换水率和营养水平对太湖流域横山水库硅藻水华的影响

为探讨水文过程对水库硅藻异常增殖的影响,对江苏宜兴横山水库的硅藻生消过程中浮游植物、水质、降水、水位、气温等指标进行观测研究.结果表明,横山水库硅藻年际生物量波动很大,9月出现明显的异常增殖,总生物量达到14.27 mg/L,硅藻的优势属为针杆藻(Synedra)、小环藻(Cyclotella)、曲壳藻(Achnanthes)和直链藻(Melosira),以针杆藻的优势度最高;浮游植物生物量与营养盐浓度关系不明显,与总氮浓度甚至呈负相关,但小环藻生物量与水体溶解性磷浓度呈正相关;水库的换水率与浮游植物生物量、硅藻的异常增殖过程和营养盐浓度水平均密切关联,总氮、溶解性磷浓度与水库换水率呈正相关,而硅藻生物量与水库换水率呈指数负相关.数值拟合分析显示硅藻生物量可以用换水率和磷浓度推算而得.研究表明,对于中营养水平的水库,硅藻生物量变化可能受水文过程与水质条件共同控制,在水库的硅藻水华防控中,既要加强营养盐水平的严格控制,也需考虑水文过程的调控手段.     

中-晚全新世冷水团对西格陵兰Disko湾的影响

西格陵兰位于北极—北大西洋地区,其海洋环境演变受西格陵兰洋流中冷、暖水团的显著影响。本文运用主成分分析方法对西格陵兰Disko湾DA06-139G孔沉积物中主要硅藻属种进行研究,试图揭示5000a BP以来西格陵兰洋流中冷、暖水团强度变化对研究区海洋环境的影响。5000—3800a BP期间,东格陵兰寒流携带的极地冷水团强度较弱,而北大西洋暖水团势力较强,Disko湾地区海洋环境较为温暖。3800—2000a BP期间,西格陵兰洋流中极地冷水团势力呈现阶段性增强,此时Disko湾地区气候缓慢转冷,海冰覆盖面积逐渐增加。2000a BP以后,特别是650a BP之后,样品在主成分轴一上的得分显著增高,表明Disko湾气候明显变冷,来自东格陵兰寒流的极地冷水团强度显著增强。Disko湾中晚全新世以来的硅藻记录及样品在主成分轴一上的得分所指示的极地冷水团的强度变化与格陵兰冰芯温度及海冰变化等具有较好的一致性,说明研究区海流特征与大气温度、海冰等环境要素密切相关。     

Settling fluxes of diatoms to the interior of the Antarctic circumpolar current along 170 °W

An array of four sediment trap moorings recorded the particulate flux across the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) at 170 °W, between November 1996 and January 1998, as part of the US JGOFS-Antarctic Environment and Southern Ocean Process Study (AESOPS) program. The trap locations represent sampling within the Polar Frontal Zone, the Antarctic Polar Front, the Antarctic Zone and the Southern Antarctic Zone. Here we report observations from 1000 m below the sea-surface compared to seafloor and surface water distributions. Sub-sample splits from each trap were obtained and total diatom flux and species composition were determined. The diatom fluxes were quantified using both a dilution and a ‘spike’ method to allow for the rapid repeatability of measurements. Diatom flux was found to be highly seasonal across the ACC particularly at higher latitudes. Marine snow aggregates of intact diatom cells and chains were the major components of the biogenic flux. Siliceous particle size was noted to decrease with increasing latitude, which could be aligned with a shift of the diatom assemblage to small-size species/sea-ice affiliated species. A ‘double-structured’ diatom flux was recorded at the location of the Antarctic Polar Front trap, with a shift in the diatom assemblage from larger to smaller diatoms in the second flux episode. The sediment trap assemblage shows deviations from the surface water assemblage, while surface sediment samples indicate that significant dissolution occurs after 1000 m and at the sediment–water interface. Estimation of diatom biovolumes across the ACC shows that large diatoms have the potential to greatly impact biogenic fluxes to the ocean interior despite their low fluxes. Small species of the genus Fragilariopsis could potentially export as much C_org as Fragilariopsis kerguelensis near the retreating ice edge. However, their low abundance in the surface sediments also suggests that these diatoms are a shallow export species.     

