Phytoplankton Kinetics in the Chesapeake Bay Eutrophication Model

The CE-Qual-ICM model computes phytoplankton biomass and production as a function of temperature, light, and nutrients. Biomass is computed as carbon while inorganic nitrogen, phosphorus, and silica are considered as nutrients. Model formulations for production, metabolism, predation, nutrient limitation, and light limitation are detailed. Methods of parameter determination and parameter values are presented. Results of model application to a ten-year period in Chesapeake Bay indicate the model provides reasonable representations of observed biomass, nutrient concentrations, and limiting factors. Computed primary production agrees with observed under light-limited conditions. Under strongly nutrient-limited conditions, computed product is less than observed. The production characteristics of the model are similar to behavior reported for several similar models. Process omitted from the model that may account for production shortfalls include variable algal stoichiometry, use of urea as nutrient, and vertical migration by phytoplankton.     

A New Coastal Marine Ecosystem Model Study Coupled with Hydrodynamics and Tidal Flat Ecosystem Effect

A new coastal marine ecosystem model was developed, which was composed of pelagic and benthic ecosystems, and was applied to Mikawa Bay, Japan. This model deals with variations of biochemical and physical interactions among dissolved oxygen and C–N–P species (composition formed out of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus elements) so that it resolves the flux dynamics of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and oxygen elements. The physical and biochemical mechanism figured in this model is constructed for the purpose of simulating the estuarine lower trophic ecosystem, in areas where the sea was too deep for light to reach the sea-bottom. As a result of coupling the benthic with pelagic system, the effect of process of sedimentation and nutrient diffusion back to the pelagic system could be indicated. In addition, by implementing the tidal flat ecosystem model's calculation result, the integrated model can include the effect of water purification in tidal flats where the light can reach the sea-bottom, and where sea-weed, sea grass and benthic algae exist. In this study, the model indicates that oxygen-depleted water exists at the sea-bottom especially in summer mainly caused by an increase of oxygen consumption in the benthic system and a decrease of the vertical mixing water process. Furthermore, by comparing the case – with the tidal flat ecosystem model and the case without it, the effect of water purification of tidal flat estuaries was indicated. From the viewpoint of a short time scale, the tidal flat has the potential to restrict red tide (rapid increase of phytoplankton), and from the viewpoint of a long time scale, it restricts the sedimentation of detritus. Restricting the sedimentation prevents oxygen-depleted water occurring in the coastal marine system of Mikawa Bay.     

湖北浮桥河水库浮游植物初级生产力及其管理

浮桥河水库浮游植物水柱日生产量变幅为0.34-4.99 g/(m2·d),最低值出现在下游冬季,最高值出现在中游秋季,年平均值2.75 g/(m2·d)季节变化:秋季＞夏季＞春季＞冬季,与浮游植物叶绿素a含量和生物量的季节变化一致;水平分布:中游略高于上游,下游最低,与浮游植物叶绿素a含量的水平分布完全一致表层日生产量占水柱日生产量53.81%.与1980年同期相比,浮游植物初级生产力增加了1.2倍.分析表明,磷含量增加是浮游植物初级生产力提高的关键因子.应用能量收支法估算浮桥河水库鲢鳙渔产潜力为772t,516.0 kh/hm2.从渔业管理和水质管理角度讨论了合理利用浮游植物初级生产力的措施.     

Assessment of Management Options in Marine Fisheries by Qualitative Modelling Techniques

An effective management of the rapidly dwindling marine fish resources is of great ecological, economic and social importance for the future. An over-development of commercial fisheries has brought about a multitude of negative environmental impacts, such as an accelerated exploitation of stocks or a decrease of marine biodiversity, and furthermore, a profound structural change in fish industry. However, the main reason for the non-prosperous rationing of marine resources is the lack of knowledge about certain processes as well as the non-availability of adequate steering instruments. This paper addresses the lack of conceptualization in the case of uncertain knowledge. It proposes a model approach which can be used for weak but improved decision support under the premise of vague knowledge. The usage of qualitative differential equations illustrates general patterns of overcapitalization of fishing fleets. The extension of traditional model approaches by integration of additional socio-economic phenomena in this context supplies deeper insights in the dynamics of a coupled economic and ecological system. The approach provides a set of characteristic system behaviours which can be fruitfully used for the development of future management tasks.     

