Effects of crayfish (Paranephrops planifrons: Parastacidae) on in‐stream processes and benthic faunas: A density manipulation experiment

The effects of New Zealand freshwater crayfish or koura (Paranephrops planifrons: Parastacidae) on organic matter processing, sediment accumulation, and benthic invertebrate communities were investigated using four replicate treatments of 0 (control), 4–5 (medium), and 8–11 (high) similar‐sized koura in 0.5 m² artificial stream channels colonised by benthic invertebrates from a pasture stream, Waikato, New Zealand. Wineberry (Aristotelia serrata) leaf packs were placed in each channel and after 7 weeks the leaf matter remaining was significantly lower in both medium and high koura channels than in controls. The amount of sediment (surficial cover by fines and weight of suspendable sediment) was also significantly reduced in high koura density channels. Densities of invertebrates other than crayfish were not significantly different among treatments; however, taxa richness and invertebrate biomass were significantly lower in high koura channels than in controls. Our results suggest that freshwater koura may play a keystone role in structuring benthic invertebrate communities either directly through predation, or indirectly by sediment bioturbation and increasing organic matter processing rates.     

Responses of two trophic levels to patch enrichment along a New Zealand stream continuum

We carried out a benthic survey and two experiments in runs at eight sites down the Kakanui River (South Island, New Zealand) during summer low flows, to investigate the interaction between nutrients, periphyton, and macro‐grazers. Benthic periphytic biomass was generally low (< 20 mg m^‐2 chlorophyll a) at most sites, but high densities of macro‐grazers (mainly snails) were observed at six of the eight sites. Chlorophyll a and cellular P concentrations were generally higher on artificial substrates in the first‐ to third‐order tributaries, compared with downstream. Macro‐grazer densities (mainly snails) were also highest in the second‐ and third‐order tributaries. Enrichment of patches with N and P did not translate into significant increases in chlorophyll a concentrations. Instead there was a general increase in macro‐grazers, and an increase in the relative abundance of Cocconeis placentula. In a second experiment, the chlorophyll a level was five‐fold higher on the substrates where macro‐grazers were excluded and there was no significant response of chlorophyll a to nutrient addition on these substrates. On the grazed substrates, densities of snails and caddis‐larvae were two‐fold higher with N+P enrichment. These experiments provided evidence for a tight coupling between first and second trophic levels, and strong grazer control of periphyton, in this river.     

Effects of a thermal discharge from a nuclear power plant on phytoplankton and periphyton in subtropical coastal waters

Effects of elevated water temperatures and residual chlorine from a thermal discharge at a coastal nuclear power plant on the biomass and productivity of periphyton and phytoplankton were determined in subtropical Taiwan. Phytoplankton chlorophyll a, but not productivity, was significantly lower in the outlet region than in the intake region. Periphyton chlorophyll a was significantly greater in the outlet region than in the intake region. Nevertheless, periphyton productivity was negatively correlated with water temperature in the outlet region. A distinct difference in periphyton community composition was also detected between the two regions. Chlorination experiments showed that a chlorine concentration of 0.2 ppm greatly suppressed phytoplankton productivity, regardless of whether the water temperature was elevated or not. However, periphyton productivity was little influenced by a chlorine concentration of < 0.5 ppm. Our results suggest that phytoplankton productivity was greatly affected by residual chlorine, but periphyton productivity was more affected by elevated water temperatures.     

Invertebrate recolonisation of previously dry channels in the Rakaia River

Recolonisation of previously dry channels by stream invertebrates was studied in the Rakaia River during winter 1981 and summer 1982. The winter experiment continued for 42 days, with stable low flows, whereas the summer experiment was characterised by fluctuating large flows which caused it to be abandoned after 27 days. The fauna was dominated numerically by Chironomidae, a leptophlebiid mayfly (Deleatidium), and oligochaetes during the winter, and by Deleatidium alone during the summer. Recolonisation was considered complete after 33 days in winter and 15 days in summer. Flow fluctuations were the main factor affecting colonisation rates, and it was assumed that drift was the main source of colonising animals. Small freshes during low‐flow periods in winter resulted in a rapid increase in total density of invertebrates and number of taxa present and also affected the population structure of Deleatidium larvae in colonisation baskets. Before these freshes numbers had increased steadily over a 27 day period. In summer large floods during high flow periods initially decreased benthic invertebrate numbers in samples but numbers increased rapidly once the flood had passed. This appears to be the first study of its kind on a large unstable river system.     

