Scale-dependent effects of nutrient loads and climatic conditions on benthic and pelagic communities in the Gulf of Finland

Eutrophication and climate change are ranked among the most serious threats to the stability of marine ecosystems worldwide. The effects of nutrient loads and climatic conditions vary in direction, magnitude and spatial extent. To date the factors that are behind the scale-specific spatial and temporal variability are poorly known. In this study we assessed how variability in nutrient loads and climatic conditions at local, gulf and regional scales explained the spatial patterns and temporal trends of zooplankton and benthic invertebrates in the Gulf of Finland. In general both local and gulf scale environmental variability had an important effect on benthic invertebrate species and the variability was mainly due to local nutrient loading, gulf scale temperature and salinity patterns. Zooplankton species were equally affected by environmental variability at all spatial scales, and all nutrient load and climatic condition variables contributed to the models. The combination of variables at all spatial scales did not explain the substantially larger proportion in invertebrate variability than variables at any individual scale. This suggests that large-scale pressures such as nutrient loads and change of climatic conditions may define broad patterns of distribution but within these patterns small-scale environmental variability significantly modifies the response of communities to these large-scale pressures.     

Hematological analyses of some fish species in the Gulf of Riga

The objective of this work was to detect and compare blood parameters of European flounder (Platichthys flesus), herring (Clupea harertgus membras), eelpout (Zoarces viviparous) and perch (Perca fluviatilis) at the Eastern and Western coast of the Gulf of Riga. The number of erythrocytes in herring of the Gulf of Riga ranges from 1.45 to 2.57 × 10¹²/L. At the same time no statistically significant difference in red blood cells (RBC) count between herring of both coasts was detected. The most common white blood cells in GoR herring blood smear were lymphocytes ranging from 73 to 94%. The number of lymphoblasts was very small (0?C4%), indicating that herring of the GoR is not exposed to chronic stress. The number of erythrocytes in flounder ranged from 0.8 to 2.65 × 10¹²/L, but hemoglobin??from 4.7 to 16.5 g/dL. RBC count and hemoglobin level in European flounder did not differ between coasts however hematocrit was significantly higher at the Eastern coast. White blood cell count in flounder near the Western and Eastern coast was almost equal. Blood indices in eelpouts were slightly higher at the Eastern cost. Slightly higher number of red blood cells and significantly higher hemoglobin level has been observed in perch feeding near the Eastern coast, indicating physiological disturbances of fish. Although hematological analysis pointed at slightly worse living conditions of fish at the Eastern coast, in general hematological picture did not give evidence of fish welfare decline in the Gulf of Riga.     

Trophic Status of the South-Eastern Baltic Sea: A Comparison of Coastal and Open Areas

Primary production, nutrient concentrations, phytoplankton biomass (incl. chlorophyll a) and water transparency (Secchi depth), are important indicators of eutrophication. Earlier basin-wide primary production estimates for the Baltic Sea, a shallow shelf sea, were based mainly on open-sea data, neglecting the fundamentally different conditions in the large river plumes, which might have substantially higher production. Mean values of the period 1993–1997 of nutrient concentrations (phosphate, nitrate, ammonium and silicate), phytoplankton biomass, chlorophyll a (chl a) concentration, turbidity and primary production were calculated in the plumes of the rivers Oder, Vistula and Daugava and Klaipeda Strait as well as the open waters of the Arkona Sea, Bornholm Sea, eastern Gotland Sea and the Gulf of Riga. In the plumes, these values, except for primary production, were significantly higher than in the open waters. N:P ratios in the plumes were >16 (with some exceptions in summer and autumn), indicating potential P-limitation of phytoplankton growth, whereas they were <16 in the open Baltic Proper, indicating potential N-limitation. On the basis of in situ phytoplankton primary production, phytoplankton biomass and nutrient concentrations, the large river plumes and the Gulf of Riga could be characterized as eutrophic and the outer parts of the coastal waters and the open sea as mesotrophic. Using salinity to define the border of the plumes, their mean extension was calculated by means of a circulation model. Taking into account the contribution of coastal waters, the primary production in the Baltic Proper and the Gulf of Riga was 42·6 and 4·3×10⁶ t C yr⁻¹, respectively. Hence, an annual phytoplankton primary production in the whole Baltic Sea was estimated at 62×10⁶ t C yr⁻¹. The separate consideration of the plumes had only a minor effect on the estimation of total primary production in comparison with an estimate based on open sea data only. There is evidence for a doubling of primary production in the last two decades. Moreover, a replacement of diatoms by dinoflagellates during the spring bloom was noticed in the open sea but not in the coastal waters. A scheme for trophic classification of the Baltic Sea, based on phytoplankton primary production and biomass, chl a and nutrient concentrations, is proposed.     

