Temporal and spatial changes of macroalgae and phytoplankton in a Mediterranean coastal area: the Venice lagoon as a case study

Since the late 1980s the lagoon of Venice, a shallow Mediterranean coastal area, has experienced strong environmental changes. Macroalgae, which were the predominant primary producers of the lagoon, reduced markedly, but neither phytoplankton nor seagrasses replaced them. Temporal and spatial changes in macroalgal standing crop (SC) and phytoplankton concentration were investigated between 1987 and 1998. Maps of macroalgal SC show a marked declining trend. Biomass in fresh weight decreased from: 558 ktonnes in 1987, to 85 ktonnes in 1993 and to 8.7 ktonnes in 1998. As a whole, the biomass in 1998 was only 1.6% of the biomass recorded in 1987. Similarly the macroalgal net (NPP) and gross (GPP) primary production decreased from ca. 1502 and 9721 ktonnes year(-1) to ca. 44 and 229 ktonnes year(-1), respectively. In the early 1990s the clam Tapes philippinarum Adams & Reeve and seagrasses, especially Zostera marina Linnaeus, colonised the bottoms free of macroalgae, but the development of intense clam-fishing activities prevented both phytoplankton blooms and seagrass spreading. Maps of chlorophyll a drawn according to data collected in parallel to macroalgal standing crop show unchanged concentrations. Macroalgae changes are enhanced by comparing annual trends in four areas of the central lagoon during 1989-1992 and 1998-1999. In those areas phytoplankton also decreased significantly. Marked changes of some environmental variables strongly associated with the primary production were recorded both during the lagoon mapping and in the areas studied on a yearly basis.     

Biochemical and histochemical responses to environmental contaminants in clam, Tapes philippinarum, transplanted to different polluted areas of Venice Lagoon, Italy.

In this study the clam, Tapes philippinarum, a filter-feeding bivalve living in soft bottoms, was used to investigate the water/sediment pollution in Venice Lagoon (Venice, Italy), a heavily urbanised and industrialised area. To this end, clams collected from indigenous populations in a clean farming area (Val Dogà) were transplanted into a relatively low contaminated site (Palude della Rosa) and in a heavily polluted area (Porto Marghera), for 5 weeks. A range of possible induced stress indices were measured, on the basis of potential toxicity mechanisms, including specific enzymatic activities [Bap hydroxylase and NADPH cytochrome c reductase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and propionaldehyde dehydrogenase (PDH)] and general cellular responses (lysosomal latency). Moreover, chemical analyses (polychlorinated biphenyls, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, DDTs) were carried out on sediments and animal tissues at the beginning and end of the transplantation experiments. The chemical results show an active bio-accumulation activity from sediment in clams translocated to the most polluted area. Correspondingly, biological data indicate marked effects on PDH activity and latency in T. philippinarum from the same site. In contrast, no similar pattern has been observed in the other considered indices, possibly due to antagonistic effects of the complex contaminant mixture present in the environment.     

A spatially resolved model of seasonal variations in phytoplankton and clam (Tapes philippinarum) biomass in Barbamarco Lagoon,Italy

Barbamarco Lagoon (area = 7 km²) is in the Po River Delta, adjoining the Northern Adriatic Sea, and supports a commercially valuable clam (Tapes philippinarum) fishery. This study investigated interactions of the lagoon with adjacent coastal waters and inland riverine inputs by modelling both the lagoon and the Northern Adriatic Sea, using a coupled three-dimensional (3D) hydrodynamic-ecological model (ELCOM-CAEDYM) adapted to include the clam population. The clam model accounted for carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) biomass in the benthos through parameterisations for filtration, excretion, egestion, respiration, mortality, and harvesting. Multiple clam size classes were included in a new population dynamics sub-model. Output from the coupled model was validated against hydrodynamic and water quality data from intensive field sampling and routine monitoring. Time scales of tidal flushing, primary production and clam grazing were investigated with the model to demonstrate that food supply to clam populations is dominated by phytoplankton inputs from the Northern Adriatic Sea. Effects of clam cultivation on nutrient concentrations and phytoplankton biomass in Barbamarco Lagoon were primarily localised, with strong tidal flushing minimising impacts of clam filtration on lagoon-wide nutrient concentrations at current clam stocking levels. Clam populations were found to alter the cycling of nutrients in the system, causing the lagoon to become a net sink for particulate organic matter and to export dissolved organic matter to the adjacent sea via tidal flushing. Ecosystem health and sensitivity of nutrient cycles to clam cultivation are important considerations for the long term sustainable management and potential expansion of the fishery.     

