Hydrocarbon effects on fouling assemblages: the importance of taxonomic differences, seasonal, and tidal variation

Effects of hydrocarbon-contaminated substrata on recruitment of three species of fouling organisms were studied along the Louisiana gulf coast. Clay tiles (232 cm2) were exposed to crude oil, 10% water soluble fraction of crude oil, or 25 g/kg artificial seawater, and placed out at two locations, in two seasons, and at two tidal levels in an estuary near Port Fourchon, Louisiana. Bryozoan (Membranipora savartii) recruitment was significantly reduced in all experiments on crude oil-exposed tiles. However, oysters (Crassostrea virginica) and barnacles (Balanus eburneus) exhibited recruitment facilitation, and oysters grew to larger size, on crude oil-exposed tiles in 1-4 of the five experiments. When oyster larvae were exposed to the same treatments in the laboratory, settlement was, however, significantly depressed on crude oil-exposed tiles as compared with controls, although oyster size was larger on crude-oil exposed tiles. Recruitment on tiles exposed to the water soluble fraction of crude oil was similar to control tiles in nearly all experiments for all taxa. We suggest naturally occurring biofilms (which hydrocarbons facilitate) may promote or inhibit recruitment, depending on the taxon, because hydrocarbons facilitated recruitment only in field experiments, not in lab experiments without biofilms. However, stronger currents in the field experiments may have more rapidly diluted hydrocarbons, and hydrocarbon effects were not large in comparison with natural seasonal and tidal variation in recruitment.     

江苏小庙洪牡蛎礁的地貌-沉积特征

利用卫星影象和野外实地勘察资料对江苏小庙洪牡蛎礁的地貌-沉积特征进行分析。结果表明，该牡蛎礁发育在强潮淤泥质潮坪上，造礁牡蛎主要是近江牡蛎和长牡蛎，表层的鲜活牡蛎为褶牡蛎。牡蛎礁区海水属盐度较高(27—30)的半成水，含沙量较大，为0．2—0．3g／L。活体牡蛎堆积体顶面高于周围潮间下带滩面1．0—1．5m。潮流较强，多在0．5—2．0m／s。海岸剖面可分为4个带，即礁后潮间带、潮沟、礁体生长带及礁前斜坡带。由于处于海岸侵蚀段，礁后潮坪缺失潮上带和大部分的潮间上带。礁后潮坪主要以粗粉砂为主，礁后潮沟冲淤变化较大，故礁体生长带时而为一沙洲，时而又与岸滩相连。礁体生长带分布在潮间下带，可看到独立的斑状礁体、带状礁体和大面积环状礁体群。环状礁的微地貌可以划分为礁塘(泻湖)、塘口和塘沟、塘口三角洲、礁墙和礁平台等。     

Hydrodynamic modeling and ecohydrological analysis of river inflow effects on Apalachicola Bay,Florida, USA

This paper presents an integrated hydrodynamic modeling and probability analysis approach to assess the long-term effects of changing river inflows on the estuarine ecosystem. The probability analysis method, which is popularly used in advanced hydrological frequency analysis of river flows and rainfalls, has been applied to analyze the effects of changing inflow on salinity and thus on oyster ecology in Apalachicola Bay. Long-term salinity data were predicted through the application of a calibrated 3D hydrodynamic model under two river inflow conditions over a 10-year period. The first flow represents the historic flow. The 2nd flow condition, called Scenario-1, represents a regulated flow scenario to account for the potential increasing upstream water demands. Two stations, Mid Bay and Dry Bar, in the bay were selected to examine the estuarine responses. Under the historic flow condition, the maximum probability salinity at Dry Bar in the rich oyster reef is near 24 ppt, within the optimal salinity range for oyster growth of 16–26 ppt (Harned et al., 1996); the maximum probability salinity at Mid Bay station is 27 ppt, beyond the optimal salinity for oyster growth in mid-bay area where there is no oyster reef around. While it is difficult to examine the difference between two scenarios by conventional time series analysis of river flows and salinity, probability analysis reasonably characterizes and quantifies the changes of river flow and salinity patterns over the 10-year period. The Scenario-1 has caused the increase of the probability in low flows. Higher probability of low flows for the regulated flow scenario shortens the period of optimal salinity in the oyster reef, and cause substantial increase of exceedance probability of higher salinity in the oyster reef to the level beyond the optimal salinity range for oyster growth. The probability analysis approach has demonstrated its advantage for the risk assessments of the long-term estuarine ecohydrological effects under various regulated inflow scenarios to support estuarine water resources managements.     