Influence of reach geomorphology on hyporheic communities in a gravel‐bed stream

The surface sediment, subsurface sediment, and hyporheos were sampled by freeze‐coring at three sites of contrasting geomorphology in a New Zealand gravel‐bed stream. No differences in size class composition were detected among the subsurface sediments of the three sites but the forced pool‐riffle (a stretch of stream where the sequence of pool and riffles is controlled by in‐channel bedrock outcrops) had significantly finer surface sediments than the other sites. The hyporheos of all sites was dominated numerically by insects, including nymphs of Deleatidium and Oniscigaster, and chironomid larvae. Of the non‐insect taxa, Isopoda, Oligochaeta, and Acari were most common. No significant differences existed between total invertebrate density or taxon richness at the sites. Aoteapsyche was found only in the plane bed site, whereas Nesameletus was found only in the forced pool‐riffle. Psilochorema and Nematoda occurred at significantly lower densities in the forced pool‐riffle than in the plane bed or floodplain sites. For most taxa, local variation within a site was greater than that between sites. Total invertebrate density was highest near the sediment surface but no significant differences were found between the three sites in this or any other depth layer. Significant site‐depth interactions were obtained for three taxa (Zelandobius, Ostracoda, and Oligochaeta) indicating that local geomorphology may result in differential depth distributions of hyporheic species.     

Effects of artificial shading on periphyton and invertebrates in a New Zealand stream

The association between abundance of invertebrates and presence of extensive periphyton cover in the Waitakere River (36° 28′S, 174° 31′E), northern New Zealand, was studied from October 1974 to June 1975. A black polythene canopy (44 m²) was placed across the stream, and the quantity of algal material and numbers of invertebrates in shaded and unshaded areas was measured. The presence of the canopy and the associated absence of periphyton influenced the distribution of several invertebrate species; those more abundant beneath the canopy were Slavina appendiculata (Oligochaeta: Naididae), Austrosimulium australense (Diptera: Simuliidae), and Aoteapsyche colonica (Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae), whereas the chironomids Maoridiamesa harrisi (Diamesinae), Austrocladius sp. (Orthocladiinae), and Paratanytarsus agameta (Chironominae) and the trichopterans Hydrobiosis parumbripennis (Rhyacophilidae), Oxyethira albiceps (Hydroptilidae), and Pycnocentrodes spp. (Conoesucidae) were more abundant outside. Potamopyrgus antipodarum (Mollusca: Hydrobiidae) and Hydora nitida (Coleoptera: Elmidae), commonly recorded from algal mats in New Zealand, were equally abundant in shaded and unshaded areas. Differences in distribution between experimental and control sites may have been due to interference by periphyton with attachment sites (simuliids and hydropsychids) and feeding habits of the invertebrates (remaining species).     

Estimating periphyton standing crop in streams: a comparison of chlorophyll a sampling and visual assessments

Periphyton standing crop is often measured as chlorophyll a but there is increasing interest in using visual assessments of periphyton cover. Visual methods are rapid and require no sample analysis, but can be regarded as subjective with high inter-operator variability. We investigated variability in periphyton standing crop across operators, rivers and time, as determined visually and from chlorophyll a measurements. We found that visual assessments (comprising percentage cover estimates of up to eight periphyton categories) distinguished sites and occasions as effectively as chlorophyll a. Furthermore, an estimate of chlorophyll a could be derived from the visual assessments. Because our surveys were conducted in only three rivers, general applicability of the derivation of estimated chlorophyll a from the visual assessments warrants further investigation. The current recommendation of 20 views was sufficient for realistic visual assessments of average cover. Overall, our results indicated that inter-operator variability in visual assessments need not be a major concern, given adequate training.     