台湾海峡西部海域软质海底多毛类的生态

本文根据１９８４－１９８５年４航次底栖生物调查资料，首次全面地研究了台湾海峡西部海域多毛类的种类组成，数量分布及其与环境因子的关系。结果表明，该海域多毛类４０４种，习见种１９１种，区系属亚热带性质；平均生物量４．３３ｇ／ｍ＾２，平均栖息密度６８个／ｍ＾２；有沿岸性和外洋性两种明显不同的生态类型，前者位于沿岸水系常年控制海域，种类多，数量较大，后者位于南部粗粒沉积物分布区，种类较少；多毛类高数量区与     

Clam dredging effects and subsequent recovery of benthic communities at different depth ranges

This study aimed to assess the potential effects of clam dredging and the subsequent recovery of the benthic environment. Two experimental areas located at 6 and 18 m depth were established in order to analyse whether impacts and recovery of benthic environment are depth-related. Study areas were located within an area closed to dredging and two different plots were established at both depths. One of the plots was subjected to intense clam dredge-fishing, while the other was undisturbed and therefore used as control. Sampling followed a BACI design, with samples for macrobenthic, meiobenthic and sediment particle size analysis being taken by SCUBA divers from both areas before and after fishing stress. For both depths, impacts on the benthic environment were very low resulting in high recovery rates. Nevertheless, at shallower depths communities demonstrated a faster recovery. It was shown that depending on the faunal component used as a bioindicator, different results can be observed. Generally deposit-feeding organisms with scales or chitinous plates and vermiform shape (mainly crustaceans, polychaetes and ophiuroids), without external protection, were the most affected by dredging, while some polychaetes without external protection and with a carnivorous feeding mode seemed to be enhanced by fishing. The low level of perturbations induced by the dredging activities was comparable to the impact of surface waves on the bottom, as experiments were undertaken in wave-dominated environments. The coexistence of storm events during the study period proved to have similar or even more deleterious effects on the benthic environment. It appears that communities from hydrodynamic fishing grounds that are well adapted to natural physical stress are not highly affected by dredging.     

Metabolic responses in gills of Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum exposed to copper using NMR-based metabolomics

Copper is an important heavy metal contaminant with high ecological risk in the Bohai Sea. In this study, the metabolic responses in the bioindicator, Manila clam (Ruditapes philippinarum), to the environmentally relevant copper exposures were characterized using NMR-based metabolomics. The significant metabolic changes corresponding to copper exposures were related to osmolytes, intermediates of the Krebs cycle and amino acids, such as the increase in homarine, branched chain amino acids and decrease in succinate, alanine and dimethylamine in the copper-exposed clam gills during 96 h exposure period. Overall, Cu may lead to the disturbances in osmotic regulation and energy metabolism in clams during 96 h experimental period. These results demonstrate that NMR-based metabolomics is applicable for the discovery of metabolic biomarkers which could be used to elucidate the toxicological mechanisms of marine heavy metal contaminants.     

Identification of Perkinsus-like parasite in Manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum using DNA molecular marker at ITS region

Genomic DNA was extracted from hypnospores of Perkinsus-like parasite of Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum collected at the fishing grounds in Huanghai Sea coast Shicheng Island and East China Sea coast Ningbo, China. The internal transcribed spacer（ITS） in rDNA was PCR-amplified, cloned, sequenced, and compared with that of five Perkinsus species in GenBank. The fragment amplified from DNA of parasite of either Shicheng Island or Ningbo contained 649 bp, including partial ssrRNA（51 bp） and ITS（＋5.8 S） （598 bp） regions. The ITS（＋5.SS） sequences of Perkinsus-like parasite of both Shicheng Island and Ningbo were all 99% identical to those ofPerkinsis atlanticus, and were not more than 95% identical to those of other four Perkinsus species including P. marinus, P. andrewsi, P. qugwadi and P. medierraneus.The ITS （＋5.8S） sequence of Perkinsus-like parasite of Shicheng Island was 99% identical to that of Ningbo. These facts about nucleotide sequences suggested that the Perkinsus-like parasite in Manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum collected from either the Huanghai Sea coast or the East China Sea coast was P. atlanticus, and might reflect P. atlanticus strains of distinct geographic distribution.     