Aquatic primary production in relation to microalgal responses to changing light: A review

Dynamic aspects of algal photosynthesis are set against the background of physical water motions which change the light experienced by the phytoplankton. These time-dependent photosynthetic responses are reviewed in relation to the proposition that phytoplankton primary production may be incorrectly estimated by the commonly used static incubation of light and dark bottles for periods significantly longer than the response-time of phytoplankton to changing light. This proposition is supported by the clear overlap between the timescales which characterize water motions and the timescales reported for the complex responses of algae to changing light. Empirical studies comparing static and dynamic incubations have been inconclusive, as have models incorporating some representation of the dynamic photosynthetic response to changing light. These results reflect weaknesses in the simple formulations used to describe photosynthesis in relation to irradiance, the simplicity of physical schemes used to generate changes in irradiance with time, and a lack of data (field and laboratory) on dynamic responses of microalgae to changing light. The quantitative significance of many physiological mechanisms is not known in relation to their effect on photosynthesis.     

The Poseidon Operational Tool for the Prediction of Floating Pollutant Transport

In this work the development and the application of an operational management tool for the Greek Seas is described. This tool consists of a three-dimensional floating pollutant prediction model coupled with a weather, a hydrodynamic and a wave model in order to track the movements and the spreading of the pollutants and indicate those coastal areas which might be affected. The tool is part of the Poseidon system which has been designed to provide real time data and forecasts for marine environmental conditions in the Greek Seas. In this paper, we present four case studies based on realistic scenarios that show the value of the application for long-term strategic planning and short-term decision making in oil spill accidents.     

武汉东湖主要湖区的藻类与营养型评价

对东湖９个湖区藻类的群落结构、生长潜力、初级生产力和营养状况进行了比较研究。结果表明,９个湖区藻类的种类组成无明显差异,绿藻为主,蓝藻和硅藻次之;藻类的生长潜力和初级生产力各湖区差异较大,均以茶港湾重污染区最高和牛巢湖最低。根据各项指标综合分析,９个湖区水质优劣的顺序是：牛巢湖、汤林湖、后湖、郭郑湖、菱角湖、筲箕湖、庙湖、喻家湖和茶港湾重污染区。对东湖的大水面郭郑湖４０年来藻类的有关参数进行比较发     

The short term response to eutrophication abatement

We compare results of a new model for predicting the short term inter annual changes in chlorophyll-a (chl-a) in lakes after reductions in total phosphorus (TP) to predictions made by least squares regression models. In the new method, slopes of chl-a/TP graphs (both axes in mg · m^–3) are depicted in frequency diagrams and used to extract information on the expected, short term chl-a/TP response. The short term response for nine shallow (< 10 m deep) and nutrient rich lakes to changes in TP was found to be: Chl-a = 0.49 · TP + 17.3, and for nine deep, P-limited lakes: Chl-a = 0.08 · TP + 3.5. If the TP-reduction is known to be greater than 10 mg · m^–3, the expected slope increases to 0.58 for shallow lakes and to 0.26 for deep lakes. The slope, 0.58, is 8% lower than the slope for the long term response calculated by regression for the shallow lakes. For deep lakes the slope, 0.26, is 2 to 3 times higher than that calculated by regression, indicating that reductions in TP for deep lakes give greater effects than least squares regression equations suggest. We have also calculated the reduction in TP which will give about 80% probability that a reduction in chl-a will be observed next year. For shallow, P-limited lakes this reduction is about 30 mg · m^–3 (5% of average initial in-lake TP concentration), and for deep lakes about 14 mg · m^–3 (35% of average initial in-lake TP concentration).