The Role of a Macroalgal Covering Event on the Microphytobenthos Community in Intertidal Sediment (Marano Lagoon, Northern Adriatic Sea)

Abstract. This study examines the variation in microphytobenthos structure and functioning in an intertidal lagoon during a macroalgal covering event. Multivariate techniques, applied on the recorded data, highlighted a clear seasonal pattern except for the July sample. The sudden macroalgae ( Cladophora sp.) development, which occurred in that month, enabled us to identify the massive covering as a disturbance factor on the benthic ecosystem. This biotic anomaly affected benthic microalgal production and community respiration, shifting the ecosystem from a highly photoautotrophic to an heterotrophic condition as shown by the BTS Index. This trophic index is therefore a useful tool for identifying episodic stress events mainly in intertidal habitats.     

青岛潮间带大型底栖海藻群落的研究

在青岛潮间带布设了显浪咀、太平角和石老人3个断面,进行了为期1 a(2006年8月～2007年11月)的大型底栖海藻资源调查研究.结果表明:1. 青岛潮间带大型底栖海藻群落的种类组成中红藻种类最多,其次是褐藻,绿藻最少.2. 群落中大型底栖海藻的生物量有明显的季节变化:春季>夏季>秋季>冬季;生物量在垂直分布上表现出中、低潮带均大于高潮带;在水平分布上无明显差异.3. 底栖藻类群落优势种无季节性变化,第一优势种为孔石莼.4. 采集到大型底栖海藻43种,其中红藻门22属24种,占55.8%;褐藻门9属11种,占25.6%;绿藻门6属8种,占18.6%.     

底栖生物生产力现场测试系统(BCSPM)的建立及其初步实验结果

为对生态系统的健康评估及底栖生物资源的开发利用提供技术支撑,在胶州湾筏式养殖水域,建立了底栖生物生产力现场测试系统(BCSPM),并在光照和黑暗条件下测定了沉积物海水界面溶解氧随时间的变化、计算了氧通量、估算了底栖总初级生产力和群落呼吸。在光照较强的中午时刻测定的群落总生产力为20．76mgCm^-2h^-1;养殖水域沉积物中的群落呼吸要高于邻近水域。BCSPM整体运转良好,初步结果为系统的改进和进一步实验提供了依据。     

Benthic primary production, respiration and remineralisation: in situ measurements in the soft-bottom Abra alba community of the western English Channel (North Brittany)

In situ measurements of ammonium and carbon dioxide fluxes were performed using benthic chambers at the end of spring and the end of summer in two soft-bottom Abra alba communities of the western English Channel (North Brittany): the muddy sand community (5 m, about 10% of surface irradiance) and the fine-sand community (19 m, about 1% of surface irradiance). High rates of ammonium regeneration were measured in the two communities at the end of summer (296.03±40.07 and 201.7±62.74 μmolN m⁻² h⁻¹, respectively) as well as high respiration rates (2.60±0.94 and 2.23±0.59 mmolC m⁻² h⁻¹, respectively). Significant benthic gross primary production (up to 6.11 mmolC m⁻² h⁻¹) was measured in the muddy sand community but no benthic primary production was measured in the fine-sand community. It suggests that microphytobenthic production values used in simulations previously published for these two communities were overestimated while values of community respiration were underestimated. The study confirms that this benthic system is heterotrophic and strengthens the idea that an important pelagic-benthic coupling is required for the functioning in such coastal ecosystems.     

Plankton community and bacterial metabolism in Arctic sea ice leads during summer 2010

Microbial plankton metabolism was examined during summer 2010 in sea ice-influenced waters of the Fram Strait, eastern Arctic Ocean. Rates of gross primary production and community respiration were tightly coupled over a wide range of values (33±3–143±6 and 20±3–126±6 mmol O₂ m^{−2  −1}, respectively) leading to a prevalence of positive net community production. The high variability in community respiration, similar to that of gross primary production, suggests that heterotrophic metabolism may exhibit a significant response to environmental change. Bacterial respiration was assessed at similar time scales to bacterial production measurements, by determining the in vivo INT reduction capacity without pre-filtering the community. Bacteria seem to play a major role in total community respiration, contributing between 5% and 61% of total community respiration, indicating that a high fraction of the organic carbon in Arctic planktonic food webs could flow through these microbes.     

