Abiotic controls of potentially harmful algal blooms in Santa Monica Bay,California

Despite the increasing occurrence of harmful phytoplankton blooms along the North American west coast, records of phytoplankton populations and related environmental conditions are uncommon. In this study, twice monthly measurements in the upper 50 m are used to assess physico-chemical conditions contributing to the growth of potentially harmful bloom taxa over two annual cycles (2004–2005) in the Santa Monica Bay, California. Results were compared to the predictions of the Intaglio model [Smayda, T.J., Reynolds, C.S., 2001. Community assembly in marine phytoplankton: application of recent models to harmful dinoflagellate blooms. Journal of Plankton Research 23, 447–461.] of phytoplankton community assembly. Potentially harmful taxa were present in every surface sample and were numerically dominant during the largest observed blooms, contributing up to 92% of the total phytoplankton abundance >5 μm. Large interannual variation was observed in the dominant taxa and bloom seasonality; Pseudo-nitzschia sp. dominated blooms in early 2004 (February and April), whereas Prorocentrum micans and Lingulodinium polyedrum blooms occurred in May and September of 2005, respectively. The Pseudo-nitzschia sp. blooms were associated with elevated nitrate, dissolved silicon and phosphate concentrations throughout the euphotic zone; the first bloom followed a strong upwelling and the second occurred during the onset of seasonal stratification. In contrast, the blooms of P. micans were associated with highly stratified, low nutrient waters. Multivariate analysis supports the roles of temperature, mixed-layer depth and nutrient concentrations as primary controls of bloom growth, following the conceptual Intaglio model. The strong presence of potentially harmful bloom species in the Santa Monica Bay during this study appears unusual in comparison to limited studies over the last several decades.     

Spring and summer blooms of phytoplankton (SeaWiFS/MODIS) along a ferry line in the Bay of Biscay and western English Channel

The seasonal cycle of chlorophyll concentration in the Bay of Biscay and western English Channel has been examined using satellite data (chlorophyll, sea surface temperature (SST), photosynthetically available radiation (PAR) and wind) along the line of the ferry Pride of Bilbao (Bilbao to Portsmouth). The spring phytoplankton bloom develops regularly in the oceanic region of the Bay of Biscay from mid March to the beginning of May with peak chlorophyll concentrations ranging 2–4 mg m^?3. Low wind turbulence is a major factor allowing the development of productivity pulses in the Bay of Biscay during spring. Exceptional blooms of phytoplankton take place in summer (July–August) in the western English Channel with chlorophyll concentrations as high as 40 mg m^?3. Some environmental factors (SST, wind, pressure and tide) are examined. Autumn blooms of phytoplankton (1–2 mg m^?3) are also detected in the northern Bay of Biscay, shelf-break and Celtic Sea in October. A 11 years pluri-annual synthesis of SeaWiFS satellite measurements is presented.     

A time-series study of the spring bloom at the Bering Sea ice edge I. Physical processes, chlorophyll and nutrient chemistry

An intense but short-lived phytoplankton bloom develops in the low-salinity melt waters at the edge of the Bering Sea ice as the ice melts and retreats each spring. In spring 1988 we followed the development of this bloom by sampling every 3 h while following a freely drifting drogue in the marginal ice-edge zone for two four-day periods. The first period (29 April–3 May) was at an early stage of the bloom while the second period (10–13 May) was at the peak of the bloom. Early in the bloom, the phytoplankton consumed all the nitrate (400 mmoles m⁻²) initially present in the surface water producing large accumulations of particulate carbon (>1000 mmoles C m⁻²). By the time of peak chlorophyll concentrations (35 mg M⁻³), nitrate concentrations had been depleted so that the sustained high productivity depended on either recycled or imported nutrients. After this point, there was little net additional accumulation of biomass. From these data plus cruise data from previous years, we find that the Bering Sea ice-edge bloom typically begins in the last week of April and appears to precede blooms in the adjacent ice-free waters by days to weeks. The variability in bloom onset observed over several years is not linked very closely to the large scale climatic variations found in this region, but rather appears to be related to local weather during the end of April and the first part of May, with calm, sunny weather being required to initiate the blooms.     

