The structure of soft-bottom benthic communities in the vicinity of the Texas Flower Garden Banks,Gulf of Mexico

Biological and sedimentological samples were obtained in June 1980 from box cores taken in 100–200 m of water on sandy-mud sediments near the East and West Flower Garden Bank reefs, on the Texas-Louisiana Continental Shelf. The objective was to obtain baseline information about sedimentary parameters and organisms adjacent to the FGB environments in order to allow inferences to be made about potential effects of physical disturbance of the seafloor on the resident benthos.Most infaunal organisms are found in the upper 3–5 cm of the bottom. Permanent meiofauna dominate in both numbers and biomass. X-radiographs of sediment fabrics show all stations to be reworked by head-down deposit-feeders or errant bioturbators. Taxa responsible for this bioturbation were not quantitatively sampled.Macrofaunal densities range from 3000 to 25000 m^?2 and total meiofauna from 221 to 892 × (10 cm)^?2. Nematodes dominate followed in equal abundance by foraminiferans, polychaetes, and copepods. Seventy-five percent of the total sediment ATP in the top 3 cm is contributed by meiofauna. These benthic assemblages are hypothesized to represent a mixture of pioneering and high-order successional stages.Bacterial abundances are positively correlated with organic content and inversely correlated with macro- and meiofaunal densities. This inverse relationship may reflect consumer cropping intensities. Both microbial ATP and bacterial biomass are lower than reported for the Georgia Bight Shelf, Cape Blanc, West African Shelf, western coast of Norway, and Long Island Sound. Bacterial counts are lower than those recorded for the East China Sea and the Amazon River shelf. Moderate to low standing stocks of benthos, dominated by meiofaunal-sized taxa, further suggest that this area of the Gulf of Mexico is a relatively oligotrophic system for infaunal benthic consumers.Higher order successional stages are, in general, adversely affected to a greater extent than pioneering stages by physical disturbance. In the Texas-Louisiana shelf region, dilution of an already food limited system by inert barium sulphate would be expected to result in even lower standing stocks of benthic infaunal invertebrates.     

Patterns of summer vertical and horizontal currents in coastal waters of the northern Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea

This study was focused on analysis of the horizontal and vertical current components with correspondence to tide variation, heat flux, seiches and relative backscatter intensity in coastal waters of the northern Gulf of Aqaba during the summers of 2001–2004. Spectrum analysis has shown eight distinguishable peaks of the tide measurements. In addition to semidiurnal and diurnal barotropic tides, signal periods of 8.13, 5.89–6.32 and 4.06 h were related to shallow water compound and overtides of the principal solar and lunar constituent and to seiches (second and third mode) generated in the Red Sea, whereas seiches of the first mode might enhance the semidiurnal tide signal. The shortest periods of 1.02–1.05, 0.50 and 0.36 h were related to seiches (first, second and third mode, respectively) generated in the Gulf of Aqaba. The spectrum analysis and cross-correlation tests of the horizontal and vertical current components and relative backscatter intensity suggested that the vertical motion at the diurnal period was either due to migration of zooplankton or to water convection. Both of which were of the same order as vertical motion induced by horizontal motions of water particles projected parallel on the bottom gradient line. On the other hand, semidiurnal and diurnal periods detected in the vertical currents were caused by the strong signal in the cross-shore current component, first mode seiches generated from the Red Sea and tide. This could be considered as an indicator of the dominant force influencing the currents, such as winds, thermocline depth, seiches and tidal forcing. A permanent convection during summer is likely to occur in the shallow coastal waters due to relatively high inclined bottom, high evaporation and blowing of dry air, as well as the observed dominance of the downward vertical currents in coastal waters.     

