Distribution,habitat and movement of juvenile smooth hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna zygaena) in northern New Zealand

The smooth hammerhead shark, Sphyrna zygaena, occurs in warm temperate waters around the northern North Island of New Zealand. Commercial fishing records and research trawl survey data were used to determine their distribution. Highest catch rates were recorded in relatively sheltered bays and coastlines along the northeast coast of North Island. Neonate and juvenile sharks use shallow coastal waters and large harbours and estuaries as nursery areas up to an age of two years and total length of 150?cm. Five sharks were electronically tagged but two apparently died and three (137–160?cm total length) returned useful data. Two tagged sharks remained in or near the Bay of Islands for 6–55 days after tagging, moving extensively through the bay. A third shark moved about 155?km southeast in 250 days. That shark spent 70 days mostly shallower than 10?m (94% of time) with occasional dives to 40?m. Thereafter, it oscillated between the surface and depths of 60?80?m, with most time (55%) being spent at 40?60?m. Maximum recorded depth was 144?m.     

Diel Changes in Assemblages of Fishes Associated with Shallow Seagrass and Bare Sand

The evaluation and management of fisheries resources requires knowledge of spatial and temporal changes in the habitat-associations of fishes. However, most studies concerning habitat associations of small fishes in the shallow regions of estuaries have been limited to daytime sampling strategies. Diel changes were investigated in assemblages of fishes associated with shallow seagrass (Zostera capricorni) and bare sand in two estuaries in south-eastern Australia. Habitat-related differences in assemblages were strong day and night, and were greater than diel changes in assemblages. The seagrass-associated assemblages remained similar day and night and consistently differed from those associated with bare sand. In contrast, the assemblages over sand varied on a diel basis as larger individuals of several species (e.g.Gerres subfasciatus,Platycephalus fuscus) that resided over other (deeper) habitats during the day were caught over shallow sand at night. Further, some species (e.g.Ambassis jacksoniensis) that resided in seagrass during the day occurred over sand at night. Both habitats were utilized by newly recruited juveniles of economically important species and the habitat-associations of these species generally did not differ on a diel basis. Therefore, both habitats are considered important to the fisheries resources of south-eastern Australia. Inclusion of night-time sampling provided a greater understanding and appreciation of the use of the unvegetated habitat by fishes than has previously been acknowledged from studies based solely on daytime sampling. This study indicates that greater consideration of temporal changes in habitat associations of fishes is required in other geographic regions.     

Vertical Migrations and Feeding Rhythms of Acartia clausi and Pseudodiaptomus hessei (Copepoda: Calanoida) in a Tropical Lagoon (Ebrié, Côte d'Ivoire)

Diel changes in vertical distribution and gut pigment contents of Acartia clausi andPseudodiaptomus hessei were studied during several 24-h time series performed between 1993 and 1997 in four sites of the Ebrié Lagoon (Côte d'Ivoire). The sites differed by their morphology and their hydrological structure and by the vertical distribution of chlorophyll biomass. Both species showed classical diel vertical migrations (DVM). Copepodites and adult stages of P. hessei were almost benthic during the day and evenly distributed through the water column at night. The amplitude of DVM of A. clausi increased from copepodites I–III to adults. Copepodites and adults of A. clausi increased significantly their gut fluorescence at night, whereas those of P. hessei showed no clear diel feeding rhythm (DFR). These results suggest that A. clausi feed mostly at night on phytoplanktonic particles and P. hessei feed mostly on benthic algal particles during the day and on sestonic particles at night. No relationship was observed between DFR and DVM because both patterns occurred when food was either vertically homogeneous or vertically stratified. The daily average gut fluorescence of A. clausi increased with ambient chlorophyll concentration until around 12–15 μg l⁻¹, whereas no relationship was found for P. hessei. The implication of these patterns on the adaptation capacities and the behaviour of the two species are discussed. The DVM of P. hessei should explain its rarity in the estuarine area. The comparison of our results with previous ones suggests an evolution of A. clausi DFR between 1981–1982 and 1996–1997, in relation to an intensification of eutrophication.     

Longer-term water temperature behaviour in an upland stream

Water temperature behaviour in a small upland Exmoor catchment (the Black Ball Stream) has been studied over a 14-year period since January 1976. Results from continuous records revealed annual mean stream temperatures to have a coefficient of variation of less than 5 per cent, and values of 5,10 and 15°C to be equalled or exceeded 90,41.8 and 4 per cent of the time respectively. The annual regime of water temperature was relatively predictable but diel cycles of varying magnitude were superimposed on the seasonal march. A clear seasonal hysteresis was evident whereby diel range in spring exceeded that in autumn by typically more than 2°C. Trend analysis of monthly temperature time series highlighted the stability of the thermal regime in recent years, although investigation of air-water temperature relationships indicated that an increase in mean surface air temperature projected for southwest England by the Year 2050 would result in a rise of mean winter and summer stream temperatures by 1.6 and 1.3°C respectively. Analysis of streamflow effects on water temperature suggested that future indirect impacts of climatic change on thermal regime via changes in stream discharge are likely to be minor.     

