Effect of diets on the feeding behavior and physiological properties of suspension-feeding sea cucumber Cucumaria frondosa

The suspension-feeding sea cucumber Cucumaria frondosa has become commercially important in recent years.Finding proper diets is the first important step for intensive aquaculture of this sea cucumber.In this study,adult C.frondosa were exposed to one of the following diet treatments:control(no diet provided),two powdered seaweeds(Ascophyllum nodosum and Saccharina latissima),a commercially available microalgal diet(shellfish diet)and natural seston.The effects of diets on the feeding behavior and physiological properties of sea cucumbers were investigated after a 5-week rearing period.Results show that sea cucumbers fed with shellfish diet exhibited a significantly higher tentacle insertion rate(1.80±0.20 insertion/min)than these fed with seaweed powders,and there was no significant different between the two groups fed by seaweed powders.No significant difference was found on the fecal production rate among the feeding groups.The minimum oxygen consumption rate was observed in the control group(5.76±0.99μg O2/(g·h)),which is significantly lower than individuals fed with A.nodosum,shellfish diet,and natural seston;however,no significant difference was shown between those of control and S.latissimi groups.The maximum ammonium excretion rate was found in the A.nodosum group(0.03±0.01μmol/(g·h)),which is significantly higher than other groups.The minimum O/N ratio was observed in the A.nodosum group(14.57±1.04),which is significantly lower than the S.latissima,shellfish diet,and natural seston groups.Individuals fed with seaweed powders had similar physiological properties with these fed with microalgae diet and natural seston,indicating that A.nodosum and S.latissima can be explored as promising diets for intensive aquaculture of C.frondosa.     

基于稳定性同位素的普里兹湾南极大磷虾不同发育阶段食性转变分析

As one of the most common and dominant species in the Southern Ocean, Antarctic krill(Euphausia superba)play a significant role in food web structure and the process of energy flow. The diet of Antarctic krill in the Prydz Bay during austral summer of 2012/2013 was investigated and the ontogenetic shift in krill diet was evaluated using the stable isotope method. The nitrogen stable isotope values(δ~(15) N) of adults((2.78±0.58)‰) were much higher than those of juveniles((1.69±0.70)‰), whereas the carbon stable isotope values(δ~(13) C) of adults(–(28.26±1.08)‰) were slightly lower than those of juveniles(–(27.48±1.35)‰). Particulate organic matter(POM)from 0, 25, and 50 m depth combined(0/25/50 m) represented phytoplankton food items. The results showed that phytoplankton food items in surface water and mesozooplankton were two essential food items for Antarctic krill in the Prydz Bay during summer. POM(0/25/50 m) contributes 56%–69% and 26%–34% to the diet of juvenile and adult krill, respectively, whereas mesozooplankton composes 13%–34% and 58%–71% of the diet of juvenile and adult krill, respectively. Thus, an ontogenetic diet shift from POM(0/25/50 m), which consists mainly of phytoplankton, to a higher trophic level diet containing mesozooplankton, was detected. The capacity for adults to consume more zooplankton food items may minimize their food competition with juveniles, which rely mostly on phytoplankton food items. This suggests "diet shift with ontogeny" which may somehow help krill keep their dietary energy budget balanced and well adapted to the Antarctic marine ecosystem as a dominant species.     

Long-term monitoring of the individual self-feeding behavior of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss

Self-feeding device is extensively used in aquaculture farms, but for salmonids the individual feeding behavior has seldom been continuously observed. In this article, the individual self-feeding behavior of 10 rainbow trout was continuously monitored with a PIT tag record for 50 days with three replicates. The?sh fell into three categories according to their feeding behavior, i.e. high triggering ?sh(trigger behavior more than 25% of the group, HT), low triggering ?sh(1%–25%, LT) and zero triggering ?sh(less than1%). The results showed that in a group of 10 individual 1–2 HT ?sh accounted for most of the self-feeding behavior(78.19%–89.14%), which was far more than they could consume. The trigger frequency of the?sh was signi?cantly correlated with the initial body weight( P <0.01), however, no signi?cant dif ference in growth rate among the HT, LT, and ZT ?sh was observed( P >0.05). Cosinor analysis showed that the two HT ?sh in the same group had similar acrophase. Though some of the HT ?sh could be active for 50 d, there were also HT ?sh decreased triggering behavior around 40 d and the high trigger status was then replaced by other ?sh, which was ?rst discovered in salimonds. Interestingly, the growth of the group was not af fected by the alternation triggering ?sh. These results provide evidence that in the self-feeding system the HT ?sh didn't gain much advantage by their frequent self-feeding behavior, and high trigger status of the HT ?sh is not only an individual character but also driven by the demand of the group. In the self-feeding system, the critical individual should be closely monitored.     