Benthic foraminifera of the Holocene transgressive west-central Florida inner shelf: paleoenvironmental implications

The sedimentology, stratigraphic position, and benthic foraminiferal biostratigraphy of early- to mid-Holocene deposits from the west-central Florida shelf suggest that barrier islands developed along this coast as early as 8.3 ka, in an environment that was more arid than today. Predominant foraminifera of three paralic sedimentary facies deposited between 5.3 and 8.3 ka include miliolids, Elphidium spp., and Ammonia spp., all of which are common in back-barrier environments. Foraminiferal assemblages also suggest that early back-barrier sediments were deposited in a hypersaline environment, similar to that of the arid Laguna Madre of the western Gulf of Mexico. Modern back-barrier foraminifera in the Tampa Bay region are indicative of the humid subtropical climate of today. Thus, the climate of west-central Florida at approximately 8 ka was more arid than today, which is consistent with recent studies showing that climate in the Gulf of Mexico was dryer and cooler during this time period.     

Circulation and fertility of waters in Concepcion Bay

The spatial and temporal distributions of oxygen, nutrients and pigments in the waters of Concepcion Bay, Chile (36°40′S, 73°01′W) are described for 1978–1979. Analysis of the seasonal fluctuations shows the upwelling of water poor in oxygen and rich in nutrients inside the bay during summer. The upwelled water fertilizes the bay and produces progressive eutrophication, causing mass mortalities, discoloured water and mineralization of organic matter.     

2019年夏秋季温州近海海水透明胞外聚合颗粒物（TEP）的分布及影响因素分析

透明胞外聚合颗粒物（TEP）具有高黏性、低密度和高碳氮比等特性,在颗粒有机物的聚集以及食物网循环中发挥着重要作用。为了解近岸海域TEP的分布动力学规律与机制,本文对温州近海夏秋季节水体中透明胞外聚合颗粒物的分布进行调查,并结合多项环境要素的主成分分析与相关性分析,探究了浙江南部近岸海域TEP分布的影响因素。结果显示,温州近海TEP秋季平均含量明显高于夏季,夏季TEP分布变化主要受陆地径流（瓯江）作用影响,而秋季主要受闽浙沿岸流影响。受沿岸流影响,秋季TEP的主要来源可能是其他海域以及底层颗粒物再悬浮。此外,由浮游植物释放的TEP对夏季的POC贡献最大,而秋季外源性TEP对POC的贡献较夏季有所升高。     

Large-scale environmental influences on the benthic macroinfauna of the southern Gulf of Mexico

The influence of large-scale natural disturbance from winter storms (‘northers’) and river runoff on the macrobenthic community structure of the southern Gulf of Mexico was investigated in both carbonate and transitional carbonate–terrigenous sedimentary environments. Samples of the infauna were obtained in three seasons from 13 stations from two 250 km transects along 80–170 and 20–50 m water depth. Samples after the northers season had the lowest total number of families and individuals, 114 and 2940, respectively, compared to the dry and rainy seasons with 129 and 132 families and 11580 and 15266 individuals, respectively. Spatial patterns of macroinfauna composition varied across and along the shelf as a response to sedimentary environments and depth. Coarser sediments from the carbonate area harboured the highest mean densities per station with 500–24,000 individuals m⁻² and 108–122 families in total, compared to the transitional sediment with 500–8200 individuals m⁻² and 56–74 families across the three seasons. Univariate and multivariate statistical techniques demonstrated that low densities and number of taxa were associated with winter storms, but storm influence was dependent on depth and sediment type. Multiple linear regression analysis and BIOENV analysis indicated that sediment mean grain size, percentage of clay and organic matter best explained the macroinfauna spatial patterns, although BIOENV indicated that depth has an overriding role. An increase in densities of opportunistic taxa (numerous polychaetes of small sizes) was observed four months after the ‘northers’ and this was more evident in the area of carbonate sediment. Additionally a combined disturbance from northers and river runoff is suspected to be responsible for a naturally impoverished macroinfauna community in the transitional sedimentary environment.     