New Zealand lakes research, 1967–91

Research on New Zealand lakes over the past 25 years has focused mainly on eutrophication, measures of water quality, patterns, processes and production in plankton communities, and the spread and growth of submerged adventive macrophytes. Compared with most northern temperate lakes many New Zealand lakes show: low levels of inorganic nitrogen (N) and frequent N‐limitation of phyto‐plankton growth; diffuse, rather than point source, nutrient inflows; a great diversity of optical properties; unusual and often variable timing of plankton growth (attributed to the pervasive influence of New Zealand's oceanic climate); low productivity and biomass of zooplankton, which appear to be limited by food rather than predators; and sensitivity to invasion by adventive macrophytes. Notable research develop‐ments include improved methods of measuring nutrients, empirical predictive models that relate indices of eutrophication to nutrient loading, and significant advancements in methods of quantifying and measuring water colour and clarity.     

Variability in the Hydrographic and Biological Features of the Gulf of Naples

Abstract. Recent observations of physico-chemical and biological parameters in the Gulf of Naples are summarized. The water masses present within the Gulf during the various periods of the year are described. The temporal and spatial distribution of surface nutrients (N-NO₃, P-PO₄, Si-SiO₄) and chlorophyll a are reported and the areas exposed to local eutrophication are identified. Biweekly sampling at a reference station has permitted us also to identify both phytoplankton and zooplankton seasonal cycles. The morphology of the basin and the uneven land runoff distribution are interpreted as causal to the variability of chemico-physical parameters and of the associated biological communities, giving rise to two subsystems (coastal and "open water") within the Gulf.     

Analysis of trophic networks and carbon flows in south-eastern Baltic coastal ecosystems

Carbon flows in five south-eastern Baltic coastal ecosystems (Puck Bay, Curonian Lagoon, Lithuanian coast, Gulf of Riga coast and Pärnu Bay) were compared on the basis of ECOPATH models using 12 common functional groups. The studied systems ranged from the hypertrophic Curonian Lagoon to the mesotrophic Gulf of Riga coast. Interestingly, we found that macrophytes were not consumed by grazers, but rather channelled into the detritus food chain. In all ecosystems fisheries had far reaching impacts on their target species and on the food-web in general. In particular, benthic food-webs were partly affected by indirect fisheries effects. For example, fisheries tend to change the biomass of piscivorous fish, causing a cascading effect on benthivorous fish and macrozoobenthos. These cascades are ecosystem specific and need to be considered when using benthic invertebrates as productivity and eutrophication indicators. Odum’s maturity attributes allowed a ranking of costal ecosystems according to their maturity. Namely, the community development decreased in the following order: Pärnu Bay > Gulf of Riga coast > Lithuanian coast > Puck Bay > Curonian Lagoon.     

