Studies on twelve common bivalve larvae,with notes on bivalve spawning seasons in New Zealand

Twelve common bivalve larvae occurring in the plankton from the Bay of Islands (35°15'S, 174°10'E), Wellington Harbour (41°16'S, 174°51'E), and off Raumati Beach (40°56'S, 174°58'E), New Zealand, during 1970–72 are described and, wherever possible, provisionally identified. The seasonal occurrences of these larvae in the plankton are also described. Information on the spawning cycles of some New Zealand adult bivalves is reviewed; although some species have a short (4 months or less) spawning season, for most it is much longer, possibly with ‘trickle’ spawning through several months of the year.     

Insights into zooplankton‐cyanobacteria interactions derived from enclosure studies

Few workers have used enclosures specifically to study interactions between zoo‐plankton and cyanobacteria. Differences among studies in enclosure size, nutrient level, plankton abundance and species composition, presence or absence of fish, and length of experiments make generalisations difficult. Zooplankton had no direct effect on the growth of ungrazed cyanobacteria (Anabaena flos‐aquae, Aphanizomenon flos‐aquae, large Microcystis colonies) in short‐term (<5 days) and long‐term (> 1 month) enclosure studies. When large cyanobacteria were abundant, some Daphnia spp. snowed reduced reproduction and development. When large grazers were abundant they suppressed the growth of edible, colonial cyanobacteria (Aphanizomenon elenkinii, small Microcystis colonies). By altering the ambient light and nutrient environment, large zooplankton may suppress cyanobacteria; evidence for the importance of grazers in promoting cyanobacterial dominance by removing competing phytoplankton species is equivocal. Zooplankton may suppress nitrogen fixation by cyanobacteria through ammonia excretion and may promote a change in dominance from diatoms to cyanobacteria through recycling phosphorus but not silicon.     

Diet of landlocked sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) and trout in the Waitaki lakes,New Zealand

Landlocked sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka), ranging in fork length (FL) from 105 to 313 mm, were captured in fine‐mesh gill nets set in the limnetic zone of the Waitaki hydro lakes (44° 30′ S, 170° 10’ E) in the South Island, New Zealand. A total of 443 stomachs was examined and the frequency of occurrence, volume and weight of prey items calculated. In the Ahuriri Arm of Lake Benmore the principal food (54% by weight) was zooplankton (Boeckella dilatata) whereas in the Haldon Arm of Lake Benmore it was larval and juvenile common bullies (Gobiomorphus cotidi‐anus) (73% by volume). In Lake Waitaki in winter, salmon had eaten insects (43% by volume) with smaller amounts of snails (Potamopyrgus antipo‐darum, 23%) and bullies (24%). In Lake Ohau adult insects may be an important food. There were also variations in diet with season and fish size. The stomachs of 147 brown trout (Salmo trutta) and 181 rainbow trout (S. gairdnerii) caught in the same gill nets were also examined. In contrast to sockeye salmon stomachs they contained negligible amounts of zooplankton (< 1% by weight) and large amounts of aquatic insects (50–58% by weight in the Ahuriri Arm of Lake Benmore). Comparisons with juvenile sockeye salmon and kokanee in North American lakes are made. The impact of introductions of sockeye salmon into other New Zealand lakes is discussed.     

海洋围隔生态系中浮游动物的研究

2002-05-20-26在东海进行小尺度船基浮游生物生态系围隔实验,研究浮游动物的群落结构、组成与环境之间的关系,探讨了优势种群的自然繁殖发育期。结果表明,浮游动物的种类组成较简单,优势种明显。浮游动物生物量、丰度及优势种群丰度三者的变化呈逐渐增加趋势。在实验期的1～5d,小拟哲水蚤的无节幼虫和早期幼体占绝对优势,该自然种群的丰度不断增加;随时间推移,无节幼虫逐渐发育为桡足幼体,而后又逐渐发育为成体。因此,本次实验期是实验海区优势种小拟哲水蚤种群的自然繁殖发育盛期。     

Global change and the biogeochemistry of the North Sea: the possible role of phytoplankton and phytoplankton grazing

Phytoplankton plays a dominant role in shelf biogeochemistry by producing the major part of organic matter. Part of the organic matter will reach the sediment where diagenetic processes like denitrification, apatite formation or burial will remove nutrients from the biogeochemical cycle. In this article current knowledge on the decadal plankton variability in the North Sea is summarized and possible implications of these changes for the biogeochemistry of the North Sea are discussed. Most of the observed interdecadal dynamics seem to be linked to large-scale oceanographic and atmospheric processes. Prominent changes in the North Sea ecosystem have taken place around 1979 and 1988. In general, the phytoplankton color (CPRS indicator of phytoplankton biomass) reached minimum values during the end of the 1970s and has increased especially since the mid 1980s. Changes with a similar timing have been identified in many time series from the North Sea through the entire ecosystem and are sometimes referred to as regime shifts. It is suggested that the impact of global change on the local biogeochemistry is largely driven by the phyto- and zooplankton dynamics during spring and early summer. At that time the extent of zooplankton–phytoplankton interaction either allows that a large part of the new production is settling to the sediment, or that a significant part of the new production including the fixed nutrients is kept within the pelagic system. The origin of the extent of the phytoplankton–zooplankton interaction in spring is probably set in the previous autumn and winter. In coastal areas, both large-scale atmospheric and oceanographic changes as well as anthropogenic factors influence the long-term dynamics. Due to eutrophication, local primary production nowadays still is up to five times higher than during pre-industrial conditions, despite a decreasing trend. Recently, introduced species have strengthened the filter feeder component of coastal ecosystems. Especially in shallow coastal seas like the Wadden Sea, this will enhance particle retention, shift organic matter degradation to the benthic compartment and enhance nutrient removal from the biogeochemical cycle by denitrification or apatite formation.     

