Trophic functioning of the St. Lucia estuarine lake during a drought phase assessed using stable isotopes

The St. Lucia Estuary is Africa’s largest estuarine system and is currently experiencing the stress of prolonged freshwater deprivation, manifested by extremely low water levels and hypersalinity. These unprecedented conditions have raised questions regarding the trophic functioning of the ecosystem. Despite the substantial amount of research previously undertaken within this system, no studies of food web structure and function have yet been documented. This study therefore aimed to examine the food web structure of the St. Lucia estuary system through the use of carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis. Analysis of carbon isotope ratios indicates that benthic carbon sources are most utilised at sites with low water levels and generally higher salinity (Catalina Bay, Charter’s Creek). Conversely, the estuarine region of the mouth and Narrows, with its elevated water levels and lower salinity, still sustains a viable pelagic food web. Analysis of δ¹⁵N ratios indicates that the number of trophic transfers (food chain length) might be related to water levels. Overall, the study provides a greater understanding of the ecological processes of this complex estuarine lake, which may allow for future comparisons of trophic functioning under drought and normal/wet conditions to be made.     

Sea,freshwater or saltpans? Foraging ecology of terns to assess mercury inputs in a wetland landscape: The Ebro Delta

The Ebro catchment, the largest river basin in Spain, includes various heavily industrialized areas. Among these is the Flix site, where a chemical plant has been operating since the beginning of the 20th century. This extended operational period, together with the construction of a dam next to the factory around 1960, resulted in the accumulation of large amounts of heavily polluted sediments in the adjacent riverbed, many of which are contaminated by mercury. Pollutants from Flix are carried downstream by the Ebro River to its delta. In order to assess the transfer of mercury to the complex river estuary ecosystem, we studied the ecology of the tern community living there as these birds segregate into a range of habitats. For this purpose, first we used stable isotope analysis (SIA) (δ³⁴S, δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N) of eggs to determine the trophic ecology and habitat partitioning of several tern species (Common, Sandwich, Little, Gull-Billed and Whiskered Tern) breeding sympatrically, in order to link their foraging ecology with habitat types. Next we measured mercury concentrations in eggs to monitor the input of this metal into the diverse habitats. With the exception of the Little Tern, the other terns used a restricted habitat range in the Ebro Delta, as shown by C and S isotopes; the Gull-Billed and Whiskered Tern foraged in freshwater habitats, while the Common and Sandwich Tern used marine habitats. This restricted feeding behavior of the Gull-Billed and Common Tern contrasts with previous reports in other breeding sites. The Little Tern, which showed a wide range of isotopic values, was found to be an opportunistic forager but fed mainly in saltpans, a feeding habitat not reported previously for this species in this area. We found that mercury concentrations are related to foraging habitat and diet, and are unexpectedly higher in species feeding on demersal prey in marine habitats and also higher in birds feeding in saltpans than in those feeding in freshwater habitats. The mercury concentrations found in the Little and Common Tern eggs sampled in “Punta de la Banya” may be sufficiently high to endanger breeding success.     

Trophic ecology of small yellow croaker (Larimichthys polyactis Bleeker): stable carbon and nitrogen isotope evidence

The trophic ecology of the small yellow croaker (Larimichthys polyactis) was studied using stable isotope analyses. Samples were collected from July to September 2009 and 34 individuals from eight sites were examined for stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes. Stable carbon isotope ratios (δ13C) ranged from -20.67 to -15.43, while stable nitrogen isotope ratios (δ15N) ranged 9.18-12.23. The relationship between δ13C and δ15N suggested high resource partitioning in the sampling area. Significant differences in stable isotope values among the eight sampling sites may be linked to environmental diversities involving various physical processes (such as ocean current, wind and tide) and different carbon sources. Furthermore, the stable isotope ratios may also explain the ontogenetic variability in diet and feeding, because δ13C and δ15N varied significantly with increasing body size. The findings are consistent with other studies on diet analyses in small yellow croaker. It was also demonstrated that stable isotope analysis could be used to estimate the trophic characters of small yellow croaker in feeding patterns and migrating habits.     

Seasonal variability in free-living marine nematode community structure in a sandy beach of the Taiping Bay of Qingdao, China

Nematode assemblage composition, trophic structure and biodiversity were followed over an annual cycle in a sandy beach of the Taiping Bay of Qingdao, China. Nematode assemblage in the sandy beach maintained a high genus diversity （75 genera）. Mlero- laimus and Bathylaimus were the dominant genus of the nematode assemblage, accounting for 66% of the total nematode abundance. The nematodes＇ dominant trophic structure changed seasonally as a response to the seasonal changes in food quality. Epigrowth-feeder nematodes （2A） were the dominant trophic groups in the trophic structure with the highest abundance in spring because of phytoplankton bloom, while the feeding type （ 1 B） showed higher abundance in summer that was due to the increasing of sediment detritus after spring bloom. Furthermore, species diversity and evenness calculated on nematodes identified to the genus level displayed significant temporal changes, which was also reflected by the index of trophic diversity. According to the cluster analysis, the nematode community structure of the whole year was clearly separated into two periods （A and B）. Biota-Envlron- ment matching （BIOENV） results showed that seawater temperature, sediment Chl a and grain size were responsible for the nema- tode community structure variation in spring and summer period （Period A）. However, seawater/interstitial water temperature, interstitial water dissolved oxygen concentration,interstitial water salinity, and sediment Ph a a were more important in constructing the autumn and winter period （Period B） nematode community structure.     

