STUDIES ON THE MANGROVE ECOSYSTEM OF THE JIULONGJIANG RIVER ESTUARY IN CHINA III. ACCUMULATION AND BIOLOGICAL CYCLE OF CALCIUM AND MAGNESIUM IN Kandelia candel COMMUNITY

This is a paper dealing mainly with the accumulation and biological cycle of calcium and magnesium elements of the artificial 20-years old Kandelia candel community in the Jiulongjiang River Estuary of Fujian Province, China. The result of measurements is that the quantities of the two elements in the standing crop are (kg·ha-1) 772.91 for Ca and 526.57 for Mg. In the biological cycle of the two elements, the annual uptakes are 174.86 for Ca and 89.30 for Mg (kg·ha-1); the amounts of Ca and Mg returned via litter fall are estimated to be (kg·ha-1·a-1) 103.28 for Ca and 40.42 for Mg; the annual retention are (kg·ha-1·a-1) 71.58 for Ca and 48.88 for Mg, respectively. The turnover periods of Ca and Mg are 8 and 13 years, respectively.     

AN ECOLOGICAL STUDY OF BENTHIC ORGANISMS IN THE NEARSHORE WATERS TO THE WEST OF TAIWAN STRAIT

In seven cruises on benthic organisms in the nearshore waters(>50 m) to the west of the Taiwan Strait(23°20''-25°54''N,117°11''-119°58''E) in 1961-1964,altogether 189 stations of quantitative grabbing and 33 stations of qualitative trawling were made.
Altogether 392 species of benthic organisms have been identified.The composition was dominated by nearshore shallow water species,with tropical and subtropical species absolutely dominant.The total average of biomass was 38.0 g/m² and average density,116.0 ind./m².The communities of benthic organisms in the area can be classified into five communities namely,(1) Amphiura sp.-Acaudina molpadioides Community;(2) Protankyra asymmetrica-Arnphioplus pracstans-Murex trapa Community;(3) Modiolus meicalfei-Phyllophorus liuwutiensis-Armandia letocirris-Nephtys sinensis Community;(4) Branchiostoma belcheri-Solenr oseomaculatus-Marphysa sinensis- Onuphis eremita Community;(5) Iconomtra japonica-Barbatia decussata Community.     

Chlorophyll a Biomass of Netplankton in Surface Waters in the Pacific Sector of the Southern Ocean in Austral Summer

Chlorophyll a of total and particles retained on 30 μm mesh plankton net were both determined in surface waters along two cruise tracks ranging from the Subtropical water to the marginal ice zone in the Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean in austral summer. Total surface chlorophyll a in the study area was mostly less than 1 μg chl a 1⁻¹, and showed distributions with no obvious trend associated with different waters masses of the Antarctic and the Subantarctic, although total chlorophyll a concentrations changed greatly within each water mass. Particularly low concentrations of chlorophyll a were detected in the marginal ice zone. Chlorophyll a contained in 30 μm netplankton made up 5∼60% of total chlorophyll a: large near the marginal ice zone and becoming small with travel towards the north. High percentage shares of netplankton chlorophyll a were confirmed even in low total chlorophyll a concentrations in summer in the Southern Ocean. A positive relation was observed between the percentage of 30 μm netplankton and the “average total chlorophyll a”, although there was great scatter. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from contaminated soil by Kandelia candel

The purpose of this study was to investigate the accumulation behavior of two typical PAHs,phenanthrene(PHE) and fluoranthene(FLA),uptaken by the mangrove Kandelia candel in various treated sandy soils.The experiment lasted for three months.Soil and plant samples were collected after 3,6,9 and 13 weeks of the incubation and the levels of PAHs were analyzed using a GC/MS(HP6890-5975B).The results showed that the root accumulations of PHE and FLA were elevated with the increase of the PAH concentrations in the soil.With prolonged exposure time,PHE and FLA concentrations of the roots increased significantly in comparison with the control.PHE and FLA concentrations of root after 13 weeks of treatment ranged from 0.28 to 4.36 μg·g^-1 and 0.79 to 35.76 μg·g^-1,respectively.The calculated mean values of the root concentration factors were 0.58 for PHE and 0.71 for FLA.This indicated that root accumulation of FLA was greater than PHE,which would result from the higher octanol-water partition coefficient(K_ow) of FLA.These results underline the ability of mangroves to remove PAHs from contaminated marine substrates and hence their potential use in bioremediation and the removal of PAHs from the marine food chain.     