High concentrations of exopolymeric substances in Arctic winter sea ice: implications for the polar ocean carbon cycle and cryoprotection of diatoms

Exopolymeric substances (EPS) produced by microorganisms play important roles in various aquatic, porous, and extreme environments. Only recently has their occurrence in sea ice been considered. We used macroscopic and microscopic approaches to study the content and possible ecological role of EPS in wintertime fast ice near Barrow, Alaska (71°20′ N, 156°40′ W). Using Alcian blue staining of melted ice samples, we observed high concentrations of EPS in all samples examined, ranging from 0.79 to 7.71 mg xanthan gum equivalents (XGEQV) l⁻¹. Areal conversions to carbon equivalents yielded 1.5−1.9 g C m⁻² ice in March and 3.3−4.0 g C m⁻² in May (when the ice was thicker). Although EPS did not correlate with macronutrient or pigment data, the latter analyses indicated ongoing or recent biological activity in the ice within temperature horizons of −11°C to −9°C and warmer. EPS correlated positively with bacterial abundance (although no functional relationship could be deduced) and with dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations. Ratios of EPS/DOC decreased at colder temperatures within the core, arguing against physical conversion of DOC to EPS during freezing. When sea-ice segments were maintained at representative winter temperatures (−5°C,−15°C and −25°C) for 3−14 months, the total EPS content increased significantly at rates of 5−47 μg XGEQV l⁻¹ d⁻¹, similar to published rates of EPS production by diatoms. Microscopic images of ice-core sections at these very cold temperatures, using a recently developed non-invasive method, revealed diatoms sequestered in spacious brine pockets, intact autofluorescent chloroplasts in 47% of the (pennate) diatoms observed, and indications of mucus in diatom-containing pores. The high concentrations of EPS detected in these winter ice cores represent a previously unrecognized form of organic matter that may contribute significantly to polar ocean carbon cycles, not only within the ice but after springtime release into the water column. The EPS present in very high concentrations in the brine of these microhabitats appear to play important buffering and cryoprotectant roles for microorganisms, especially diatoms, against harsh winter conditions of high salinity and potential ice-crystal damage.     

Constraining the dating of late Quaternary marine sediment records from the Scotia Sea (Southern Ocean)

In Southern Ocean sediments south of the Antarctic Polar Front, the scarcity of calcareous microfossils hampers the development of sediment chronologies based on radiocarbon dating and oxygen isotope stratigraphy established from carbonate. In this study, radiometric dating, magnetic susceptibility (MS), biogenic opal content, diatom abundance fluctuation, and paleomagnetic information were investigated on a north–south transect of central Scotia Sea sediment cores to verify their reliability as stratigraphic tools in the study area. Radiocarbon dating on organic carbon humic acid fraction can be used to establish the stratigraphy of upper core sections, but regional comparison and correlation are needed to verify a possible bias by fossil carbon contamination. For the long-term stratigraphy, MS, which can be correlated to the Antarctic ice core dust/climate signal, represents the most valuable parameter. Fine-grained single domain magnetite, probably of biogenic origin, makes a significant contribution to the interglacial MS signal, while major contributions from detrital material affect the glacial MS record. The core from the southern Scotia Sea contains significant proportions of biogenic magnetite also in glacial sediments, suggesting depositional environments different from those of the northern Scotia Sea. Our data suggest low contributions of high-coercive minerals to the overall magnetic intensity of glacial and interglacial Scotia Sea sediments, which excludes dust as a main source of the magnetic signal. Opal content can be used to distinguish between cold and warm intervals for the past 300 thousand years. Abundance fluctuation patterns of diatom species Fragilariopsis kerguelensis and Eucampia antarctica are useful stratigraphic tools for periods back to Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 6. The Mono Lake geomagnetic excursion is identified in Scotia Sea sediments for the first time. Possible correlations of ash layers are suggested between Scotia Sea sediments and East Antarctic ice cores. They have potential to serve as additional age markers for further studies in this area.     

Sedimentary diatoms along a temporal and spatial gradient of metal contamination

We examined changes at the community and population level of sedimentary diatoms over a wide temporal and spatial gradient of metal pollution encountered in cores from three lakes in the Abitibi mining region (Québec, Canada). Diatom communities on the whole appeared to be very tolerant of metal contamination, as shown by diatom cell accumulation rates decreasing only under the most severe conditions of contamination, which were found from the 1930s to the 1980s in Lac Dufault (cadmium, up to 94 μg/g dry sediment; Cu, up to 8600 μg/g; Zn, up to 9000 μg/g). Under the moderate conditions of contamination observed in the other two lakes and in the most recent sediment of Lac Dufault, diatom cell accumulation rates tended to increase over values typical of the pre-mining period. However, there were increasing rearrangements of the community composition along the contamination gradient. Under moderate metal enrichment, the diatom community of Lac Vaudray experienced only subtle changes, with Cyclotella stelligera, albeit decreasing, remaining the dominant taxon. In the intermediately contaminated Lac Caron, several benthic taxa, noticeably Cymbella silesiaca and several Fragilaria species, rose in taxonomic importance. The most extreme contamination observed in Lac Dufault led to a severely impoverished community almost entirely represented by Achnanthes minutissima and Brachysira vitrea. With increasing levels of contamination, there was a shift from planktonic to benthic taxa and morphotypes and a consistent decrease in the siliceous stomatocysts/diatom frustules ratio. These trends suggest that littoral zones may represent an important refugium under conditions of high contamination. Responses to metal stress were in general more evident at the population than at the community level. Cyclotella stelligera and B. vitrea had a consistent negative and positive response, respectively, along the gradient and are the most promising indicators of metal pollution for this region.     