An assessment of chlorophyll-a concentration spatio-temporal variation using Landsat satellite data,in a small tropical reservoir

Traditional approaches to monitoring aquatic systems are often limited by the need for data collection which often is time-consuming, expensive and non-continuous. The aim of the study was to map the spatio-temporal chlorophyll-a concentration changes in Malilangwe Reservoir, Zimbabwe as an indicator of phytoplankton biomass and trophic state when the reservoir was full (year 2000) and at its lowest capacity (year 2011), using readily available Landsat multispectral images. Medium-spatial resolution (30 m) Landsat multispectral Thematic Mapper TM 5 and ETM+ images for May to December 1999–2000 and 2010–2011 were used to derive chlorophyll-a concentrations. In situ measured chlorophyll-a and total suspended solids (TSS) concentrations for 2011 were employed to validate the Landsat chlorophyll-a and TSS estimates. The study results indicate that Landsat-derived chlorophyll-a and TSS estimates were comparable with field measurements. There was a considerable wet vs. dry season differences in total chlorophyll-a concentration, Secchi disc depth, TSS and turbidity within the reservoir. Using Permutational multivariate analyses of variance (PERMANOVA) analysis, there were significant differences (p < 0.0001) for chlorophyll-a concentration among sites, months and years whereas TSS was significant during the study months (p < 0.05). A strong positive significant correlation among both predicted TSS vs. chlorophyll-a and measured vs. predicted chlorophyll-a and TSS concentrations as well as an inverse relationship between reservoir chlorophyll-a concentrations and water level were found (p < 0.001 in all cases). In conclusion, total chlorophyll-a concentration in Malilangwe Reservoir was successfully derived from Landsat remote sensing data suggesting that the Landsat sensor is suitable for real-time monitoring over relatively short timescales and for small reservoirs. Satellite data can allow for surveying of chlorophyll-a concentration in aquatic ecosystems, thus, providing invaluable data in data scarce (limited on site ground measurements) environments.     

丹江口水库叶绿素a浓度的时空特征及影响因子分析

2017年5月—2019年10月,对"南水北调"中线水源水库——丹江口水库库区水体7个监测位点、0～20 m间4个水层的垂向叶绿素a (Chl.a)浓度与水质因子进行了季度性调查,以期了解不同位点、不同水层Chl.a分布的主要驱动因子.结果表明,丹江口水库各位点营养状态指数(TSI)均为中营养化状态.水体Chl.a浓度具有逐年增加的趋势,且极高值有逐渐增加的趋势.营养盐和Chl.a浓度均存在较大的空间异质性,入库区具有较高的总磷和氨氮浓度,汉江库区具有最高的Chl.a浓度,源头污染源控制和监测仍然是丹江口水库管理的重中之重.不同位点Chl.a浓度的驱动因子存在较大差异,汉江入库和大坝区Chl.a浓度分别受到硝态氮和p H的影响,而出水口大坝位点主要受到了水深、水温和氨氮的影响.丹江入库区Chl.a浓度受到了水深、氨氮、总磷和水温的影响,但丹江库区表现出了与其他生态区较大的区别,其Chl.a浓度主要受到水深和有机质输入的影响.因此,对丹江口水库各位点的管理,应该分不同生态区采取针对性的管理措施.本研究旨在为南水北调中线工程可持续的生态调度提供基础生态数据支持,为完善水库水源地的有效管理提供理论支撑.     

鱼类形态特征与营养级位置之间关系初探

以长江中下游洪泛平原湖泊鱼类为例,探讨鱼类功能性形态特征与其营养级位置之间的关系.所用的116种鱼的食性数据来自于226个鱼类群落,总计16267尾鱼.用几何形态测量法的界标分析法提取鱼类形态特征,相对扭曲度法的前2个主成份能较好地区分鱼类的形态差异,它不仅能够生成散点图,而且能客观地反映出鱼类的形态性状.营养级位置采用肠含物定量分析法,合理地假定肠含物的营养级位置,利用食性数据计算出鱼类的营养级位置.采用广义加性模型分析鱼类营养级位置与功能性形态之间的关系.结果表明:只有当鱼类为植食性鱼类和肉食性鱼类才有特化的功能性形态与之相适应,植食性鱼类有较窄的口裂,而对肉食性鱼类而言,不同生活型的鱼类拥有各自特化的形态特征,如伏击型肉食性鱼类体型呈纺锤形,背鳍靠近头部,眼睛较大且靠上,头部面积较大;而追击型肉食性鱼类体型呈流线型,头部较小,背鳍和腹鳍靠近尾部.而杂食性鱼类在本研究中无更多证据证明有特化的外部形态,亟待进一步研究.     