细菌群落组成对微囊藻水华分解过程的响应

为探究细菌群落组成对微囊藻水华腐败分解过程的响应,在太湖梅梁湾沿岸进行为期11 d的原位围隔实验,模拟蓝藻水华聚集分解过程,并监测了此过程中水体环境因子和细菌群落组成.结果表明,水体理化因子和细菌群落组成在微囊藻水华分解的过程中发生了显著变化.冗余分析显示细菌的群落组成与水体氧化还原环境(溶解氧或氧化还原电位)、pH值、浮游植物生物量和营养盐浓度(总磷、硝态氮浓度)密切相关.研究还发现了某些与微囊藻水华分解密切相关的特殊细菌类群,其中隶属于黄杆菌科(拟杆菌门)的一个类群在微囊藻厌氧分解的阶段占据显著优势,其功能有待于进一步研究.     

城市湖泊春季绿藻水华特征及其影响因素——以宁波月湖为例

城市湖泊富营养化问题日趋严峻,以往对水华的研究多集中于大型自然淡水湖库,而对小型城市浅水湖泊的水华动态相对较少.以宁波月湖为研究对象,探讨水华暴发期间浮游植物变化特征及与影响因子之间的关系,以期判别影响城市湖泊水华的主控因子.月湖水华期间营养盐水平处于中富营养至极端富营养之间,此次共检出浮游植物8门61属,藻种组成以绿藻门（51.79%）和硅藻门（21.43%）为主,各点位浮游植物生长主要受水温、光照驱动,经历了隐藻门→硅藻门→绿藻门→蓝藻门的演替.水华种为雷氏衣藻（Chlamydomonas reinhardtii）,总藻密度最高达到1.55×10⁸ cells/L,水华暴发后各点位衣藻属比例升高（最高达到81.10%）,群落结构呈现单一化特征.通过Pearson相关性分析和RDA分析发现衣藻属生长与水温、pH、总磷浓度均呈显著正相关,春季气温回升、天气持续晴好,城市浅水湖泊高营养盐负荷、水体流动性差等特点为带鞭毛的衣藻属提供了适宜的生存条件,在环境条件均适宜的情况下拥有最大生长潜力的衣藻属在营养盐、光照等竞争中生长速率明显优于其他藻种,从而发生绿藻水华.     

Phytoplankton biomass size structure and its regulation in the Southern Yellow Sea (China): Seasonal variability

Phytoplankton size structure plays a significant role in controlling the carbon flux of marine pelagic ecosystems. The mesoscale distribution and seasonal variation of total and size-fractionated phytoplankton biomass in surface waters, as measured by chlorophyll a (Chl a), was studied in the Southern Yellow Sea using data from four cruises during 2006–2007. The distribution of Chl a showed a high degree of spatial and temporal variation in the study area. Chl a concentrations were relatively high in the summer and autumn, with a mean of 1.42 and 1.27 mg m⁻³, respectively. Conversely, in the winter and spring, the average Chl a levels were only 0.98 and 0.99 mg m⁻³. Total Chl a showed a clear decreasing gradient from coastal areas to the open sea in the summer, autumn and winter cruises. Patches of high Chl a were observed in the central part of the Southern Yellow Sea in the spring due to the onset of the phytoplankton bloom. The eutrophic coastal waters contributed at least 68% of the total phytoplankton biomass in the surface layer. Picophytoplankton showed a consistent and absolute dominance in the central region of the Southern Yellow Sea (>40%) in all of the cruises, while the proportion of microphytoplankton was the highest in coastal waters. The relative proportions of pico- and nanophytoplankton decreased with total biomass, whereas the proportion of the micro-fraction increased with total biomass. Relationships between phytoplankton biomass and environmental factors were also analysed. The results showed that the onset of the spring bloom was highly dependent on water column stability. Phytoplankton growth was limited by nutrient availability in the summer due to the strong thermocline. The combined effects of P-limitation and vertical mixing in the autumn restrained the further increase of phytoplankton biomass in the surface layer. The low phytoplankton biomass in winter was caused by vertical dispersion due to intense mixing. Compared with the availability of nutrients, temperature did not seem to cause direct effects on phytoplankton biomass and its size structure. Although interactions of many different environmental factors affected phytoplankton distributions, hydrodynamic conditions seemed to be the dominant factor. Phytoplankton size structure was determined mainly by the size-differential capacity in acquiring resource. Short time scale events, such as the spring bloom and the extension of Yangtze River plume, can have substantial influences, both on the total Chl a concentration and on the size structure of the phytoplankton.     