Temporal variation in community–environment relationships and stream classifications in benthic diatoms: Implications for bioassessment

Diatom based biomonitoring tools are proven to be a practical way to indicate stream conditions, but only little is known how stable diatom inferred stream classifications are in time. We studied annual variation in diatom community–environment relationships, community structure and diatom indices (Index of Pollution Sensitivity, IPS and Trophic Diatom Index, TDI) during three consecutive years (2010–2012) in four drainage basins distributed in Finland. We also used a cluster analysis to examine if stream classifications resulted in distinct and temporally stable community types. We found only subtle temporal variation in community–environment relationships, nutrient concentrations (N, P) and conductivity consistently being the main factors structuring communities. According to Mantel tests, diatom communities resembled each other significantly at different years, and the values of IPS and TDI indices remained relatively stable in the basins through time. The stream classification based on diatoms also resulted in temporally stable and statistically distinct community types. We thus suggest that sampling of diatoms, e.g., in every three years seems to be a reliable procedure to assess biological water quality. Generally, to choose the correct metrics to assess water quality is essential, and both biological and physicochemical factors should be considered.     

Depth-stratified phytoplankton dynamics in Cyclone Opal, a subtropical mesoscale eddy

As part of E-Flux III cruise studies in March 2005, we investigated phytoplankton community dynamics in a cyclonic cold-core eddy (Cyclone Opal) in the lee of the Hawaiian Islands. Experimental incubations were conducted under in situ temperature and light conditions on a drift array using a two-treatment dilution technique. Taxon-specific estimates of growth, grazing and production rates were obtained from analyses of incubation results based on phytoplankton pigments, flow cytometry and microscopy. Cyclone Opal was sampled at a biologically and physically mature state, with an 80–100 m doming of isopycnal surfaces in its central region and a deep biomass maximum of large diatoms. Depth-profile experimentation defined three main zones. The upper (mixed) zone (0–40 m), showed little compositional or biomass response to eddy nutrient enrichment, but growth, grazing and production rates were significantly enhanced in this layer relative to the ambient community outside of the eddy. Prochlorococcus spp. dominated the upper mixed layer, accounting for 50–60% of its estimated primary production both inside and outside of Opal. In contrast, the deep zone of 70–90 m showed little evidence of growth rate enhancement and was principally defined by a 100-fold increase of large (>20-μm) diatoms and a shift from Prochlorococcus to diatom dominance (80%) of production. The intermediate layer of 50–60 m marked the transition between the upper and lower extremes but also contained an elevated biomass of physiologically unhealthy diatoms with significantly depressed growth rates and proportionately greater grazing losses relative to diatoms above or below. Microzooplankton grazers consumed 58%, 65% and 55%, respectively, of the production of diatoms, Prochlorococcus and the total phytoplankton community in Cyclone Opal. The substantial grazing impact on diatoms suggests that efficient recycling was the major primary fate of diatom organic production, consistent with the low export fluxes and selective export of biogenic silica, as empty diatom frustules, in Cyclone Opal.     

太湖流域水库型水源地硅藻水华发生特征及对策分析

基于溧阳市天目湖沙河水库2009—2014年的硅藻群落结构及水质调查,以及宜兴横山水库等硅藻水华期藻类和水质调查数据,分析了太湖流域水库中硅藻水华群落结构特征及受气温、水位、营养盐等环境条件的影响.结果表明,太湖流域硅藻水华的主要发生期为5—7月,快速生长期发生在气温为16~26℃期间,当气温超过26℃时,硅藻的生物量开始下降.硅藻的优势属包括针杆藻、曲壳藻、小环藻和颗粒直链藻.其中沙河水库和横山水库中针杆藻是主要危害,其生物量主导了硅藻总生物量.大溪水库有时以针杆藻为主,有时以颗粒直链藻为主.当总氮浓度低于1.0 mg/L的Ⅲ类水上限时,水体氮浓度能大大限制硅藻生物量,当总磷浓度低于0.025 mg/L的Ⅱ类水上限时,也可能对硅藻生物量产生限制.高于此营养水平,硅藻水华的严重程度主要受气温、降雨等因素影响.研究表明,对于处于中营养水平的太湖流域水库而言,硅藻生物量既受气温、降雨、水位等气象水文条件的控制,又受氮、磷、硅等营养盐供给的影响.硅藻水华的防控既要关注气候和气象条件,也要尽量削减氮、磷营养盐入湖通量,维持较低营养盐水平是确保硅藻水华不形成危害的关键.