Control of the phytoplankton response during the SAGE experiment: A synthesis

The SOLAS Air-Sea Gas Exchange (SAGE) experiment was conducted in Sub-Antarctic waters off the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand in the late summer of 2004. This mesoscale iron enrichment experiment was unique in that chlorophyll a (chl a) and primary productivity were only 2× OUT stations values toward the end of the experiment and this enhancement was due to increased activity of non-diatomaceous species. In addition, this enhancement in activity appeared to occur without a significant build up of particulate organic carbon. Picoeukaryotes (<2 ??m) were the only members of the phytoplankton assemblage that showed a statistically significant increase, a doubling in biomass. To better understand the controls of phytoplankton growth and biomass, we present results from a series of on-deck perturbation experiments conducted during SAGE. Results suggest that the pico-dominated phytoplankton assemblage was only weakly inhibited by iron. Diatoms with high growth rates comprised a small (<1%) fraction of the phytoplankton assemblage, were likely iron limited, and potentially further limited by silicic acid and therefore did not significantly contribute to bloom dynamics. On deck experiments and comparison of SAGE with other iron addition experiments suggested that neither light availability nor deep mixed layers limited phytoplankton growth. Although no substantial increase in grazing rate or specific phytoplankton growth rate was detected, microzooplankton biomass doubled over SAGE as a result of an increase in cell size. The importance of microzooplankton grazing was highlighted by the fact that they were capable of consuming 15-49% of the total phytoplankton production per day. Removal was highest on eukaryotic picophytoplankton production with a mean value of 72% (29-143%). Patch dilution played an important role during SAGE; the mean patch net algal growth:dilution rate, 1.13 (0.4-2.2) was the lowest reported for a mesoscale iron enrichment experiment. Phytoplankton biomass, estimated by chlorophyll a, only accumulated when phytoplankton growth exceeded grazing and when net algal growth exceeded dilution rate. The SAGE results highlight the function of the smallest phytoplankton size fraction described by the ecumenical Iron Hypothesis. Thus, adding iron to HNLC-low silicic acid regions during certain times of the year may simply transfer more carbon through the microbial food web. A primary implication of this study is that any iron-mediated gain in fixed carbon with this set of environmental conditions has a high probability of being recycled in surface waters.     

Effects of nitrogen and iron enrichments on phytoplankton communities in the Northwestern Indian Ocean

Nutrient-enrichment bottle experiments in the northwestern Indian Ocean surface waters were conducted to investigate phytoplankton growth following enrichments with either NH₄⁺, NO₃⁻, Fe or Fe + NO₃⁻. Stimulation of phytoplankton growth could be achieved by the addition of either NH₄⁺ or NO₃⁻ under the ambient Fe concentrations, but the most significant increases in Chl a, POC, and cell densities were observed in the Fe + NO₃⁻-amended culture. Iron addition caused more rapid responses of phytoplankton growth in the Fe + NO₃⁻ treatment than those in the NO₃⁻ and NH₄⁻ treatment. However, the Fe-enrichment treatment revealed minimal growth of phytoplankton because of severe major nutrient deficiency and was similar to the control treatment. Increases in the cell density of diatoms and spherical phytoplankton cells (< 10 μm) were significant in the NH₄⁺-enriched samples, whereas NO₃⁻ enrichment alone had little effect on the diatoms. Simultaneous addition of Fe and NO₃⁻ stimulated maximal growth of phytoplankton, in particular in diatoms, coccolithophorids and Phaeocystis type colonies. However, the dominance of coccolithophorids and Phaeocystis type colonies in the Fe + NO₃⁻ treatment may be interpreted as resulting from Si-limitation. The high N/P ratio for phytoplankton nutrient uptake in the N-amended culture indicates the possibility of some P-limited growth. From these results, we conclude that in the northwestern Indian Ocean, Fe and major nutrients are co-limiting phytoplankton production during the northeast monsoon. Iron appeared to affect the ability of phytoplankton to respond quickly to transient nutrient inputs.     

