Effects of the Anticyclonic Eddies on Water Masses, Chemical Parameters and Chlorophyll Distributions in the Oyashio Current Region

Data from the R/V Mirai cruise (May–June 2000) have been examined to discover how mesoscale processes associated with eddy dynamics direct affect the water masses, the distributions and the vertical fluxes of the dissolved oxygen, nutrients and dissolved inorganic carbon in the western subarctic Pacific. Using maps of the temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, nutrients, chlorophyll and sea-air pCO₂ difference we show that the boundaries of the anticyclone eddies in the study region were composed of high productivity coastal Oyashio water. The coastal waters were wrapped around the anticyclone eddies (thus creating a high productivity belt) and intruded inside of them. Using SeaWifs data we demonstrate that temporal variations in the position and the strength of anticyclone eddies advected the Kuril island coastal high productivity waters to the pelagic part, resulting in temporal variations of the chlorophyll in the Oyashio region. Computed vertical fluxes of the dissolved oxygen (DO), inorganic carbon (DIC) and silicate show that the anticylonic eddies in the Kuroshio-Oyashio Zone are characterized by enhanced vertical fluxes of the DO and DIC between the upper (σ_θ = 26.7–27.0) and lower (σ_θ = 27.1–27.5) intermediate layer, probably due to the intrusions of the Oyashio waters into the eddies. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Organic carbon and nitrogen in the northern California current system: comparison of offshore, river plume, and coastally upwelled waters

During the first year of the Northeast Pacific GLOBEC program we examined the spatial distributions of dissolved and particulate organic carbon and nitrogen in the surface waters off the Oregon and Washington coasts of North America. Eleven east–west transects were sampled from nearshore waters to 190 km offshore. Hydrographic data and the distribution of inorganic nutrients were used to characterize three distinct water sources: oligotrophic offshore water, the Columbia River plume, and the coastal upwelling region inshore of the California Current. Warm, high salinity offshore water had very low levels of inorganic nutrients, particulate organic carbon (POC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Warm, low salinity water in the Columbia River plume was relatively low in nitrate, but showed a strong negative correlation between salinity and silicate. The river plume water had the highest levels of total organic carbon (TOC) (up to 180 μM) and DOC (up to 150 μM) observed anywhere in the sampling area. Cold, high salinity coastal waters had high nutrient levels, moderate to high levels of POC and particulate organic nitrogen (PON), and low to moderate levels of DOC and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON). Each of these regions has characteristic C:N ratios for particulate and dissolved organic material. The results are compared to concentrations and partitioning of particulate and dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen in other regions of the North Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans.     

Biogeochemical processes and nutrient cycling within an artificial reef off Southern Portugal

This study (2002/2004) examines the effect of artificial reef (AR) structures off the southern coast of Portugal on biogeochemical process and nutrient cycling. Organic and inorganic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and chlorophyll a were determined monthly in sediment cores and settled particles for a two-year period. Ammonium, nitrates, phosphates, silicates, total organic nitrogen and phosphorus, chlorophyll a and phaeopigments were also determined monthly in water samples within AR and control sites. Results of the two-year study showed that: (i) there was a significant exponential fit between organic carbon and chlorophyll a (r2=0.91; p<0.01) in reef sediment suggesting an increase of benthic productivity; (ii) organic carbon and nitrogen content in settled particles within AR environment was about four times higher two years after reef deployment; (iii) nutrients and chlorophyll a in the water column were higher at AR than control site. Two years after AR deployment, dissolved organic and inorganic compounds in near bottom water were 30-60% higher, emphasizing benthic remineralization processes at AR's organically rich sediment. Marked chemical changes in the ecosystem were observed during the two-year study period, reinforcing the importance of these structures for sandy coastal areas rehabilitation through trophic chain pull-out.     