广东省高州水库水华过程中蓝藻群落的动态特征

2009年1-4月,高州水库发生了规模较大的粘质鱼腥藻(Anabaena mucosa)水华,最高藻细胞密度达3.4×107cells/L,并在2010年的同一时期再次出现,这也是粘质鱼腥藻首次在广东省水库水体形成水华.为了解该水库蓝藻水华发生的特点,本文于2009年8月到2010年7月对高州水库进行了逐月采样,分析了...     

Morphological and molecular analysis of bloom-forming Cyanobacteria in two eutrophic, shallow Mediterranean lakes

We investigated the diversity of Cyanobacteria by microscopic observation and sequencing of cyanobacterial-specific amplified 16S rRNA genes in the water column of two shallow, eutrophic lakes (Doirani and Kastoria, northern Greece) during summer blooms. Previous phytoplankton studies in these lakes have shown that prolonged cyanobacterial blooms can occur, which are dominated by known toxic species, as well as other less known, co-occurring species. A total of 118 clones were sequenced which were grouped in 23 Cyanobacteria and 11 chloroplast-like phylotypes. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that each library included several unique phylotypes, as well as members of all common bloom-forming Cyanobacteria. Most of the phylotypes belonged to the genera Microcystis, Anabaena, Aphanizomenon, Cylindrospermopsis-Raphidiopsis group, Limnothrix and Planktothrix, comprising most of the diversity previously recognized by morphological observations in cyanobacterial morphospecies in these lakes. In addition, novel phylotypes belonging to the Chroococcales were recognized in both lakes. The structure of the cyanobacterial communities of the lakes were very similar, as revealed by the diversity index H (2.06 and 2.01 for L. Doirani and Kastoria, respectively) and LIBSHUFF analysis (XY₁₂P-value = 0.122 and YX₁₂P-value = 0.536), due to occurrence of groups of common phylotypes. This study gives an example for successful cyanobacterial bloom analysis by the combination of morphological and phylogenetic methods useful for monitoring cyanobacteria and water quality in freshwaters.     

丹江口水库浮游植物时空变化特征

为研究丹江口浮游植物的群落特征,探讨影响浮游植物时空分布的环境因子,于2014年5月2015年4月对丹江口水库进行了为期1年的调查.此次调查共采集到浮游植物66种,隶属于7门21科38属.浮游植物全年平均生物量为0.35 mg/L,平均密度为9.08×10~5cells/L.优势种为脆杆藻、小环藻、直链藻和栅藻,其中脆杆藻所占比例最大,平均生物量为0.089 mg/L,占总生物量的25.43%.近些年丹江口水库营养水平的提高可能是脆杆藻生物量升高的主要原因.绿藻和蓝藻在夏季大量繁殖,硅藻为春、秋和冬季优势门类.汉江库区浮游植物生物量大于丹江库区,两个库区的浮游植物种类组成存在明显的差异,丹江库区优势门类为硅藻门,而汉江库区为绿藻门.浮游植物生物量与环境因子的相关分析表明,浮游植物生物量的主要影响因子是总磷浓度、pH值和溶解氧浓度.RDA分析表明,影响浮游植物组成的主要环境因子是溶解氧浓度、pH值、总磷浓度和水温.为控制浮游植物的生物量,防止其异常增殖造成水华,应严格控制外源营养盐特别是磷元素的输入.本研究可为丹江口水库的水质改善及富营养化防治提供一定的科学依据.     

一种淡水水华硅藻——链状弯壳藻(Achnanthidium catenatum)

作为区域重要饮用水源的浙江绍兴汤浦水库于2010年5月期间暴发以硅藻和蓝藻为主的藻类水华.对库尾、库中和坝前3处浮游植物样品进行采集和分析,结果表明,汤浦水库浮游植物密度在1.13×108～1.56×108cells/L之间,水华优势种之一为我国大陆地区首次报道的羽纹纲硅藻———链状弯壳藻(Achnanthidium catenatum),另一种为丝状蓝藻———湖泊假鱼腥藻(Pseudanabaena limnetica),两者的平均相对丰度分别为65.6%和28.2%;链状弯壳藻是弯壳藻属中唯一适应浮游生长的种类,具有独特的带面观,能以壳面相连形成2～3个细胞的短链状群体;对国内外3次链状弯壳藻为优势种的水华案例进行分析,发现该藻为广温性种类,适应低光强和低磷浓度生长;水华生消机理则需进一步研究.     