Feeding ecology of Japanese Spanish mackerel(Scomberomorus niphonius) along the eastern coastal waters of China

Feeding activities provide necessary nutrition and energy to support the reproduction and development of fish populations. The feeding ecology and dietary plasticity of fish are important factors determining their recruitment and population dynamics. As a top predator, Japanese Spanish mackerel(Scomberomorus niphonius) supports one of the most valuable fisheries in China. In this study, the feeding ecology and diet composition of Japanese Spanish mackerel spawning groups were analysed based on samples collected from six spawning grounds along the eastern coastal waters of China during spring(March to May) in 2016 and 2017. Both stomach contents and stable isotope analysis were conducted. Stomach content analysis showed that spawning groups of Japanese Spanish mackerel mainly fed on fish, consuming more than 40 different prey species. Diets were significantly different among sampling locations. The most important prey species were Stolephorus in Fuzhou, Japanese anchovy Engraulis japonicus in Xiangshan, Euphausia pacifica in Lüsi, sand lance Ammodytes personatus in Qingdao and Weihai, and Leptochela gracilis in Laizhou Bay. Stable isotope analysis showed that the trophic level of Japanese Spanish mackerel was relatively high and generally increased with latitude from south to north. In the 1980 s, the diet of Japanese Spanish mackerel was dominated solely by Japanese anchovies in the eastern coastal waters of China. The results in the present study showed that the importance of Japanese anchovies declined considerably, and this fish was not the most dominant diet in most of the investigated waters. Both the spatial variations in diet composition and changes in the dominant diet over the long term indicated the high adaptability of Japanese Spanish mackerel to the environment. Combining the results of stomach analysis and stable isotope analysis from different tissues provided more comprehensive and accurate dietary information on Japanese Spanish mackerel. The study provides essential information about the feeding ecology of Japanese Spanish mackerel and will benefit the management of its populations in the future.     

Dietary separation between co-occurring copepods in a food-limited tropical coral reef of the Sanya Bay

Food differentiation among coexistent species in the field is important strategy for copepods to acquire materials and maintain population stabilization.In situ diet analysis of co-occurring six copepod species in coral waters of the Sanya Bay was conducted using a PCR protocol based on 18 S ribosomal gene.Various prey organisms were uncovered,including dinoflagellate,diatom,green algae and plant,protozoa and metazoan.All these spatially coexisting six species showed different dietary diversity,with the food niche breadth(B)ranging from 1.00(Temora turbinate in morning)to 10.68(Calanopia elliptica in night).While food overlap between all these copepods were low,with the average value of the diet niche overlap index being approximately 0.09.Even temporally co-existing species sampled from the same time point fed on different groups of prey items with the food overlap index of 0.04 to 0.07 in midday and night but 0 in morning.As the most important dominant copepod in the Sanya Bay,Subeucalanus subcrassus seems to be capable to regulate its feeding,by exhibiting a rhythm of herbivorous feeding in midday and carnivorous feeding in morning and night,to better coordinate with other competitors for utilization of food resources.For most copepods,none of the prey items belonged to the dominant phytoplankton in the ambient water,indicating that copepod can better their survival by widening the choice of potential food resources in food limited environment.The dietary separation observed here might be important strategy for copepod to maintain population stabilization and thriving in the Sanya coastal waters.     