Transfer-function modelling between environmental variation and mesozooplankton in the Baltic Sea

Time series of freshwater runoff, seawater salinity, temperature and oxygen were used in transfer functions (TF) to model changes of mesozooplankton taxa in the Baltic Sea from the 1960’s to the 1990’s. The models were then compared with long term zooplankton monitoring data from the same period. The TF models for all taxa over the whole Baltic proper and at different depth layers showed statistically significant estimates in t-tests. TF models were further compared using parsimony as a criterion. We present models showing 1) r² > 0.4, 2) the smallest residual standard error with the combination of exploratory variables, 3) the lowest number of parameters and 4) the highest proportional decrease in error term when the TF model residual standard error was compared with those of the univariate ARIMA model of the same response variable. Most often (7 taxa out of a total of 8), zooplankton taxa were dependent on freshwater runoff and/or seawater salinity. Cladocerans and estuarine copepods were more conveniently modelled through the inclusion of seawater temperature and oxygen data as independent variables. Our modelling, however, explains neither the overall increase in zooplankton abundance nor a simultaneous decrease found in the neritic copepod, Temora longicornis. Therefore, biotic controlling agents (e.g. nutrients, primary production and planktivore diets) are suggested as independent variables for further TF modelling. TF modelling enabled us to put the controlling factors in a time frame. It was then possible, despite the inherent multiple correlation among parameters studied to deduce a chain-of-events from the environmental controls and biotic feedback mechanisms to changes in zooplankton species. We suggest that the documented long-term changes in zooplankton could have been driven by climatic regulation only. The control by climate could be mediated to zooplankton through marine chemical and physical factors, as well as biotic factors if all of these were responding to the same external control, such as changes in the freshwater runoff. Increased runoff would explain both the increasing eutrophication, causing the overall increase of zooplankton, and the changes in selective predation, contributing to decline of Temora.     

Links between climate variation and year class strength of New Zealand hoki (Macruronus novaezelandiae): An update

Hoki (Macruronus novaezelandiae Hector) year class strength (YCS) varies substantially from year to year. We examined associations between YCS and climate variables including the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), satellite sea surface temperatures (SSTs), synoptic weather patterns, wind speeds, and the depth of the west coast, South Island, New Zealand, mixed layer. We evaluated the predictions of a model developed 2 years ago to predict YCS of the western and eastern New Zealand hoki stocks from similar climate variables. New predictive models were developed using updated data. Strong year classes of the western hoki stock were associated with cooler SSTs, a negative SOI, and westerly or south‐westerly flow along the west coast of the South Island. We accordingly predict a moderately strong 1997 year class and weak 1998 and 1999 year classes for the western stock of hoki. The current model cannot predict eastern stock year class strengths with confidence.     

Distribution of metal concentrations in sediments of the coastal zone of the Gulf of Riga and open part of the Baltic Sea

The comparison of spatial and temporal distribution of Hg, Cd, Pb, Cu, Ni, Zn, Mn and Fe concentrations in sediments from the Gulf of Riga and open Baltic Sea along the coastal zone is presented for the first time. There were considerable differences in Pb, Zn, Mn and Fe levels in sediment at various stations of the Gulf of Riga. A significant difference of Cd, Pb, Cu, Ni, Zn levels was found in sediments of various stations in the open Baltic coast. The amount of Cd, Pb, Cu, Ni, Zn and Fe levels also differed significantly in the sediments of the Gulf of Riga in different years. A considerable yearly difference in amount of Hg, Cd, Pb, Cu, Ni and Mn levels was found in sediments in the open Baltic coast. The essential highest values of Pb and Zn in coastal sediments of the open Baltic Sea are stated in comparison with the Gulf of Riga. The concentrations of other metals have only a tendency to be higher in coastal sediments of the open Baltic Sea in comparison with the Gulf of Riga. Natural and anthropogenic factors were proved to play an important role in determining resultant metals concentrations in the regions.     

Model estimates of the eutrophication of the Baltic Sea in the contemporary and future climate

The St. Petersburg Baltic eutrophication model (SPBEM) is used to assess the ecological condition of the sea under possible changes in climate and nutrient loads in the 21st century. According to model estimates, in the future climate water quality will worsen, compared to modern conditions. This deterioration is stronger in the climate warming scenario with a stronger change in future near-surface air temperature. In the considered scenarios of climate change, climate warming will lead to an increase in the area of anoxic and hypoxic zones. Reduction of nutrient loading, estimated in accordance with the Baltic Sea Action Plan, will only be able to partially compensate for the negative effects of global warming.     