Regulation of the fishing activities in the lagoon of Venice,Italy: Results from a socio-economic study

In the last years, the overall fish industry in the lagoon of Venice has shown a gradual decline. In order to better understand this process, we carry out a socio-economic questionnaire next to the fisherman population. Questionnaire contains significant qualitative and quantitative data that allow us to evaluate the social and the cultural profile of the respondents, including information with respect to the different technological fishing characteristics involved, type and amount of the species harvested as well as the overall productivity of the activity. Furthermore, the questionnaire contains an economic valuation exercise so as to assess in monetary terms the preferences of the fishermen with respect to different alternative policy options that may characterize a future regulation of this economic activity. Estimation results show that fishermen welcome any regulation initiative that is characterized by: (1) banning all fishing activities during the night, (2) allocating fishing concessions areas to each fishermen in a way that minimize the distance between the fishing area and the harbor, and (3) by introducing of a labeling mechanism that certifies the origin of the product. Moreover, the underlying economic valuation mechanism reveals to sensitive to respondent's motivational profile, including the overall trust and confidence that fisherman community places on the current institutional bodies. This result reveals to be of particular significance when attempting the design of an efficient, widely supported regulation of the fishing activity in the lagoon of Venice.     

Management strategies to optimise sustainable clam (Tapes philippinarum) harvests in Barbamarco Lagoon,Italy

Barbamarco Lagoon is a small lagoon adjoining the Northern Adriatic Sea and is the site of a commercially valuable clam (Tapes philippinarum) fishery. A three-dimensional (3D) coupled hydrodynamic–ecological model was applied to the lagoon with the objective of assessing impacts on clam food supply, commercial harvests and water quality of different clam rearing strategies, lagoon morphologies and flow regimes. Harvest and net growth to seeding ratios, total harvest value, clearance efficiencies and clam satiety were used to quantify the commercial success of different management strategies, while bottom dissolved oxygen concentrations were used as an indicator of ecosystem health. Increasing exchange with the Northern Adriatic Sea or increasing freshwater inputs into the lagoon improved clam food supply and increased both harvest production and ecosystem health in model simulations of the system. Results indicated that the high spatial and temporal variability of clam production and water quality responses must be considered for a holistic assessment of the outcomes of strategies in the context of ecological and production carrying capacity.     

七里海潟湖湿地近期演变分析及生态修复研究

海岸潟湖是半封闭系统,往往被海岸沙丘、沙嘴或沙坝阻碍了淡水与海洋的流通,也是重要的栖息地,如湿地、红树林、盐沼和海草地等。在过去的30年,七里海潟湖湿地生态系统遭受了严重的干扰。文章基于1987年、2000年、2010年和2017年的遥感数据,开展了七里海潟湖湿地类型变化研究。结果表明:1987年以来,七里海潟湖湖盆和沼泽面积持续减少,主要原因是向养殖池塘和稻田转变。围堰养殖、稻田开发、渔港及防潮闸建设等导致潟湖淤积严重,湖盆面积萎缩,水质恶化。为了更好地开发和利用潟湖湿地资源,提出了生态修复工程与措施。     

Effects of toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense on the energy budgets and growth of two marine bivalves

Harmful algal blooms (HAB) may impose a serious threat to aquatic lives and human health. We determined the effects of a toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense (clone ATCIO1, isolated from Hong Kong coastal waters) on the energy budget, quantified as scope for growth (SFG), and the growth rate of the manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum and the green-lipped mussel Perna viridis. To quantify the SFG, clams and mussels were dosed with different amounts of toxic A. tamarense for 6 days, resulting in different toxin burdens in the tissues. Clearance rate, absorption efficiency, and respiration rate were subsequently measured in these toxin containing bivalves. Clearance rate significantly declined at the highest toxin burden in the clams only, while there was no significant difference in the clearance rate among different treatments for the mussels. The respiration rate of either bivalve was not significantly affected by toxin accumulation in the tissues. In contrast, the absorption efficiency of both clams and mussels decreased, in a concentration-dependent manner for mussels but not for clams, when the tissue accumulated the toxins. With an increase in paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxin burden, SFG in both clams and mussels was significantly reduced, primarily because of the decrease of absorption efficiency. The growth rate of juvenile clam R. philippinarum, measured as an increment in tissue dry weight over a 15 d exposure period, was significantly lower during their feeding on toxic dinoflagellate than the growth rate of clams feeding on the diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana. The juvenile mussel P. viridis, however, exhibited similar growth rates after feeding on the toxic dinoflagellates and the nontoxic diatom. This study showed that SFG can provide a sensitive and integrated measure of the effect of HAB on the physiology of bivalves. Clam R. philippinarum may be more sensitive, in terms of their energy budget, to PSP toxin accumulation than the mussel P. viridis.     