基于水华蓝藻固有光学特性的主要类群定量识别方法

蓝藻水华是湖泊水体富营养化的重要特征之一,不同水华蓝藻类群形成的水华特征、危害及其治理方法差异显著.因此,如何快速、准确地掌握不同蓝藻类群的时空分布特征成为实施富营养化湖泊污染治理与生态恢复、蓝藻生态灾害预测预警中一个亟待解决的科学问题.本研究基于纯藻种实验室培养和室内光学控制实验,在微囊藻(Microcystis)、鱼腥藻(Dolichospermum)、束丝藻(Aphanizomenon)3种主要水华蓝藻固有光学特性的基础上,通过甄别不同水华蓝藻的吸收、散射和后向散射光谱的特征波段,构建了基于吸收和散射特性的5种水华蓝藻类群的非线性最优化定量识别模型,其中,基于440、620和675 nm 3个波段吸收的a-CIM 440,620,675具有较为稳定的定量识别能力;并基于野外实测光学特性数据,实现了巢湖主要水华蓝藻类群的定量监测,初步分析了巢湖主要水华蓝藻类群的时空分布特性.研究表明,巢湖的水华蓝藻以鱼腥藻、微囊藻为主,束丝藻较少,鱼腥藻主要出现在温度较低的季节,微囊藻在夏季的西部湖区占优势;巢湖水华主要为微囊藻藻华和鱼腥藻藻华,且浓度较高的蓝藻主要存在于水体表面以下20 cm范围内;微囊藻和鱼腥藻在非藻华断面垂向上均匀分布.本研究可为富营养化湖泊蓝藻水华预测预警以及相关管理部门决策提供重要的理论依据和科学支撑.     

贵州百花湖麦西河河口浮游植物群落结构及与环境因子关系

2009年7月至2010年6月,以每月一次的频率对百花湖(水库)麦西河河口浮游植物群落结构和环境因子进行调查.监测到浮游植物66种(属),浮游植物主要由绿藻、硅藻和蓝藻组成,夏秋季湖泊假鱼腥藻(Pseudanabaena limnetica)为优势浮游植物,而冬春季梅尼小环藻(Cyclotella meneghinia...     

基于15N稳定同位素示踪技术的太湖梅梁湾浮游植物群落氮吸收动力学研究

浮游植物对氮的吸收与其生长繁殖密切相关,太湖梅梁湾湖区蓝藻水华频频暴发,对该水域浮游植物氮吸收进行研究具有重要意义.本文分别在冬、春、夏、秋4个季节于梅梁湾采样,对水体常规理化指标和浮游植物群落结构进行分析,并利用¹⁵N稳定同位素示踪技术研究了浮游植物对铵态氮（NH₄⁺-N）、硝态氮（NO₃^--N）和尿素态氮（Urea-N）吸收的动力学特征.结果表明,太湖梅梁湾浮游植物群落除了秋季对NH₄⁺-N的吸收不符合米氏方程外,其余均符合.冬季和春季3种形态氮最大吸收速率（V_max）的大小依次为：NH₄⁺-N > NO₃^--N > Urea-N,而夏季为：NH₄⁺-N > Urea-N > NO₃^--N.3种形态氮V_max的季节变化规律为夏季 > 秋季 > 春季 > 冬季.V_max在不同季节以及不同形态氮之间的差异性可能与浮游植物群落组成以及水体中NH₄⁺-N浓度不同有关.浮游植物对NH₄⁺-N吸收的K_S值在冬、春季高于夏季,对Urea-N吸收的K_s值则在夏、秋季高于冬、春季,而对NO₃^--N吸收的K_s值则在夏季显著高于其他3个季节.冬季和春季梅梁湾浮游植物群落最容易受到NO₃^--N限制,而最不容易受到Urea-N的限制;而夏季,则最容易受到NO₃^--N限制,而最不容易受到NH₄⁺-N的限制,且浮游植物群落对NH₄⁺-N的亲和力最高.与NO₃^--N相比,秋季浮游植物更容易受到Urea-N的限制.不同季节,容易对浮游植物产生限制作用的氮的形态不同.     