Impacts of CO2-driven seawater acidification on survival, egg production rate and hatching success of four marine copepods

Ecological experiments were conducted to examine the effects of seawater containing elevated par- tial pressure of carbon dioxide (p CO2 800 × 10 -6 , 2 000 × 10 -6 , 5 000 × 10 -6 and 10 000 × 10 -6 ) on the survival and reproduction of female Acartia pacifica, Acartia spinicauda, Calanus sinicus and Centropages tenuiremis, which are the dominant copepods in the southern coastal waters of China. The results show that the effects of elevated p CO2 on the survival rates of copepods were species-specific. C. sinicus, which was a macro-copepod, had a higher survival rate (62.01%-71.96%) than the other three species (5.00%-26.67%) during the eight day exposure. The egg production rates of C. sinicus, A. spinicauda and C. tenuiremis were significantly inhibited by the increased p CO2 and the exposure time duration. There were significantly negative impacts on the egg hatching success of A. spinicauda and C. tenuiremis in the p CO2 2 000 × 10 -6 and 10 000 × 10 -6 groups, and, in addition, the exposure time had noticeably impacts on these rates too. This study indicates that the reproductive performances of copepods were sensitive to elevated p CO2 , and that the response of different copepod species to acidified seawater was different. Furthermore, the synergistic effects of seawater acidification and climate change or other pollutant stresses on organisms should be given more attention.     

夏季珠江口邻近海域表层浮游植物的碳叶绿素比值及其碳含量

Chlorophyll a(Chl a),particulate organic carbon(POC)and biogenic silica(BSi)were determined in coastal waters adjacent to the Zhujiang(Pearl)River Estuary(ZRE)during summer,in order to examine the C:Chl a ratio of phytoplankton and phytoplankton carbon in the plume-impacted coastal waters during summer,as well as to assess the relative contribution of diatoms to the phytoplankton biomass,by the regression between Chl a,POC and BSi.Our results showed that the C:Chl a ratio(g/g)of phytoplankton was high(up to 142),likely due to high light intensity and nutrient limitation.The river plume input stimulated phytoplankton growth,especially diatoms,resulting in higher relative contribution of phytoplankton carbon(55%)and diatoms(34%)to POC in the plume-impacted region than those(33%and 13%)in high salinity area,respectively.Phytoplankton carbon(up to 538μg/L)in the plume-impacted region was much higher than that(<166μg/L)in high salinity area.Our findings were helpful to improve the biogeochemical model in coastal waters adjacent to the ZRE.     

2017年春夏季西北太平洋浮游植物的区域差异及其与不同水团的关系

The West Pacific Ocean is considered as the provenance center of global marine life and has the highest species diversity of numerous marine taxa. The phytoplankton, as the primary producer at the base of the food chain,effects on climate change, fish resources as well as the entire ecosystem. However, there are few large-scale surveys covering several currents with different hydrographic characteristics. This study aimed to explore the relationships between the spatio-temporal variation in phytoplankton community structure and different water masses. A total of 630 water samples and 90 net samples of phytoplankton were collected at 45 stations in the Northwest Pacific Ocean(21.0°–42.0°N, 118.0°–156.0°E) during spring and summer 2017. A total of 281 phytoplankton taxa(5 μm) belonging to 61 genera were identified in the study area. The distribution pattern of the phytoplankton community differed significantly both spatially and temporally. The average abundances of phytoplankton in spring and summer were 797.07×10~2 cells/L and 84.94×10~2 cells/L, respectively. Whether in spring or summer, the maximum abundance always appeared in the northern transition region affected by the Oyashio Current, where nutrients were abundant and diatoms dominated the phytoplankton community;whereas the phytoplankton abundance was very low in the oligotrophic Kuroshio region, and the proportion of dinoflagellates in total abundance increased significantly. The horizontal distribution of phytoplankton abundance increased from low to high latitudes, which was consistent with the trend of nutrient distributions, but contrary to that of water temperature and salinity. In the northern area affected by the Oyashio Current, the phytoplankton abundance was mainly concentrated in the upper 30 m of water column, while the maximum abundance often occurred at depths of 50–75 m in the south-central area affected by the Kuroshio Current.Pearson correlation and redundancy analysis(RDA) showed that phytoplankton abundance was significant negatively correlated with temperature and salinity, but positively correlated with nutrient concentration. The phytoplankton community structure was mainly determined by nutrient availability, especially the N:P ratio.     

