A comparative study of the zooplankton in two adjacent embayments,Port Phillip and Westernport Bays,Australia

We report on a year's study of spatial and seasonal patterns of zooplankton abundance in Port Phillip and Westernport Bays, July 1982 to August 1983. These two bays, closely adjacent on the southern coast of Victoria, Australia, differ in several respects: Port Phillip is a nearly landlocked bay with a broad basin, while Westernport is an open tidal embayment with extensive mud and seagrass banks. Both bays have a resident zooplankton fauna distinct from that of Bass Strait. Although these resident communities have many species in common, patterns of abundance and dominance are quite different. We found that the holoplankton of Port Phillip was about half copepods, mostly Paracalanus indicus, with 23% Caldocera and 21% larvaceans. Westernport Bay zooplankton was dominated by Acartia tranteri, with no resident cladoceran fauna. Bass Strait species were more often found in Westernport than in Port Phillip Bay, but the resident community of Port Phillip Bay was more similar to that of Bass Strait than to that of Westernport.Although this study was undertaken in an exceptionally dry year, the available historical data show that the overall patterns found in 1982–1983 are typical for these bays. The differences in community composition probably relate to differences in depth profile, predator abundance, and suspended matter between the bays.     

A taxonomical and ecological survey of rotiffer communities in Krottensee (Austria)

The composition and distribution of benthic, periphytic and planktonic rotifers in different habitats in Krottensee were investigated. Sixty-five rotifer taxa were identified, their relative abundance estimated. Classification of the data set by cluster analysis allowed the recognition of distinct habitat groups confined to acid bog ponds, macrophytes, sediments and open water. Five groups of rotifer taxa were identified on the basis of their habitat preferences and the occurrence of the taxa. Highest diversities were found on macrophytes and in acid bog ponds.     

中国辽宁-浙江沿海地区川蔓草分布现状、生态特征及其主要威胁

川蔓草(Ruppia)是一种广泛分布在咸水、半咸水生境中的广义海草, 其形成的川蔓草床具有重要的生态学价值。然而, 对于其在中国境内的分布情况尚缺乏大范围的调查。基于此, 本研究于2016—2019年对中国辽宁-浙江沿海区域的川蔓草分布情况进行了初步调查, 探究了调查区域内川蔓草的生境分布类型, 及生态特征, 分析了川蔓草床的主要威胁, 并提出了对川蔓草床科学管理的建议。结果表明: 川蔓草在中国浙江省、江苏省、山东省、天津市、河北省、辽宁省均有分布; 分布面积超过2 100 ha; 该区域内分布的川蔓草物种均为中国川蔓草, 主要分布生境包括咸水养殖池塘、咸水沟渠(池塘)、盐场、瀉湖(湖泊)、潮间带(围堰)5类; 人类活动影响(人工清捞、施药、河道工程等)与极端气候事件(极端干旱事件)都会导致川蔓草床退化, 但大部分川蔓草床可以依靠沉积物中的种子库在环境适宜时进行种群恢复; 不同生境中的川蔓草种群特征差异较大, 因此, 对不同生境中的川蔓草应制定差异性管理措施。     

南海大鹏湾夜光藻种群在其生态群落中的地位和功能

分析了１９９１年上半年南海大鹏湾盐田水域夜光菏和浮游动、植物之间的种群动态关系，结果表明，在春季高峰期３月至５月初，调查海域共出现１２个夜光藻和浮游动、植物高峰。其中，以发生４次赤潮的夜光藻种群占主导地位，其次是枝角类的鸟啄尖头蚤，其最高数量高达９６２３８ｉｎｄ／ｍ＾３。相比之下，在夜光藻和枝角类岛啄尖头捕食压力的影响下，浮游植物的春季高峰并不显著。调查结果表明夜光藻的过度繁殖，不但对产浮游性卵的     

Community and Population Responses of the Macroinfauna to Physical Factors over a Range of Exposed Sandy Beaches in South-central Chile

Ten exposed sandy sites covering a range from reflective to dissipative beaches were sampled in south-central Chile to evaluate: (1) spatial changes in species richness, abundance and biomass of the intertidal macroinfauna in response to changes in mean grain size, beach face slope and beach type, and (2) spatial changes in abundance, biomass and body sizes of the most abundant species in response to changes in the physical factors. The number of species, abundance and biomass per beach in general decreased with increasing particle size and beach face slope (steeper beaches) and increased from reflective to dissipative conditions. The best fit for number of species was with Dean's parameter, a measure of beach type, whereas for abundance and biomass the best fits were found with particle size. The isopod Excirolana braziliensis and the anomuran Emerita analoga increased in abundance and biomass towards dissipative conditions, whereas Excirolana hirsuticauda showed the opposite trend in biomass and was significantly larger in beaches with steeper profiles. It is concluded that responses to changes in beach type are more pronounced at community level than within species populations.     