Spreading of the Amur River plume in the Amur Liman,Sakhalin Gulf,and the Strait of Tartary

This work focuses on a study of the Amur plume spreading during ice-free periods in the Amur Liman and adjacent areas of Sakhalin Gulf and the Strait of Tartary. It was found from MERIS/EnviSat satellite imagery, MERRA wind reanalysis, and Amur discharge data in 2002–2011 that regular transport of Amur plume waters from the Amur Liman to Sakhalin Gulf occurs in June–October. This process is caused by flood discharge of the Amur River in the absence of strong northern winds or when southern winds are strong during periods of moderate discharge. Estimates for the frequency and duration of this process have shown that it occurs on average during half of the days in June–October and can continue up to 2.5 months. Spreading of the Amur plume to the Strait of Tartary is a significantly rarer event. This process takes place only during the Amur’s freshet periods and for strong western wind forcing, which induces southward Ekman transport. The average duration of this process during the ice-free season is estimated as 15 days; however, in individual years, it can be as short as several days.     

Distribution of microzooplankton in the Philippine Sea and the Celebes Sea in summer, 1972

Regional and vertical distribution of the microzooplankton in the Philippine and the Celebes Seas is reported in relation to the phytoplankton distribution. The maximum concentration of chlorophylla occurred at the surface in the Celebes Sea and in subsurface layer (50–150 m depth) in the Philippine Sea. On the other hand, the maximum occurrence of the microzooplankton was observed in the subsurface layer (50–150 m) throughout these sea areas; discrepancy in the vertical positions of the chlorophylla and microzooplankton maxima was observed in the former sea area. The higher dominancy of large-sized phytoplankton such as diatoms andTrichodesmium at the surface maximum, probably because most large-sized phytoplankton were uningestible for the microzooplankton, was the main reason why the discrepancy existed in the Celebes Sea. In the Philippine Sea, where the subsurface chlorophylla maximum layer was formed mainly by small-sized phytoplankton such as coccolithophorids and small dinoflagellates, such a discrepancy was not observed. These may indicate the establishment of a close food relationship between the microzooplankton and the small-sized phytoplankton rather than to the large-sized phytoplankton.     

Changes in iron concentrations and bio-availability during an open-ocean mesoscale iron enrichment in the western subarctic Pacific,SEEDS II

A patch of water in the western subarctic gyre (low iron concentration, <0.02 nM) was fertilized twice with 322 and 159 kg of iron to induce a phytoplankton bloom. In order to understand the changes in iron distribution and bio-availability throughout the evolution and termination phase of the iron-induced bloom, iron concentrations were measured at stations inside and outside of the iron-fertilized patch, and shipboard culture experiments using iron and desferrioxamine B (DFB) inoculation to regulate iron availability were conducted 5 times with water collected from the center of the iron-fertilized patch on D2, D7, D11, D17 and D23.After the iron fertilization, we observed a significant increase in dissolved iron (1.38 nM at 5 m depth) at the center of the patch (D1). Dissolved iron concentrations subsequently decreased to an ambient level (~0.08 nM) on D16–D17, despite the second iron fertilization made on D6. During the 4-day incubations of the shipboard culture experiments, excess DFB-inoculated treatment inhibited the phytoplankton growth compared to the controls for D2, D7 and D11 patch water. This indicated that available iron existed in the iron-fertilized patch at least until D11. Moreover, iron-inoculated treatments induced growth of large-sized phytoplankton with an accompanying silicate decrease for D7, D11 and D17 patch water, but not for D23 patch water. These results indicated that large diatoms, which can respond to additional iron inoculation, existed in the iron-fertilized patch in evolution and early termination phase of the iron-induced bloom (at least until D17); however, there was no significant amount of large diatoms, which could rapidly respond to iron, in late termination phase (D23) of the iron-induced phytoplankton bloom.     

