Macrobenthic community in the Xiaoqing River Estuary in Laizhou Bay, China

The macrobenthic community of the Xiaoqing River Estuary and the adjacent sea waters was investigated in May and November 2008, August 2009, and May and September 2010, respectively. A total of 95 species of macrobenthos were identified in the five cruises and most of them were polychaetes (46.39%), mollusks (28.86%) and crustaceans (20.62%). The Shannon-Wiener index of macrobenthos was lower than 2 in 67% sites. Along the stream channel, estuary and the coastal waters, the species of polychaetes reduced gradually, while the abundance increased at first and then decreased. The abundance was the biggest at regions with salinity of 5–20 in the estuary. The species and abundance of mollusks and crustaceans increased gradually. As for seasonal distribution, the species, abundance and biomass were higher in spring and lower in summer and autumn. Contemporaneously compared with Laizhou Bay and Yellow River Estuary, the species of macrobenthos appeared in the Xiaoqing River Estuary were much less, while the percentage of polychaetes was higher. Abundance and biomass were higher in Xiaoqing River estuary, then consequently followed by Laizhou Bay and Yellow River Estuary. The dominant species in Xiaoqing River Estuary was polychaete, and Layzhou Bay mollusk. The community structure characteristics of macrobenthos in the Xiaoqing River Estuary revealed a significant pollution status in this region.     

Spatial Heterogeneity of Marine Environment Changes: A Case Study in Laizhou Bay and Its Adjacent Waters,China

Temporal and spatial heterogeneity identifications of marine environment and its changes have great significances in marine spatial planning and offshore pollution control.In this study,considering the integration of marine ecological environment and sea-land interaction,we built a spatialized evaluation model named Marine Environment Change Spatial Assessment(MECSA)to quantify the marine environment status and changes.In MECSA,we applied the geospatial model and the pressure-state-response(PSR)model for processing and integrating evaluation indicators.A case study in the Laizhou Bay showed that the marine environment quality was generally in a declining state from 2009 to 2015.In 2015,the Marine Environment Index(MEI)had decreased by 0.1 compared with 2009,although the two years all reached a‘Good'level.The spatial MEI layers of the two years showed a same distribution:the southwestern part was in poorer status,with a fan ring shape gradually getting better to the northeast.The Marine Organisms Response Index(MORI)contributed the most to the MEI.Therefore,future marine environmental assessment and spatial planning should focus on the identification the marine environment with its changes from the perspective of spatial heterogeneity and systemicity.Based on single indicators and comprehensive evaluation results,we can propose spatially targeted policies and recommendations scientifically.     

闽江口龙头鱼(Harpadon nehereus)的生物学参数及资源评估

【目的】调查闽江口龙头鱼资源,估算其生物学参数。【方法】于2015年1月、5月、8月、11月在福建闽江口11个采样点(25.85°―26.29°N,119.65°―119.87°E)采集龙头鱼3 770尾,测量其体长、体质量,用Fi SATⅡ软件中的ELEFAN I方法,估算龙头鱼的生长、死亡参数及其开捕体长和单位补充量渔获量。【结果】闽江口渔场龙头鱼体长(L)体质量(m)关系为:m=0.000 7 L~(3.804 2) (R~2=0.961 1);龙头鱼Von Bertalanffy生长方程估算的生长参数K、L_∞、m_∞、t_0分别为0.52、28.7 cm、246.1 g和-0.317龄;由生长方程推算出龙头鱼的拐点年龄约为2.252龄,拐点体长约为21.2 cm,拐点体质量约为77.1 g;根据长度变换渔获曲线法估算龙头鱼的总死亡系数为1.67,由Pauly经验公式估算自然死亡系数为1.04,捕捞死亡系数为0.63,开发率为0.377;由动态综合模型估算出龙头鱼的开捕年龄为0.712龄,对应开捕体长为11.9 cm。【结论】闽江口龙头鱼资源处未过度开发状态。     

红海湾水产养殖示范区水质综合评价

红海湾是广东省非常重要的海水养殖示范区。为了维系和保护红海湾规模化水产养殖示范区的优良生态环境 ,1 997年 4月至 1 998年 1 2月对红海湾水域水质的时空变化趋势和质量状况进行了研究与评价。结果表明 ,红海湾海水综合质量总体上处于相对清洁水平 ,但浅海养殖区和长沙湾养殖区有机污染明显 ,分别达富营养化和高富营养化程度。DIN和IP是水质富营养化的主要因素 ,而石油类、Cu、COD是重点控制的优先污染物。     