Seasonal Variations in Benthic Community Metabolism and Nitrogen Dynamics in a Shallow, Organic-Poor Danish Lagoon

The dynamics of benthic primary production and community respiration in a shallow oligotrophic, marine lagoon (Fællestrand, Denmark) was followed for 1·5 years. The shape of the annual primary production cycle was explained primarily by seasonal changes in temperature (r² = 0·67-0·72) and daylength (r² = 0·63), whereas temperature almost explained all variation in benthic community respiration (r² = 0·83-0·87). On a daily basis the benthic system was autotrophic during spring and summer supplied by 'new' and 'regenerated' nitrogen and predominantly heterotrophic during fall and winter caused by light and nutrient limitation. The linear depth-relationship between porewater alkalinity and ammonium indicated that the C:N ratio of mineralized organic matter is low in spring and summer (3-6) and high in fall and winter (9-16). This is inversely related to net primary production and thus the input of labile, nitrogen-rich algal cells. Accordingly, mineralization occurred predominantly in the upper 2-5 cm of the sediment. The pool of reactive material (microalgal cells) was estimated to account for 12% of total organic carbon in the upper 3 cm, and had an average turnover time of less than 1 month in summer. Assimilation of organic carbon by benthic animals was equivalent to about 30% of the annual gross primary production. Grazing reduced chlorophyll a concentration in the sediment during summer and spring to values 30-40% lower than in winter, but maintained a 3-4 times higher specific microalgal productivity. The rapid turnover of organic carbon and nitrogen, and important role of benthic microalgae showed that the benthic community in this oligotrophic lagoon is of a very dynamic nature.     

Diel variation of benthic respiration in a coral reef sediment (Reunion Island,Indian Ocean)

Oxygen and total dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) fluxes at the water–sediment interface were measured using benthic chambers to assess the short-term variations of community respiration (CR) in the back reef sediments of Reunion Island (Indian Ocean). Benthic CR had a daily cycle of minimal (6:00 AM) and maximal values (6:00 PM), showing increases of oxygen and DIC fluxes of 2.8- and 3.8-fold, respectively. Average CR values were observed at midday and midnight. The evolution of fluxes was positively related to oxygen concentration in ambient water, but not to temperature changes. In the study area, high daytime primary production augments the amount of energy available for community metabolism and increases benthic respiration. The benthic communities are therefore subjected to short-term variable environmental conditions with oxygen supersaturation during the day, and moderately hypoxic conditions at the end of the night.     

Plankton metabolism and bacterial growth efficiency in offshore waters along a latitudinal transect between the UK and Svalbard

Euphotic zone gross primary production, community respiration and net community production were determined from in vitro changes of dissolved oxygen, and from in vivo INT reduction capacity fractionated into two size classes, in offshore waters along a latitudinal transect crossing the North, Norwegian and Greenland Seas between the UK and Svalbard. Rates of gross primary production were higher and more variable than community respiration, so net autotrophy prevailed in the euphotic zone with an average net community production of 164±64 mmol O₂ m⁻² d⁻¹. Respiration seemed to be mainly attributed to large eukaryotic cells (>0.8 µm) with smaller cells, mainly bacteria, accounting for a mean of 25% (range 5–48%) of community respiration. Estimates of bacterial growth efficiency were very variable (range 7–69%) due to uncoupling between bacterial respiration and production. Larger cells tended to contribute more towards total respiration in communities with high gross primary production and low community respiration, while bacteria contributed more towards total respiration in communities with lower gross primary production, typical of microbial-dominated systems. This suggests that community respiration is related to the size structure of the plankton community.     