Phytoplankton production in two east coast estuaries: Photosynthesis-light functions and patterns of carbon assimilation in Chesapeake and Delaware Bays

Chesapeake Bay is a large and productive estuary that has received close scrutiny in recent years because of indications that its water quality and biota have been damaged by man's activities. Data on primary production for the estuary as a whole, however, are surprisingly sparse. We describe here the distribution of photosynthetic carbon assimilation by phytoplankton in Chesapeake Bay, and relate productivity patterns to hydrographic characteristics of the estuary. Between March 1982 and April 1983, a series of four cruises was conducted on Chesapeake Bay, and two cruises on the urbanized Delaware Bay for comparison. The upper Chesapeake and Delaware were highly turbid with high concentrations of suspended particulate matter and dissolved inorganic nutrients. Low chlorophyll concentrations were usually found in these areas of high turbidity, despite the abundance of nutrients, suggesting light limitation. Application of Wofsy's (1983) model of phytoplanton growth confirmed this suggestion. Chlorophyll and productivity maxima usually occurred seaward of the turbidity maxima where light penetration increased and suffient nutrients were present to support active phytoplankton growth. Further seaward of the chlorophyll maxima in the Chesapeake, the photic zone depth increased, concentrations of nutrients decreased, and phytoplankton biomass decreased, suggesting that nutrient availability, rather than light, controlled phytoplankton growth in the lower portion of the estuary. In contrast to the Chesapeake, Delaware Bay was more turbid, had generally higher nutrient concentrations, and was lower in phytoplankton productivity. The chlorophyll maxima and region of rapid phytoplankton growth occurred further toward the lower estuary and shelf regions in Delaware Bay because the high turbidity extended further seaward. Nutrients were never depleted at the shelf end of the estuary sufficiently to retard phytoplankton growth. Photosynthesis-irradiance (P-I) curves from simulated in situ and constant intensity incubations showed a strong correlation of the light-limited slope (a^B) with the light-saturated rate ( ) on each cruise. Spatial variations in corresponded to patterns of phytoplankton abundance, as did integral production (PP) and carbon-based growth rates (μ_C, μ_m), and photosynthetic parameters varied significantly with temperature.     

Water circulation dynamics, water column nutrients and plankton productivity in a well-flushed tropical bay in Kenya

Water circulation, water column nutrients and plankton productivity were studied in a tropical bay with high rates of water exchange (60% to 90% per tide) and short residence times (3 to 4 h). The water circulation is predominantly affected by the semi-diurnal tides, which cause strong and reversing currents in the mangrove creeks (0.60 m·s⁻¹) and currents of low magnitude in the neighbouring seagrass and coral reef zones (< 0.30 m·s⁻¹). Tidal asymmetry, with relatively stronger ebb than flood flows in the mangrove creeks, promotes the net export of nutrients from the river mouth and of organic matter from the mangroves to the seagrass beds. The main sources of the dissolved inorganic nutrients are two rivers (the Kidogoweni and Mkurumuji) which discharge (up to 17.0 m³·s⁻¹) in the upper and lower regions of the bay. The increased input of nutrients did not cause eutrophic conditions since nutrients were rapidly flushed out of the bay. The mangrove biotope generated small amounts of dissolved nutrients which are likely to be used for primary production within the mangrove zone. The production of nutrients in the mangrove zone was masked by high rates of flushing, such that no appreciable nutrient signal was detected in the dry season when the influence of the rivers diminished. The rates of primary production were low in the mangrove, seagrass, and coral reef biotopes in the dry season. Primary production increased slightly during the rainy season. The level of chlorophyll a in the mangrove biotope increased during ebb tides and decreased during flood tides. The highest zooplankton densities, which could not be related directly to primary production in the water-column, occurred at the seagrass station during the wet season.     