Zinc and copper bioaccumulation in fish from Laizhou Bay,the Bohai Sea

Abstract Zinc （Zn） and copper （Cu） concentrations were determined in the tissues （muscle, stomach, liver, gills, skin, and gonads） of five commercial fish species （mullet Liza haematocheilus, flathead Platycephalus indicus, mackerel Scomberomorus niphonius, silver pomfret Pampus argenteus, and sea bass Lateolabrax japonicus） from Laizhou Bay in the Bohai Sea. Metal bioaccumulation was highest in the metabolically active tissues of the gonads and liver. Bioconcentration factors for Zn were higher in all tissues （gonads 44.35, stomach 7.73, gills 7.72, liver 5.61, skin 4.88, and muscle 1.63） than the corresponding values for Cu （gonads 3.50, stomach 3.00, gills 1.60, liver 5.43, skin 1.50, and muscle 0.93）. Mackerel tissues accumulated metal to higher concentrations than did other fish species, but bioaccumulation levels were not significantly correlated with the trophic levels of the fish. Zn and Cu concentrations in the tissues were generally negatively correlated with fish length, except for a few tissues of sea bass. Risk assessment based on national and international permissible limits and provisional tolerances for weekly intake of Zn and Cu revealed that the concentrations of these two metals in muscle were relatively low and would not pose hazards to human health.     

The Effects of Reclamation Activity and Yellow River Runoff on Coastline and Area of the Laizhou Bay,China

Study on morphological changes of a bay can help to identify the effects of anthropogenic activities on coastal environment and guide the exploration of marine resources. In this paper, morphological data including coastline and water areas in five discrete years between 1968 and 2015 were selected and extracted from the remote sensing images and historical marine charts to study the morphological changes in Laizhou Bay(LZB), one of the bays in the southwest of the Bohai Sea. A systematic analysis on spatial variations of the coastline and the surface areas of different types of waters in LZB was conducted. The results showed that the surface area of LZB was decreased by 1253.2 km~2 in the last half century, which is 17.4% of the total in the 1970 s. The areas of the natural wetland and the intertidal zone were decreased by 17.2% and 56.1%, respectively, and the average water depth varied from 9.05 m to 8.16 m at low tide level from 1968 to 2015. The coastline and shape variations of the bay turned to be complex after the 1980 s, and the shape index of LZB showed an increasing trend in more recent years. The centroid of the bay generally migrated to the northeast direction, i.e., the direction of the center of the Bohai Sea, and the shrinking direction of the bay was consistent with the migration direction of the coastline. The reclamation area during 1968–2015 in LZB was 1201.7 km2, and 94.1% was in the intertidal zone. The overall morphological change of the bay during the last half century was mainly controlled by the coastal reclamation activities, and the Yellow River runoff including the river course change and sediment load variation was also an important controlling factor.     

湛江港湾及邻近海域有色溶解有机物光谱吸收特性分析

于2016年9月18日至9月27日对湛江湾海域有色溶解有机物(CDOM)进行调查,分析CDOM的吸收系数ag(440)、光谱斜率(S_g)空间分布特征及其关系。结果表明:湛江湾海域CDOM的吸收系数ag(440)变化范围为0.23~0.71 m~(-1),平均值为0.49 m~(-1);S_g值的变化范围为0.005 2~0.019 7 nm~(-1),平均值为0.010 9 nm~(-1);ag(440)的水平空间分布表明,湛江湾外海CDOM浓度显著低于湾内水平,而光谱斜率S_g水平空间分布则显示湾内和湾外S_g差异性不明显,且ag(440)与S_g负相关关系不明显。     

Study of the Wind Conditions in the South China Sea and Its Adjacent Sea Area

An increasing number of marine structures have been built for coastal protection and marine development in recent years,and wind,which is crucial to marine structures,should be analyzed.Therefore,typhoon frequency,wind climate,wind energy assess-ment,and extreme wind speed in the South China Sea(SCS)are investigated in detail in this study.The data are obtained from the China Meteorological Administration,the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts,and the National Centers for Envi-ronmental Prediction.The offshore wind energy potential is analyzed at five sites near the coast.The spatial and monthly frequencies of tropical cyclones for different intensity categories are analyzed.The extreme wind speed is fitted by five distribution models,and the generalized extreme value(GEV)distribution is selected as the most suitable function according to the goodness of fit.The spa-tial distributions of extreme wind speeds in the SCS are plotted on the basis of the GEV distribution and ERA5 data sets.The influ-ences of the distribution models and data sets on the calculated results are discussed.Moreover,the monthly extreme wind speed and comparison with the results of previous studies are analyzed.This study provides a reference for the design of wind turbines.     