Excretion and respiration rates of the scyphomedusa <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aurelia aurita</Emphasis> from the Inland Sea of Japan

We measured the ammonium excretion, phosphate excretion and respiration rates of the scyphomedusa Aurelia aurita from Ondo Strait, in the central part of the Inland Sea of Japan, at 28 and 20°C. The rates measured at 28°C were converted to those at 20°C using the Q₁₀ values, i.e. 1.56, 1.57 and 2.80, for ammonium excretion, phosphate excretion and respiration rates, respectively. The composite relationships between metabolic rates and wet weight of a medusa (WW, g, range 11–1330 g) at 20°C were expressed by the following allometric equations. For ammonium excretion rate (N, μmoles N medusa⁻¹d⁻¹): N = 0.497WW ^1.09, phosphate excretion rate (P, μmoles P medusa⁻¹d⁻¹): P = 0.453WW ^0.84, and respiration rate (R, μmoles O₂ medusa⁻¹d⁻¹): R = 96.9WW ^1.06. Mean O:N ratios (i.e. atomic ratios of 16.9 and 11.0 at 28 and 20°C, respectively) indicated that the metabolism of A. aurita medusae was protein-dominated. These metabolic parameters enabled us to estimate the nitrogen and phosphorus regeneration rates of an A. aurita medusa population typical of early summer in the Ondo Strait (means of water temperature, medusa individual weight and population biomass: 20°C, 200 g WW and 50.8 g WW m⁻³, respectively). Regenerated nitrogen and phosphorus were equivalent to 10.0 and 21.6% of phytoplankton uptake rates, respectively, nearly twice that estimated for mesozooplankton, demonstrating that A. aurita medusae are key components of the plankton community, influencing the trophic and nutrient dynamics in the Ondo Strait during early summer.     

Response of phytoplankton to multispecies mariculture: a case study on the carrying capacity of shellfish in the Sanggou Bay in China

A multispecies model for shellfish polyculture in the Sanggou Bay in China used for large-scale long-line cultivation of the Chinese scallop Chlamys farreri, the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas and the kelp Laminaria japonica is presented. The model includes key physical processes which are the transports of matter at the system boundary, and the main biological process that is the primary production and nutrients release from the bottom. By the model, the seasonal fluctuations of phytoplankton biomass and dissolved inorganic nitrogen(DIN) in 1994 are simulated. Furthermore, if the kelp culture scale is kept constant and the Chinese scallop and the Pacific oyster culture scales are adjusted, virtual shellfish farms are funded and responses of phytoplankton to the large-scale shellfish culture are simulated. According to these simulated results, the room limitation, and the hypothesis that shellfish will not grow well if the phytoplankton biomass is less than 8.2 mg/m³, the expandable multiple of scallop culture k and that of oyster culture y are determined as k=-0.276 5y+4.690 5 and 0.133 3k+0.006 6y ≤ 0.667 5, where, k (or y) is equal to 1, the culture scale of scallop (or oyster) is 8.8×10⁹ individuals (or 66 ha, with a density of 59 ind./m²), and the kelp culture scale is 3 300 ha with a density of 12 ind./m².     