Nutrient dynamics and seasonal succession of phytoplankton assemblages in a Southern European Estuary: Ria de Aveiro, Portugal

The spatial and temporal dynamics of dissolved inorganic nitrogen, dissolved phosphate, dissolved silica and chlorophyll a were measured seasonally at eight stations in the Ria de Aveiro. Between December 2000 and September 2001, the seasonal succession of phytoplankton assemblages, inferred after the spatial and seasonal variation of silica and of chlorophyll a concentrations, showed that diatoms (μmol Si L⁻¹) dominated from late autumn until early spring, while chlorophytes (μg Chl a L⁻¹) bloomed during late spring and summer. The Si:N:P ratios and Si concentrations indicated no seasonal depletion in dissolved silica, as in other temperate systems, possibly because of abnormal precipitation and flood events prolonging the supply of dissolved Si to the system. The Si:N:P ratios suggested P limitation at the system level. Despite the relative proportions of available nutrients, the mean phosphorus concentration (5.3 μmol L⁻¹) was above the reported half-saturation constants for P uptake by phytoplankton. Thus, in Ria de Aveiro, the seasonal succession of phytoplankton assemblages may also be dependent on the grazing capacity of the pelagic community through top-down regulation.     

Local remineralization patterns in the mesopelagic zone of the Eastern North Atlantic, off the NW Iberian Peninsula

The short-time-scale variability of the remineralization patterns in the domain of Eastern North Atlantic Central Waters (ENACW) off the NW Iberian Peninsula is studied based on biogeochemical data (oxygen, nutrient salts, total alkalinity, pH, dissolved organic matter and fluorescence of dissolved humic substances) collected weekly between May 2001 and April 2002. The temporal variability of inorganic variables points to an intensification of remineralization during the summer and autumn, with an increase of nutrients, total inorganic carbon and fluorescence and a decrease of oxygen. During the subsequent winter mixing, there is a biogeochemical reset of the system, with lower nutrients, total inorganic carbon and fluorescence and higher oxygen. In contrast to inorganic variables, the levels of dissolved organic matter in the ENACW seem to respond to short-term events probably associated with fast sinking particles, where solubilisation of organic matter prevails over remineralization. Applying a previously published stoichiometric model, we observed a vertical fractionation of organic-matter remineralization. Although there is a preferential remineralization of proteins and P compounds in the entire domain of ENACW, the percentage was higher in the upper ENACW (σ<27.10 kg/m³) than in the lower; the percentage of N and P compounds in the oxidised organic matter was >80% for the upper ENACW and 63% for the lower. Likewise, the redissolution of calcareous structures contributes about 6% and 13% to the carbon regenerated in the upper and lower layers of ENACW, respectively.     

Increasing nutrient concentrations and the rise and fall of a coastal fishery; a review of data from the Nile Delta,Egypt

There is a conceptual basis, and some empirical evidence, that increasing nutrient loads to coastal waterbodies will initially increase ecosystem productivity up to a threshold, beyond which secondary productivity and fishery yields will decline. Here we have compiled data from the Egyptian and international literature for fish landings and inorganic nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) data from four large coastal lagoons (63–500 km²) on Egypt's Nile Delta to provide evidence for the initially positive, but then negative, response of fishery yields to increased nutrient supply across a very wide range of enrichment (up to 1 mM dissolved organic nitrogen, DIN). Taking the data from the four lagoons as an aggregate, fish landings increase with increased nutrients up to a peak in landings at approximately 100 μM DIN, beyond which there was an exponential decline in landings. It appears that pesticide and heavy metal contamination and overfishing played only minor roles in the lowered fishery yield at highest DIN concentrations. We do not have sufficient evidence about the specific mechanisms that led to the decline of the fishery, but suspect that some feature of eutrophication—low oxygen, for example, may have been involved.     