The Gulf of California: Review of ecosystem status and sustainability challenges

The Gulf of California is unique because of its geographical location and conformation. It hosts diverse ecosystems and important fisheries that support industry and provide livelihood to coastal settlements. It is also the site of interests and problems, and an intense interaction among managers, producers, and conservationists. In this report, we scrutinize the abiotic (hydrography, climate, ocean circulation, and chemistry) and biotic (phyto- and zooplankton, fish, invertebrates, marine mammals, birds, and turtles) components of the marine ecosystem, and some particular aspects of climate variability, endemisms, harmful algal blooms, oxygen minimum layer, and pollution. We also review the current conditions and conflicts around the main fisheries (shrimp, small and large pelagic fishes, squid, artisanal and sportfishing), the most important human activity in the Gulf of California. We cover some aspects of management and conservation of fisheries, especially the claimed overexploitation of fish resources and the ecosystems, and review proposals for creating networks of marine protected areas. We conclude by identifying main needs for information and research, particularly the integration of data bases, the implementation of models and paleoreconstructions, establishment of monitoring programs, and the evaluation of fishing impacts and management actions.     

Redundancy and diversity of functional reef fish groups of the Mexican Eastern Pacific

Coral reefs are in crisis worldwide. Fish play a key role in the resilience of reefs because most of the biomass of the ecosystem flows through them. Evidence indicates that the response to stressors will vary markedly depending on the resilience of the ecosystem. In order to assess the functional groups of reef fishes, morphometric and ecomorphological analyses were carried out on the shape and diet of 117 reef fish species from the Mexican Eastern Pacific (MEP) from 23°N to 15°N, spanning the years 2009–2012. Six trophic groups were identified and subdivided into 19 functional groups: (A) detritus and plants consumers, three morphologies; (B) plants and zoobenthos consumers, four morphologies; (C) zoobenthos consumers, two morphologies; (D) zoobenthos and zooplankton consumers, three morphologies; (E) zooplankton and nekton consumers, three morphologies; and (F) nekton consumers, four morphologies. Our main conclusions are: (i) fish communities of the MEP have a high degree of ecological redundancy; (ii) fish diversity is not related to the coral cover; and (iii) the combination of using both morphology and diet produce a more effective classification of functional groups. Future studies such as these will allow a deeper understanding of environment and it will help illuminate the effects of fish morphology and diet on population structure.     

XX核电厂附近海域生态环境及潜在致灾生物研究

为了了解XX核电厂周边海域的生态环境状况,筛选潜在威胁核电厂冷源安全的致灾生物,分析影响致灾生物时空分布的主要环境因素,本研究于2018年进行了四个季节的生态调查。结果表明,研究海域浮游植物密度秋季最高,春季优势种为东海原甲藻,其他季节优势种为中肋骨条藻等硅藻。浮游动物密度夏季最高,以桡足类为主,春、夏季优势种还包括球型侧腕水母和薮枝螅水母。底栖动物的密度和生物量在秋季最高,优势种主要为豆形短眼蟹、长吻沙蚕和丝异须虫。浮游植物、浮游动物和底栖动物群落均在夏季最为稳定,群落多样性水平和物种丰度较高,且分布较为均匀。浮游植物群落的细胞丰度与悬浮物和磷酸盐的浓度正相关性最高。浮游动物的密度受温度和盐度的影响较大。底栖动物的群落分布主要受悬浮物和无机营养盐的浓度影响。本研究共筛选出17种威胁XX核电厂冷源安全的潜在致灾生物。海地瓜、棘刺锚参、海葵和球型侧腕水母的风险等级较高,其分布主要受温度和盐度的影响。后续工作中,XX核电厂应根据潜在致灾生物与环境因子的关系加强暴发机制研究、提升监测预警能力,并优化驱赶消杀技术和干扰体系,为核电厂冷源安全提供理论和技术保障。     

莱州湾西部海域枯水期富营养化程度的初步研究

根据 2004 年 5 月份的调查资料,选择透明度、盐度、活性磷酸盐、溶解无机氮、硅酸盐、叶绿素 a、浮游植物、浮游动物、底栖生物作为评价因子,利用层次分析法确定了各因子的层次关系和权重,建立了以营养盐和富营养化致害因素、直接效应、间接效应三方面指标为基础的综合评价指数模型,对莱州湾海域的营养水平进行了评价.各站点最终评价结果表明:莱州湾海域磷酸盐、无机氮超标严重,整体已表现出富营养化,其中黄河口和小清河口附近富营养化较为明显,这主要是受到陆源排污和海水养殖的影响.     