用三维荧光光谱-平行因子分析法研究长江口南部有色溶解有机物荧光的季节变化

The southern Changjiang River Estuary has attracted considerable attention from marine scientists because it is a highly biologically active area and is biogeochemically significant.Moreover,land-ocean interactions strongly impact the estuary,and harmful algal blooms(HABs) frequently occur in the area.In October 2010 and May 2011,water samples of chromophoric dissolved organic matter(CDOM) were collected from the southern Changjiang River Estuary.Parallel factor analysis(PARAFAC) was used to assess the samples' CDOM composition using excitation-emission matrix(EEM) spectroscopy.Four components were identified:three were humic-like(C1,C2 and C3) and one was protein-like(C4).Analysis based on spatial and seasonal distributions,as well as relationships with salinity,Chl a and apparent oxygen utilization(AOU),revealed that terrestrial inputs had the most significant effect on the three humic-like Components C1,C2 and C3 in autumn.In spring,microbial processes and phytoplankton blooms were also important factors that impacted the three components.The protein-like Component C4 had autochthonous and allochthonous origins and likely represented a biologically labile component.CDOM in the southern Changjiang River Estuary was mostly affected by terrestrial inputs.Microbial processes and phytoplankton blooms were also important sources of CDOM,especially in spring.The fluorescence intensities of the four components were significantly higher in spring than in autumn.On average,C1,C2,C3,C4 and the total fluorescence intensity(TFI) in the surface,middle and bottom layers increased by123%–242%,105%–195%,167%–665%,483%–567% and 184%–245% in spring than in autumn,respectively.This finding corresponded with a Chl a concentration that was 16–20 times higher in spring than in autumn and an AOU that was two to four times lower in spring than in autumn.The humification index(HIX) was lower in spring that in autumn,and the fluorescence index(FI) was higher in spring than in autumn.This result indicated that the CDOM was labile and the biological activity was intense in spring.     

2017年春季季风间期南海中北部浮游植物生长与微型浮游动物摄食

Phytoplankton growth rates and mortality rates were experimentally examined at 21 stations during the 2017 spring intermonsoon(April to early May) in the northern and central South China Sea(SCS) using the dilution technique, with emphasis on a comparison between the northern and central SCS areas which had different environmental factors. There had been higher temperature but lower nutrients and chlorophyll a concentrations in the central SCS than those in the northern SCS. The mean rates of phytoplankton growth(μ_0) and microzooplankton grazing(m) were(0.88±0.33) d~(–1) and(0.55±0.22) d~(–1) in the central SCS, and both higher than those in the northern SCS with the values of μ_0((0.81±0.16) d~(–1)) and m((0.30±0.09) d~(–1)), respectively.Phytoplankton growth and microzooplankton grazing rates were significantly coupled in both areas. The microzooplankton grazing impact(m/μ_0) on phytoplankton was also higher in the central SCS(0.63±0.12) than that in the northern SCS(0.37±0.06). The microzooplankton abundance was significantly correlated with temperature in the surface. Temperature might more effectively promote the microzooplankton grazing rate than phytoplankton growth rate, which might contribute to higher m and m/μ_0 in the central SCS. Compared with temperature, nutrients mainly affected the growth rate of phytoplankton. In the nutrient enrichment treatment,the phytoplankton growth rate(μn) was higher than μ_0 in the central SCS, suggesting phytoplankton growth in the central SCS was nutrient limited. The ratio of μ_0/μn was significantly correlated with nutrients concentrations in the both areas, indicating the limitation of nutrients was related to the concentrations of background nutrients in the study stations.     

