Seasonal and spatial dynamics of nutrients and phytoplankton biomass in Victoria Harbour and its vicinity before and after sewage abatement

This study investigated the seasonal and spatial dynamics of nutrients and phytoplankton biomass at 12 stations in Hong Kong (HK) waters during a three year period from 2004 to 2006 after upgraded sewage treatment and compared these results to observations before sewage treatment. Pearl River estuary (PRE) discharge significantly increased NO(3) and SiO(4) concentrations, particularly in western and southern waters when rainfall and river discharge was maximal in summer. Continuous year round discharge of sewage effluent resulted in high NH(4) and PO(4) in Victoria Harbour (VH) and its vicinity. In winter, spring and fall, the water column at all stations was moderately mixed by winds and tidal currents, and phytoplankton biomass was relatively low compared to summer. In summer, the mean surface phytoplankton chl biomass was generally > 9 microL(-1) in most areas as a result of thermohaline stratification, and high nutrients, light, and water temperature. In summer, the potential limiting nutrient is PO(4) in the most productive southern waters and it seldom decreased to limiting levels ( approximately 0.1 microM), suggesting that phytoplankton growth may be only episodically limiting. The mean bottom dissolved oxygen (DO) remained > 3.5 mg L(-1) at most stations, indicating that the eutrophication impact in HK waters was not as severe as expected for such a eutrophic area. After the implementation of chemically enhanced primary sewage treatment in 2001, water quality in VH improved as indicated by a significant decrease in NH(4) and PO(4) and an increase in bottom DO. In contrast, there were an increase in chl a and NO(3), and a significant decrease in bottom DO in southern waters in summer, suggesting that hypoxic events are most likely to occur in this region if phytoplankton biomass and oxygen consumption keep increasing and exceed the buffering capacity of HK waters maintained by monsoon winds, tidal mixing and zooplankton grazing. Therefore, future studies on the long-term changes in nutrient loading from PRE and HK sewage discharge will be crucial for developing future strategies of sewage management in HK waters.     

呼伦湖浮游植物群落季节动态及其与环境因子的关系

为探究呼伦湖浮游植物群落的季节变化特征及其与环境因子的关系,本研究分别于2019年3、5 10月对呼伦湖浮游植物的种类、细胞密度和生物量及湖水水质进行调查.结果显示,共鉴定出120种浮游植物,隶属于7门72属.从浮游植物群落季节组成差异上来看,春季绿藻门种类数最多,其次是硅藻门、蓝藻门;夏秋季绿藻门种类数最多,蓝藻门次之;冬季硅藻门种类数最多,绿藻门次之.呼伦湖浮游植物优势种主要为硅藻门的梅尼小环藻(Cyclotella meneghiniana)、蓝藻门的卷曲长孢藻(Anabaena circinalis)和细小平裂藻(Merismopedia minima),种类数在春季最多,秋冬季最少.浮游植物细胞密度在春季(123.52×10⁴cells/L)和冬季(16.41×10⁴cells/L)较夏季(280.80×10⁴cells/L)和秋季(380.63×10⁴cells/L)低,春冬季绿藻门细胞密度最高,夏秋季蓝藻门细胞密度最高.就浮游植物生物量而言,夏季(0.38mg/L)最大,其次是秋季(0...     

The spatial and temporal distribution of heavy metals in sediments of Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong

Victoria Harbour has received substantial loadings of pollutants from industrial and municipal wastewater discharged since the 1950s. Inputs of contaminants have declined dramatically during the last two decades as a result of better controls at the source and improved wastewater treatment facilities. To assess the spatial and temporal changes of metal contaminants in sediments in Victoria Harbour, core and grab sediments were collected. The central harbour areas were generally contaminated with heavy metals. The spatial distribution of trace metals can probably be attributed to the proximity of major urban and industrial discharge points, and to the effect of tidal flushing in the harbour. In the sediment cores, the highest concentrations of trace metals were observed to have accumulated during the 1950s-1980s, corresponding with the period of rapid urban and industrial development in Hong Kong. From the late 1980s, there has been a major decline in the concentrations of trace metals, due to a reduction in industrial activities and to the enactment of wastewater pollution controls in the territory. The Pb isotopic compositions of the sediments revealed the anthropogenic inputs of Pb to the harbour. The (206)Pb/(207)Pb ratios varied from 1.154 to 1.190, which were lower than those of background geological materials in Hong Kong ((206)Pb/(207)Pb: 1.201-1.279). The data also indicated that the Pb in the harbour sediments most likely originated from mixed sources, including the leaded gasoline used in the past and other anthropogenic sources.     