印度洋海水营养盐添加模拟实验中浮游植物生长的营养盐限制作用

借助"中国首次环球科学考察航次",在印度洋海区进行了N、Fe、N+Fe以及N+Fe+P的营养盐添加模拟实验。通过对实验过程中水体营养盐浓度、叶绿素a(Chl-a)浓度以及温度等参数进行分析,探讨了添加不同营养盐对该实验海区浮游植物生长的影响。结果表明,N的添加会引起浮游植物的快速爆发,而单独添加Fe并不能刺激浮游植物快速生长,N、P联合作用对浮游植物生长的影响远远大于单独N的作用。另外,在实验海区浮游植物优先利用海水中的硝酸盐,在硝酸根耗尽后,海水中可被利用的P会促进浮游植物的生长。实验过程中水体N/P比值的变化同叶绿素a浓度以及浮游植物生长速度(R)没有可对比性,而且N/P比值与后两者之间的相关性都差,所以认为水体中N/P比值并不能单独决定浮游植物生长。此外,实验水体温度同Chl-a浓度和R值之间相关性分析表明,水体温度虽对浮游植物生长有重要作用,但不能控制浮游植物生长。     

Distribution of the bacteria <Emphasis Type="Italic">Listeria monocytogenes</Emphasis> in the western part of the Sea of Okhotsk

The Amur River’s influence on the distribution of the opportunistic bacteria Listeria monocytogenes in the western part of the Sea of Okhotsk is discussed. The presence of Listeria in the seawater, sea ice, and sediments on the northeastern Sakhalin shelf and slope supports the idea of its connection with the Amur River discharge. The hypothesis of the allochtonic parentage of L. monocytogenes in the sea’s development is proved.     

Phytoplankton growth and microzooplankton grazing in the Sea of Okhotsk during late summer of 2006

The Sea of Okhotsk is one of the most productive marine basins in the world ocean and plays an important role in transport of organic carbon and iron to the western subarctic Pacific. We report the first measurements of phytoplankton growth and microzooplankton grazing rates in the Sea of Okhotsk, in late summer of 2006. The study area can be divided into two areas: nutrient-sufficient waters on the continental shelf along the east coast of Sakhalin Island and in the vicinity of Bussol Strait, and surface nutrient-depleted waters beyond the shelf break and in the vicinity of Sakhalin Bay. Phytoplankton growth rate in the studied area was strongly affected by nutrient availability, with high phytoplankton growth rate (0.55±0.14 d^?1) in the nutrient-replete region and severely depressed growth (0.03±0.05 d^?1) in the nutrient-depleted region. On the other hand, microzooplankton grazing rates in both the nutrient-replete and nutrient-depleted regions were approximately the same (0.26±0.20 d^?1 vs. 0.27±0.24 d^?1). Consequently, microzooplankton grazing consumed <50% of the phytoplankton growth in nutrient-rich waters but >3 times the phytoplankton growth in nutrient-depleted waters. Phytoplankton physiological condition as measured by the maximum photochemical quantum efficiency (F_v/F_m) of algal photosystem II (PS II) showed a general trend in agreement with the in situ growth rate of phytoplankton. In contrast to the phytoplankton community, picophytoplankton, especially the cyanobacteria Synechococcus, showed no nutrient effect on their growth, and the growth and mortality rates were well balanced, suggesting that they have a low nutrient requirement and their biomass was controlled principally by microzooplankton grazing.     

Importance of intracellular Fe pools on growth of marine diatoms by using unialgal cultures and on the Oyashio region phytoplankton community during spring

We report on the ability for luxury Fe uptake and the potential for growth utilizing intracellular Fe pools for 4 coastal centric diatom isolates and in situ phytoplankton assemblages, mainly composed of diatoms. Iron uptake of the diatom isolates and natural phytoplankton assemblages in the Oyashio region during spring blooms were prevented by adding hydroxamate siderophore desferrioxamine B (DFB). After the addition of DFB, intracellular Fe in the diatom isolates supported 2.4–4.2 cell divisions with 1.2–2.6 Chl a doublings. The intracellular Fe was primarily used for cell generation rather than Chl a production, leading to a reduction in the Chl a cell quota in the Fe-starved cells with time. The metabolic properties of the Fe-starved cells with their cell morphologies were different among species or genera. An on-deck incubation experiment also exhibited 1.9 cell divisions and 0.81 Chl a doublings of phytoplankton after the addition of DFB, also indicating the preference of cell generation over Chl a production. A decrease in the level of cellular Chl a, a main light-harvesting pigment in Fe-starved diatoms, may become a superior survival strategy to protect the cells from high irradiance that can cause photo-oxidative damages through photosynthesis. Such relatively low-Fe with high-light conditions could often occur in surface waters of the Oyashio region from spring to summer.     