The spreading of eutrophication in the eastern coast of the Gulf of Bothnia,northern Baltic Sea – An analysis in time and space

In the Baltic Sea, the Gulf of Bothnia is the only sub-basin with only minor effects of eutrophication mainly due to physical factors. Most evaluations of the state of the Gulf of Bothnia are based on offshore investigations. In the present study the coastal zone of the eastern Gulf of Bothnia is analysed. Long-term data (1980–2007) of total nitrogen and phosphorus, turbidity and oxygen are analysed using principal component analysis (PCA) for spatial and temporal patterns in the trophic situation. The coastal zone is divided into six regions: inner and outer areas of the Bothnian Sea and the Quark, and the outer areas of the southern and northern Bothnian Bay. The results show a degradation of water quality from north to south, and from outer to inner coastal areas. Eutrophication changes from an almost non-existing problem in the Bothnian Bay in the north to clear signs of nutrient over-enrichment in the Bothnian Sea. This shows that even if eutrophication in the Gulf of Bothnia is not serious, the increasing trends in nutrient levels should be seen as warning signals for the future, and remedies to combat eutrophication should be taken rapidly.     

Analysis of the spatial and temporal distributions of ecological variables and the nutrient budget in the Beibu Gulf

Based on a hydrodynamic-ecological model, the temperature, salinity, current, phytoplankton(Chl a),zooplankton, and nutrient(dissolved inorganic nitrogen, DIN, and dissolved inorganic phosphorous, DIP)distributions in the Beibu Gulf were simulated and the nutrient budget of 2015 was quantitatively analyzed. The simulated results show that interface processes and monsoons significantly influence the ecological processes in the gulf. The concentrations of DIN, DIP, phytoplankton and zooplankton are generally higher in the eastern and northern gulf than that in the western and southern gulf. The key regions affected by ecological processes are the Qiongzhou Strait in winter and autumn and the estuaries along the Guangxi coast and the Red River in summer.In most of the studied domains, biochemical processes contribute more to the nutrient budget than do physical processes, and the DIN and DIP increase over the year. Phytoplankton plays an important role in the nutrient budget; phytoplankton photosynthetic uptake is the nutrient sink, phytoplankton dead cellular release is the largest source of DIN, and phytoplankton respiration is the largest source of DIP. The nutrient flux in the connected sections of the Beibu Gulf and open South China Sea(SCS) inflows from the east and outflows to the south. There are 113 709 t of DIN and 5 277 t of DIP imported from the open SCS to the gulf year-around.     

A temperate,tidal lake‐wetland complex 2. Water quality and implications for zooplankton community structure

Lakes Waihola and Waipori are shallow, coastal, tidal lakes that experience wind‐induced sediment resuspension, saline intrusions, and high inputs of nutrients. To determine the influence of externally‐driven, physical factors on spatial and temporal patterns of water quality in the two lakes, meteorological, hydrological, and water quality data were collected over 1 year. Multivariate analyses indicated that wind energy was driving the main water quality gradient in the lakes, which was primarily related to wind‐induced resuspension of lake sediments. The major, seasonally regulated, non‐tidal freshwater inflow was important in determining nutrient and salinity gradients in the lakes. The main nutrient inputs to the system were identified as the regulated, non‐tidal inflow (the upper Waipori River) and the tidal inflow (lower Waipori River). The impact of water quality gradients on zooplankton community structure in the lakes was assessed by canonical multivariate methods. Salinity gradients, caused by seasonal saltwater intrusions, were strongly related to zooplankton community structure in the lakes. Nutrient gradients (indicative of trophic state) were also related to zooplankton community structure. Although wind‐induced sediment resuspension had the largest impact on water quality in the lakes, it had little impact on the zooplankton community structure in either lake. The relationships between water quality and zooplankton community structure were confounded in Lake Waipori because of its very short hydraulic residence time (annual mean =1.9 days). Zooplankton community structure was resilient to short‐term changes in suspended particulate matter concentrations but not to seasonal changes in salinity. The results of this study support others which have shown impacts of even relatively small variations in salinity on the structure of zooplankton communities. This highlights the vulnerability of zooplankton communities in coastal lakes and wetlands to increasing salinity resulting from sea level rise and global climate change.     