厦门近岸海域营养盐时空变化特征分析及其富营养化评价

本研究根据2016—2020年厦门近岸海域15个航次的监测数据,对该区域营养盐的时空分布特征、影响因素及营养盐限制状况进行综合分析,并评估各海区的富营养化状态。结果表明,空间上,营养盐的分布特征表现为从近岸向远岸逐渐下降的趋势,溶解无机氮(Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen, DIN)平均浓度排序为：九龙江口>西海域>同安湾>南部海域>东部海域>大嶝海域,溶解无机磷(Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus, DIP)平均浓度排序为：同安湾>西海域>九龙江口>东部海域>南部海域>大嶝海域;时间上,营养盐浓度总体呈逐年下降趋势;枯水期最高,平水期次之,丰水期最低。研究海域平均DIN/DIP摩尔比值为40,总体表现为磷限制。2016—2020年厦门近岸海域富营养化指数(E)基本呈逐年下降的趋势;从空间分布上看,九龙江口和西海域富营养化较为严重。富营养化指数与盐度呈显著负相关关系,说明陆源输入对研究海域富营养化存在重要影响。     

Benthic trophic status and nutrient fluxes in shallow-water sediments

Proliferation of fast-growing ephemeral macroalgae in shallow-water embayments constitutes a large-scale environmental change of coastal marine ecosystems. Since inorganic nutrients essential for the initiation and maintenance of macroalgal growth may be supplied from the underlying sediment, we investigated the coupling between benthic inorganic nutrient (mainly N and P) fluxes and sediment properties in 6 bays representing a wide gradient of sediment characteristics (grain size, organic matter content, solid phase C and N). The initial characterization of bays was made in June and also included measurements of oxygen flux and microphytobenthic and macrofaunal biomass. In September, still within the growth season of the macroalgae, complementary experiments with sediment-water incubations for benthic flux measurements of oxygen and nutrients focused on trophic status (balance between auto- and heterotrophy) as a controlling factor for rates of measured benthic nutrient fluxes. Generally, sediments rendered autotrophic by microphytobenthic photosynthesis removed nutrients from the overlying water, while heterotrophic sediments supplied nutrients to the overlying bottom water. Estimations of the green-algal nutrient demand suggested that late in the growth season, net heterotrophic sediments could cover 20% of the N-demand and 70% of the P demand. As the benthic trophic status is a functional variable more closely coupled to nutrient fluxes than the comparably conservative structural parameter organic matter content, we suggest that the trophic status is a more viable parameter to classify sediments and predict benthic nutrient fluxes in shallow-water environments.     

南海北部近岸海域5～6月微型硅藻

本文对南海北部近岸的南澳、海门、湛江、北海、海口、三亚等6个系样点的水样进行微型浮游植物（＜20μm)的叶绿素a含量测定,并对其微型硅藻（＜20μm)和小型硅藻（＞20μm)作计数、鉴定。结果表明,该区微型硅藻有50多种,其数量以海口最多。为84000个／dm^3;海门和江最少（500个／dm^2),文中描述了我国首次记录的8种双眉藻（Amphora).它们是Amphora castellata,A.coputata,A.cymbelloides,A.margaritifera,A.minima,A.mueeleri,A.reichardtiana和A.subacutiuscula。     

辽河三角洲滨海湿地水域初级生产力研究进展

滨海湿地位于海洋与陆地生态系统的交错过渡带,具有极高的生产力和光合固碳效率,是海岸带蓝色碳汇的重要组成部分。滨海湿地生产力不仅由芦苇、翅碱蓬、红树林等陆上植被提供,水体中浮游植物的光合固碳也是提供初级生产力的重要途径。以往较多的调查和研究集中在陆上植被,而对于滨海湿地水域浮游植物和底栖微藻的报道较少。近年来随着各国政府和学者对二氧化碳排放和气候变化的关注,滨海湿地多圈层生态系统的碳循环和碳汇过程成为研究热点,而湿地水域生产力和光合固碳过程作为多圈层碳循环中重要的一个环节亦应受到足够的重视。以中国北方典型的盐沼湿地区域——辽河三角洲滨海湿地为案例,对湿地水域生产力研究进展进行综述,并对其影响因素进行讨论,以期为国家碳循环与碳中和目标调查提供参考资料。     