Peaked abundance of Calanus sinicus earlier shifted in the Changjiang River (Yangtze River) Estuary: a comparable study between 1959, 2002 and 2005

The sea surface temperature (SST) of the East China Sea (ECS) increased in the past decades,which may have a great impact on the ecosystem of the ECS,including the changes in plankton-population structure.In this paper,the changes in peaked abundance of Calanus sinicus in the Changjiang River (Yangtze River) Estuary were compared between 1959 and 2002,based on the data collected from the seasonally oceanographic cruises and those performed in spring of 2005.It was much higher in spring compared with that in other seasons both in 1959 and 2002.Furthermore,in spring 2005,the time for occurrence and decrease of the peaked C.sinicus abundance advanced about one month, accompanying the increase in the sea surface water temperature (SST).It peaked in June and decreased in July in 1959,however,in 2005,it peaked in May and attenuated sharply in early June.The earlier decrease of peaked C.sinicus abundance may further deteriorate the ecosystem in the Changjiang River Estuary and north nearshore of the ECS.     

Size-differential feeding in Pinna nobilis L. (Mollusca: Bivalvia): Exploitation of detritus,phytoplankton and zooplankton

The endangered fan shell Pinna nobilis is a large bivalve mollusc (<120 cm shell length) endemic to the Mediterranean that lives one-third buried in soft substrata, generally in shallow coastal waters. We hypothesised that P. nobilis of different sizes would ingest different food sources, because small fan shells will inhale material from closer to the substratum than do large fan shells. We studied stomach contents and faeces of 18 fan shells, 6 small (mean 23.0 cm length), 6 medium-sized (mean 41.5 cm length) and 6 large (mean 62.7 cm length) living in a small area of a low-energy coastal detritic bottom characterised by mud, sand and macroalgae at Mali Ston Bay, Croatia. We found that all P. nobilis ingested copious quantities of undetermined detritus (probably at least 95% of ingested material), phytoplankton, micro and mesozooplankton and pollen grains. Large P. nobilis stomach contents showed a preponderance of water column calanoid copepods, while small fan shells had higher numbers of bivalve larvae. All fan shells took in high numbers of harpacticoid copepods that are benthonic, feeding on microbial communities of detritus and benthic vegetation. There was also a significant selection of phytoplankton species, some apparently occurring between inhalation and ingestion. The stomach contents of small P. nobilis had a higher organic matter content than either medium-sized or large fan shells; this indicated that small fan shells ingested detritus of higher organic content than did larger P. nobilis. As the faeces of all P. nobilis had similar organic matter content, this also indicates higher assimilation efficiencies in small fan shells. The demonstration of differential dietary selectivity by different sized animals has implications for future trophic studies of this endangered species. This study also provides the first demonstration of predation on zooplankton by P. nobilis.     

春、夏季长江口邻近水域浮游动物优势种的生态特征

依据2000～2003年长江口邻近海域5月和8月8个航次的调查资料,对长江口浮游动物优势种的生态特征进行了研究。根据优势种出现的年份,平均丰度、优势度、聚集强度和对总丰度变化的回归贡献,确定本区优势种的重要性为真刺唇角水蚤（Labidocera euchaeta）〉中华哲水蚤（Calanus sinicus）〉背针胸刺水蚤（Centropage dorsispinatus）。太平洋纺锤水蚤（Acartia pacifica）,火腿许水蚤（Schmackeria poplesia）和虫肢歪水蚤（Tortanus vermiculus）为次要优势种。马蹄娩螺（Limacina trochiformis）是偶然出现的优势种。中华哲水蚤在春季对总丰度贡献最大。真刺唇角水蚤是8个航次唯一的优势种,种群年间变化不显著。太平洋纺锤水蚤,火腿许水蚤和虫肢歪水蚤分布范围相对狭小,火腿许水蚤和虫肢歪水蚤分布在沿岸偏淡水的水体,适合较低的温度。太平洋纺锤水蚤分布在近岸偏成水的水体,适合较高的温度。     

Abundance and relationship of bacteria with transparent exopolymer particles during the 1996 summer monsoon in the Arabian Sea

Bacterial abundance and production, numbers, sizes and concentrations of transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) and total organic carbon (TOC) were measured during the 1996 summer monsoon to understand the relationship between TEP, the most labile particulate organic carbon, and bacteria. While high regional variability in the vertical distribution of TOC was discernible, TEP concentrations were high in surface waters at 18–20°N along 64°E with concentrations well over 25 mg alginic acid equivalents I⁻¹ due to upwelling induced productivity. Their concentrations decreased with depth and were lower between 200 and 500 m. Bacterial concentrations were up to 1.99 × 10⁸ I^–1 in the surface waters and decreased by an order of magnitude or more at depths below 500 m. A better relationship has been found between bacterial abundance and concentrations of TEP than between bacteria and TOC, indicating that bacterial metabolism is fueled by availability of TEP in the Arabian Sea. Assuming a carbon assimilation of 33%, bacterial carbon demand (BCD) is estimated to be 1.017 to 4.035 g C m^–2 d^–1 in the surface waters. The observed TEP concentrations appear to be sufficient in meeting the surface and subsurface BCD in the northern Arabian Sea.