Spatial and diel variations of the prokaryotic community in the Phaeocystis globosa blooms area of Beibu Gulf,China

While prokaryotes play key roles in nutrient cycling and energy flow during Phaeocystis globosa blooms, the information on the spatial and diel temporal distribution of the prokaryotic community during Phaeocystis blooms remains scarce. In January 2019, we used high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene to explore the spatial and diel variations of particle-attached (PA) and free-living (FL) prokaryotic communities during the blooming phase of P. globosa in Beibu Gulf, Guangxi, China. The results suggested a significant spatial variation pattern in the horizontal distribution of prokaryotic communities, while there was no significant difference in the vertical direction. Both spatial distance and environmental variables shaped the horizontal distribution of the prokaryotic community structure, while environmental variables, particularly the abundance of P. globosa colony and Chl a, showed more significant influence and were closely related to the structure and variation of the prokaryotic community. Strong vertical mixing of the water column disrupted the vertical structure heterogeneity of the prokaryotic community in winter. There were significant differences in the diel samples of PA prokaryotic communities, but not in the FL prokaryotic communities. Nitrate, ammonium and the abundance of P. globosa colony were the key environmental variables impacting the diel variations of prokaryotic communities over the sampling period. The present study provided valuable information to depict the spatial-temporal variations of the microbial community and its association with environmental parameters during P. globosa bloom in the tropical gulf.     

Thermal structure and energy budget in a small high mountain lake: La Caldera,Sierra Nevada,Spain

This work examines the diel change of energy storage and its associated patterns of thermal stratification during the ice‐free period in a high mountain lake (La Caldera Lake, Sierra Nevada, Spain), in response to meteorological conditions. Bihourly data have been implemented to a standard methodology of surface heat exchange calculations in lakes. Strong variations have been observed on the diverse components of the energy budget at different time scales, ranging from diel to seasonal. Additionally, time‐series analyses have been applied to reveal the underlying periodicities involved in relation to the different variables studied. The results obtained from this study provided realistic conditions for the environmental modelling of such processes, which are very sensitive in time scale.     

北黄海典型水域秋冬季浮游植物群落的昼夜变化

利用冬季(2007年1月)和秋季(2007年10月)在北黄海中部昼夜连续观测所获浮游植物样品,分析了浮游植物群落的昼夜变化.结果表明:浮游植物丰度在各层存在昼夜变化,冬季10～20 m层主要在白天出现高丰度,而20～30 m层和30～底层都是在夜间出现高丰度,冬季丰度垂直分布相对较均匀.秋季各层都主要在夜间出现高丰度,丰度垂直分布是下层水体明显比上层高.2个季节优势种昼夜组成都比较稳定.冬季优势种为具槽帕拉藻(Paralia sulcata),主要分布在下层水体.秋季罗氏角毛藻(Chaetoceros lauderi)和密连角毛藻(Chaetoceros densus)成为优势种,两者分别以下层和上层水体分布较多.冬季浮游植物群落多样性和均匀度昼夜变化都不明显,秋季0～10 m层和20～30 m层多样性和均匀度昼夜变化较明显.从季节变化来看,秋季多样性要高于冬季,均匀度的季节变化不明显.     

Diel vertical migration of the copepod Calanus sinicus before and during formation of the Yellow Sea Cold Bottom Water in the Yellow Sea

To understand the effects of the Yellow Sea Cold Bottom Water(YSCBW)on the diel vertical migration(DVM)of the copepod Calanus sinicus,we surveyed vertical distribution of C.sinicus at a fixed station in the Yellow Sea before(spring)and during(summer)formation of the YSCBW.Cold water(<10 C)was observed in the bottom layer when the water column was thermally stratified in summer,but the water column was thermally well-mixed in spring 2010.Samples were collected from five different layers at 3-h intervals using an opening-closing net.Adult females(1–155 ind./m3)showed a clear normal DVM pattern throughout the entire water column in spring,whereas adult males did not migrate.DVM of copepodite V(CV)individuals was not clear,but the maximum abundance of CI–CIV occurred consistently in the upper 10–20 m layer,where there was a high concentration of chlorophyll-a(Chl-a)(0.49–1.19μg/L).In summer,weak DVM was limited to cold waters beneath the thermocline for adult females(<30 ind./m3),but not for adult males.The maximum abundance of CI–CIV also occurred consistently in the subsurface layer(20–40 m)together with high concentrations of Chl-a(0.81–2.36μg/L).CV individuals(1–272 ind./m3)moved slightly upward nocturnally to the near-surface layer(10–20 m),where the average temperature was 25.74 C,but they were not found in the surface layer(0–10 m;28.31 C).These results indicate that the existence of the YSBCW affected food availability at depth and the vertical temperature distribution,leading to variation in the amplitude and shape of stage-specific vertical distributions(CI to adults)in C.sinicus before and during the formation of cold waters in the Yellow Sea during the study period.