Land‐use effects on the hyporheic ecology of five small streams near Hamilton,New Zealand

Although the importance of the subsurface saturated interstitial zone (hyporheic zone) to the ecological functioning and maintenance of water quality of stream ecosystems is well known, there is little information on the impacts of different forms of land use upon this zone. Hyporheic physico‐chemistry and invertebrates were compared among small streams draining hill‐country catchments under pasture, exotic pine forest, and native forest near Hamilton, New Zealand. In streams draining native forest, the hyporheic zone harboured a relatively diverse invertebrate fauna comprising mostly taxa common in the surface benthos, although a few apparently obligate hyporheic taxa (ostracods, blind amphipods) were collected. Few individuals and taxa occupied the hyporheic zones of streams draining pasture with some groups such as water mites conspicuously absent. The hyporheos of the stream in exotic pine forest was similar in richness and abundance to that of the pasture streams. Hyporheic water temperatures were significantly higher in the pasture streams than those in pine or native forest. There were strong positive correlations between percentage saturation of dissolved oxygen in the hyporheic zones of all streams and both species richness and total invertebrate abundance. We suggest that land clearance for pasture leads to hill slumping and siltation that bury the lateral bars along the stream channels, rendering this habitat unsuitable for hyporheic invertebrates. Channel narrowing and incision may physically remove further hyporheic habitat, and the reduction of flushing flows to remove interstitial silt and clay leads to low hyporheic dissolved oxygen concentrations and reduced colonisation by surface benthos.     

Marine reserves—the need for networks

Meiofauna associated with bryophyte and gravel habitats in two small alpine streams was investigated to determine its potential importance to stream communities. These invertebrates are traditionally neglected in stream surveys and their ecological roles poorly understood. Twenty‐one operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were found during the study, of which at least six were undescribed (two Copepoda and four Acarina). Meiofaunal densities were higher at the unshaded site than the shaded site, and higher within bryophyte than gravel habitats. Stepwise multiple regression analyses illustrated the importance of bryophytes to members of the meiofauna in each stream, and different meiofaunal communities were found associated with aquatic bryophytes and gravels. The high densities of Chironomidae, Nematoda, Copepoda, Tardigrada, and Rotifera associated with bryophytes may reflect the food value of the high periphyton biomass associated with these plants, and the shelter they offer from fast water currents. Although hyporheic meiofaunal taxa are known to move into interstices of mineral substratum for shelter, meiofauna associated with bryophytes dwell among stems and in leaf axils where they also find shelter. Because bryophyte‐dwelling meiofauna occur in very high densities, they probably play an important, if as yet unknown, role in energy transfer in streams.     

南海东北部中尺度涡对海表叶绿素a浓度的影响规律研究

基于南海东北部1998~2019年的多源卫星遥感数据和风场再分析数据, 较系统地分析了南海东北部涡旋内部叶绿素a浓度的分布特征, 通过量化统计和涡心坐标系参数合成等方法探究了中尺度涡对叶绿素a浓度变化的影响规律及潜在机制。结果表明: (1)南海东北部约有60%的中尺度涡旋内部存在叶绿素a浓度增加和减少的现象。(2)南海东北部中尺度涡内部叶绿素a扰动受到涡旋抽吸和涡致Ekman抽吸机制的共同调控, 其中约有38% (39%)的暖(冷)涡内涡旋抽吸的贡献更大, 21% (24%)的暖(冷)涡内涡致Ekman抽吸的贡献更大。(3)南海东北部中尺度涡生命周期内的海表叶绿素a浓度变化存在显著的阶段性差异, 在冷暖涡的生成期, 涡旋抽吸的作用更为显著, 而在冷暖涡的顶峰和消亡期, 涡致Ekman抽吸的作用更为明显。上述研究结果有助于理解南海东北部初级生产力对中尺度涡的响应过程与机理, 对认识海洋物理-生物耦合过程具有一定的参考价值和研究意义。     