Physical oceanographic conditions in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico in summer 2000–2002

The circulation and distribution of water properties in the water column of the Gulf of Mexico influence the flux of carbon to the benthic environment. The eddy field of the upper 1000 m creates environmental conditions that are favorable for biological productivity in an otherwise oligotrophic subtropical ocean. This eddy field results in the transport of nutrients and organic matter into the photic zone through cross-margin flow of shelf waters, upwelling in cyclones, and uplift from the interaction of anticyclones with bathymetry. These conditions then allow the productivity that becomes a possible source of carbon to the benthos.Data from four cruises during summers of 2000–2002 are used to describe the currents and water property distributions in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, which consists of water depths greater than 400 m. Comparisons are made to historical data sets to provide an understanding of the persistence of the characteristics of the Gulf and the processes that occur there.The currents in the Gulf are surface intensified, have minimum in 800–1000 m depths, and also exhibit bottom intensification, especially near sloping topography. Historical time series records show current speeds near-bottom reach 50–100 cm s⁻¹. At basin scales, these currents tend to flow cyclonically (counter-clockwise) along the bathymetry. These near-bottom, episodic, high-speed currents provide a mechanism for the transport of organic material, in both large and small particle sizes, from one benthic area to another.The distributions of temperature, salinity, nutrients, and dissolved oxygen during the study appear to be unchanged from historical findings. The source waters for the deep Gulf are the water masses brought into the Gulf by the Loop Current system. The properties in the upper 100–200 m are the most variable of the water column, consistent with their proximity to wind mixing, river discharge mixing, and atmospheric influences. Below 1500 m, there are no major horizontal variations in these water properties.     

Phytoplankton variation and its relation to nutrients and allochthonous organic matter in a coastal lagoon on the Gulf of Mexico

In tropical and subtropical zones, coastal lagoons are surrounded by mangrove communities which are a source of high quantity organic matter that enters the aquatic system through litter fall. This organic matter decomposes, becoming a source of nutrients and other substances such as tannins, fulvic acids and humic acids that may affect the composition and productivity of phytoplankton communities. Sontecomapan is a coastal lagoon located in the southern Gulf of Mexico, which receives abundant litter fall from mangrove. To study the phytoplankton composition and its variation in this lagoon from October 2002 to October 2003, we evaluated the concentrations of dissolved folin phenol active substances (FPAS) as a measure of plant organic matter, salinity, temperature, pH, O₂, N-NH₄⁺, N-NO₃⁻, P-PO₄³⁻, Si-SiO₂, and phytoplanktonic cell density in different mangrove influence zones including the three main rivers that feed the lagoon. Nutrients concentrations depended on freshwater from rivers, however these varied seasonally. Concentrations of P-PO₄³⁻, N-NH₄⁺ and FPAS were the highest in the dry season, when maximum mangrove litter fall is reported. Variation of these nutrients seemed to depend on the internal biogeochemical processes of the lagoon. Blooms of diatoms (Skeletonema spp., Cyclotella spp. and Chaetoceros holsaticus) and dinoflagellates (Peridinium aff. quinquecorne, Prorocentrum cordatum) occurred seasonally and in the different mangrove influence zones. The high cell densities in these zones and the occurrence of certain species and its ordination along gradient of FPAS in a canonical correspondence analysis, suggest that plant organic matter (i.e. mangrove influence) may contribute to phytoplankton dynamics in Sontecomapan lagoon.     