Distribution of alkalinity and dissolved calcium in the Sea of Okhotsk

During the summer seasons of 2002 and 2004, the total alkalinity (TA) and dissolved calcium (Ca) were studied at 41 stations in different areas of the Sea of Okhotsk: the Kuril depression, Deryugin Basin, the slopes of the Kamchatka Peninsula and Sakhalin Island, and in Sakhalin Bay. It was shown that the distributions of the TA and Ca in the water mass of deep sea areas are determined by the processes of CaCO₃ formation and dissolution according to the relation Δ Ca = 0.5 Δ TA (1). The variations of the TA and Ca values observed in the upper 10-m layer and in the near-bottom layers of local depressions in the Deryugin Basin do not satisfy relationship (1). Probable reasons for this discrepancy are considered: organic matter mineralization, mixing of water masses with different preform TA and Ca values, sea ice melting, runoff from land, and sea bottom effects. It is shown that the enrichment in the alkalinity and calcium is caused by the Amur River runoff in the desalinated sea surface layer and by the high geochemical activity in the Deryugin Basin in the near-bottom 200-m layer of local depressions.     

The carbonate system of the amur estuary and the adjacent marine aquatic areas

In July 2007, integrated studies of the Amur Estuary and the adjacent aquatic areas were performed on board R/V Professor Gagarinskii within the project of the Amur River basin exploration. On the basis of the data obtained during the cruise, the carbonate system of the Amur Estuary in the summer period was considered. It was shown that the distribution of the carbonate parameters in the Amur Estuary and the adjacent aquatic areas points to the high intensity of the bio-geochemical processes of production and mineralization of organic matter. It was found that the organic matter destruction is prevailing over the photosynthesis in the riverine part of the estuary. This aquatic area is a source of carbon dioxide for the atmosphere and rates as a heterotrophic basin. On the contrary, the surface waters at the outer boundaries of the estuary (the Gulf of Sakhalin and the Tatar Strait) act as a sink of the atmospheric carbon dioxide, which is caused by the intense photosynthesis in this area. This part of the estuary is treated as an autotrophic basin.     

Growth stimulation and inhibition of natural phytoplankton communities by model organic ligands in the western subarctic Pacific

The influence of organic ligands on natural phytoplankton growth was investigated in high-nitrate low-chlorophyll (HNLC) waters and during a phytoplankton bloom induced by a mesoscale iron enrichment experiment (SEEDS II) in the western subarctic Pacific. The growth responses of the phytoplankton in the treatments with iron complexed with model ligand were compared with those with inorganic iron or a control. Desferrioxamine B and protoporphyrin IX were used as models for hydroxamate-type siderophore and tetrapyrrole-type cell breakdown ligand, respectively. In the HNLC water, iron associated with protoporphyrin IX especially stimulated smaller phytoplankton (<10 μm) growth, 1.5-fold more than did inorganic iron. Surprisingly, only the addition of protoporphyrin IX stimulated small phytoplankton growth, suggesting that these cell breakdown ligands might be more bioavailable for them. The protoporphyrin IX’s stimulatory effect on small phytoplankton was not observed during bloom decline phase. The growth of phytoplankton was inhibited in the treatment with desferrioxamine B-complexed iron, suggesting its low bioavailability for the natural phytoplankton community. Its inhibitory effects were particularly pronounced in pico-eukaryotic phytoplankton. During the iron-induced bloom, the phytoplankton’s iron-stress response gradually increased with the desferrioxamine B concentration, suggesting that the competition for iron complexation between natural ligands and desferrioxamine B affected phytoplankton growth. However, the pico-eukaryotes did seem better able to utilize the desferrioxamine B-complexed iron during the bloom-developing phase. These results indicate that the iron bioavailability for phytoplankton differs between bloom-developing and bloom-decline phases.     