对我国沿海全新世海面变化研究的讨论

距今6 000a的高海面及其后海面波动论点的主要依据是对渤海西岸贝壳堤、华南海岸海滩岩和珊瑚礁、天津市宁河县俵口牡蛎礁剖面和江苏北部建湖县庆丰剖面的研究,然而这些资料无法证明高海面和海面波动,因为珊瑚礁、牡蛎礁、贝壳堤、海滩岩和潮滩沉积物都不能提供古海平面的精确信息.     

Behavioural Effects of Chemically Dispersed Oil and Subsequent Recovery in Diploria strigosa (Dana)

Abstract. Survival and behaviour of the hermatypic coral Diploria strigosa was studied during 6–24 h doses with water-accomodated fractions of chemically dispersed crude oil, and for a subsequent recovery period of 1 month. Experiments utilized a flow-through laboratory dosing procedure and incorporated petroleum hydrocarbon measurements in order to simulate a major but short-term oil spill in shallow subtidal benthic reef environments. Chemically dispersed oil treatments consisted of Arabian Light Crude oil with Corexit 9527 or BP1100WD at 1–20 ppm concentrations of oil.
In general, effects observed were sub-lethal, temporary, and associated with the highest concentrations tested. Responses to the presence of dispersed oil at 20ppm for 24 h included mesenterial filament extrusion, extreme tissue contraction, tentacle retraction and localized tissue rupture. The nature and severity of reactions during the dosing phase varied between colonies and treatments, but colonies typically resumed normal behaviour within 2 h to 4 d of the recovery period. It therefore seems unlikely that observed biological effects would impair long-term viability.     

How long does oyster shell last on an oyster reef?

A reduction in population abundance, brought on by an unprecedented 6 years of low recruitment, has reduced shell input through natural mortality on Delaware Bay oyster beds. Quantitative stock surveys provide an estimate of surficial shell over the same time period, permitting the reconstruction of the time history of shell since 1998 and estimation of the rates of shell addition and loss. Shell loss rates were unexpectedly high. In most cases, half of the shell added to an oyster bed in Delaware Bay in a given year is lost over a subsequent period of 2–10 years. Unexpectedly, the shortest half-lives, typically two to three years, are at intermediate salinities. Half-lives increase upbay into lower salinity and downbay into higher salinity to about 10 years. Minimal shell doubling times were calculated under the assumption of no shell loss, a maximum accretion rate. Minimal doubling times vary from somewhat less than a decade to more than a score of years. Doubling times of decadal scale emphasize that shell has the potential to accumulate rapidly on human time scales. The rarity of definitive documentation of shell accumulation, in terms of reef vertical accretion or lateral expansion, can only be explained if most shell produced yearly does not long remain recognizably intact. Doubling times are not rapid on the scale of oyster generation time, however. Management of essential fish habitat in the estuarine realm must include management of the shell budget and management of commercial shell-producing species must include the provision of animals as carbonate producers for habitat maintenance. Shell, at least in estuarine habitats, may have low preservational potential, even in areas that, when preserved, will appear to be shellbeds. The biases in the fossil record may not be minimized in shell-rich environments of preservation because shelliness does not imply good preservability.     

江苏小庙洪牡蛎礁的地貌特征及演化

江苏岸外的小庙洪牡蛎礁在海岸地貌学上是一稀有的生物沉积体。这种位于蚀、淤交替岸段潮间带、古礁体和活体共存的牡蛎礁体是我国所仅见。现场观察了牡蛎礁体的地貌特征,并使用GPS和全站仪进行了主要礁体分布与高程的测量,表明礁区地貌面不是一个水平面,相差可达2m以上。礁体顶高主要分布在两个高程上,一是与平均潮位相当,二是比前者低约30cm,略高于小潮平均低潮位。礁体起伏面高出礁坪面多在0.5—1.5m。小庙洪牡蛎礁正处于退化状态,除物理因素造成的侵蚀外,化学溶蚀及人类活动也是侵蚀退化的主要因素。对于礁区内部的礁体,其退化过程为连片礁→环礁→带礁→斑礁→礁坪的顺序。礁体沉积体有三种:原生礁体、与原生礁体脱离的礁块以及已离开原生地的松散堆积体。浪蚀礁坪分布在礁体的迎浪面上,而溶蚀礁坪则分布在礁体密集区。在礁体稀疏区,则覆盖约20—30cm厚的粉沙或淤泥,形成次生的潮坪。     

Early Benthic Organism Colonization on a Caribbean Coral Reef (Barbados, West Indies): a Plate Experimental Approach