Nitrogen and phosphorus in New Zealand streams and rivers: Control and impact of eutrophication and the influence of land management

Abstract

Given sufficient light and heat, the growth of aquatic macrophytes and algae associated with eutrophication is generally controlled by the concentration, form and ratio between nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Data from 1100 freshwater sites monitored for the last 10 years by New Zealand's regional councils and unitary authorities were assessed for streams and rivers with mean nitrate/ nitrite‐N (NNN), dissolved reactive P (DRP), total N (TN) and total P (TP) concentrations in excess of New Zealand guidelines, and to generate a data set of N:P ratios to predict potential periphyton response according to the concentration of the limiting nutrient. The frequency of sites exceeding the guidelines varied from 0 to 100% depending on the parameter and region, but South Island regions were generally more compliant. The dissolved inorganic N (DIN) to dissolved reactive P (DRP) ratio was used to group data into three nutrient limitation classes: <7:1 (N‐limited), between 7:1 and 15:1 (co‐limited), and>15:l (P‐limited), by mass. P‐limitation was the most frequent scenario in New Zealand streams (overall, 76% of sites were P‐limited, 12% N‐limited, and 12% co‐limited). The mean concentration of the limiting nutrient for each site was combined with empirical relationships to predict periphyton densities (the average of N‐and P‐limited growth was used for sites with co‐limitation). This assessment predicted that 22 sites were likely to exceed the periphyton guideline for protecting benthic biodiversity (50 mg chlorophyll a m^?2), but this assessment is likely to be highly changeable in response to climatic conditions and present and future land use. As an example, we modelled N and P losses from an average sheep and a dairy farm in Southland (South Island, New Zealand) in 1958, 1988, 2008 and 2028. We predicted that with time, as farm systems have and continue to intensify, N losses increase at a greater rate than P losses. Since the pathway for N to reach fresh waters may be more tortuous and take longer than P to reach a stream or river, focusing mitigation on P losses may have a quicker effect on potential algal growth. In addition, with time, it is expected that P‐limitation in New Zealand's rivers and streams will be more widespread as N‐losses are unabated. Hence, although strategies to decrease N losses should be practised, mitigating P losses is also central to preventing eutrophication.     

Microform bed clusters as refugia for periphyton in a flood‐prone headwater stream

Flood effects on benthic algal communities grown upon three common substratum types were assessed in a gravel‐bed stream. Microform bed clusters (MBCs) and, to a lesser extent, boulders conferred resistance on their associated periphyton communities (i.e., reduced flood‐induced biomass loss; functioned as refugia) relative to cobble/gravel substrata. On all substrata, flooding significantly reduced the relative abundance of Diatoma hiemale, and increased the relative abundance of Gomphonema minutum f. syriacum and/or Ampithrix sp. Long‐term (>4 months) sampling indicated that MBCs generally supported more algal biomass than did boulders, which, in turn, supported greater biomass than cobbles/gravels. Manipulation of the abundance of refugial structures (e.g., MBCs) could possibly alter productivity of flood‐prone gravel‐bed streams. Stream periphyton biomass models may be improved by explicit consideration of the effects of refugial substrata. The interstitial spaces of MBCs may constitute a unique habitat, and deserve further study.     