DISTRIBUTION OF Sn AND Bi IN THE SEAWATER OF NORTHWEST PACIFIC AND EQUATOR

The average concentration of total Sn in surface layer is 2.90 μg/1 and that of total Bi 0.50 μg/1. The free ion, bound and particulate forms of Sn in Changjiang (Yangtze River) Estuary account for 20%, 30% and 50% of the total Sn respectively, and those of Bi 25%, 35% and 40% respectively. In the surface water of the Pacific, the total Sn is 2.06 μg/1, and the percentages of the three forms of Sn are 50, 30 and 20% respectively. The total Bi are 0.38 μg/1, and the percentages of the three forms of Bi are 55, 25 and 20% respectively. The concentrations of free ions of Sn and Bi in 0-1400 m and 0-1900 m in 18 and 19 stations are in vertical homogeneous distribution. The slight similarity in distribution between Bi ion and salinity may be due to the influence of organisms and biochemistry.     

Air-sea exchange of mercury in Tokyo Bay

In Tokyo Bay the concentrations of dissolved gaseous mercury (DGM) in the surface seawater and total gaseous mercury (TGM) over the sea were measured during December 2003, October 2004 and January 2005. Based on these data, the evasional fluxes of mercury from the sea surface were estimated using a gas exchange model. In addition, an automatic wet and dry deposition sampler was used to measure the wet and dry depositional fluxes of mercury from December 2003 to November 2004 at three locations in and near Tokyo Bay. The results indicate that the average DGM and TGM levels of seven locations are 52 ± 26 ng m⁻³ and 1.9 ± 0.6 ng m⁻³, respectively, which shows that the surface seawater in Tokyo Bay is supersaturated with gaseous mercury, leading to an average mercury evasional flux of 140 ± 120 ng m⁻²d⁻¹. On the other hand, the annual average wet and dry depositional fluxes of mercury at three locations were 19 ± 3 μg m⁻²yr⁻¹ and 20 ± 9 μg m⁻²yr⁻¹, respectively. These depositional fluxes correspond to the daily average total depositional flux of 110 ± 20 ng m⁻²d⁻¹. Thus, it is suggested that in Tokyo Bay, the evasional fluxes of mercury are comparable to the depositional fluxes.     

Temporal variability and characterization of physicochemical properties in the neritic area of Sagami Bay,Japan

Seasonal and interannual variations in physicochemical properties were investigated in the neritic area of Sagami Bay, Kanagawa, Japan, from December 2000 to December 2005. Physicochemical properties (i.e. temperature, salinity, density, dissolved oxygen and dissolved inorganic nutrient concentration) revealed clear seasonal variations, which were similar to each other during all 5 years. Temperature, salinity and dissolved inorganic nutrients showed rapid, drastic variations within a few days and/or weeks. These variations are related to sea levels, principally due to the shifting effects of the Kuroshio Current axis: they were strongly affected by the Kuroshio Water and other waters, when sea level difference was greater than ca. 35 cm and lower than ca. 15 cm, respectively. Temperature difference (DF _T ) increased with sea level difference, and the difference of salinity and dissolved inorganic nutrients (NH₄ ⁺-N, NO₃ ⁻+NO₂ ⁻-N, NH₄ ⁺+NO₃ ⁻+NO₂ ⁻-N, PO₄ ³⁻-P and SiO₂-Si) increased and decreased with DF _T , respectively. All these correlations are significant. Total dissolved inorganic nitrogen (N), phosphate (P) and silicate (Si) revealed seasonal variations in the ranges of 0.57–16.08, 0.0070–0.91 and 0.22–46.38 μM, respectively. From the regression equations between these elements allowed the following relation to be obtained; Si:N:P = 14.8:13.4:1. Dissolved inorganic nutrients were characterized by Si and/or P deficiency, especially in the upper layer (0–20 m depth) during summer. Single and/or combined elements are discussed on the basis of potential and stoichiometric nutrient limitations, which could restrict phytoplankton (diatom) growth as a limiting factor.     