Nutrient (N,P and Si) and carbon partitioning in the stratified NW Mediterranean

The distribution of nutrients and carbon in the different pools present in the three functional layers (the upper, biogenic layer, the thermocline layer, and the deeper, biolythic layer) of the stratified NW Mediterranean Sea was examined. The stoichiometry between dissolved inorganic nutrients, which had low concentrations in the surface waters, indicated a deficiency in nitrogen, relative to phosphorus, and an excess nitrogen relative to phosphorus within the thermocline, as well as a general silicate deficiency relative to both N and P, even extending to the biolythic layer. The dissolved organic matter was highly depleted in N and, particularly, in P relative to C, with average DOC/DON ratios >60 and DOC/DOP ratios >1500 in all three layers. The particulate pool was also depleted in N and P relative to C, particularly in the biolythic layer. The concentration of biogenic silica was low relative to C, N and P, indicating that diatoms were unlikely to contribute a significant fraction of the seston biomass. Most (>80%) of the organic carbon was present as dissolved organic carbon. Total organic N and P comprised 50–80% of the N and P pool in the biogenic layer, and decreased with depth to represent 10–25% of these nutrient pools in the biolythic layer. The high total N:P ratios in all three depth layers (N/P ratio >20) indicated an overall phosphorus deficiency in the system. The high P depletion of the dissolved organic matter must derive from a very rapid recycling of the P-rich molecules within DOM, and the increasing C/N ratio of DOM with depth indicates that N is also recycled faster than C in the DOM. Because of the uniform depth distribution of the total dissolved nitrogen concentration, the increase in the percent inorganic N and the decline in the percent dissolved organic N with depth indicates that there must be biological transformations between these pools, with a dominance of DON production in surface waters and remineralisation in the underlying layers, from which dissolved inorganic nitrogen is supplied back to the biogenic layer. Downward fluxes of DON and DOC were estimated at 200–250 μmol N m⁻² d⁻¹ and 1.4–2.1 mmol C m⁻² d⁻¹, respectively, while there should be little or no export of P as dissolved organic matter. The downward DON flux exceeded the diffusive DIN supply of about 145 μmol N m⁻² d⁻¹ to the biogenic layer, suggesting that allochthonous N inputs must be important in the region.     

High frequency measurements of dissolved inorganic and organic nutrients using instrumented moorings in the southern and central North Sea

The aim of this study was to investigate the cycling of dissolved inorganic and organic nutrients using moored instrumented buoys (SmartBuoys) during the spring bloom in the North Sea. The instrumentation on the buoys enabled high frequency measurements of water-column integrated irradiance and in situ chlorophyll to be made, and also preserved water sample collection which were used for dissolved inorganic and organic nutrient analyses. The SmartBuoys were located in the year-round well-mixed plume zone associated with the River Thames and in the summer stratified central North Sea. These site locations allowed comparison of nutrient concentrations and cycling, and spring bloom development at two contrasting sites. The spring bloom was expected to be initiated at both stations due to increasing insolation and decreasing suspended load leading to higher water-column integrated irradiance. Due to differences in suspended load between the sites, the spring bloom started ∼2 months earlier in the central North Sea. The spring bloom in the Thames plume also resulted in higher maximum phytoplankton biomass due to the higher pre-bloom nutrient concentrations associated with riverine input. The use of SmartBuoys is also shown to allow the cycling of dissolved organic nutrients to be examined over the critical, and often undersampled, spring bloom period. Dissolved Organic Nitrogen (DON) clearly increased during the spring bloom in the central North Sea compared to winter concentrations. DON also increased in the Thames plume although showing greater winter variability related to higher riverine and sedimentary dissolved organic matter input at this shallow (∼18 m) coastal site. DON increase during the spring bloom was therefore related to primary production at both sites probably due to active release by phytoplankton. At both stations DON decreased to pre-bloom concentrations as the bloom declined suggesting the released DON was bioavailable and removed due to heterotrophic uptake and production. The preserved nutrient samples from the central North Sea site were also suitable for Dissolved Organic Phosphorus (DOP) analysis due to their low suspended load with similar trends and cycling to DON, albeit at lower concentrations. This suggested similar processes controlling both DON and DOP. The variable timing of short term events such as the spring bloom makes sampling away from coastal regions difficult without the use of autonomous technology. This study demonstrates for the first time the applicability of using preserved samples from automated buoys for the measurement of dissolved organic nutrients.     