Conservation status of New Zealand marine invertebrates, 2009

A re-evaluation of the threat status of New Zealand's marine invertebrates was undertaken in 2009, following earlier review of New Zealand's Threat Classification System and subsequent refinement of the national criteria for classifying threat of extinction to New Zealand's flora and fauna. Sufficient information was available to enable 295 marine invertebrate taxa to be fully evaluated and assigned to a national threat category. The 10 taxa at most risk of extinction (‘nationally critical’) were the giant seep clam Calyptogena sp., the primitive acorn barnacle Chionelasmus crosnieri, O'Shea's vent barnacle Volcanolepas osheai, the stalked barnacle Ibla idiotica, the four-blotched umbrella octopus Cirroctopus hochbergi, the roughy umbrella octopus Opisthoteuthis chathamensis, the giant squid Idioteuthis cordiformis, the large-egged polychaete Boccardiella magniovata and two gravel maggots, Smeagol climoi and Smeagol manneringi. The key threatening processes identified for marine invertebrates were fishing and land-use associated impacts such as sedimentation. We identified no taxa that had improved in threat status as a result of past or ongoing conservation management action, nor any taxa that had worsened in threat status because of known changes in their distribution, abundance or rate of population decline. We evaluated a small fraction of New Zealand's marine invertebrate fauna for their threat status. Many taxa remain ‘data deficient’ or unlisted. In addition to the most threatened taxa, we recommend these taxa and their habitats as priorities for further survey and monitoring.     

High-West and Low-East Distribution Patterns of Chlorophyll a, Primary Productivity and Diatoms in the Subarctic North Pacific Surface Waters, Midwinter 1996

We have determined chlorophyll a (Chla) concentration, primary productivity, cell density and species composition of diatoms, and the number of microzooplankton at the surface in the subarctic North Pacific in January 1996. The wet weight of copepods obtained by vertical tows from 150 m to the surface was also measured during the cruise. Chla concentration and primary productivity tended to be higher in the region west of 180°, the western subarctic North Pacific (WSNP), than east of 180°, the eastern subarctic North Pacific (ESNP). The same results were observed for the total diatom cell densities and for the genera Thalassiosira and Denticulopsis. Significant linear relationships were observed between the Thalassiosira cell density and Chla concentration and primary productivity, indicating that Thalassiosira contributes to the high-WSNP and low-ESNP distribution patterns of Chla concentration and primary productivity. Moreover, naked ciliate abundance tended to be lower in the WSNP than in the ESNP, whereas copepod biomass showed an inverse trend. Significantly negative Spearman rank correlations were found between the Thalassiosira cell density and the number of naked ciliates and between the number of naked ciliates and the wet weight of copepods. These results indicate that copepod grazing indirectly controls Thalassiosira cell density via predation on the naked ciliates. We conclude that the high copepod biomass in the WSNP is a factor controlling the high-WSNP and low-ESNP Thalassiosira abundance and hence Chla concentration and primary productivity patterns.     

东海区叶绿素a和初级生产力季节变化特征

依据2008年春季(5月)、夏季(8月)、秋季(11月)和2009年冬季(2月)的现场调查结果,分析了东海区叶绿素a、初级生产力的平面分布、垂直分布和季节变化的特征,并探讨了其影响因素。结果表明,四个航次叶绿素a浓度分别为1.33、0.93、1.61和0.65 mg/m3,秋季春季夏季冬季。春季、夏季和秋季最大值均出现在0—10m水层,冬季最大值出现在底层。叶绿素a浓度远海年季变化较小,近岸区和垂直分布年季变化较大。四个航次初级生产力平均为375.03、414.37、245.45和102.60 mg/(m3 h),夏季秋季春季冬季。叶绿素a浓度和初级生产力水平均高于历史同期值。鱼外渔场的年平均初级生产力最大,海州湾渔场最小。通过分析叶绿素a和环境因子的相关性表明,叶绿素a与浮游植物显著正相关;春季和秋季的低温以及春季和夏季的低盐比较适合浮游植物的生长;活性磷酸盐可能是限制春季和秋季叶绿素a的重要因素。     

