Impacts of maintenance channel dredging in a northern Adriatic coastal lagoon. II: Effects on macrobenthic assemblages in channels and ponds

Coastal lagoons are ephemeral habitats whose conservation requires human intervention, such as maintenance dredging of inner channels. Dredging can reduce the abundance of benthic species due to the removal of individuals with the sediment, modify sediment properties, and resuspend fine sediment, nutrients and pollutants, which can lead to eutrophication, hypoxic events and increasing toxicity. Both direct effects in the dredged channel and possible indirect effects in surrounding shallow areas could be expected. This study assesses the effects of the channel maintenance dredging, performed between October 2004 and August 2005, on the invertebrate assemblages both in channels and adjacent ponds in the northern Adriatic coastal lagoon of Pialassa Baiona. The lagoon is affected by eutrophication, chemical and thermal pollution from wastewater treatment and power plants. Three impacted sites were located in the dredged channel and three in the adjacent interconnected shallow water ponds, while three non-impacted sites were located in a channel and in a pond far from the dredged area. Replicate samples were collected from each site one time before and one time after the dredging operations. Despite the extent of the intervention, effects of the dredging on macrobenthic assemblages were detected only within the dredged channel, while in the surrounding ponds no clear and unequivocal effects were found. In particular the dredging could have promoted the increase of the abundance of the polychaete Streblospio shrubsolii in the southern and central parts of the dredged channel and the increase in abundance of the amphipod Corophium insidiosum in the northern side, compared to the controls. Instead, species diversity was reduced in the central and northern parts of the dredged channel. These effects on the macrobenthic invertebrate assemblages could be related to the observed changes of sediment characteristics, contamination and toxicity. Overall, direct effects on benthic assemblages in the dredged channels were more detectable than the possible secondary effects in the surrounding shallow ponds, where the higher spatial heterogeneity can mask any relevant effects.     

Analyses of the long-term salinity variability in the Bohai Sea and the northern Huanghai(Yellow) Sea

Based on the comprehensive collection of the field observed salinity of the Bohai Sea (BHS) and the northern Huanghai Sea (NHS) from the 1950s to the present,the patterns of 10-years-averaged salinity at the different layers in the recent five decades (the 1950s,the 1960s,the 1970s,the 1980s and the 1990s) are obtained by the spatial-temporal interpolation technique with the scrupulous data quality control in this study.Then,by combining the spatial-temporal interpolation technique with successive correction method,the annual distributions of salinity both in the BHS and in the NHS are obtained as well.The data analyses indicate that the overall salinity in the BHS and the NHS increases from the 1960s till the present,with the increase of annual mean salinity of 0.04 psu from the 1950s,and the maximum increase rate of salinity is about 0.14 psu/a in the Bohai Bay.The high salinity tongue extended significantly from the NHS into the BHS.The intensified eastern wind field is related to the western intrusion of the NHS warm current,which probably leads to the moving forward of the high salinity water mass into the BHS.However,it is rather different from the salinity distribution characteristics between the 1950s and the 1960s.The extensive precipitation in the 1960s could lead to an increase in the discharge of the Huanghe River,which might result in the decrease of salinity in the BHS.But the salinity isoline of 32 in the NHS still extended significantly into the BHS in the 1960s.Since the 1980s,the patterns of salinity distribution have changed thoroughly.The salinity in the central area of the BHS was low,while the salinity in the Bohai Bay and the Liaodong Bay was higher than the other regions with its horizontal salinity gradient decreasing in the 1980s.The Empirical Orthogonal Function Analysis (EOF) is also conducted to study the interannual salinity variability of the BHS and the NHS.The correlation coefficient between the time coefficient series of the main mode and the Huanghe River discharge can reach -64.57%.It can be concluded that salinity variation of the BHS and the NHS has strong negative correlation with the Huanghe River discharge.     