The spatial and temporal distribution of heavy metals in sediments of Victoria Harbour,Hong Kong

Victoria Harbour has received substantial loadings of pollutants from industrial and municipal wastewater discharged since the 1950s. Inputs of contaminants have declined dramatically during the last two decades as a result of better controls at the source and improved wastewater treatment facilities. To assess the spatial and temporal changes of metal contaminants in sediments in Victoria Harbour, core and grab sediments were collected. The central harbour areas were generally contaminated with heavy metals. The spatial distribution of trace metals can probably be attributed to the proximity of major urban and industrial discharge points, and to the effect of tidal flushing in the harbour. In the sediment cores, the highest concentrations of trace metals were observed to have accumulated during the 1950s–1980s, corresponding with the period of rapid urban and industrial development in Hong Kong. From the late 1980s, there has been a major decline in the concentrations of trace metals, due to a reduction in industrial activities and to the enactment of wastewater pollution controls in the territory. The Pb isotopic compositions of the sediments revealed the anthropogenic inputs of Pb to the harbour. The ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb ratios varied from 1.154 to 1.190, which were lower than those of background geological materials in Hong Kong (²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb: 1.201–1.279). The data also indicated that the Pb in the harbour sediments most likely originated from mixed sources, including the leaded gasoline used in the past and other anthropogenic sources.     

Marine meiobenthic and nematode community structure in Victoria Harbour,Hong Kong upon recovery from sewage pollution

Sediment quality, meiofaunal and nematode communities were monitored across six time points at two inside-harbour and three outside-harbour sites over a three-year period in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong, after the implementation of a sewage treatment project. Twenty-one meiofaunal groups comprising mainly free-living nematodes and harpacticoid copepods and 188 species of free-living nematodes were identified. The outside-harbour area had a more diverse and significantly different nematode community structure as compared to that in the inside-harbour area. Such spatial difference was highly correlated with the total Kjeldahl nitrogen content of the sediments. Over the study period, there was no significant improvement in sediment quality within the harbour. However, in the last sampling time, an increase in meiofaunal abundance and a closer similarity in nematode composition between one of the inside- and outside-harbour sites suggested signs of recovery of the meiofauna as a response to abatement of sewage pollution.     

Marine meiobenthic and nematode community structure in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong upon recovery from sewage pollution

Sediment quality, meiofaunal and nematode communities were monitored across six time points at two inside-harbour and three outside-harbour sites over a three-year period in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong, after the implementation of a sewage treatment project. Twenty-one meiofaunal groups comprising mainly free-living nematodes and harpacticoid copepods and 188 species of free-living nematodes were identified. The outside-harbour area had a more diverse and significantly different nematode community structure as compared to that in the inside-harbour area. Such spatial difference was highly correlated with the total Kjeldahl nitrogen content of the sediments. Over the study period, there was no significant improvement in sediment quality within the harbour. However, in the last sampling time, an increase in meiofaunal abundance and a closer similarity in nematode composition between one of the inside- and outside-harbour sites suggested signs of recovery of the meiofauna as a response to abatement of sewage pollution.     

Seasonal and interannual variation of the phytoplankton and copepod dynamics in Liverpool Bay

The seasonal and interannual variability in the phytoplankton community in Liverpool Bay between 2003 and 2009 has been examined using results from high frequency, in situ measurements combined with discrete samples collected at one location in the bay. The spring phytoplankton bloom (up to 29.4 mg chlorophyll m⁻³) is an annual feature at the study site and its timing may vary by up to 50 days between years. The variability in the underwater light climate and turbulent mixing are identified as key factors controlling the timing of phytoplankton blooms. Modelled average annual gross and net production are estimated to be 223 and 56 g C m⁻² year⁻¹, respectively. Light microscope counts showed that the phytoplankton community is dominated by diatoms, with dinoflagellates appearing annually for short periods of time between July and October. The zooplankton community at the study site is dominated by copepods and use of a fine mesh (80 μm) resulted in higher abundances of copepods determined (up to 2.5 × 10⁶ ind. m⁻²) than has previously reported for this location. There is a strong seasonal cycle in copepod biomass and copepods greater than 270 μm contribute less than 10% of the total biomass. Seasonal trends in copepod biomass lag those in the phytoplankton community with a delay of 3 to 4 months between the maximum phytoplankton biomass and the maximum copepod biomass. Grazing by copepods exceeds net primary production at the site and indicates that an additional advective supply of carbon is required to support the copepod community.     