Abundance and Biomass of Benthic Heterotrophic Bacteria in Jiaozhou Bay, China

The abundance and biomass of benthic heterotrophic bacteria were investigated for the 4 typical sampling stations in the northern muddy part of Jiaozhou Bay, estuary of the Dagu River, raft culturing and nearby areas of Huangdao in March, June, August and December, 2002. The abundance and biomass range from 0.98×107 to 16.87×107cells g-1 sediment and 0.45 to 7.08μgCg-1 sediment, respectively. Correlation analysis showed that heterotrophic bacterial abundance and biomass are significantly correlated to water temperature (R =0.79 and 0.83, respectively, P<0.01).     

Species- and tissue-specific mercury bioaccumulation in five fish species from Laizhou Bay in the Bohai Sea of China

Mercury (Hg) concentrations in the tissues (muscle, stomach, liver, gills, skin, and gonads) of five fish species (mullet Liza ha em atocheil us, flathead fish Platycephalus indicus, sea bass Lateolabrax japonic u s, mackerel Scomberomorus niphonius and silver pomfret Pampus argenteus) collected from Laizhou Bay in the Bohai Sea of China were investigated. The results indicate that Hg bioaccumulation in the five fish was tissue-specific, with the highest levels in the muscle and liver, followed by the stomach and gonads. The lowest levels were found in the gills and skin. Fish at higher trophic levels (flathead fish and sea bass) exhibited higher Hg concentrations than consumers at lower trophic levels. Mercury bioaccumulation tended to be positively correlated with fish length in mullet, silver pomfret, mackerel, and flathead fish, but was negatively correlated with fish length in sea bass. The Hg concentrations in the muscles of all fish species in Laizhou Bay were within the permissible limits of food safety set by national and international criteria. However, the suggesting maximum consumption of sea bass is 263 g per week for human health.     

Numerical Study of the Three Gorges Dam Influences on Chlorophyll-a in the Changjiang Estuary and the Adjacent East China Sea

The impoundment of the Three Gorges Dam(TGD)has altered downstream hydrological characteristics and sediment discharge,and it has caused ecological impacts,such as changes in chlorophyll-a(Chl-a)in estuaries and coastal oceans.To investigate the TGD's influence on Chl-a's interannual and seasonal variations in the Changjiang Estuary and the adjacent coastal East China Sea,a physical-biogeochemical model was developed with numerical experiments covering a decade,including TGD's preperiod(pre-TGD,1999–2003)and post-period(post-TGD,2004–2008).The modeling results demonstrate an annual increase in the regional average Chl-a from pre-to post-TGD,with the largest increase reaching up to 20.8%in spring in the nearshore region beyond the Changjiang mouth.The spatial variations in Chl-a are high,with the largest variation being observed around the 20–40 m isobaths.The increase in Chl-a is influenced by improved light and nutrient conditions,which is attributed to dam construction and fertilization by human activities.A decline in nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizer usage ratio along the Changjiang River watershed after the TGD's impoundment is another factor that influences the Chl-a's variation.The modeling results also show severe NO3 and PO4 imbalances with a larger N/P ratio during the post-TGD period,especially in regions with large Chl-a increases.Moreover,the greater increase in the usage of phosphorus fertilizer than nitrogen fertilizer influences Chl-a's variation and has potential promotion effects on the outbreak of harmful algal bloom events.     

莱洲湾南岸滨海湿地生物多样性及生态地质环境

莱州湾南岸滨海湿地作为环渤海滨海湿地的一部分,具有海洋与河口交互性、海陆过渡性和生态脆弱性等特点,湿地面积广阔、资源丰富,是东北亚环西太平洋鸟类迁徙的重要“中转站”及越冬、栖息和繁殖地。湿地总面积为1150．079km^2,湿地维管束植物区系包括维管束植物53科144属217种。近年来,在对滨海湿地的开发中,虾池、盐田等人工湿地面积不断扩大,造成自然湿地面积减小、植被退化、地貌和水文条件改变、生物多样性下降,改变了原始的滨海湿地自然景观,破坏了珍稀鸟类的生存环境。     