Descriptive Analysis and Classification of Benthic Communities in Some Mediterranean Coastal Lagoons (Central Italy)

Abstract. Benthic samples were taken seasonally at 32 stations in five coastal lagoons of Central Italy (Fogliano, Monaci, Caprolace, Fondi, and Lungo) during a two-year period (1982–1984). Composition and distribution of benthic populations in each lagoon as well as seasonal trends of species richness, density, diversity, and redundancy are presented and discussed.
The faunal differentiation appeared to be mainly due to the different degree of water exchange, both with marine and continental systems.     

Inter-annual variability in larval supply to populations of three invertebrate taxa in the northern California Current

We investigated sources of inter-annual variability in larval supply to crab and sea urchin populations at Bodega Head and Point Reyes in northern California. During the spring and summer upwelling seasons of the years 1992 through 1997 we monitored the weekly settlement rates of nine species of crabs and two species of sea urchins. As observed in previous studies, daily values of alongshore windstress, temperature and salinity provided evidence for the poleward flow of relatively warm, low salinity water from south of Point Reyes, an apparent retention zone, during upwelling relaxation events. In years dominated by these events (1992, 1993, 1995 and 1996) we observed that alongshore windstress, temperature and salinity were coherent and temperature was significantly correlated with cancrid crab settlement. During these years the magnitude of cancrid crab settlement and the fraction of cancrid crabs relative to other crab species settling were high. Over four years of concurrent sampling there was consistently greater cancrid crab settlement at the Point Reyes site, within the retention zone, than at Bodega Head. Settlement of non-cancrid crabs (porcellanids, grapsids, pagurids and majids) was not as closely linked to intra-annual patterns of upwelling and relaxation, possibly due to the shorter seasonal availability of larvae allowing for the influence of fewer relaxation events. Settlement of this group among years was positively correlated with environmental indicators of strong seasonal upwelling; high salinity, Bakun upwelling index and low temperature. Sea urchin settlement events were observed in June and July of 1992, 1994 and 1997 during warming periods when salinity and temperature were increasing and alongshore windstress was low. Across the six years of the study, we found that cancrid crab larvae had a more even seasonal availability than larvae of non-cancrid species, which settled in greatest numbers during the early portion of the upwelling season. Sea urchins settled in greatest numbers during the later part of the upwelling season. Together these patterns demonstrate the taxon-specific way that inter-annual variability in larval supply is forced by the coincidence of larval availability with favorable physical transport mechanisms.     

Impact of Two "El Niño" Events of Different Intensity on the Hypoxic Soft Bottom Macrobenthos off the Central Peruvian wast

Abstract. Monthly changes in the community structure of hypoxic soft-bottom macrobenthos have been studied at a station at 34 m depth in Ancón Bay (Peru) before and during two El Niño (EN) events. Of these events, 1982-83 is considered the strongest, and 1991–93 one of the most prolonged in the 20th century. On the oceanographic scale, EN 1982–83 ranges as "very strong", whereas EN 1991–93 ranges as "moderate".
The thermal anomalies at the station during EN 1982–83 (+ 7.8 °C) were almost twice those of EN 1991–93 (+ 4.1 °C). However, the community changes were not in all cases proportional to the extent of warming. Species numbers increased in a similar way (up to 24 species from near zero in each of the two events), but maximum faunal density was five times higher, and mean biomass was twice as high in 1982–83 compared with the event a decade later. Species diversity was slightly higher during EN 1982–83, whereas successional and trophic changes occurred on a broader scale during EN 1991–93. On the whole, the impact of the long-lasting event on the small soft-bottom macrofauna was not much weaker than that of the exceptionally strong event.
The authors discuss the mechanisms which may be responsible for the differences and similarities encountered in the benthic community dynamics during these two events. Both in the unusually strong and the unusually long EN, the community revealed a pattern of early biological response several months ahead of the onset of local warming which marks the official begin of EN. The question is addressed to what extent the increase of certain parameters in the benthic community could be used for predictive purposes.