Effect of sewage nutrients on algal production,biomass and pigments in tropical tidal creeks

Microalgal blooms can result from anthropogenic nutrient loadings in coastal ecosystems. However, differentiating sources of nutrients remains a challenge. The response of phytoplankton and benthic microalgae (BMA) to nutrient loads was compared across tropical tidal creeks with and without secondary treated sewage. Primary productivity in the water column was limited by nitrogen availability in absence of sewage, with nitrogen saturation in the presence of sewage. Phytoplankton primary productivity rates and chlorophyll a concentrations increased in response to sewage, and there was a greater response than for BMA. There was no change in algal pigment proportions within the phytoplankton or BMA communities. Concentrations of the sewage marker, coprostanol, were higher near sewage discharge points decreasing downstream, correlating with a decline in nutrient concentrations. This suggests that sewage was the main source of nitrogen and phosphorus. This study highlights the scale and type of response of algal communities to sewage nutrients.     

Temporal and spatial variations in nutrient stoichiometry and regulation of phytoplankton biomass in Hong Kong waters: influence of the Pearl River outflow and sewage inputs

In 2001, the Hong Kong government implemented the Harbor Area Treatment Scheme (HATS) under which 70% of the sewage that had been formerly discharged into Victoria Harbor is now collected and sent to Stonecutters Island Sewage Works where it receives chemically enhanced primary treatment (CEPT), and is then discharged into waters west of the Harbor. The relocation of the sewage discharge will possibly change the nutrient dynamics and phytoplankton biomass in this area. Therefore, there is a need to examine the factors that regulate phytoplankton growth in Hong Kong waters in order to understand future impacts. Based on a historic nutrient data set (1986-2001), a comparison of ambient nutrient ratios with the Redfield ratio (N:P:Si=16:1:16) showed clear spatial variations in the factors that regulate phytoplankton biomass along a west (estuary) to east (coastal/oceanic) transect through Hong Kong waters. Algal biomass was constrained by a combination of low light conditions, a rapid change in salinity, and strong turbulent mixing in western waters throughout the year. Potential stoichiometric Si limitation (up to 94% of the cases in winter) occurred in Victoria Harbor due to the contribution of sewage effluent with high N and P enrichment all year, except for summer when the frequency of stoichiometric Si limitation (48%) was the same as P, owing to the influence of the high Si in the Pearl River discharge. In the eastern waters, potential N limitation and N and P co-limitation occurred in autumn and winter respectively, because of the dominance of coastal/oceanic water with low nutrients and low N:P ratios. In contrast, potential Si limitation occurred in spring and a switch to potential N, P and Si limitation occurred in eastern waters in summer. In southern waters, there was a shift from P limitation (80%) in summer due to the influence of the N-rich Pearl River discharge, to N limitation (68%) in autumn, and to N and P co-limitation in winter due to the dominance of N-poor oceanic water from the oligotrophic South China Sea. Our results show clear temporal and spatial variations in the nutrient stoichiometry which indicates potential regulation of phytoplankton biomass in HK waters due to the combination of the seasonal exchange of the Pearl River discharge and oceanic water, sewage effluent inputs, and strong hydrodynamic mixing from SW monsoon winds in summer and the NE monsoon winds in winter.     