Retrieval of total ozone in the mesosphere with a new model of electronic-vibrational kinetics of O<Subscript>3</Subscript> and O<Subscript>2</Subscript> photolysis products

The paper presents a new model of electronic-vibrational kinetics of the products of ozone and molecular oxygen photodissociation in the terrestrial middle atmosphere. The model includes 45 excited states of the oxygen molecules O₂(b ¹, Σ _g ⁺ ,v= 0−2), O₂ (a ¹Δ _g , v= 0−5), and O₂(X ³Σ _g ⁻ , v= 1−35) and of the metastable atom O (¹ D) and over 100 aeronomic reactions. The model takes into account the dependence of quantum yields of the production of O₂(a ¹Δ _g , v= 0−5) in a singlet channel of ozone photolysis in the Hartley band on the wavelength of photolytic emission. Taking account of the electronic-vibrational kinetics is important in retrieval of the vertical profiles of ozone concentration from measured intensities of the Atm and IR Atm emissions of the oxygen bands above 65 km and leads to an increase in the ozone concentration retrieved from the 1.27-μm emission, in contrast to the previous model of pure electronic kinetics. Sensitivity analysis of the new model is made for variations in the concentrations of atmospheric constituents ([O₂], [N₂], [O(³P)], [O₃], [CO₂]), the gas temperature, rate constants of the reactions, and quantum yields of the reaction products. A group of reactions that most strongly affect the uncertainty of ozone retrieval from measured intensities of atmospheric emissions of molecular oxygen O₂(b ¹Σ _g ⁺ , v) and O₂(a ¹Δ _g , v) has been determined. Original Russian Text ? V.A. Yankovsky, V.A. Kuleshov, R.O. Manuilova, A.O. Semenov, 2007, published in Izvestiya AN. Fizika Atmosfery i Okeana, 2007, Vol. 43, No. 4, pp. 557–569.     

Accurate ab initio study of low-lying electronic states of phosphorus nitride radical

This paper employs the highly accurate valence internally contracted multireference configuration interaction method to investigate the potential energy curves (PECs) for the ground state (X¹Σ⁺) and two low-lying excited states (A¹Π and D¹Δ of phosphorus nitride (PN) radical with the correlation-consistent basis set, aug-cc-pV6Z, in the valence range. Relativistic effects are considered in these calculations. The spectroscopic constants of the X¹Σ⁺ and A¹Π states are calculated based on the PECs, and the results are in good accord with the available experimental data. The first 30 vibrational states for the A¹Π state and the first 40 vibrational states for the A¹Π state are determined when J=0. For each vibrational state, molecular constants G(υ), B(υ) and D(υ) are also attained.     

Molecular constants of LiCl(X1Σ+) and elastic collisions of two ground-state Cl and Li atoms at low and ultralow temperatures

Interaction potentials for LiCl(X¹Σ⁺) are constructed by the highly accurate valence internally contracted multireference configuration interaction in combination with a number of large correlation-consistent basis sets, which are used to determine the spectroscopic parameters (D₀, D_e, R_e, ω_e, _eχ_e, B_e and α_e. The potentials obtained at the basis sets, i.e., aug-cc-pV5Z-JKFI for Cl and cc-pV5Z for Li, are selected to study the elastic collision properties of Li and Cl atoms at the impact energies from 1.0×10^-12 to 1.0×10^-4 a.u. The derived total elastic cross sections are very large and almost constant at ultralow temperatures, and their shapes are mainly dominated by the s-partial wave at very low impact energies. Only one shape resonance can be found in the total elastic cross sections over the present collision energy regime, which is rather strong and obviously broadened by the overlap contributions of the abundant resonances coming from various partial waves. Abundant resonances exist for the elastic partial-wave cross sections until l = 22 partial waves. The vibrational manifolds of the LiCl(X¹Σ⁺) molecule, which are predicted at the present level of theory and the basis sets cc-pV5Z for Li and the aug-cc-pV5Z-JKFI for Cl, should achieve much high accuracy due to the employment of the large correlation-consistent basis sets.     