Estimates of autumntime benthic secondary production in Laizhou Bay and adjacent Bohai Sea waters

The whole metazoan community inhabiting Laizhou Bay and adjacent Bohai Sea waters were sampled in late autumn,2006.Secondary production estimates for macrofauna and meiofauna were made separately.Total benthic secondary production was as high as 8.38 ± 4.08 g ash-free dry weight(AFDW) m-2 a-1,which represented the autumn production level.In general,macrofaunal secondary production in Laizhou Bay was much lower than that in adjacent Bohai Sea areas.In contrast,meiofaunal secondary production in Laizhou Bay was higher than that in adjacent Bohai Sea areas.Macrofauna contributed 61% to benthic secondary production(5.09 ± 3.26 g AFDW m-2 a-1),lower than the value in previous studies in Bohai Sea.Sediment granulometric characteristics and bottom-water salinity could explain the substantial variability in the macrofauna biomass and production.Meiofaunal production was an important component of benthic production and exceeded macrofauna production under exceptional conditions,e.g.in Laizhou Bay,where macrofauna was restricted.Chlorophyll pigments(Chl-a) concentrations in sediment explained the general meiofaunal biomass and production distribution here.     

Assessment of Habitat Suitability in the Upper Reaches of the Min River in China

Habitat richness influences and even determines biological diversity. Plant habitat suitability assessment can provide technical guidance and information support for ecological restoration. Thirteen factors in three categories of terrain, meteorology and soil were chosen to build a habitat suitability assessment index framework in the Upper Reaches of the Min River, based on the local natural environment and the actual influencing factors of vegetative growth. Combined with the Analytic Hierarchy Process(AHP) and entropy method, which were used to calculate weights of indexes, habitat suitability was studied by using a multi-objective linear weighting model and geographic information systems(GIS) spatial analysis techniques. The assessment results are as follows: Altitude, soil stability, aspect and slope have more important effects on plant habitat suitability in the Upper Reaches of the Min River, and their weights are 0.311, 0.260, 0.198 and 0.125, respectively. Suitable and sub-suitable habitats cover 4431.80 km2 and 6171.12 km2, respectively; most of which are distributed along both sides of rivers and have higher suitability. Unsuitable habitats cover the largest area(6679.76 km2), accounting for 29.83% of the whole area; and the worst unsuitable habitats are 5107.23 km2(22.81%); they account for more than half of the studyarea. These results indicate that the plant habitat in the Upper Reaches of the Min River is poor and ecological restoration is both urgent and difficult. Therefore, based on the principle of taking measures suitable to the habitat in ecological restoration projects, ecological and engineering measures should be combined to have better effects, while increasing the strength of ecological protection.     

Monthly Variation in Crustacean Assemblage(Decapod and Stomatopod) and Its Relationships with Environmental Variables in Laizhou Bay,China

In this study,we investigated the community structure of crustaceans(decapod and stomatopod) inhabiting the sandy mud bottoms of Laizhou Bay(northeastern China) monthly from May 2011 to April 2012.Investigation was stopped from December 2011 to February 2012 because of the extreme weather and sea ice.A total of 205,057 specimens belonging to 31 species(shrimp,15;crab,15;and stomatopod,1) were collected in 148 hauls.From 2011 to 2012,Oratosquilla oratoria was the dominant biomass species(47.80%),followed by Charybdis japonica(15.49%),Alpheus japonicas(12.61%),Portunus trituberculatus(6.46%),and Crangon spp.(4.19%).Crangon spp.was the most dominant species by individual(32.55%).O.oratoria was the most-frequently encountered species(81.76%),followed by Palaemon gravieri(70.95%),C.japonica(65.54%),A.japonicas(62.16%),and P.trituberculatus(54.73%).The biomass density increased from August to September 2011 and decreased from March 2012 to April 2012.The dynamics of the ecological indices evolve in a similar manner,with high values of diversity and evenness and rich species from May to June 2011 and low values from September to October 2011.O.oratoria,C.japonica,and P.trituberculatus differed by biomass data between groups I(samples obtained from September to October 2011) and II(samples in other months).These species contributed more than 70% to the similarity of the crustacean community structure.Furthermore,the subsets of environmental variables that best matched the crustacean-assemblage structure were as follows:water depth(WD) in summer(June to August);sea surface temperature(SST),dissolved oxygen(DO),and WD in autumn(September to November);and DO,salinity,and WD in spring(March to May).The calculated correlation coefficients and significance level were higher in the period of July to August 2011 than in other months.Comparing 2011 to 2012 with 1982 to 1983,the species composition remained stable.However,the dominant species changed significantly.High value and large species,such as F.chinensis,P.trituberculatus,and T.curvirostris,have been replaced by low value and small species(i.e.,Crangon spp.,P.gravieri,and C.japonica).     