Abstract. Macrofaunal colonization was studied using coral plates fixed at 10 m depth on a fringing reef in Barbados, West Indies. Two sites were compared: Spring Garden, a site that is affected by eutrophication, and Six Men's Bay which is relatively free of this effect. Two sets of plates were immersed in winter and spring 1990 at each site and monitored for 28 and 19 weeks, respectively. Green and brown algae colonized first, followed 2 weeks later by ostracods, cumaceans, amphipods and polychaetes: terebellids, nereidids and syllids. Most colonizers either nestled or encrusted. A total of 11 017 invertebrates belonging to 145 species were collected. Polychaetes were the most abundant and diverse zoological group. Considering polychaetes, crustaceans and molluscs, the study sites shared around 75% of the species. Overall, densities were higher on lower (shaded) surfaces while diversities were higher on upper (illuminated) sides. Similarity coefficients and correspondence analysis showed different macrobenthic assemblages and colonization patterns in light and shaded and in polluted and unpolluted sites. Coral plates were associated according to their 'immersion time' and were closely linked to their stage of development. Spring Garden (polluted) presented a higher number of soft-bottom and deposit-feeder species ( e.g. , Capitella capitata ).     

潮汐调和常数的变化趋势研究

潮汐调和常数具有随时间变化的特性,以某一长期验潮站44年的观测数据为样本,研究分析了在短期、中期和长期观测时段下潮汐调和常数的变化规律,计算出各分潮调和常数的平均值、最大互差及中误差的变化量级。研究表明,较短时间的观测资料得出的各分潮调和常数存在着较大的变动误差,但随着观测时间的增长,其误差量级呈逐渐减小并且逐步稳定的变化趋势。建议采用调和常数计算理论最低潮面时,宜选定19年作为观测周期,以消除分潮调和常数的误差影响,满足高精度海洋测深基准面的稳定和统一。     

渤海湾西北岸全新世埋藏牡蛎礁建造记录中的间断及其解释

渤海湾西北岸沿海平原的众多埋藏牡蛎礁体内部,除正常牡蛎壳堆积层外,还存在一些水平夹层,以往的文献对其成因有多种解释。对渤海湾西北岸埋藏牡蛎礁体中所含水平夹层特征进行了研究,并与江苏海岸南部现代活体牡蛎礁顶部沉积特征进行对比,结果表明渤海湾埋藏礁体中局部范围内分布的水平夹层与江苏海岸活礁体顶部的现代沉积相似,其特征与礁体生长时的局部水动力条件有关;但是,江苏海岸活牡蛎礁顶部的现代沉积特征不同于那些大范围分布于埋藏礁体内的水平夹层的特征,后者的成因尚待进一步研究。礁体剖面记录的垂向层序,在反映环境演化的同时,也反映了礁体生长时的平面特征。     

江苏小庙洪牡蛎礁生态评价与保护区建设

初步对小庙洪牡蛎礁滨海湿地生态系统评价,分析其多样性、代表性、稀有性、稳定性、自然性以及人类威胁程度等。为小庙洪牡蛎(礁)生态系统修复、保护和当地可持续发展提供科学依据,为江苏海岸带综合管理提供相应策略。     

渤海湾西北岸中全新世埋藏牡蛎礁的硅藻记录及古环境意义

通过对渤海湾西北岸大吴庄牡蛎礁壳体内部的泥质填充物中硅藻组合的研究,试图探讨该区沉积硅藻组合变化指示的礁体古气候环境变化.分析结果表明,在 7 200～5 600 cal. a BP 整个礁体建造期间,沿岸种 Cyclotella stylorum 是含量最丰富的硅藻种类,其与海水种 Thalassionema nitzschioides 的含量变化指示了礁体生长区河流径流与海水相互作用的强弱波动,主要包括三个阶段:7 200～6 500 cal. a BP,礁体建造初期,礁体受海水影响显著;6 500～5 720 cal. a BP,礁体建造中期,礁体生长区的盐度降低,海水作用减弱,淡水作用增强;5 720～5 600 cal.a BP,礁体建造结束期,礁体生长区的盐度显著降低,礁体受海水影响进一步减弱.     