江苏滆湖北部区整治后浮游植物时空分布及环境因子变化规律

滆湖是我国长江中下游典型的浅水型湖泊,为了解其治理后浮游植物群落时空分布规律,2013年1 12月对其北部区浮游植物及环境因子进行调查.调查期间共检出浮游植物7门43属61种,春、冬季以栅藻(Scenedesmus)和小环藻(Cyclotella)为主要优势种属,夏、秋季以微囊藻(Microcystis)和颗粒直链藻(Melosira granulata)为主要优势种属,采样期间浮游植物生物量最高值为90.6 mg/L,出现在8月份,铜绿微囊藻(Microcystis aeruginosa)占绝对优势.浮游植物平均密度呈现由西向东递减的趋势,植被覆盖区低于敞水区.环境因子分析表明:总氮浓度、总磷浓度、水温是影响滆湖北部区浮游植物密度和生物量的主要因子.比较相同月份湖区内部菱角芦苇区和未治理的敞水区的平均生物量,菱角区生物量较敞水区低约72.7%~91.1%,芦苇区生物量较敞水区低约63.9%~83.7%.在8、9月湖区内敞水区暴发水华时菱角区浮游植物生物量仅为敞水区的14.6%,芦苇区为敞水区的30.3%.     

Monsoon driven changes in phytoplankton populations in the eastern Arabian Sea as revealed by microscopy and HPLC pigment analysis

Like the rest of the Arabian Sea, the west coast of India is subject to semi-annual wind reversals associated with the monsoon cycle that result in two periods of elevated phytoplankton productivity, one during the northeast (NE) monsoon (November–February) and the other during the southwest (SW) monsoon (June–September). Although the seasonality of phytoplankton biomass in these coastal waters is well known, the abundance and composition of phytoplankton populations associated with this distinct and predictable seasonal cycle is poorly known. Here we present for the first time, the results of a study on the community structure of phytoplankton for this region, derived from HPLC pigment analysis and microscopic cell counts. Our sampling strategy allowed for large spatial and temporal coverage over regions representative of the coastal and offshore waters, and over seasons that included the NE and the SW monsoon. Monthly observations at a fixed coastal station in particular, allowed us to follow changes in phytoplankton community structure associated with the development of anoxia. Together these measurements helped establish a pattern of seasonal change of three major groups of phytoplankton: diatoms, dinoflagellates and cyanobacteria that appeared to be tightly coupled with hydrographic and chemical changes associated with the monsoonal cycle. During the SW monsoon when nitrate concentrations were high, diatoms were dominant but prymnesiophytes were present as well. By October, as nitrate fell to below detection levels and anoxic conditions began to develop on the shelf below the shallow pycnocline, both diatom and prymensiophytes declined sharply giving way to dinoflagellates. In the well oxygenated surface waters, where both nitrate and ammonium were below detection limits, pico-cyanobacterial populations became dominant.During the NE monsoon, a mixed diatom-dinoflagellate population was quickly replaced by blooms of Trichodesmium erythraeum and Noctiluca miliaris with higher amounts of zeaxanthin, β-carotene, Chl b and prasinoxanthin. Trichodesmium trichomes were noticed in the water column as early as December when nitrate concentrations became limiting. The low phytoplankton biomass and high ammonium concentrations argue that active grazing populations may be responsible for preventing diatom-dinoflagellate populations from establishing themselves to bloom proportions in the eastern Arabian Sea during the early NE monsoon. Trichodesmium continued its dominance well into May, when nutrient enrichment associated with its death and decay helped simulate the growth of both diatoms and dinoflagellates. Given that anoxic conditions are becoming more pervasive in the eastern Arabian Sea, our observations in particular, those of a shift towards dinoflagellate dominance during the development of anoxia assume particular importance.     

三峡水库小江回水区水华暴发期浮游植物群落结构及其与环境因子的关系

三峡水库蓄水以来,支流水华频发,尤以小江情况最为严重,给三峡库区的生态安全带来较大隐患。为探究支流水华暴发特征和主控因素,于2014-2021年小江水华暴发期间在小江高阳江段进行浮游植物及环境因子调查,并使用单因素方差分析、聚类分析、百分比相似性分析以及基于距离的线性模型等方法,对小江水华暴发期间浮游植物和环境因子在不同年份不同水层间的差异以及二者的关系进行研究。结果表明:小江水华暴发期内,浮游植物的种类数在43~70种之间,其中2015年蓝藻种类数明显减少,2018年以后硅藻种类数明显减少;采样期间浮游植物平均细胞密度在0.66×10⁶~61.28×10⁶ cells/L之间,同期表层细胞密度明显高于中层和底层;各层水体间水华微囊藻、铜绿微囊藻、不定微囊藻等10种藻的密度存在明显差异,是主要差异种;显著影响表层、中层和底层浮游植物群落结构变动的环境因子是水位的日平均变幅;水位的日平均变幅与藻类优势种拟合关系显示,当日水位下降幅度在0.5 m以上时,浮游植物平均密度会呈指数级减少。研究结果可为三峡库区支流水华的防控提供数据支持。     