Temporal variability in physicochemical properties,phytoplankton standing crop and primary production for 7 years (2002–2008) in the neritic area of Sagami Bay,Japan

Seasonal and interannual variations in physicochemical properties (i.e., temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen and dissolved inorganic nutrients), chlorophyll a (Chl-a), particulate carbon and nitrogen (PC and PN, respectively), and primary production were investigated in the neritic area of Sagami Bay, Kanagawa, Japan, from January 2002 to December 2008. These abiotic/biotic variables, except for NH₄ ⁺–N, repeated similar seasonal variations for all 7 years. On the basis of the analysis of data obtained on 167 sampling dates, depth-integrated primary production in this water can be easily estimated from Chl-a at the surface using the regression equations obtained in the present study. Intermittently high values of dissolved inorganic nutrients, Chl-a, PC, PN and primary productivity at the surface during the summer stratified period were induced by high freshwater discharge from the rivers after rainfalls and by the expansion of nutrient-rich Tokyo Bay Water. Temperature, salinity and dissolved inorganic nutrients showed drastic variations within a scale of a few days and/or weeks, and these variations were related to sea levels that represent the intrusion of the Kuroshio Water, Intermediate Oyashio Water or deep water from the continental slope. However, there was no consistent trend in the variations in Chl-a, PC, PN and primary production due to the complex effects of these waters.     

Effect of artificial reefs (southern Portugal) on sediment–water transport of nutrients: Importance of the hydrodynamic regime

The present study investigates the differences between nutrient fluxes and particulate organic matter within an artificial reef system (AR) deployed in August 2002 off Faro (Algarve, Southern Portugal) and in a non-reef area (NRA), and how fluxes and suspended material may be affected by the hydrodynamic regime. Surveys to collect sediment cores, suspended/settled particles and overlying water samples were carried out by divers, from March (2006) to October (2007) in AR and NRA. Sediment cores and settled particles were collected to determine grain size, organic and inorganic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus content. Overlying water and pore water samples were analysed for ammonium, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, silicate, dissolved organic nitrogen, dissolved organic phosphorus and chlorophyll a. Results from the period studied showed that: (1) the benthic export of dissolved N, P and Si was 2–3 times higher at AR; (2) the particulate organic carbon (POC), nitrogen (PON) and phosphorus (POP) in suspended/settled particles were about 1.5 times higher at AR; (3) at both AR and NRA, the benthic export of dissolved N, P and Si, during a calm weather period, was 2–4 times higher than during or immediately after a storm event; and (4) at both sites, particulate organic compounds (POC, PON and POP) increased about 20 times during a storm event. These findings suggest that both the nutrients transport from sediment to water column and the quantity/quality of suspended/settled particles were highly dependent on the existence of reef structures and on the hydrodynamic regime.     

Nutrient attenuation in a shallow,gravel-bed river. I. In-situ chamber experiments

ABSTRACT

Dissolved nutrient uptake and metabolism by periphyton in a central North Island gravel-bed river were investigated using recirculating in-situ chambers. Dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) uptake was correlated with photosynthesis and chlorophyll but N uptake and carbon fixation were partly de-coupled indicating storage. Dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) uptake was only weakly correlated with photosynthesis. Diatoms and green algae relied on DRP in the water, but Cyanobacteria met part of their P needs from storage. Dissolved organic nutrients were excreted in both light and dark incubations, with approximately 50% of DIN uptake during photosynthesis excreted as DON. To simulate diurnal variations in nutrients, oxygen and pH existing computer models need to de-couple photosynthesis from nutrient uptake, allow for variable stoichiometry and better quantify recycling of organic nutrients.     