Temporal and spatial variations in nutrient stoichiometry and regulation of phytoplankton biomass in Hong Kong waters: Influence of the Pearl River outflow and sewage inputs

In 2001, the Hong Kong government implemented the Harbor Area Treatment Scheme (HATS) under which 70% of the sewage that had been formerly discharged into Victoria Harbor is now collected and sent to Stonecutters Island Sewage Works where it receives chemically enhanced primary treatment (CEPT), and is then discharged into waters west of the Harbor. The relocation of the sewage discharge will possibly change the nutrient dynamics and phytoplankton biomass in this area. Therefore, there is a need to examine the factors that regulate phytoplankton growth in Hong Kong waters in order to understand future impacts. Based on a historic nutrient data set (1986–2001), a comparison of ambient nutrient ratios with the Redfield ratio (N:P:Si = 16:1:16) showed clear spatial variations in the factors that regulate phytoplankton biomass along a west (estuary) to east (coastal/oceanic) transect through Hong Kong waters. Algal biomass was constrained by a combination of low light conditions, a rapid change in salinity, and strong turbulent mixing in western waters throughout the year. Potential stoichiometric Si limitation (up to 94% of the cases in winter) occurred in Victoria Harbor due to the contribution of sewage effluent with high N and P enrichment all year, except for summer when the frequency of stoichiometric Si limitation (48%) was the same as P, owing to the influence of the high Si in the Pearl River discharge. In the eastern waters, potential N limitation and N and P co-limitation occurred in autumn and winter respectively, because of the dominance of coastal/oceanic water with low nutrients and low N:P ratios. In contrast, potential Si limitation occurred in spring and a switch to potential N, P and Si limitation occurred in eastern waters in summer. In southern waters, there was a shift from P limitation (80%) in summer due to the influence of the N-rich Pearl River discharge, to N limitation (68%) in autumn, and to N and P co-limitation in winter due to the dominance of N-poor oceanic water from the oligotrophic South China Sea. Our results show clear temporal and spatial variations in the nutrient stoichiometry which indicates potential regulation of phytoplankton biomass in HK waters due to the combination of the seasonal exchange of the Pearl River discharge and oceanic water, sewage effluent inputs, and strong hydrodynamic mixing from SW monsoon winds in summer and the NE monsoon winds in winter.     

三峡水库上游长寿湖浮游藻类的季节变化特征及关键环境影响因子

基于2013年3月-2014年2月的长寿湖浮游藻类以及水质的监测结果,分析浮游藻类物种组成、密度以及多样性指数的季节动态,利用非度量多维尺度和相似性分析检验不同季节浮游藻类群落差异,同时利用典范对应分析法确定影响不同季节浮游藻类群落结构的关键环境因子.结果表明:泽丝藻(Limnothrix sp.)、小尖头藻(Raphidiopsis sp.)、汉斯冠盘藻(Stephanodiscus hantzschii)、具尾逗隐藻(Komma caudata)、鞘丝藻(Lyngbya sp.)和马索隐藻(Cryptomonas marssonii)为长寿湖优势种群,不同季节间浮游藻类群落组成结构存在较大差异.浮游藻类群落结构以春季最为简单,夏季次之,秋、冬季最为复杂.不同季节影响浮游藻类群落结构的环境因子差异较大,水温和营养盐是影响浮游藻类群落结构最重要的环境因子,光照强度、高锰酸盐指数、氧化还原电位、溶解有机碳在秋、冬季节同样成为影响浮游藻类群落结构的关键环境因子.     

Seasonal and spatial dynamics of TDS and major ions in the Selenga River

The intra-annual and spatial dynamics of the major ion concentrations and TDS of Selenga River water (Russian segment) was analyzed. Water salinity was found to decrease in the open-channel period and in the downstream direction. The anthropogenic effect manifests itself not only in an increase in the concentration of reactive components with growing volume of discharged wastewaters, but also in changes in its annual distribution.     

The role of zooplankton in the regulation of phytoplankton biomass growth and water transparency in water bodies polluted by nutrients

Experimental studies were carried out in a water body near Moscow and in a flow-through system in the territory of fertilized agricultural fields. It is shown that under high biogenic load, at the concentrations P_tot = 0.14 mg P/l, P_min = 0.07 mg P/l, and the ratio N: P = 7.9: 1, in early summer, and in the absence of plankton-eating fish, zooplankton was regulating phytoplankton development and contributed to the preservation of high water transparency. At the biomass ratio of plant-eating zooplankton to eatable phytoplankton from 0.6 to 42.2, zooplankton can reduce the eatable part of phytoplankton within a day. The main consumers of the eatable fraction of phytoplankton biomass were large-size filterers Daphnia longispina.     