Response of BITS (a benthic index based on taxonomic sufficiency) to water and sedimentary variables and comparison with other indices in three Adriatic lagoons

The European Water Framework Directive (WFD, 2000/60/EC) recommends the development of biotic indices for assessing the ecological quality status of water bodies. The Benthic Index based on Taxonomic Sufficiency (BITS) was specifically developed for lagoonal systems, according to the tolerant/opportunistic approach. Macrobenthic data, variables indicative of eutrophication and variables indicative of sedimentary organic matter quality were collected during 18 surveys carried out between 2004 and 2005 in three Adriatic coastal lagoons (Venice Lagoon, Sacca di Goro, Lesina Lagoon). The relationship between environmental variables and biotic indices (AMBI, BENTIX, BITS, BOPA and FINE) was tested using multivariate analyses. Indices based on species classification level appeared to relate better with the variables describing organic matter quality, whereas BITS, which is based on family classification level, seemed related to eutrophication indicative variables, such as sulphide, ammonium, dissolved oxygen and orthophosphate concentrations. The BITS approach reduces the costs associated with sorting and identification of organisms. Providing a rapid assessment of ecological quality, and producing an ecologically relevant classification, BITS seems a promising tool for monitoring programs of Adriatic lagoonal ecosystems. Its sensitivity in reflecting the field conditions elsewhere, however, remains to be assessed.     

Impacts of maintenance channel dredging in a northern Adriatic coastal lagoon. I: Effects on sediment properties,contamination and toxicity

Conservation and management of coastal lagoons envisage direct human intervention. To prevent siltation and to preserve the hydrodynamics features of the lagoon system, the inner channels undergo regular maintenance dredging.     

Identification of a Putative Tetrasporophyte-Specific Gene in Gracilaria lemaneiformis(Gracilariales, Rhodophyte)

A putative tetrasporophyte-specific gene, designated as SSH466 (GenBank accession No. DQ019223), was one of the genes identified in this work using suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) method in Gracilaria lemaneiformis. The full length of the gene was obtained using SMART RACE strategy. Sequence analysis revealed that the gene had 1 019 nucleotides, including an open reading frame of 498 nucleotides encoding 166 amino acid residues, 158 nucleotides of 5' untranslated region and 363 nucleo- tides of 3' non-coding region. Protein motif and secondary structure prediction showed that there existed a transmembrane domain with a unique β-sheet. Thus, SSH466 protein might be a cross-membrane protein. Sequence homology search in the public GenBank databases did not reveal any significant match with SSH466. Virtual Northern blot analysis confirmed that it was a tetrasporo- phyte-specific gene.     

北太平洋海面异常风场的时空分布特征与海气热量交换

用北太平洋（含赤道太平洋区）１９４９～１９７９年的ＣＯＡＤＳ资料，通过矢量ＥＯＦ分解得到北太平洋异常风场的分布型及其时间变化规律。分析表明，ＥＯＦ１～５场与大气活动中心、海洋相互作用有联系，具有明显的天气学意义。此外，还讨论了ＥＯＦ异常风场间的转换及其季节性差异。     

Annual Variation of Benthic Nutrient Fluxes in Shallow Coastal Waters (Gulf of Trieste, Northern Adriatic Sea)

Abstract. Benthic fluxes of dissolved N. Si and P nutrients, alkalinity, dissolved inorganic C (DIC), and O₂ from sediments in the Gulf of Trieste (northern Adriatic, Italy) were measured monthly for 16 months, using laboratory incubated flux chambers at in siru temperatures in the dark. The annual average fluxes were: 02 = -19.3 ± 8.2, DIC = 13.7 ± 9.6, NO3 = -0.04 ± 0.16, NH4 = 0.3 ± 0.4. PO₄= 4.001 ± 0.01, Si = 0.9 ± 0.1 mmol m-² d^-1, with strong temporal fluctuations. The highest effluxes of all nutrients and DIC were observed in the summer. Small effluxes of DIC and NH4 and influxes of Si and PO4 were observed in late winter. Only NH₄ (ca. 50%) and Si (ca. 70%) fluxes were significantly correlated with temperature. This correlation suggests that the rate of downward input and the quality of sedimented organic matter (autochthonous and allochthonous) were superimposed on the temperature fluctuations. High DIC, NH₄ and Si effluxes observed in May 1993 during low temperature were due to the degradation of sedimentary organic matter produced by an early spring bloom of benthic microalgae which occurred about 6 weeks earlies while the autumn phytoplankton bloom was simultaneously reflected in enhanced benthic fluxes due to higher temperature. The role of benthic biological advection in this transport across the sediment-water interface, evaluated by comparison between measured benthic and calculated diffusive fluxes from nutrient pore water concentrations, was of minor importance. This is probably due to low infaunal activity throughout the year it was localized mostly in the narrow surficial layer. The annual average diffusive fluxes of NH4 and PO4 were higher than those measured, probably due to the presence of nitrificationdenitrifi-cation processes and redox-dependent chemical reactions at the oxic sediment-water interface, respectively. Only during bottom-water hypoxia in September 1993 did strong PO₄ effluxes prevail. Calculations based on the Redfield stoichiometry of oxic decomposition of organic N to NH4 and NO3, and differences between diffusive and measured NH₄ fluxes showed that denitrifkation averaged 0.8 mmol m^-2 d^-1. Significant correlations between NH₄ and PO₄ DIC and Si, and NH4 and Si fluxes suggested their parallel regeneration and utilization at the sediment-water interface. The nutrient fluxes observed were not significantly linked to O₂ consumption, suggesting also that anaerobic oxidation processes were important at the sediment-water interface in the gulf. The N, P and Si nutriqnts released from sediment pore waters are probably utilized in benthic microalgal and bottorn-hater primary production. This indicates that pelagic and benthic communities in the central part of the Gulf of Trieste function relatively independently of each other.     