Feeding behaviour of adult Centropages hamatus (Copepoda, Calanoida): Functional response and selective feeding experiments

The feeding behaviour of adults of the marine calanoid copepod Centropages hamatus was studied in laboratory experiments with ciliates and phytoplankton as food sources. The ingestion rate of algal (flagellates, diatoms) and ciliate prey (oligotrichs) as a function of prey concentration could be described by a Holling type III functional response, with close to zero ingestion rates at concentrations below 5 µg C l^− 1. In general, ingestion of ciliates was higher than ingestion of algae, and maximum feeding rates by adult males reached were half the feeding rates of adult females at prey concentrations exceeding 50 µg C l^− 1. When diatoms and ciliates were offered together C. hamatus (both sexes) fed exclusively on ciliates as long as they contributed with more than 5% to the mixture. This indicates the capability of active prey selection and switching between suspension feeding and ambush predation. Therefore, the feeding behaviour of adult C. hamatus can be characterised as omnivorous with a preference for larger motile prey. This implies a trophic level above two, if there is a sufficient abundance of protozoan food available.     

Feeding Habits of the Mesopelagic Fish Gonostoma gracile in the Northwestern North Pacific

The diet of Gonostoma gracile, a numerically abundant mesopelagic fish in the Subtropical Region and the Transition Domain of the northwestern North Pacific, was examined using 520 specimens collected during June–July 1988, June 1995 and November 1995. The prey included mainly copepods, ostracods, amphipods and euphausiids. Copepods and ostracods were the most abundant, comprising approximately 70% of the total diet. There was little evidence of an ontogenetic dietary shift; Pleuromamma copepods were the most abundant prey for all size classes of fish ranging from 19 to 116 mm in standard length. The size range of prey increased with growth, but all fish sizes examined fed mainly on 1–4 mm long prey. Luminescent copepods and ostracods were the most abundant prey, suggesting that G. gracile detects its prey visually. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Revisiting Peruvian anchovy (Engraulis ringens) trophodynamics provides a new vision of the Humboldt Current system

The Peruvian anchovy or anchoveta (Engraulis ringens) forages on plankton and is a main prey for marine mammals, seabirds, fish, and fishers, and is therefore a key element of the food web in the Humboldt Current system (HCS). Here, we present results from the analysis of 21,203 anchoveta stomach contents sampled during 23 acoustic surveys over the period 1996–2003. Prey items were identified to the genus level, and the relative dietary importance of different prey was assessed by determination of their carbon content. Variability in stomach fullness was examined relative to the diel cycle, the distance from the coast, sea surface temperature, and latitude, using generalized additive models (GAMs). Whereas phytoplankton largely dominated anchoveta diets in terms of numerical abundance and comprised >99% of ingested prey items, the carbon content of prey items indicated that zooplankton was by far the most important dietary component, with euphausiids contributing 67.5% of dietary carbon followed by copepods (26.3%). Stomach fullness data showed that anchoveta feed mainly during daytime between 07h00 and 18h00, although night-time feeding also made a substantial contribution to total food consumption. Stomach fullness also varied with latitude, distance from the coast, and temperature, but with substantial variability indicating a high degree of plasticity in anchoveta feeding behaviour. The results suggest an ecological role for anchoveta that challenges current understanding of its position in the foodweb, the functioning of the HCS, and trophic models of the HCS.     

Copepod grazing during spring blooms: Does Calanus pacificus avoid harmful diatoms?

During late winter and spring of 2002 and 2003, 24, 2–3 day cruises were conducted to Dabob Bay, Washington State, USA, to examine the grazing, egg production, and hatching success rates of adult female Calanus pacificus and Pseudocalanus newmani. The results of the copepod grazing experiments for C. pacificus are discussed here. Each week, copepod grazing incubation experiments from two different depth layers were conducted. Grazing was measured by both changes in chlorophyll concentration and cell counts. In 2002, there was one moderate bloom consisting mainly of Thalassiosira spp. in early February, and a larger bloom in April comprised of two Chaetoceros species and Phaeocystis sp. Similarly, in 2003, there were two blooms, an early one dominated by Thalassiosira spp., and a later one consisting of Chaetoceros spp. and Thalassiosira spp. Clearance rates on individual prey species, as calculated by cell counts, showed that C. pacificus are highly selective in their feeding, and may have much higher clearance rates on individual taxa than rates calculated from bulk chlorophyll disappearance. During weeks of high phytoplankton concentration, the copepods generally ate phytoplankton. However, they often rejected the most abundant phytoplankton species, particularly certain Thalassiosira spp., even though the rejected prey were often of the same genus and similar size to the preferred prey. It is speculated that this avoidance may be related to the possible deleterious effects that certain of these diatom species have on the reproductive success of these copepods. During weeks of medium to low phytoplankton concentration, the copepods selectively ate certain species of phytoplankton, and often had high electivity for microzooplankton. The selection mechanism must consist of active particle rejection most likely based on detection of surface chemical properties, since the diatoms that were selected were of the same genus, nearly the same size, and at lower numerical abundance than those cells that were avoided. The grazing choices made by these copepods may have important consequences for the overall ecosystem function within coastal and estuarine systems through changes in the transfer efficiency of energy to higher trophic levels.     