太湖北部隐藻生物量时空动态

利用2005-2009年每月一次的监测资料,对太湖竺山湾、梅梁湾和贡湖湾理化因子和浮游植物,特别是隐藻生物量周年季节变化进行比较研究,探讨环境因子以及蓝藻变化对隐藻生物量的影响.结果显示,竺山湾内隐藻平均生物量(1.89 mg/L)高于梅梁湾(0.87 mg/L)、贡湖湾(0.43 mg/L).2008-2009年隐藻平均生物量(2.12 mg/L)高于2005-2007年平均生物量(0.28 mg/L).通过与环境冈子的时空差异比较分析,竺山湾内高营养盐浓度、高有机质浓度和高悬浮质浓度使得隐藻更具有竞争优势,而贡湖湾内浮游动物的摄食作用可能限制了隐藻生物量.同时,太湖隐藻与蓝藻的竞争演替趋势明显,春夏季高温和蓝藻的过度繁盛可能对隐藻的生长产生抑制作用.     

Nutrient dynamics in seawater column in the vicinity of Piran submarine sewage outfall (North Adriatic)

Variations of nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in the vicinity of Piran (North Adriatic) submarine sewage outfall were studied as well as the treatment plant operation. On the basis of the data it was concluded that the influence of the outfall to the nutrient level in that area is negligible. In comparison the data from the shallow organically polluted water in the inner part of the Bay of Koper are reported.     

Seasonal and year-to-year dynamics of phytoplankton in connection with the level regime of the Kuibyshev Reservoir

The results of long-term observations are used to analyze the seasonal and year-to-year variations of the abundance and biomass of planktonic algae in connection with the seasonal dynamics of water level in the Kuibyshev Reservoir. The dynamics of level regime in the reservoir in combination with climate conditions are a determining factor for phytoplankton development. The adverse effects of eutrophication (in particular, water blooming) can be reduced by maintaining an optimal water level in the reservoir—not below the normal water level (53 m BS) in the summer.     

汶川地震前后b值的时空变化及构造意义

地震b值与地应力具有密切的关系,即高应力对应低b值,研究汶川地震区b值的时空变化可以获得地震前后的应力演化过程.本文通过震源位置和速度模型联合反演的方法和双差定位法对龙门山地区汶川地震(M_s8.0)前后的地震进行了重定位工作,在此基础上精确计算了汶川地震前后不同时间段内b值大小的变化趋势及b值空间分布.结果显示:(1)b值在深度上存在明显的分层性,15 km以上b值较高,15 km以下b值较低,反映上部岩石为脆性,下部岩石为韧性的特征;(2)区域平均b值在汶川地震之后出现下降,而后有所恢复并逐渐增加,芦山地震后又降低,反映了龙门山断裂带的同震变化和震后愈合过程;(3)分时段b值空间分布结果显示,在芦山地震之后,汶川地震破裂区b值下降,即应力增加,这意味着汶川芦山地震之间的空段存在韧性变形,且芦山地震的发生促进了汶川地震破裂区的愈合;(4)映秀附近彭灌杂岩区在震前呈现低b值异常,反映该区域存在较大的差应力,可能是震后最大位错发生在该区域的根本原因.     

中原地区ML5.0左右地震前弱震活动异常指标

对研究区内(31°~37°N,110°~117°E)1970年至今的37年中全部16次ML5.0左右地震前弱震活动图像进行了研究。结果表明,震前出现的异常图像有地震窗口效应、弱震空区、地震丛集、小震群活动、弱震条带和地震空段等六种。地震窗口效应和弱震空区重现率最高(均为0.75);小震群活动和地震丛集重现率居中(分别为0.56和0.53);地震空段和弱震条带重现率最低(分别为0.38和0.33)。另根据这些异常的时间进程分析,它们对研究区内未来ML5.0左右地震的预测可进行跟踪。弱震空区或地震丛集可作为年度异常指标使用;出现小震群活动,可作为进入短期预测阶段的标志;如地震窗口出现异常,则可进一步确认进入短期预测阶段。由此可见,弱震活动异常图像对预测研究区内ML5.0左右地震具有一定的指示意义。