Climate variance influence on the non-stationary plankton dynamics

We examined plankton responses to climate variance by using high temporal resolution data from 1988 to 2007 in the Western English Channel. Climate variability modified both the magnitude and length of the seasonal signal of sea surface temperature, as well as the timing and depth of the thermocline. These changes permeated the pelagic system yielding conspicuous modifications in the phenology of autotroph communities and zooplankton. The climate variance envelope, thus far little considered in climate-plankton studies, is closely coupled with the non-stationary dynamics of plankton, and sheds light on impending ecological shifts and plankton structural changes. Our study calls for the integration of the non-stationary relationship between climate and plankton in prognostic models on the productivity of marine ecosystems.     

某核电厂附近海域生态环境特征及潜在致灾生物研究

为了了解某核电厂周边海域的生态环境状况,筛选潜在威胁核电厂冷源安全的致灾生物,分析影响致灾生物时空分布的主要环境因素,本研究于2018年进行了4个季节的生态调查。结果表明,研究海域浮游植物密度秋季最高,春季优势种为东海原甲藻(Prorocentrumdonghaiense),其他季节优势种为中肋骨条藻(Skeletonema costatum)等硅藻。浮游动物密度夏季最高,以桡足类为主,春、夏季优势种还包括球型侧腕水母(Pleurobrachiaglobosa)和薮枝螅水母(Obeliasp.)。底栖动物的密度和生物量在秋季最高,优势种主要为豆形短眼蟹(Xenophthalmus pinnotheroides)、长吻沙蚕(Glycera chirori)和丝异须虫(Heteromastusfiliforms)。浮游植物、浮游动物和底栖动物群落均在夏季最为稳定,群落多样性水平和物种丰度较高,且分布较为均匀。浮游植物群落的细胞丰度与悬浮物和磷酸盐的浓度正相关性最高。浮游动物的密度受温度和盐度的影响较大。底栖动物的群落分布主要受悬浮物和无机营养盐的浓度影响。本研究共筛选出17种威胁该核电厂冷...     

Estuarine classification and response to nitrogen loading: Insights from simple ecological models

Estuaries exhibit a large range in their responses to nitrogen loadings determined in part by characteristics of the driver, such as magnitude and frequency, but also by such intrinsic characteristics as physical/chemical factors (e.g., depth, volume, hypsometry, salinity, turbidity) and biological factors (e.g., nature of ecological communities, trophic interactions). To address the richness of estuarine response to driver variables, the aim ultimately is to establish a simple estuarine classification scheme, beginning with a river-dominated subset of estuarine systems and focusing on the role of water residence time in the estuary. Residence time (or flushing time) is related to other drivers (streamflow, nutrient, and sediment loads) and drives much of the biological response of estuaries because of flushing effects on plankton, temperature, nutrients, and light. Toward this goal, nutrient–phytoplankton–zooplankton (NPZ) models have been used to examine a range of subjects including effects of nutrient limitation and zooplankton predation on phytoplankton dynamics and fish predation. This class of model can admit a wide range of behavior, including multiple steady-states and oscillatory behavior. The NPZ equations include terms for nutrient recycling, phytoplankton settling, benthic regeneration, and zooplankton mortality. Analysis of the equations suggests that both the nature of nitrogen loading (i.e., whether it is correlated with discharge or independent of it) and residence time are critical in determining the steady-state response of the system.