渤海湾西北岸滨海湖埋藏牡蛎礁硅藻及其记录的古环境

对位于渤海湾西北岸平原的滨海湖埋藏牡蛎礁中各层牡蛎壳的泥质充填物做硅藻分析,整个牡蛎礁中海水砂质潮间带指标种标志种的Auliscus caelatus含量较高,为19%~42%,表明滨海湖礁体形成于潮间带环境。根据主要硅藻含量的变化,结合14C测年,自下而上将礁体发育期间的古环境分为3个带:I带为2 445~2 327 cal.aBP,礁体在向上建礁的过程中,海水作用逐渐减弱,潮间带特征愈加明显,为受河流影响较强且较为开放的潟湖潮间带环境;Ⅱ带咸水种硅藻Thalassionema nitzschioides的比例急剧增加;外洋指标种的Coscinodiscus spp.和Actinocyclus spp.急剧下降,表明在约2 327 cal.aBP,海岸带砂嘴闭合,形成较为封闭的潟湖内侧潮间带环境,且河流作用减弱导致潟湖的咸度明显增加;Ⅲ带为2 327~2 287 cal.aBP,由封闭的潟湖环境又转向较开放的潟湖潮间带环境。     

日本广岛湾非潮汐的水位变化

Nontidal sea level changes generated in Hiroshima Bay of the Seto-Inland Sea in Japan are studied over various time scales, from the sub-tidal （2 d to 1 month） to inter-annual scales （〉2 years）. The total sea level variation produces a standard deviation （STD） of 12.5 cm. The inter-annual component of the sea level variation in Hiroshima Bay oscillates with a STD of 3.4 cm, forming a long-term trend of 4.9 mm/a. The STD of the sea level variation is 9.8 cm for the seasonal component （8 months to 2 years） and 4.7 cm for the intra-seasonal one （1 month to 8 months）. Significant sea level variations with a STD of 4.2 cm also occur in the sub-tidal range. Special attention is paid to the sub-tidal sea level changes. It is found that the upwelling and associated transient sea level changes generated along the north coast of Hiroshima Bay （opened southward） by the strong northerly wind, play a significant role in sub-tidal sea level changes. The transient sea level changes are over 10 cm in most cases when caused by typhoons that pass through the Pacific Ocean offthe Kii Peninsula, located at about 400 km east of Hiroshima Bay. Reasonable sea level changes are evaluated by the balance of pressure forces at the onshore and offshore boundary of the study domain.     

养殖密度、水层和养殖地点对马氏珠母贝选育群体生长存活的影响

用通过壳高定向选择培育的第三代马氏珠母贝Pinctada martensii为实验材料,研究不同的养殖密度、养殖水层和地点对生长和存活的影响。实验结果表明在一定试验范围内养殖密度对体重增长有显著影响（p<0.05）,高密度组（200只/笼）的生长较低密度组慢,密度与水层对生长无明显的交互作用。水层对生长的影响不显著（p>0.05）,但对存活率的影响明显,2m水位的存活率较高,且水层与养殖密度间有交互作用。不同地点的贝的生长无显著性差异（p>0.05）。该研究结果将为珍珠贝优良品种（系）养殖技术的优化和品种推广体系的建立提供指导。     

天津市潮滩活体和埋藏有孔虫群的分布及地质环境意义

对天津市潮滩8条垂直于海岸线剖面的57个表层沉积物样品进行了活体和死体有孔虫分析鉴定、粒度分析、含盐量测定,利用全站仪对剖面进行了水准测量,同时测定了海水盐度。研究了天津市潮滩有孔虫群的组成、数量及分异度等特征;通过聚类分析将天津市潮滩活体有孔虫群分为7个带,埋藏有孔虫群(活体+死体)分为5个带,但除了埋藏群Ⅰ、Ⅳ与活体有孔虫群Ⅰ、Ⅳ组合特征一致外,其他各带的组合特征及分带界线均不一致。通过分析活体有孔虫群分带与沉积物含盐量、海水盐度、潮位、沉积物组成等生态环境参数的关系,探讨了活体有孔虫群的主要控制因素;通过分析埋藏有孔虫群分带与潮位、沉积物粒径、现代沉积速率等沉积环境参数的关系,探讨了埋藏有孔虫群的搬运及沉积作用。指出了天津市海岸带活体有孔虫群和埋藏有孔虫群的关系、环境特征及地质意义,为该区高精度的古沉积环境划分提供了重要指标。     

Evaluating the effects of protection on two benthic habitats at Tavolara-Punta Coda Cavallo MPA (North-East Sardinia, Italy)