Exergy,ecosystem functioning and efficiency in a coastal lagoon: The role of auxiliary energy

Exergy, as the sum of energy and information contained in a given system due to living organisms, can act as a quality indicator of ecosystems. Here, we investigated the exergy of Marsala Lagoon (Mediterranean Sea), along with microbial (prokaryotic and heterotrophic nanobenthos) biomass, prokaryotic heterotrophic production and extracellular enzymatic activities, and the biochemical composition of sediment organic matter. The aim of the study was to assess the role of auxiliary energy (e.g. hydrodynamic stress) in the ecosystem functioning and efficiency of a ‘detritus sink’ lagoon. Samples were collected at sites characterized by contrasting hydrodynamic and trophic conditions. Exergy transfer through the benthic microbial loop was influenced by two main factors: (1) organic matter bioavailability; and (2) hydrodynamic forcing. At both sites, the values of total exergy were higher in summer than in winter, and the specific exergy decreased from winter to autumn, along with increasing auxiliary energy. Our data indicate that in coastal ‘detritus sink’ systems, auxiliary energy sources can have a crucial role in exergy transfer and ecosystem functioning through modifying the efficiency of transfer to higher trophic levels of the refractory organic detritus, which is otherwise lost by burial in the sediment. As coastal lagoons are often intensively modified by human activities, we conclude that maintenance of the natural hydrodynamic regimes is a key factor in the preservation of the functioning of lagoon ecosystems and of their provision of goods and services to humans.     

Use of different intertidal habitats by faunal communities in a temperate coastal lagoon

The faunal communities of four intertidal habitats namely sand, mud, seagrass (Zostera noltii) and seagrass patches (mixSM) of a temperate coastal lagoon, Ria Formosa (southern Portugal), were sampled. A total of 47 species were taken in 428 bottomless drop sampler samples, with the highest number of species and the more commonly occurring species belonging to the Mollusca phylum. The dominance of these gastropod species underlines the importance of the grazing food chain in these habitats. Bittium reticulatum was the most abundant species, being especially abundant in the seagrass habitat. The most frequent and highest biomass species in the community was Carcinus maenas, a predator that makes use of the available resources and that is adapted to the highly variable intertidal environment. Pomatoschistus microps was the most abundant fish species, with highest densities in the mud habitat, which demonstrates an ability to occupy a low depth area. The seagrass habitat had the highest diversity, abundance and biomass, followed by the mixSM habitat and was different from all the others. Assemblages were highly influenced by the presence of vegetation, providing forage and refuge from predation. A well defined summer group was identified in all habitats. These results highlight the importance of seagrass beds and the idea that their decrease implies the decrease of lagoon production through the impoverishment of the trophic structure of the lagoon.     

胶州湾底栖软体动物与环境因子的关系

采用1998年2月—2002年11月,共5年19个季度月对胶州湾10个站进行综合调查的资料,对胶州湾大型底栖软体动物的种数、生物量和栖息密度三项数量指标与温度、盐度、底层初级生产力、底质四项生态因子的关系进行了研究。结果表明,胶州湾底栖软体动物是胶州湾重要的生物类群,共发现了51种。生物量和栖息密度最高的站均为2号站,分别为1015．6g／m^2和1041ind／m^2。软体动物的数量分布和季节变化与底质、温度存在较为密切的关系,同时底栖软体动物的出现种数和平均栖息密度与底层初级生产力呈线形相关,但三者与盐度的关系不明显。     

饵料浓度对菲律宾蛤仔呼吸和排泄的影响

在26℃水温条件下 ,对体重和饵料浓度对菲律宾蛤仔Ruditapesphilippinarum呼吸和排泄的影响进行了研究。结果表明 ,耗氧量和排氨量随体重的增加而增加 ,而呼吸率和排泄率均随体重的增加而减小。在饵料浓度小于或等于6.43±1.35mg/L,TPM范围内 ,蛤仔呼吸率随着饵料浓度的增大而增大 ,超过这一浓度范围 ,其呼吸率随着饵料浓度的增大而减小。在饵料浓度小于或等于9.25±2.11mg/L,TPM范围内 ,蛤仔排泄率也是随着饵料浓度的增大而增大 ,而超过这一浓度范围 ,其排泄率随着饵料浓度的增大而减小。蛤仔的氧氮比随着饵料浓度的升高而降低 ,说明饵料浓度较高时 ,蛤仔体内蛋白质代谢率增高。     

Cyclone and bioturbation effects on sediments from coral reef lagoons

Despite the severity of tropical cyclone ‘Winifred’, which crossed the Great Barrier Reef on 1 February 1986, there were little long-term effects on lagoon surface sediments from reefs in its path. Short-term effects were apparent only at one particularly exposed area. These were: an increase in proportion of the coarse fraction, the establishment of sand ripples, and the destruction of the mounds produced by callianassid shrimps (normally the dominant topographic feature). Within six weeks this area was indistinguishable from a typical reef lagoon. This is probably the result of sediment reworking by callianassid shrimp, involving selective burial of the coarse fragments and transport to the surface of finer particles. Sediment turnover rates by callianassids are commensurate with change to the sediment within the relatively short period observed. The sediment fauna responded quickly to the changes in sediment type. Immediately after the cyclone the disturbed area supported a fauna typical of the coarse sediments on the shallow reef flat, as the sediment reverted to a more normal type so the fauna changed back to that typical of a reef lagoon.     