上海水源地毗邻湖库浮游植物群落结构的季节变化及其影响因子

为改善城市水源地及毗邻水域的水质管理,2019年11月至2020年11月分别在青草沙水库中央沙水域和金泽水库南白荡水域开展了4个季度的采样调查.运用综合营养状态指数(TLI(Σ))对水体营养状态等级进行综合评估,并采用主成分分析(PCA)、冗余分析(RDA)和相关性分析等方法研究了浮游植物群落特征与环境因子的关系.结果表明:中央沙和南白荡水域TLI (Σ)范围分别为57.5~59.0、54.1~56.1,2个水体均处于轻度富营养状态;两者分别鉴定出浮游植物7门104属184种、8门96属172种;蓝藻门是中央沙水域全年浮游植物构成的主要门类,其次为硅藻门、绿藻门,而南白荡浮游植物群落结构季节性演替明显,优势门类由硅藻门/隐藻门-蓝藻门-隐藻门/硅藻门变化,浮游植物细胞密度季节平均值变化范围分为3.00×10⁷~1.61×10⁸ cells/L、4.29×10⁶~6.59×10⁷ cells/L;鉴定出2个水体浮游植物的优势类群分别有4门17属、5门13属,中央沙水域全年的主要优势类群为假鱼腥藻属(Pseudanabaena)和长孢藻属(Dolichospermum),而南白荡春冬季的主要优势类群为小环藻属(Cyclotella)、隐藻属(Cryptomonas)和蓝隐藻属(Chroomonas),夏秋季主要优势类群为假鱼腥藻属、平裂藻属(Merismopedia)和微囊藻属(Microcystis);中央沙水域浮游植物群落结构变化主要与总氮、总磷、水温等环境因子有关,而南白荡主要与水温、总溶解性盐等环境因子有关,水体流通性差异对此起关键作用.     

气候变化对东北大西洋渔获物组成、多样性和营养级的影响

东北大西洋是世界上重要的捕捞海域,气候变化对该海域捕捞产生了重要的影响。本文基于联合国粮农组织所提供的1982−2016年东北大西洋渔获产量数据,对该海域渔获物组成、多样性、平均营养级及主成分变化特征进行时间序列上的分析,并结合东北大西洋海域气候、环境因子,应用广义可加模型探究渔获物组成与气候变化之间的关系。结果显示：渔获物多样性的变化总体上呈下降趋势,2002−2010年间处于较低水平;平均营养级在2002年之前呈平缓下降的趋势,2002年之后开始波动上升,相关性分析表明这两个指标与海域环境因子的变化较为相关。对渔获物组成进行主成分分析显示,第一主成份变化的方差解释率达到35.3%,且与海域气候、环境因素有较高的相关性,第一主成分变化能够较好地表征气候影响下渔获物组成变化的情况。广义可加模型分析结果显示,渔获物组成变化的影响因素按解释率由高到低分别为：海表温度、海平面高度、盐度、海冰和北大西洋涛动指数。该研究有助于认识气候变化对海洋渔业资源及其结构组成的影响。     

基于稳定同位素方法的吕泗渔场近岸海域主要生物潜在碳源及营养级分析

基于稳定同位素方法,对2018年吕泗渔场近岸海域夏季主要生物种类的潜在碳源及其营养级进行分析,利用IsoSource模型计算该海域消费者的3大碳源（浮游植物、悬浮颗粒有机物、底质有机物）贡献值,并比较叠加潜在碳源影响前后主要生物种类的营养级变化。结果表明,浮游植物和底质有机物对37种主要生物种类的贡献比例分别为58.7%和28.2%,而悬浮颗粒有机物的贡献较小。因此判定吕泗渔场近岸海域夏季主要生物种类的潜在碳源主要是浮游植物和底质有机物。通过分别叠加3大潜在碳源和单一物种作为基准值构建两个营养级谱,右营养级谱的生物种类营养级范围为1.74～3.92,比左营养级谱平均下降0.19个营养级,尽管两个营养级谱的整体趋势走向不变,但部分鱼类和多数虾类的营养位置发生改变。右营养级谱的基准值随着潜在碳源叠加比例的不同而变化,能有效反映生物营养级,更适用于低营养级的虾蟹类。但对于处于中高级消费者位置的鱼类来说,这种叠加的效果影响不大。