胶州湾水体和表层沉积物营养环境现状及影响因素

为了解胶州湾水体和表层沉积物营养环境状况及其主要影响因素,于2019年8月在胶州湾30个站位点采集了海水和表层沉积物样品,并于2021年5月在胶州湾沿岸采集了18个站位点的水样,对水体溶解无机态营养盐浓度和组成以及表层沉积物中总有机碳、总氮、总磷及生物硅含量和碳、氮稳定同位素(δ¹³C、δ¹⁵N)进行了分析。结果表明,胶州湾内水体和沿岸水体中溶解无机氮、溶解无机磷和溶解硅酸盐浓度空间分布相近,高值均位于湾东北部,主要受到河流输入和沿岸污水排放的影响,低值主要出现在湾中部和湾口处。结合近30年来的历史数据分析发现,胶州湾夏季营养盐浓度在1990-2008年期间呈持续上升的趋势,政府实施的污染物总量控制措施以及河流径流量下降使得2006年以来营养盐浓度呈现下降的趋势,该变化在空间上主要体现为大沽河氮、磷输入量的减少及其对应的湾西部营养盐高值的消失。胶州湾氮、磷营养盐输入的不平衡使得“磷限制”在2000年后逐渐加剧。胶州湾表层沉积物中总有机碳、总氮、总磷含量高值均集中于东北部和东部沿岸,结合生物硅和水体营养盐含量分析显示,这主要是河流与排污输入及其...     

Seasonal variations of dissolved organic matter and nutrients in sediment pore water in the inner part of Tokyo Bay

At four stations in Tokyo Bay, pore water profiles of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), nitrogen (DON), phosphorus (DOP), and inorganic nutrients were determined at 3-month intervals over 6 years. Concentrations of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and nutrients were significantly higher in pore waters than in the overlying waters. Pore water DOC, DON, and DOP concentrations in the upper most sediment layer (0–1 cm) ranged from 246 to 888 μM, from 14.6 to 75.9 μM, and from 0.02 to 9.83 μM, respectively. Concentrations of DOM and nutrients in pore waters occasionally showed clear seasonal trends and were highest in the summer and lowest in the winter. The seasonal trends in the pore water DOM concentrations were coupled with trends in the overlying water temperature and dissolved oxygen concentration. Benthic effluxes of DON and DOP were low compared with those of inorganic nutrients, accounting for only 1.0 and 1.5 % of the total benthic effluxes of nitrogen and phosphorus, respectively; thus benthic DOM fluxes were quantitatively insignificant to the inorganic nutrient fluxes in Tokyo Bay. The DOM fluxes represented about 7, 3, and 10 % of the riverine discharge of DOC, DON, and DOP to Tokyo Bay, respectively.     

Diel fluctuations in dissolved free amino acids and monosaccharides in Chesapeake Bay dinoflagellate blooms

The accumulation of phytoplankton biomass in recurring summer dinoflagellate blooms of Chesapeake Bay is accompanied by large pools of dissolved organic matter (DOM). Two fractions of the DOM, free amino acids (DFAA) and monosaccharides (MONO), were measured at 3 h intervals in mixed species dinoflagellate blooms (Katodinium rotundatum, Gymnodinium spp.) and related to productivity, biomass and photoperiod. Peak chlorophyll levels for the three blooms were 28, 65 and 938 μg1⁻¹. In general, DFAA and MONO concentrations increased with increasing biomass of bloom-forming species, reaching 203 and 844 μg1⁻¹. MONO appeared to accumulate during the day while there was no consistent pattern for DFAA. The accumulations of DFAA and MONO in blooms indicate that bloom production might stimulate microheterotrophy, thereby enhancing carbon and nutrient cycling in bloom-impacted regions.     

The dynamics of the carbon cycle in the surface water of the Norwegian Sea

Historical data of total dissolved inorganic carbon (C_T), together with nitrate and phosphate, have been used to model the evolution of these constituents over the year in the Atlantic water of the Norwegian Sea. Changes in nutrient concentration in the upper layer of the ocean are largely related to biological activity, but vertical mixing with the underlying water will also have an impact. A mixing factor is estimated and used to compute the entrainment of these constituents into the surface water from below. After taking the mixing contribution into account, the resulting nutrient concentration changes are attributed to biological production or decay. The results of the model show that the change in C_T by vertical mixing and by biological activity based on nutrient equivalents needs another sink to balance the carbon budget. It cannot be the atmosphere as the surface water is undersaturated with respect to carbon dioxide and is, thus, a source of C_T in this region. Inasmuch as the peak deficit of carbon is more than a month later than for the nutrients, the most plausible explanation is that other nitrogen and phosphate sources than the inorganic salts are used together with dissolved inorganic carbon during this period. As nitrate and phosphate show a similar trend, it is unlikely that the explanation is the use of ammonia or nitrogen fixation but rather dissolved organic nitrogen and phosphate, while dissolved organic carbon is accumulating in the water.     