Phytoplankton dynamics in the central Great Barrier Reef—I. Seasonal changes in biomass and community structure and their relation to intrusive activity

Phytoplankton dynamics in the central Great Barrier Reef and the relation of these dynamics to the seasonal upwelling of nutrient-enriched Coral Sea water onto the outer continental shelf were followed over an annual cycle. Event scale changes were sampled by frequent (2-day to 2-week) re-occupations of a cross-shelf transect during the latter half of the summer. Intrusive activity between November and April episodically injects nitrate-N enriched water into oligotrophic shelf waters. Persistent mid-shelf and intermittent outer shelf mid-water phytoplankton accumulations were observed from late-January to March. The 10, 10to2and<2μm phytoplankton size fractions were, respectively, dominated by diatoms, microflagellates + unarmored dinoflagellates and unicellular cyanobacteria + coccoid eukaryotes + very small flagellates. In the absence of intrusive activity, nanoplankton (10 to 2 μm) and picoplankton (<2μm) dominated biomass. These two size fractions dominated biomass on the outer shelf and in the Coral Sea throughout the year. Picoplankton frequently made up50% of the chlorophyll standing crop. Mid-shelf blooms, in which the highest chlorophyll levels (2μg 1⁻¹) were found, were largely due to increases of the 10μm fraction. In contrast to marked summer fluctuations of mid-shelf diatom populations, nano- and picoplankton standing crop varied little with time, cross-shelf location or depth. Low water column DIN levels and DIN:Chla ratios suggest phytoplankton populations were nitrogen-limited. In open waters of the central GBR, phytoplankton apparently convert most of the intruded nitrogen into particulate form.     

广东省镇海水库拟柱孢藻(Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii)的季节动态及驱动因子分析

拟柱孢藻(Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii)是热带地区普遍存在的蓝藻种类,已在广东省很多水库成为优势种类甚至形成水华,作为一种新的有害水华类型,目前对其成因研究甚少.以广东省江门市镇海水库为研究对象,于2014年11月—2015年10月期间对其进行逐月采样,观测理化因子和浮游植物组成,测定拟柱孢藻的丝体长度,初步探讨该水库拟柱孢藻优势形成的原因.数据表明,拟柱孢藻是镇海水库的绝对优势种,常年生物量较高,介于5.9~15.5 mg/L之间,平均生物量为11.3 mg/L,占浮游植物总生物量的93.5%.从季节上看,拟柱孢藻生物量在2—6月相对较高,最高生物量出现在6月,10月和11月生物量最低.拟柱孢藻的丝体长度具有显著的季节变化,与水温呈极显著负相关.相关性分析表明拟柱孢藻生物量与总氮、总磷浓度呈显著正相关,与氮磷比呈显著负相关,而逐步回归分析表明拟柱孢藻生物量的变化主要由总磷浓度决定,推测该藻对磷的超强吸收和储存能力在其生物量季节变动中起重要作用.     

Jellyfish blooms in China: Dominant species, causes and consequences

Three jellyfish species, Aurelia aurita, Cyanea nozakii and Nemopilema nomurai, form large blooms in Chinese seas. We report on the distribution and increasing incidence of jellyfish blooms and their consequences in Chinese coastal seas and analyze their relationship to anthropogenically derived changes to the environment in order to determine the possible causes. A. aurita, C. nozakii and N. nomurai form blooms in the temperate Chinese seas including the northern East China Sea, Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea. N. nomurai forms offshore blooms while the other two species bloom mainly in inshore areas. Eutrophication, overfishing, habitat modification for aquaculture and climate change are all possible contributory factors facilitating plausible mechanisms for the proliferation of jellyfish blooms. In the absence of improvement in coastal marine ecosystem health, jellyfish blooms could be sustained and may even spread from the locations in which they now occur.