不同产地浒苔对幼刺参生长、消化和非特异性免疫的影响

为探究不同产地浒苔型饵料对幼刺参生长、消化和非特异性免疫的影响,本实验将青岛浒苔与宁波浒苔的干粉与海泥分别按一定质量比例混合,开展刺参饲喂实验,并与刺参天然饵料马尾藻进行对比。结果表明,青岛浒苔饵料和马尾藻饵料喂养的刺参的粗蛋白含量分别为14.31%±0.10%和15.43%±1.41%,显著高于宁波浒苔饵料(11.17%±0.63%),粗脂肪和灰分含量无显著差异;青岛浒苔组、宁波浒苔组和马尾藻组的增重率分别为22.65%±5.68%、3.03%±1.17%和20.47%±2.01%,特定生长率分别为(1.44±0.33)、(0.21±0.08)、(1.33±0.12)%/d,青岛浒苔组和马尾藻组刺参的增重率和特定生长率显著高于宁波浒苔组;青岛浒苔组、宁波浒苔组和马尾藻组刺参肠道淀粉酶、胃蛋白酶、胰蛋白酶和纤维素酶活力无显著差异;马尾藻组刺参体腔液碱性磷酸酶活力为(17.57±4.56)金氏单位/100mL,显著高于青岛浒苔组[(5.56±1.32)金氏单位/100mL]和宁波浒苔组[(2.83±0.75)金氏单位/100mL],超氧化物歧化酶和酸性磷酸酶活力无显著差异。由此可见,绿潮暴发时,通过打捞浒苔用以配制刺参饵料,既有助于缓解绿潮的生态灾害,又能够补充刺参饵料来源,具有广阔的生态效益和市场前景,但是其营养成分影响因素较为复杂,配制饵料时应充分考虑不同品种、采集时间和生长地点的差异,并通过一些前处理手段充分发挥浒苔的饵料价值。     

Assessing trophic adaptability is critical for understanding the response of predatory fishes to climate change: a case study of Pomatomus saltatrix in a global hotspot

There is a growing need to incorporate biotic interactions, particularly those between predators and their prey, when predicting climate-driven shifts in marine fishes. Predators dependent on a narrow range of prey species should respond rapidly to shifts in the distribution of their prey, whereas those with broad trophic adaptability may respond to shifts in their prey by altering their diet. Small pelagic fishes are an extremely important component of the diet of many marine predators. However, their populations are expected to shift in distribution and fluctuate in abundance as the climate changes. We conducted a comparative study of the seasonal diet of adult Pomatomus saltatrix over two periods (June–December 2006 and 2012) and examined the available data on small pelagic fishes biomass in a global hotspot (the coastal region of southern Angola, southern Africa) to gain an understanding of the tropic adaptability of the species. Despite a drop (630 000 t to 353 000 t) in the abundance of their dominant prey (Sardinella aurita) in the region, it remained the most important prey item during both study periods (Period 1 = 99.3% RI, Period 2 = 85.3% RI, where %RI is a ranking index of relative importance). However, the diet during Period 2 was supplemented with prey typically associated with the nearshore zone. The seasonal data showed that P. saltatrix were capable not only of switching their diet from S. aurita to other prey items, but also of switching their trophic habitat from the pelagic to the nearshore zone. These findings suggest that P. saltatrix will not necessarily co-migrate if there is a climate-driven shift in the distribution of small pelagic fishes (their dominant prey). Accordingly, understanding the trophic adaptability of predators is critical for understanding their response to the impacts of climate change.     