Cultural eutrophication in the Changjiang (Yangtze River) plume: History and perspective

The Changjiang (Yangtze River) is known to contribute significantly to the eutrophication that has caused drastic changes to the ecosystem of the East China Sea. However, evidence for historical changes in nutrient concentrations and composition and the consequent effects on the ecosystem in the coastal water is sparse. In this paper we present some long-term data for nutrient concentrations and Si:N:P ratios in the freshwater and the river plume and the long-term response of the ecosystem structure in the river plume. These data reveal increases in the dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphate concentrations in the Changjiang freshwater by a factor of five from the1960s to the end of the 1990s and a reduction in dissolved silicate by two thirds over the same period. Concomitantly, an increase in DIN concentration and a reduction in silicate concentration both by a factor of two were observed in the surface water of the Changjiang plume. As an ecological consequence to such nutrient changes, the chlorophyll a concentration increased by a factor of four since the 1980s and harmful algal blooms increased rapidly since 1985 in the Changjiang estuary and adjacent sea areas. The macrozoobenthic biomass decreased sharply from the mid 1980s to the present, suggesting that the Changjiang estuary has been in a high eutrophication state since that time. We predict that, due to the continuously increasing nutrient pressure, the symptoms of eutrophication associated with nutrients will worsen in the Changjiang plume in the near future.     

Limited nutritional benefit to the seagrass Halophila ovalis, in culture, following sediment organic matter enrichment

Essential nutrients for seagrass growth may be derived from benthic decomposition of organic matter. To test this idea, cores of Halophila ovalis (seagrass-vegetated) and unvegetated sediment (control) were amended with either particulate organic matter (POM) or dissolved organic matter (DOM) to test whether a positive feed-back loop exists, where increased organic matter results in increased seagrass nutrients. POM was added in the form of seagrass wrack (0, 1, 5, 12 g core⁻¹) and DOM was added with sucrose diffusion tubes at the root zone (0, 0.8, 2.4, 5.2 g core⁻¹). Cores were incubated under saturating light conditions (12 h light/12 h dark) at 18 °C, for 4 weeks. Results suggest a complex balance between positive and negative effects of organic matter enrichment. Whilst leaf molar concentrations of N and P of H. ovalis increased (by 15 and 30% respectively), plant growth declined (up to 50% relative to control) for both DOM and POM enrichments. Phosphate was removed from sediment porewater following POM addition and most likely translocated to the leaves. Stressors other than nutrient limitation (e.g. biogeochemical constraints) reduce growth and affect the nutrient dynamics of the seagrass and should be the focus of future work.     

Mathematical modeling of biogenic substance transformations and recycling in a subtropical coastal marine ecosystem

A mathematical model describing the biotransformations of organic and mineral compounds of biogenic elements (P, N, and Si) and dissolved organic carbon was applied for a theoretical analysis of the recycling of nutrients in the coastal zone of the Canary water upwelling. The aim of this study was to quantitatively estimate the effect of nutrient recycling on the dynamics of the biomasses of microorganisms as a matter basis for the biological productivity of the marine environment. Model calculations were carried out for four near-shore areas off the Moroccan Sahara using the morphometric data (mean depths, water volumes, and areas) and longterm monthly mean values of the parameters of the marine environment (temperature, light intensity, water transparency, and depth of the thermocline). In the calculations, no account was taken for the flow rates across the boundaries between the areas and only indirect account for the vertical exchange was taken. At the absence of nutrient transfer, the model reproduces particular features of the dynamics of nutrient and detritus concentrations and the biomasses of microorganisms resulting from the internal recycling of organic and mineral substances only. In order to characterize the processes of the biotransformation, the internal fluxes and turnover times of organic and mineral components were estimated together with the biomasses and biological productivities of microorganisms.