Incorporation rate measurements of <Superscript>10</Superscript>Be, <Superscript>230</Superscript>Th, <Superscript>231</Superscript>Pa,and <Superscript>239,240</Superscript>Pu radionuclides in manganese crust in the Pacific Ocean: A search for extraterrestrial material

In order to estimate the deposition rate of extraterrestrial material onto a manganese crust in a search for supernova debris, we analyzed the contents of ¹⁰Be, ²³⁰Th, ²³¹Pa, and ^239,240Pu in a sample of manganese crust collected from the North Pacific Ocean. On the basis of the depth profile of ¹⁰Be, the growth rate of the manganese crust was determined to be 2.3 mm Myr⁻¹. The uptake rates of ¹⁰Be, ²³⁰Th, and ²³¹Pa onto the manganese crust were estimated to be 0.22–0.44%, 0.11–0.73%, and 1.4–4.5%, respectively, as compared to the deposition rates onto the deep-sea sediments near the sampling station, while that for ^239,240Pu was 0.14% as compared to the total inventory of seawater and sediment column. Assuming that sinking particles represent 0.11–4.5% of the uptake rates, the deposition rate of extraterrestrial material onto the manganese crust was estimated to be 2–800 μg cm⁻²Myr⁻¹ according to the uptake of ¹⁰Be onto the manganese crust. Further, our estimate is similar to the value of 9–90 μg cm^{− 2}Myr⁻¹ obtained using the integrated global production rate of ¹⁰Be and the deposition rate of ¹⁰Be onto the manganese crust.     

A potential source of recruitment of Acartia pacifica nauplii: viable benthic resting eggs

Many estuarine and coastal planktonic copepods depend on the hatching of benthic resting eggs for recruitment of nauplii to the water column population. The distribution and abundance of viable resting eggs of Acartia pacifica in the Xiamen Bay were determined by the presence of nauplii in the laboratory. The number of viable eggs varied temporally and spatially. The maximum number (9.2×10⁴m^-2) of viable eggs was in summer. In spring the average abundance of viable eggs was 5.6×10⁴ m^-2. The abundances of viable eggs in fall and winter were similar, respectively 2.7×10⁴ and 3.3×10⁴ m^-2, which were the lowest in the year. The numbers of viable eggs inside the stations of the Xiamen Bay were higher than those outside the stations. The viable eggs were found at all depths (0～10 cm),although not in every station. The maximin number did not necessarily occur in the uppermost centimeter of the sediments but often occurred several centimeters below the water-sediment interface. The accumulation of viable eggs in the seabed of a subtropical bay constitutes a potential source of recruitment of nauplii into the pelagic population.     

A remote sensing environmental study of Haiko Bay——Ⅰ Tidal influx and its changes

Through the water areas extracted from remote sensing images and the combination of the methods for establishing the formula for calculating tidal influx with tidal data, the tidal influx of the Haikou Bay, Hainan Province was found to be 5.14×10⁷m³ in 1990, 5.80×10⁷m³ in 1984 and 5.05×10⁷m³ in 1965, respectively.After the analysis of the morphological and tidal range factors which determine tidal influx, this paper presents the trend of the changes in tidal influx caused by the changes in the morphological factors of the Haikou Bay.It is found that a decreasing trend was shown with a depressive rate of 2×10^-3during the period from 1965 to 1984, and an increasing trend with an incremental rate of 1×10^-3 during the period of 1984-1990.The main reason for the appearance of the decreasing trend before 1984 is the natural deposition and silting-up of the bay sediments; after 1984, the dredging and expansion of the Haikou Port and the Haikou New Port which caused an increase in water area at the mean low tide are the leading factor which causes the increase in tidal influx.     