1837年甘肃岷县北6级地震考证与发震构造分析

通过对1837年甘肃岷县北6级地震的历史资料考证、 发震构造的综合研究表明:在1837年地震中遭破坏最为严重的地区位于今岷县堡子乡武旗及临潭县陈旗一带(当时的洮州厅以东约15 km)。 由此确定1837年甘肃岷县地震极震区位于甘肃岷县-临潭-卓尼三县交界, 极震区烈度为Ⅷ度, 震中位于北纬34.7°, 东经103.9°, 误差在10 km以内。 该地区构造位于东昆仑断裂带和西秦岭北缘断裂带的应变传递和构造转换的中间过渡区, 其中临潭-宕昌断裂带活动特性差异明显, 只有部分地段表现出全新世活动特征, 地震极震区一带分布有不同程度的滑坡和基岩崩塌等。 综合分析认为, 临潭-宕昌断裂带的岷县-宕昌段的前缘分支断裂是甘肃岷县1837年6级地震的发震构造。     

南极涛动异常及其对冬春季北半球大气环流影响的数值模拟试验

利用IAP9L-AGCM模式考察了模式中与南极涛动异常相关的海温敏感区,发现南半球高纬海温异常能够强迫出南极涛动异常,而赤道东太平洋海温异常与太平洋南美型密切相关.研究了南极涛动异常对冬春季北半球大气环流及亚洲北部气温的影响,结果表明,南极涛动加强,能够引起北半球高纬环流异常和欧亚西风加强,以及亚洲北部地表气温和850 hPa气温显著增温.数值模拟支持了已有的诊断结果,也证实了冬春季节南极涛动异常下两半球高纬间的经向遥相关存在.     

Coral assemblages and reef growth in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (Western Pacific Ocean)

Reef development varies considerably around the high, raised‐limestone islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Here we examine the modern assemblages at 30 sites for coral composition, colony density, colony size, and fidelity. We defined four reef types and hypothesize the presence of environmentally driven ecological stasis, whereby the environment continuously selects for coral species membership, defines colony sizes, and over time creates the noted reef types. Our results show that constructional spur‐and‐groove reefs supported significantly larger coral‐colony sizes and higher coral species richness compared with high‐relief interstitial framework, low‐relief incipient, and non‐constructional coral assemblages. Non‐constructional reefs supported much smaller coral colony sizes, despite similar population densities, and were consistently found in association with high wave exposure. The distinct coral assemblages found on interstitial framework and low‐relief incipient reefs were not affiliated with any wave exposure regime, but were located adjacent to large watersheds and on islands with unique geological history. These assemblages were nested within the spur‐and‐groove species pool. Overall, modern coral cover was well predicted by bathymetric slope and watershed size, while species richness was additively influenced by two proxies of pollution, suggesting the latter is better suited for establishing management targets. In contrast with previous studies that suggested modern assemblages were biologically controlled in the CNMI, we show reef assemblages and reef development are highly influenced by long‐term environmental forcing.