Spatial and Seasonal Patterns of Ichthyoplankton Assemblages in the Haizhou Bay and Its Adjacent Waters of China

Surveys were conducted in five voyages in Haizhou Bay and its adjacent coastal area from March to December 2011 during full moon spring tides. The ichthyoplankton assemblages and the environmental factors that affect their spatial and seasonal patterns were determined. Totally 35 and 12 fish egg and larvae taxa were identified, respectively. Over the past several decades, the egg and larval species composition has significantly changed in Haizhou Bay and its adjacent waters, most likely corresponding with the alteration of fishery resources, which are strongly affected by anthropogenic activities and climate change. The Bray-Curtis dissimilarity index identified four assemblages: near-shore bay assemblage, middle bay assemblage and two closely related assemblages(near-shore/middle bay assemblage and middle/edge of bay assemblage). The primary species of each assemblage principally reflected the spawning strategies of adult fish. The near-shore bay assemblage generally occurred in near-shore bay, with depths measuring 20 m, and the middle bay assemblage generally occurred in the middle of bay, with depths measuring 20 to 40 m. Spatial and seasonal variations in ichthyoplankton in each assemblage were determined by interactions between biological behavioral traits and oceanographic features, particularly the variation of local conditions within the constraint of a general reproductive strategy. The results of Spearman's rank correlation analysis indicated that both fish egg and larval abundance were positively correlated with depth, which is critical to the oceanographic features in Haizhou Bay.     

Spatial distribution and controlling factors of sedimentary bodies in Jiaozhou Bay and Adjacent Sea Areas, Qingdao

The distributions of thickness of unconsolidated Quaternary sedimentary layers in Jiaozhou Bay and Qingdao offshore area were studied by using 1079-km high-resolution shallow seismic profiles and drilling core data, and the factors controlling the Quaternary evolution were discussed. The results show that such thickness distributions resulted from the coactions of geologic structures and marine hydrodynamic conditions since the Holocene. The geologic structures controlled the slope deposit, proluvial and fluvial fillings since the late Pleistocene. Holocene marine hydrodynamics eroded away sediments at the bay mouth, and tides carried these eroded materials to the sides of the bay mouth and released them there, forming channel-ridge-alternating geomorphic features. During transgressive processes, the sea level rose rapidly, and insufficient sediment supply and tidal actions yielded the relict sediments in the east of Qingdao offshore area.     

Paleosalinity and Its Association with Organic Matter: A Case Study from the Eocene Shahejie Formation,Laizhou Bay Sag,Bohai Bay Basin(China)

Paleosalinity is vital for the paleoenvironmental reconstruction and affects the formation of source rock.The lowermiddle sections of the third member of Eocene Shahejie formation (Es_3~(M-L)) constitute the most important source rock layer in Laizhou Bay Sag.However,the paleosalinity of the depositional water in which Es_3~(M-L) submembers are deposited remains unclear.A series of integrated experiments,including major and trace elements,X-ray diffraction,total organic carbon,and Rock-Eval,was performed to reveal the paleosalinity and its relationship with organic matter (OM).Various inorganic proxies (Sr/Ba,Rb/K,B/Ga,Walker’s paleosalimeter,Adam’s paleosalimeter,and Couch’s paleosalimeter) were employed to determine the paleosalinity of samples.Prominent differences existed in the proxies.Couch’s paleosalimeter is the most reliable and qualitative approach for Laizhou Bay Sag.Samples from the lake center (depocenter) and margin showed paleosalinities from 4.92 wt‰to 9.73 wt‰,suggesting a ubiquitous brackish (oligohaline-mesohaline) water body in the paleolake.Molybdenum enrichment in samples indicates an oxygendepleted (suboxic or anoxic) condition.The increase in salinity has a certain but non-significant positive correlation with oxygen reduction.This condition may be attributed to the weak stratification of the water column in brackish water bodies.Moreover,paleosalinity has a weak and indirect relationship with OM accumulation during the deposition of Es_3~(M-L) submembers in Laizhou Bay Sag.