基于长时序遥感影像的胶州湾秋季叶绿素a浓度变化及其影响因素研究

水体中叶绿素a的含量是研究浮游植物生物量、初级生产力的重要指标,因此对于河口海湾区域叶绿素a的长期监测具有重要的生态学意义。借助遥感技术能够获取长时序大范围观测数据的特点,本文利用1986-2015年的Landsat TM/ETM+影像,通过构建基于实测数据的定量反演模型,得到了30年来胶州湾海域秋季叶绿素a浓度的分布情况:叶绿素a浓度的空间分布规律稳定,呈现西北高东南低的特点,叶绿素a浓度均值呈波动略有上升的趋势。本文利用遥感反演的胶州湾海表面温度及胶州湾流域的土地利用分类和景观格局指数,从自然因素和人为因素两方面对胶州湾叶绿素a浓度时空分布的影响因素进行分析,发现胶州湾秋季叶绿素a浓度与海表面温度密切相关,并且受到近海养殖区破碎化程度、修建大型人工设施等人为因素的影响。     

Predicting the effects of shade on water temperature in small streams

A computer model for stream water temperature was developed, and tested in a small pasture stream near Hamilton, New Zealand. The model quantifies shading by riparian vegetation, hillsides, and stream banks using three coefficients: canopy angle, topography angle, and canopy shade factor. Shade was measured directly and found to vary significantly along the channel. Using the maximum measured shade, a close match was achieved between observed and predicted daily maximum and minimum water and bed sediment temperature. Model predictions of incoming and outgoing long‐wave radiation flux closely matched measurements, but there were unexplained discrepancies in short‐wave radiation flux. Model predictions indicate that moderate shade levels (c. 70%) may be sufficient in temperate climates to restore headwater pasture stream temperatures to 20°C, an estimate of the thermal tolerance for sensitive invertebrates.     

Some observations on phytoplankton species composition,biomass, and productivity in Kenepuru Sound,New Zealand, 1982–83

Phytoplankton species composition, biomass, and rates of primary production were determined at two sites within Kenepuru Sound, New Zealand, in spring, summer, and autumn of 1982–83. Microflagellates and ultraplankton (< 5–10 μm) were numerically very abundant on each occasion and small gymnodinoid nanno‐planktonic (< 10–15 μm) dinoflagellates were likewise always a common component of the populations. The dinoflagellate, Prorocentrum gracile, made a substantial contribution to the total biomass in summer. The diatom community changed from mainly small chain forming species (Chaetoceros spp., Leptocylindricus spp.) in spring to small solitary centric and pennate forms (Nitzchia longissima, Coscinodiscus spp.) in summer, to a diversity of larger taxa (Coscinodiscus concinnus, Eucampia zoodiacus) in autumn. The autotrophic ciliate Mesodinium rubrum was a particularly important member of the autumn photo‐autotrophic assemblage. Both phytoplankton biomass and productivity increased from spring to autumn. In situ rates of primary production ranged from 15 to 1420 mgC m^‐2h^‐1 and chlorophyll a concentrations ranged from 6.9 to 258.5 mgChl a m^‐2. A gross primary production rate, in summer, was estimated at 0.57 gC m^‐2 d^‐1. Phytoplankton production and biomass appeared to be related to dissolved inorganic nutrient concentrations as a result of variations in the freshwater inflow. A tentative comparison between the rates of phytoplankton and cultivated mussel production is made.     

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.     

Phytoplankton absorption and pigment adaptation of a red tide in the Benguela ecosystem

Phytoplankton absorption and pigment characteristics of a red tide were investigated in coastal waters of the southern Benguela. Diagnostic indices indicated that dinoflagellates were the dominant phytoplankton group, with diatoms and small flagellates being of secondary importance. Very high biomass was observed close to the coast where chlorophyll a concentrations of up to 117 mg m^–3 were measured. Both measured (a _ph) and reconstructed pigment absorption (a _pig) displayed an increasing trend with chlorophyll a, while the package effect index (Q^* _a) decreased, indicating increased packaging with an increase in biomass. Proportioning of the total pigment absorption between 400 and 700 nm revealed that chlorophyll a accounted for 39–65% of the absorption, while photosynthetic carotenoids (15–30%) and chlorophyll cs (15–30%) were also prominent in absorbing light for photosynthesis.