Relationships between particle-grazing zooplankton and vertical phytoplankton distributions on the Texas continental shelf

This study compares vertical distributions of Penilia avirostris and Temora turbinata with vertical distributions of chlorophyll a over short time periods at a station in the north-western Gulf of Mexico in the summer and early fall of 1978. In June and July 1978 chlorophyll a and turbidity increased below the thermocline. In September 1978 chlorophyll a was concentrated in the upper mixed layer while turbidity was greatest near the bottom.In June and July P. avirostris and copepodites of T. turbinata were concentrated within the subsurface chlorophyll a layer. Adult T. turbinata were more widely distributed than the copepodites in June but apparently migrated diurnally in July. In September, abundance of all animals generally decreased slightly with depth. This change in animal distribution reflected changes in biotic and abiotic varlables between this cruise and previous cruises. In all cruises, animal distributions were positively correlated with chlorophyll a suggesting that food was the primary influence on distributions of these animals.     

Two new species of medusae (Cnidaria) from the coastal waters of the northern Beibu Gulf

Medusae in 116 samples collected from the coastal waters of the northern Beibu Gulf during four seasonal oceanographic cruises from October 2017 to August 2018 were analyzed. In total, 34 species were identified. Two of the species are new to science, Proboscidactyla pentacanalis Xu, Chen & Yang sp. nov. and Helgicirrha apapillata Xu, Chen & Wang sp. nov., and three species are newly recorded in the Beibu Gulf, i.e., Hydractinia vacuolata Xu & Huang, 2006, Proboscidactyla flavicirrat...     

Calibration and use of continuous heat-type automated seepage meters for submarine groundwater discharge measurements

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) assessments were conducted both in the laboratory and at a field site in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico, using a continuous heat-type automated seepage meter (seepmeter). The functioning of the seepmeter is based on measurements of a temperature gradient in the water between downstream and upstream positions in its flow pipe. The device has the potential of providing long-term, high-resolution measurements of SGD. Using a simple inexpensive laboratory set-up, we have shown that connecting an extension cable to the seepmeter has a negligible effect on its measuring capability. Similarly, the observed influence of very low temperature (≤3 °C) on seepmeter measurements can be accounted for by conducting calibrations at such temperatures prior to field deployments. Compared to manual volumetric measurements, calibration experiments showed that at higher water flow rates (>28 cm day⁻¹ or cm³ cm⁻² day⁻¹) an analog flowmeter overestimated flow rates by ≥7%. This was apparently due to flow resistance, turbulence and formation of air bubbles in the seepmeter water flow tubes. Salinity had no significant effect on the performance of the seepmeter. Calibration results from fresh water and sea water showed close agreement at a 95% confidence level significance between the data sets from the two media (R² = 0.98). Comparatively, the seepmeter SGD measurements provided data that are comparable to manually-operated seepage meters, the radon geochemical tracer approach, and an electromagnetic (EM) seepage meter.     

黄海夏季典型站位的底边界层动物

2002年8月25~26日,在黄海夏季冷水团区域内的抛锚站位(35°22′N,121°59′E),使用柱状界面采样器进行了昼夜连续取样,对底边界层动物的种类组成与昼夜丰度变化进行了研究,以获得对黄海底边界层动物的初步认识。共记录底边界层动物21种,隶属18科、19属。超底栖动物和中型浮游动物是黄海夏季底边界层动物的2个重要类群,主要种类有尖额真猛水蚤(Euterpina acutifrons)、挪威小毛猛水蚤(Microsetella norvegica)、异厚盖钩虾(Synchelidium miraculum)、双刺纺缍水蚤(Acartia bifilosa)和小拟哲水蚤(Paracalanus parvus),其丰度皆有明显的昼夜波动现象。以桡足类无节幼体为代表的小型浮游动物也是底边界层动物中不容忽视的类群之一。采集到5个黄海区的新记录物种:美丽猛水蚤(Nitocrasp.)、跛足猛水蚤(Mesochrasp.)、咸水剑水蚤(Halicyclopssp.)、掌刺梭剑水蚤(Lubbockia squillimana)和异厚盖钩虾(Synchelidi-um miraculum),显示出底边界层动物种类组成的特殊性。     

