. They decreased systematically with depth, and were highest in the sediments collected closest to the vegetated marsh. Isotope fractionations ranged from 9‰ to 34‰ and correlated inversely with SRR, as predicted by the standard fractionation model for enzymatic sulfate reduction of Rees (1973). The ε versus SRR relationship, however, varied between sampling times, with higher ε values measured in February, at comparable SRRs, than in May and October. The observed ε versus SRR relationships also deviated from the previously reported inverse trend for sediments collected in a marine lagoon in Denmark (Canfield, 2001b). Thus, isotope fractionation during sulfate reduction is not uniquely determined by SRR, but is site- and time-dependent. Factors that may affect the ε versus SRR relationship include the structure and size of the sulfate-reducing community, and the nature and accessibility of organic substrates. Whole-sediment data such as those presented here provide a link between isotopic fractionations measured with pure cultures of sulfate-reducing prokaryotes and sulfur isotopic signatures recorded in sedimentary deposits.     

Urban land use transformation and determinants of urban land use size in China

Astract Recent economic reforms and shifts in land use planning in China have greatly changed the size and structure of urban land use. In this paper, an overview of the problems in urban land use and the impacts of economic reforms and planning policies on rapid urban land expansion and structural transformation is outlined. This is followed by statistical analyses to reveal determinants of urban land size. The study shows that urban land use in China has been improved, and urban land use size is related to urban reforms, urban land use adjustment, as well as to population growth and economic development.     

The effects of eelgrass habitat loss on estuarine fish communities of southern New England

We studied the late June–August fish community in extant and former eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) habitats in 15 estuaries of Buzzards Bay, and in Waquoit Bay, Massachusetts, U.S. Our objective was to quantify the effects of eelgrass habitat loss on fish abundance, biomass, species composition and richness, life-history characteristics, and habitat use by examining the response of the fish community to eelgrass loss in Waquoit and Buttermilk Bays over an 11-yr period (1988–1999) and in 14 other embayments of Buzzards Bay during 1993, 1996, and 1998. Sampling sites were located in present-day or historical eelgrass beds and were classified according to eelgrass habitat complexity (zero complexity: no eelgrass; low complexity: <100 eelgrass shoots or <100 g wet weight m⁻²; high complexity: ≥100 shoots and ≥100 g wet weight m⁻²). Habitats that had lost eelgrass included a variety of substratum types, from bare mud bottom to dense accumulations of red, brown, and green macroalgae (up to 7,065 g wet weight m⁻²). Contemporaneous sampling of fish (by otter trawl) and vegetated habitat (by divers) was conducted at each site. Overall, fish abundance, biomass, species richness, dominance, and life history diversity decreased significantly along the gradient of decreasing eelgrass habitat complexity. Loss of eelgrass was accompanied by significant declines in these measures of fish community integrity. Ten of the 13 most common species collected from 1988–1996 in Waquoit and Buttermilk Bays showed maximum abundance and biomass in sites with high eelgrass habitat complexity. All but two common species declined in abundance and biomass with the complete loss of eelgrass.     

On the use of the nephelometer in estuarine waters

A study of the problems encountered in nephelometric determinations of suspended sediment loads in the Chesapeake Bay estuary has led to development of a technique which uses nephelometer readings as a guide for sampling at vertical profiles in an estuary. This permits optimum sampling for concentration profiles and allows one to use nephelometer/load ratios to characterize particles.     

农村宅基地流转问题的剖析与破解

探讨农村宅基地现行入市流转的相关情况。城市化进程中土地利用效率低下,农村宅基地流转存在模式选择、制度设计与创新、风险规避、退出机制、户籍制度等问题。要使农村宅基地流转产生最大经济效益,建立城乡统一的建设用地市场,必须摒弃原有的、不必要的限制,采用先试点、后推广的方法,积极稳妥地推进农村宅基地流转的制度建设,并处理好现实、政策与法律之间的衔接问题,兼顾各方利益。     

土地利用变化对岩溶地下水溶解无机碳及其稳定同位素组成的影响

土地利用变化对岩溶地下水溶解无机碳（DIC）的影响关系到岩溶作用强弱及其相关的全球碳循环的正确评价。对贵州茂兰原始森林内的板寨岩溶地下河流域和普定岩溶石漠化强烈的陈旗、灯盏河泉域三种不同的土地利用下的地下水的DIC及其稳定同位素进行了分析,结果表明,地下水的DIC表现形式主要为HCO3^-。对于缺少土壤覆盖的板寨和灯盏河岩溶地区,雨季主要因为稀释作用,HCO3^-含量出现年内最低值;而对于较多土壤覆盖的陈旗岩溶地区,雨季主要受土壤CO2效应控制。HCO3^-含量出现年内最高值,反映了土壤在岩溶作用及其碳循环中的特殊重要性。此外,夏季由于生物量的增加,δ^13DIC值较冬季偏轻1‰～2‰。而对于不同土地利用而言,石漠化影响下的地下水δ^13DIC较原始森林下的地下水偏重2．5‰-3．0‰,且随着石漠化的发展,土壤的进一步流失,地下水δ^13DIC进一步偏重,反映了石漠化后生物量比例减少和大气成因CO2比例增加对地下水δ^13DIC升高的影响。     

Influence of nearshore sediment dynamics on the distribution of heavy mineral placer deposits in Sri Lanka

Beach sediments in Sri Lanka contain industrial-grade heavy mineral occurrences. Samples of both offshore and onshore sediments were collected to examine the provenance, mineralogy and geochemical compositions of the heavy mineral occurrences. Coastal morphodynamic changes along the coastline of Sri Lanka were analyzed using the time-series satellite images. These coastal morphodynamic changes were used to identify the prominent directions of monsoon-influenced longshore currents, coastal sediment accretion and depositional trends and their relationships to the provenance of the heavy minerals. Results show the concentrations of detrital ilmenite, zircon, garnet, monazite, and rutile vary in the onshore and offshore sediments. The heavy mineral potential of the northeastern coast is high (average contents of about 45–50% in the Verugal deposit, 70–85% in the Pulmoddai deposit, and 3.5–5.0% in offshore samples stretching from Nilaveli to Kokkilai), compared to sediments in southwest (average content about 10% in onshore sediments and 2% in offshore sediments from the mouth of the Gin River). Therefore, no economic-grade heavy mineral placers were identified in the offshore environments. The high concentrations of heavy minerals in beach sediments and low concentrations in offshore sediments suggest operation of a panning system in the surf zone to form enriched placer deposits. Major and trace element compositions of beach sediments show marked enrichments of TiO₂, Fe₂O₃, La, Ce, Zr, Cr, Nb, Th and V compared to average Upper Continental Crust (UCC) values. Analysis of prominent coastal longshore transport patterns identifies bidirectional sediment transport in the northeast coast of Sri Lanka. In the southwestern coast, two transport directions occur with anti-clockwise transport from Galle to Hambantota, and clockwise transport from Hikkaduwa to Wadduwa. The heavy minerals in the placers were mainly derived from Precambrian metamorphic rocks, and transported to the coast through the river systems of Sri Lanka.