In this paper, two benthic habitats have been investigated in a fully protected site and two control sites at the Tavolara-Punta Coda Cavallo marine protected area (MPA) (NE Sardinia). Overall, a protection effect on the benthic assemblages was highlighted in the shallow subtidal (5 m deep) rather than at intertidal algal turf habitat. Structure of assemblages at the shallow subtidal habitat is different in the fully protected site vs. controls, while this was not true for the intertidal habitat. At the subtidal, this finding is probably linked to indirect effects due to an increase of consumers in the protected site (e.g., sea urchins), while the lack of direct impacts in the intertidal at control sites is indicative of very similar assemblages. Cover of encrusting algae was significantly higher at the subtidal protected site suggesting a possible higher grazing pressure. Possible causes underlying the inconsistency of results obtained between habitats include the possibility that trophic cascade effects have a different influence at different heights on the shore. The need to estimate the interconnection among benthic habitats through trophic links is also highlighted to provide an estimate of the vulnerability to protection of various habitats.     

The occurrence of hydrocarbons and histopathological abnormalities in oysters for seven years following the wreck of the Amoco Cadiz in Brittany (France)

A study of the main oyster areas polluted by the Amoco Cadiz oil spill (Abers, Baie de Morlaix) was carried out between 1978 and 1985 by chemical analyses (mainly aromatic hydrocarbon determinations) and histopathological observations of lesions in the digestive tracts and gonads of oysters. The hydrocarbon content in oyster tissues was monitored and analyzed by UV spectrofluorimetry, and gas and liquid chromatographic techniques.Seven years after the Amoco Cadiz wreck, the oysters sampled in the AberBenoit and in the Baie de Morlaix (Carantec) are still polluted with residual aromatic hydrocarbons, corresponding, respectively, to about five and two times the values from an unpolluted site (Baie de Saint-Brieuc). Since petroleum residues are buried in anaerobic sediments, especially in the Abers areas, they are expected to persist and accordingly may still contaminate oysters for several more years.Depuration kinetics of contaminated flat and Pacific oysters from the heavily polluted zones (Abers, Carantec) were studied and compared with that of healthy oysters transplanted in the same areas. The decontamination rates of oysters after transfer to a clean environment were heavily dependent on the duration of oil exposure.Necrosis and inflammation were the most significant and noticeable changes occurring during the first months after the pollution. Atrophy of the gonadal cells was detected in the oysters from the Abers only during the first six months of the study. No neoplastic and parasitic diseases have been related to this oil spill.     

Coral bleaching and habitat effects on colonisation of reef fish assemblages: An experimental study

Degradation and mortality of corals is increasing worldwide and is expected to have significant effects on coral reef fish; hence studies on these effects are essential. In the present study, a field experiment was set up within Mafia Island Marine Park in Tanzania (East Africa) to examine the effects of bleaching and habitat structure on colonisation of coral reef fish assemblages. Live and bleached staghorn coral Acropora formosa was transplanted onto plots in a site dominated by sand and rubble, and the experimental design comprised of three treatments: live coral, bleached coral and eroded coral rubble. There was an immediate increase (within 24 h) in fish abundance and diversity in the two treatments with standing corals. Overall, live and bleached coral plots showed similar effects, but differed from the eroded coral plots which had a much lower abundance and diversity of fish. In general, fish species diversity changed with time over the study period while fish abundance did not. Multivariate analyses showed that while there were differences in fish assemblage structure between standing corals and the eroded coral treatment, there was neither a difference between live and bleached coral treatments nor any temporal effects on fish assemblage structure. Our findings suggest that physical structure and complexity of habitat have stronger effects on colonisation of reef fish assemblages than changes in coral health (such as bleaching) which do not affect coral structure. This may have important implications for appropriate coral reef management.     

Patterns of colonization and succession of benthic assemblages in two artificial substrates

Benthic communities colonizing two different typologies of artificial structures, Tecnoreef® pyramids (PY), and plinth modules (PL), differing for material and shape, were investigated for three years after their deployment on a soft bottom offshore Pedaso (Western Adriatic Sea). The aims were to describe the colonization patterns of benthic assemblages on the two artificial modules, to highlight possible differences between them and to detect the effectiveness of the artificial reef on the ecosystem functioning.The composition of the benthic communities settled on the two types of artificial substrates was different especially just after the reef deployment. Abundance and species richness were higher on PL in the first two years, while an explosion of individuals characterized PY in the third year. This suggested a delay of about one year in the colonization processes on PY likely due to the material and shape. The community settled of the artificial structures was dominated by hard-substrate species which are commonly absent in the natural environment. The occurrence of these organisms enriched the local soft-bottom communities and contributed to habitat diversification. This, together with the importance of these species in the diet of a few reef-dwelling fish, confirms the trophic role and the ecological importance of artificial reefs in areas characterized by soft seabed.