Temperature variability caused by internal tides in the coastal waters of east coast of Peninsular Malaysia

The effects of tidal currents (i.e., barotropic and internal tides) are important in the biogeochemistry of a coastal shelf sea. The high-frequency of currents and near-bottom temperatures collected in three consecutive southwest monsoon seasons (May, June, July and August of 2013 until 2015) is presented to reveal the role of the tidal currents to the temperature variability in the coastal shelf sea of the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia (ECPM), south of the South China Sea (SCS). The results of a spectral density and harmonic analysis demonstrate that the near-bottom temperature variability and the tidal currents are influenced by diurnal (O₁ and K₁) and semidiurnal (M₂) tidal currents. The spectral density of residual currents (detided data) at 5, 10 and 16 m depth also shows significant peaks at the diurnal tidal frequency (K₁) and small peaks at the semidiurnal tidal frequency (M₂) indicating the existence of internal tides. The result of the horizontal kinetic energy (HKE) shows a strong intermittent energy of internal tides in the ECPM with the strongest energy is found at 16 m depth during a sporadic cooling event in June and July. A high horizontal cross-shore heat flux (16 m) also indicates strong intrusions of cooler water into the ECPM in June and July. During the short duration of cold pulse water observed in June and July, a cross-wavelet analysis also reveals the strong relationship between the near-bottom temperatures and the internal tidal currents at the diurnal tidal frequency. The intrusion of this cooler water is probably related to the monsoon-induced upwelling in June. It is loosely interpreted that the interaction between the strong barotropic tides and the steep slope in the central basin of the SCS under the stratified condition in southwest monsoon has generated these internal tides. The dissipation of internal tides from the slope area probably has driven the cold-upwelled water into the ECPM coastal shelf sea when the upwelling intensity is the highest in June and July.     

Sources and transport of dissolved and particulate organic carbon in the Mississippi River estuary and adjacent coastal waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC), stable carbon isotopic (δ¹³C) compositions of DOC and particulate organic carbon (POC), and elemental C/N ratios of POC were measured for samples collected from the lower Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers and adjacent coastal waters in the northern Gulf of Mexico during the low flow season in June 2000 and high flow season in April 2001. These isotopic and C/N results combined with DOC measurements were used to assess the sources and transport of terrestrial organic matter from the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers to the coastal region in the northern Gulf of Mexico. δ¹³C values of both POC (−23.8‰ to −26.8‰) and DOC (−25.0‰ to −29.0‰) carried by the two rivers were more depleted than the values measured for the samples collected in the offshore waters. Strong seasonal variations in δ¹³C distributions were observed for both POC and DOC in the surface waters of the region. Fresh water discharge and horizontal mixing played important roles in the distribution and transport of terrestrial POC and DOC offshore. Our results indicate that both POC and DOC exhibited non-conservative behavior during the mixing especially in the mid-salinity range. Based on a simple two end-member mixing model, the comparison of the measured DOC-δ¹³C with the calculated conservative isotopic mixing curve indicated that there was a significant in situ production of marine-derived DOC in the mid- to high-salinity waters consistent with our in situ chlorophyll-a measurements. Our DOC-δ¹³C data suggest that a removal of terrestrial DOC mainly occurred in the high-salinity (>25) waters during the mixing. Our study indicates that the mid- to high- (10–30) salinity range was the most dynamic zone for organic carbon transport and cycling in the Mississippi River estuary. Variability in isotopic and elemental compositions along with variability in DOC and POC concentrations suggest that autochthonous production, bacterial utilization, and photo-oxidation could all play important roles in regulating and removing terrestrial DOC in the northern Gulf of Mexico and further study of these individual processes is warranted.