CALCULATION AND ANALYSIS OF THE HEIGHT ANOMALY AND THE DEFLECTION OF VERTICAL IN AN OCEAN AREA

By the analysis of a practical calculation, this paper describes, for the first time in China, the gravimetric method on the calculation of the height anomaly and the deflection of vertical in the ocean by Stokes' and Vening Meinesz's formula. There are 84 calculation points distributed uniformlic in a calculated area of 2°×2° in the Mid-Pacific. In the course of the calculation, the gravimetric data measured by us, the 1° ×1° mean gravity data "published in other countries and the 25-ordeic gravitational coefficients of GEM8 were used. The results (Fig. 2b) show that the calculated area is an uplift of the geoid, with a mean height anomaly of 42 m, the maximum being 45 m and the minimum 39 m. In the whole calculated area, the variation of the deflection of vertical is rather small, with the maximum 7″·1 and the minimum -0″·2. The major causes of the calculation errors are pointed out and the calculation results are compaired with the data from the satellite altimeter.     

O<Subscript>2</Subscript> consumption rate and its isotopic fractionation factor in the deep water of the Philippine Sea

Concentration and stable isotopic compositions (δ ¹⁸O) of dissolved O₂ were measured in seawater samples collected from the Philippine Sea in June 2006. The in-situ O₂ consumption rate and the isotopic fractionation factor (α _r ) during dissolved O₂ consumption were obtained from field observations by applying a vertical one-dimensional advection diffusion model to the deep water mass of about 1000–4000 m. The average O₂ consumption rate and α _r were, respectively, 0.11 ± 0.07 μmol kg⁻¹yr⁻¹ and 0.990 ± 0.001. These estimated values agree well with values from earlier estimations of Pacific deep water. The in-situ O₂ consumption rates are two or more times higher north of 20°N, although the value of α _r was not significantly different between the north and south. Its levels varied rapidly in the water mass of less about 2000 m depth. These results suggest that organic matter from the continent imparts a meaningful contribution to the upper water in the northern part of the area; it might produce the strong O₂ minimum that is evident in the water mass from about 1000–2000 m in the northern part of the Philippine Sea.     

Respiration rates of planktonic crustaceans from the Inland Sea of Japan with special reference to the effects of body weight and temperature

A total of 293 measurements of respiration rate were made on planktonic crustaceans collected in different seasons from the Inland Sea of Japan. The relationship between the rate of oxygen consumption (R,μl O₂ indiv.⁻¹ hr⁻¹) and body dry weight (W, mg indiv.⁻¹), as expressed by a power function (R=aW ^b , or logR=loga+b logW), was established as a function of temperature (T, °C). The slope of the regression equation (b) was not significantly affected by seasonal temperature variation, but the intercept of the equation (loga) was strongly influenced by temperature. The equation describing this general relation is logR=(0.0444T−0.333)+0.713 logW.     

Nutrient regeneration at bottom after a massive spring bloom in a subarctic coastal environment,Funka Bay,Japan

Nutrient regeneration and oxygen consumption after a spring bloom in Funka Bay were studied on monthly survey cruises from February to November 1998 and from March to December 1999. A high concentration of ammonium (more than 4 μmol l⁻¹) was observed near the bottom (80–90 m) after April. Phosphate and silicate gradually accumulated and dissolved oxygen decreased in the same layer. Salinity near the bottom did not change until summer, leading to the presumption that the system in this layer is semi-closed, so regenerated nutrients were preserved until September. Nitrification due to the oxidation of ammonium to nitrate was observed after June. Nitrite, an intermediate product, was detected at 4–7 μmol L⁻¹ in June and July 1999. Assuming that decomposition is a first order reaction, the rate constant for decomposition of organic nitrogen was determined to be 0.014 and 0.008 d⁻¹ in 1998 and 1999, respectively. The ammonium oxidation rate increased rapidly when the ambient ammonium concentration exceeded 5 μmol L⁻¹. We also performed a budget calculation for the regeneration process. The total amount of N regenerated in the whole water column was 287.4 mmol N m⁻² in 4 months, which is equal to 22.8 gC m⁻², assuming the Redfield C to N ratio. This is 34% of the primary production during the spring bloom and is comparable to the export production of 25 gC m⁻² measured by a sediment trap at 60 m (Miyake et al., 1998).