Size-Fractionated Primary Production Estimated by a Two-Phytoplankton Community Model Applicable to Ocean Color Remote Sensing

In order to estimate primary production from ocean color satellite data using the Vertical Generalized Production Model (VGPM; Behrenfeld and Falkowski, 1997), we propose a two-phytoplankton community model. This model is based on the two assumptions that changes in chlorophyll concentration result from changes of large-sized phytoplankton abundance, and chlorophyll specific productivity of phytoplankton tends to be inversely proportional to phytoplankton size. Based on the analysis of primary production data, P _opt ^B , which was one parameter in the VGPM, was modeled as a function of sea surface temperature and sea surface chlorophyll concentration. The two-phytoplankton community model incorporated into the VGPM gave good estimates in a relatively high productive area. Size-fractionated primary production was estimated by the two-phytoplankton community model, and P _opt ^B of small-sized phytoplankton was 4.5 times that of large-sized phytoplankton. This result fell into the ranges observed during field studies.     

Behaviors of dissolved and particulate Co,Ni, Cu,Zn, Cd and Pb during a mesoscale Fe-enrichment experiment (SEEDS II) in the western North Pacific

During mesoscale Fe enrichment (SEEDS II) in the western North Pacific ocean, we investigated dissolved and particulate Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb in seawater from both field observation and shipboard bottle incubation of a natural phytoplankton assemblage with Fe addition. Before the Fe enrichment, strong correlations between dissolved trace metals (Ni, Zn and Cd) and PO₄³⁻, and between particulate trace metals (Ni, Zn and Cd) and chlorophyll-a were obtained, suggesting that biogeochemical cycles mainly control the distributions of Ni, Zn and Cd in the study area. Average concentrations of dissolved Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb in the surface mixed layer (0–20 m) were 70 pM, 4.9, 2.1, 1.6, 0.48 nM and 52 pM, respectively, and those for the particulate species were 1.7 pM, 0.052, 0.094, 0.46, 0.037 nM and 5.2 pM, respectively. After Fe enrichment, chlorophyll-a increased 3 fold (up to 3 μg L⁻¹) during developing phases of the bloom (<12 days). Mesozooplankton biomass also increased. Particulate Co, Ni, Cu and Cd inside the patch hinted at an increase in the concentrations, but there were no analytically significant differences between concentrations inside and outside the patch. The bottle incubation with Fe addition (1 nM) showed an increase in chlorophyll-a (8.9 μg L⁻¹) and raised the particulate fraction up to 3–45% for all the metals, accompanying changes in Si/P, Zn/P and Cd/P. These results suggest that Fe addition lead to changes in biogeochemical cycling of trace metals. The comparison between the mesoscale Fe enrichment and the bottle incubation experiment suggests that although Fe was a limiting factor for the growth of phytoplankton, the enhanced biomass of mesozooplankton also limited the growth of phytoplankton and the transformation of trace metal speciation during the mesoscale Fe enrichment. Sediment trap data and the elemental ratios taken up by phytoplankton suggest that export loss was another reason that no detectable change in the concentrations of particulate trace metals was observed during the mesoscale Fe enrichment.     