Has the 1998 regime shift also occurred in the oceanographic conditions and lower trophic ecosystem of the Oyashio region?

To examine whether the regime shift in 1998 that has been variously reported to have occurred in the oceanographic conditions of the central and eastern North Pacific also occurred in the Oyashio region, western North Pacific, we compared data over the period 1990–2003. Oceanographic conditions were compared before 1997 with those after 1998, using the A-line dataset (1990–2003) obtained by the oceanographic surveys of the Hokkaido National Fisheries Research Institute, Fisheries Research Agency (HNFRI/FRA). Seasonal changes of the monthly-mean SST (as temperature in the surface layer) show a significant increase in spring after 1998. After 1998, the mean concentration of chlorophyll a at the surface was higher in spring than that before 1997. This was more remarkable in the main current of the Oyashio. These changes suggest that the spring phytoplankton bloom in the Oyashio region after 1998 was larger in magnitude and initiated earlier. Consumption of nutrients during the spring bloom and standing stock of netplankton also shows a distinct difference between the time period before 1997 and after 1998. These results support the occurrence of the regime shift around 1998 in the Oyashio region. The changes of hydrographical conditions accompanying with the 1998 regime shift are discussed. The hydrographic mechanism of enhancement of primary productivity during the spring phytoplankton bloom was not fully clarified, though. Results in this study may support the usefulness of the A-line dataset for analysis of long-term variability in the western subarctic Pacific.     

Accumulation and Export of Dissolved Organic Carbon in Surface Waters of Subtropical and Tropical Pacific Ocean

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations in surface waters of the Pacific Ocean during October–November, 1995, were determined using a high-temperature combustion method. The DOC in the surface mixed-layer was approximately homogeneous with a concentration between 55 and 89 μmol C l⁻¹. This homogeneity indicates that there is a strong control of the vertical distribution of DOC by mixing processes. The DOC concentrations in the mixed-layer in the subtropical region were up to 27 μmol C l⁻¹ higher than in the tropical region. This difference reflects the subtropical accumulation and the tropical export of DOC. There is a significant positive correlation between DOC and chlorophyll a concentrations in the mixed-layer of the North Pacific subtropical region, suggesting that phytoplankton is the primary source of DOC accumulated in this region. Calculations using simple box models suggest that DOC export in the tropical region (0–50 m depth, 10°N-10°S, along 160°W) occurs primarily by poleward advection at a rate of 0.5–3 mmol C m⁻²day⁻¹. A comparison with estimates of the export rate of particulate organic carbon published in previous studies leads us to conclude that DOC export may contribute less to the carbon budget in the tropical region than has recently been supposed. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Spatial variability of the primary production and chlorophyll <Emphasis Type="Italic">a</Emphasis> concentration in the drake passage in the austral spring

The spatial distribution of the primary production (PP) and the chlorophyll a concentration (Chl) were investigated during two research cruises in the Drake Passage area in October–November of 2007 and 2008. The algorithm evaluating the integral PP (PP_int) for the water column in this area was developed based on the data on the surface chlorophyll (Chl_s) and the incident solar irradiance obtained in 2004–2008 in the Atlantic Sector of the Southern Ocean. The results obtained both by the experimental and model approaches suggested that the Polar Front (PF) region of the Drake Passage was characterized by low values of both the PP_int (<100 mg C/m² per day) and Chl_s (0.08–0.20 mg/m³) in October–November. Low values of the Chl_s and relatively high phaeophytine a concentrations indicated the winter succession state of the phytoplankton community in the Antarctic Ocean and the southern Polar Frontal Zone (PFZ). The seasonal warming of the surface water layers and the developing pycnocline resulted in a phytoplankton bloom and a Chl_s concentration of more than 1 mg/m³ in mid-November in this area and the Subantarctic waters.