Megabenthic diversity patterns and community structure of the Blanes submarine canyon and adjacent slope in the Northwestern Mediterranean: a human overprint?

The composition and structure of megabenthic communities in the Blanes canyon and adjacent open margin (Northwestern Mediterranean) were studied. The aim was to assess the effect of the canyon and commercial fishing intensity on the community composition and structure of benthic megafauna by (i) describing the megabenthic community composition, (ii) quantifying faunal abundance and biomass and (iii) describing community structure with MDS analyses and biodiversity indices. The results are compared between three sites (canyon head, canyon wall and open margin) located between 435 m and 700 m. Samples were collected using a commercial bottom trawl between April 2003 and March 2004. These sites are exploited by the local fishing fleet that targets the rose shrimp Aristeus antennatus . A total of 131 megabenthic species were identified from the three sites, with fishes and decapod crustaceans being the most speciose, most abundant and of higher biomass. The species richness, abundance and biomass of non-crustacean invertebrates were low. There were no significant differences in total abundance and biomass between the three sites. However, community structure analysis suggests that the open margin community is significantly different from the canyon head and canyon wall, with a lower species richness, lower diversity and lower evenness. The open margin community also reflects a higher degree of disturbance compared to the two canyon habitats. The results indicate that there is a canyon effect on the community structure of benthic megafauna, but this may be modulated by differing fishing pressure, which adds an additional factor to margin heterogeneity.     

粤西水东湾现代沉积环境特征与泥沙搬运路径

对粤西水东湾沉积地貌单元的现代沉积物分布特征分析与泥沙净搬运矢量计算表明，滨面斜坡沉积物主要由砂粒级物质组成，粒级参数Ｍｄ，ＱＤ和ＳＫ具有从海向岸、自东向西变化的总趋势，泥沙净搬运趋势以向岸和西北为主。落潮三角洲沉积物较其邻近滨面斜坡有所粗化，分选从中部向两侧变好，泥沙在落潮流与波浪驱动下沿落潮三角洲边缘向西运动。口门内潮汐通道深槽泥沙净搬运趋势指向湖。湖区的沉积物以泥质为主，分选中等至差，并形成绕涨潮三角洲的泥沙环流元。     

Hydrology of Okarito Lagoon and the inferred effects of selective logging in Okarito Forest

Okarito Lagoon (43° 11′S, 170° 14′E) is a small (20 km²) shore‐parallel, predominantly subtidal estuary, deepest near the landward end, and linked to the sea by two subtidal channels incised through shallow subtidal and intertidal flats which occupy the southern third of the lagoon. Tides at sea vary from 2.1m (spring) to 1.2 m (neap), but in the lagoon the tidal range is constant through the lunar cycle and varies from 0.80 m at the entrance to 0.17 m in the upper lagoon. Tidal water level and flow asymmetries in the subtidal channels are separated by a 1.7 h phase difference. Variations in the net discharge through the inlet result from changing flow cross‐sections rather than from variations in current velocities. Both the tidal‐averaged volume and the tidal compartment of the lagoon vary through the lunar cycle, from maxima at spring tides to minima at neap tides.

Freshwater inflows vary from less than 11 m³.s^‐1 to more than 750 m³.s^‐1. During storms, water level in the lagoon rises rapidly by 2–3 m, then declines to normal over several days. Three water masses, two with salinity and turbidity largely controlled by antecedent rainfall, normally occur in the lagoon. Suspended sediment concentrations in both freshwater inflows and lagoon waters are normally low but increase during floods. Most sediment is supplied by the Waitangi‐taona River or by erosion of tidal channel margins. The lagoon is floored with organic‐rich mud and sandy mud, deposited predominantly from suspension. Surface sediment is consistently muddier than subsurface sediment, probably reflecting an increase in the mud supply since diversion of the Waitangi‐taona River in 1967.

Comparisons of the estimated sediment yield and water inflow effects of the 1967 river diversion with short‐term observations during selective logging suggest that the effects of logging on sediment yield, water balance of the lagoon, and dissolved solids inputs will be small compared with changes caused by diversion of the Waitangi‐taona River.