Iron regeneration and organic iron(III)-binding ligand production during in situ zooplankton grazing experiment

To elucidate iron regeneration and organic iron(III)-binding ligand formation during microzooplankton and copepod grazing on phytoplankton, incubation experiments were conducted in the western subarctic Pacific. During 8 days of dark incubation of ambient water and that amended with plankton concentrate, dissolved iron and organic iron(III)-binding ligands accumulated, approximately proportionally to the decrease in chlorophyll a. The observed increases in dissolved iron concentration were much greater than those expected from the consumption of phytoplankton biomass and previously reported Fe:C value of cultured algal cells, suggesting resolution from colloidal or particulate iron adsorbed onto the algal cell surface. When copepods were added to the ambient water, organic iron(III)-binding ligands accumulated more rapidly than in the control receiving no copepod addition, although consumed phytoplankton biomass was comparable between the two treatments. Bioassay experiment using filtrates collected from the incubation experiment showed that organic ligands formed during microzooplankton grazing reduced the iron bioavailability to phytoplankton and suppressed their growth. Moreover, picoplankton Synechococcus sp. and Micromonas pusilla were more suppressed by the organic ligands than the diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii. In conclusion, through microzooplankton and copepod grazing on phytoplankton, organic iron(III)-binding ligands as well as regenerated iron are released into the ambient seawater. Because the ligands lower iron bioavailability to phytoplankton through complexation and the degree of availability reduction varies among phytoplankton species, grazing by zooplankton can shift phytoplankton community structure in iron-limited waters.     

不同流速和苗种规格对缢蛏平面流中间培育效果的影响

为了优化蛏苗集约化平面流中间培育技术,研究了不同进水流速和苗种规格对缢蛏中间培育效果的影响,并分析了集约化平面流中间培育系统的水质状况。结果显示,不同进水流速对缢蛏稚贝生长影响显著,稚贝生长速率随进水流速增加而增加,但成活率下降。通过流速与成活率和体质量日增生长量的线性回归分析,估算0.163L/s为适宜的进水流速。在适宜流速和相同放苗重量下,大规格苗种(8万粒/kg)生长速度显著高于小规格苗种(18万粒/kg),但因为小规格组放苗数量多,小规格组单位面积质量较其高出23.72%。除低流速组以外,平面流中间培育过程对叶绿素a和铵态氮有良好的去除效果,去除率分别达到36.99%和3.88%以上,这表明平面流集约化中间培育在利用海水池塘水体进行苗种中间培育的同时,也起到了池塘养殖水体的净化作用。综合认为,在养殖密度0.5kg/m^2、流速0.163 L/s的培育条件下,可以保证水体自污染程度较低,缢蛏苗种生长较快,成活率在73.12%以上。     

Mud volcanoes and gas vents in the Okhotsk Sea area

Gas emissions from mud volcanoes on Sakhalin Island and water-column gas flares arising from cold seeps in the Okhotsk Sea appear to be related. They are likely activated by tectonic movements along the transform plate boundary separating the Okhotsk Sea Plate from the Eurasian and Amur plates. Gas vents (flares) and methane anomalies occur in the waters offshore Sakhalin Island, along with NE-SW-trending mounds and fluid escape structures on the seafloor. The intersection of the NE-striking transverse faults on land with the Central Sakhalin and Hokkaido-Sakhalin shear zones apparently determines the sites of mud volcanoes, a pattern that continues offshore where the intersection with the East Sakhalin and West Derugin shear zones determines the sites of the submarine gas vents.     

A comparison of iron limitation of phytoplankton in natural oceanic waters and laboratory media conditioned with EDTA

The solubility of iron in oxic waters is so low that iron can be a limiting nutrient for phytoplankton growth in the open ocean. In order to mimic low iron concentrations in algal cultures, Ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) is commonly used. The presence of EDTA enables culture experiments to be performed at a low free metal concentration, while the total metal concentrations are high. Using EDTA provides for a more reproducible medium. In this study Fe speciation, as defined by EDTA in culture media, is compared with complexation by natural organic complexes in ocean water where Fe is thought to be limited. To grow oceanic species into iron limitation, a concentration of at least 10⁻⁴ M EDTA is necessary. Only then does the calculated [Fe³⁺] concentrations resemble those found in natural sea water, where the speciation is governed by natural dissolved organic ligands at nanomolar concentrations. Moreover, EDTA influences the redox speciation of iron, and thus frustrates research on the preferred source of Fe-uptake, Fe(III) or Fe(II), by algae. Nowadays, one can measure the extent of natural organic complexation in sea water, as well as the dissolved Fe(II) state, and can use ultra clean techniques in order to prevent contamination. Therefore, it is advisable to work with more natural conditions and not use EDTA to create iron limitation. This is especially important when the biological availability of the different chemical fractions of iron are the subject of research. Typically, many oceanic algae in the smallest size classes can still grow at very low ambient Fe and are not easily cultivated into limitation under ambient sea water conditions. However, the important class of large oceanic algae responsible for the major blooms and the large scale cycling of carbon, silicon and other elements, commonly has a high Fe requirement and can be grown into Fe limitation in ambient seawater.     

大亚湾夏季浮游植物群落结构及对淡澳河输入的响应特征*

浮游植物是水生生态系统的基础生产者, 其群落结构直接影响到生态系统的健康和安全。河流输入是人类活动影响大亚湾水体环境最重要的途径之一, 淡水输入改变了水体温度、盐度、浊度和营养盐等环境因子, 对浮游植物群落结构产生影响。文章调查研究了2015年河流输入最强的夏季丰水期大亚湾的水体环境因子和浮游植物群落结构, 分析了在较强河流输入影响下浮游植物群落结构的动态变化及其对环境因子的响应。结果发现, 夏季大亚湾淡澳河的输入使湾顶淡澳河口区域形成层化的低盐、高温、低透明度、高营养盐的水体, 湾中部表层水体则受一定强度河流羽流影响, 而湾口和湾中部底层水体主要受外海水影响。淡澳河淡水输入是夏季大亚湾外源性氮、磷营养盐的主要来源, 而硅酸盐除河流输入外, 外海水也输入较多的营养盐使得底层水体硅酸盐浓度较高。夏季大亚湾水体营养比例失衡较严重, 溶解无机磷是限制浮游植物生长的重要因子。硅藻是大亚湾夏季浮游植物的优势类群, 调查发现3种优势种[极小海链藻(Thalassiosira minima)、中肋骨条藻(Skeletonema costatum)和圆海链藻(Thalassiosira rotula)]均为硅藻。通过聚类分析, 可将大亚湾夏季浮游植物群落主要分为3种类型, 分别为: 浮游植物丰度较大的极小海链藻藻华暴发的群落, 位于淡澳河口, 受河流输入影响明显; 中肋骨条藻占据优势的群落, 分布在受一定强度的河流及其羽流影响的湾顶和湾中部区域; 浮游植物丰度较低的群落, 无明显优势种, 主要分布在湾口海水影响区域。淡澳河口的水体环境有利于小型链状硅藻极小海链藻的快速繁殖并暴发了藻华, 藻华发生时的海水环境条件为: 温度30~31°C, 盐度17‰~31‰, 水体透明度0.45~1.2m。硅藻对不同营养盐利用的差异以及随后的生物碎屑和颗粒沉降过程导致藻华发生区域Si∶N值略降低, N∶P值显著升高。河流输入影响下, 单一物种大量生长使得浮游植物群落种类组成丰度分布极不均匀, 从而导致淡澳河口浮游植物群落的种类多样性和均匀度指数降低, 种类多样性和均匀度指数均从淡澳河口向湾口逐渐增大。     

The influence of the Amur river runoff on the biogeochemical cycle of iron in the Sea of Okhotsk

The report considers the distribution of the salinity, the particulate matter, and the dissolved and particulate forms of iron in the Amur Liman and Sakhalin Gulf under different volumes of the riverine runoff during the summer periods. It was shown that the influence of the runoff variations is pronounced in the composition of the surface layer of the estuarine and coastal waters but smoothed within the bounds of the Sakhalin Gulf. The dissolved iron is additionally exposed to the smoothing effect of the coagulation processes under the mixing of the riverine and marine waters. The calculation of the iron utilization by the plankton points to the key role of the production processes in the Sakhalin Gulf for the further migration of iron over the Sea of Okhotsk.