Productivity cycles in the coastal upwelling area off Concepción: The importance of diatoms and bacterioplankton in the organic carbon flux

Recurrent coastal upwelling is recognized as one of the main factors promoting the exceptionally high productivity of the Humboldt Current System. Herein, we study time series data of gross primary production (2003-2006) and its fluctuation in relation to seasonal changes in the light and nutrient field of the Concepción upwelling ecosystem. Concurrent measurements of gross primary production, community respiration, bacterial secondary production, and sedimentation rates allowed a characterization of the main carbon fluxes and pathways in the study area. The integrated values of gross primary production were higher during the upwelling period (>1 g C m⁻² d⁻¹; October-April; that is, early spring to early austral fall). Seasonal changes in the system were also reflected in community respiration, organic matter sedimentation, and bacterial production rates, which varied along with the gross primary production. The significant correlation between gross primary production and community respiration (Spearman, r = 0.7; p < 0.05; n = 18) reflected an important degree of coupling between organic matter formation and its usage by the microplanktonic community during periods when gross primary production/community respiration were highly similar. Higher gross primary production values (>6 g C m⁻² d⁻¹) were consistently associated with maximum biomass levels of Skeletonema costatum and Thalassiosira subtilis. We observed a positive correlation between gross primary production and the sedimentation of intact diatom cells (Spearman, r = 0.5, p < 0.05, n = 17). Our data suggest that, in the Concepción upwelling ecosystem, bacteria utilize an important fraction of the gross primary production. If our interpretations are correct, they leave unanswered the question of how the system supports the extremely high fish biomass levels, therein pointing out the system’s limited capacity to buffer the evasion of CO₂ following upwelling.     

Biophysical control of intertidal benthic macroalgae revealed by high-frequency multispectral camera images

Intertidal benthic macroalgae are a biological quality indicator in estuaries and coasts. While remote sensing has been applied to quantify the spatial distribution of such macroalgae, it is generally not used for their monitoring. We examined the day-to-day and seasonal dynamics of macroalgal cover on a sandy intertidal flat using visible and near-infrared images from a time-lapse camera mounted on a tower. Benthic algae were identified using supervised, semi-supervised and unsupervised classification techniques, validated with monthly ground-truthing over one year. A supervised classification (based on maximum likelihood, using training areas identified in the field) performed best in discriminating between sediment, benthic diatom films and macroalgae, with highest spectral separability between macroalgae and diatoms in spring/summer. An automated unsupervised classification (based on the Normalised Differential Vegetation Index NDVI) allowed detection of daily changes in macroalgal coverage without the need for calibration. This method showed a bloom of macroalgae (filamentous green algae, Ulva sp.) in summer with > 60% cover, but with pronounced superimposed day-to-day variation in cover. Waves were a major factor in regulating macroalgal cover, but regrowth of the thalli after a summer storm was fast (2 weeks). Images and in situ data demonstrated that the protruding tubes of the polychaete Lanice conchilega facilitated both settlement (anchorage) and survival (resistance to waves) of the macroalgae. Thus, high-frequency, high resolution images revealed the mechanisms for regulating the dynamics in cover of the macroalgae and for their spatial structuring. Ramifications for the mode, timing, frequency and evaluation of monitoring macroalgae by field and remote sensing surveys are discussed.     

嵊泗列岛潮间带群落生态学研究 Ⅲ.岩相潮间带底栖生物的种类分布

对嵊泗列岛岩相潮间带底栖生物种类分布进行的研究表明,种类的水平分布主要受盐度及海岸开敞度的影响,从近岸到外海,随着盐度及海岸开敞度的增加,潮间带底栖生物的种类数呈增加的趋势。不同海区的优势种不同,近岸较屏蔽区以软体动物及甲壳动物占优势,外海开敞区以甲壳动物及藻类占优势,近外海较开敞区为一过渡区;种类的垂直分布主要受潮区及海岸开敞度的影响,各海区不同潮区生物种类数均为中潮区多于低潮区多于高潮区,高潮区基本上为滨螺分布带,中潮区为日本笠藤壶－藻类带,低潮区为藻类带;外海区种类的季节变化明显,近岸区种类季节变化小。所有物种中,以底栖海藻的季节变化最为明显。     

Temporal variation of intertidal seagrass in southern China (2008–2014)

Understanding the temporal dynamics of seagrasses and the major influences on seagrass growth is critical for seagrass habitat conservation and administration. However, little work has been done regarding these issues in southern China. To examine inter-annual and seasonal variations of the intertidal Halophila ovalis community in southern China, we conducted quarterly sampling using the SeagrassNet methodology and assessed environmental conditions as well as direct anthropogenic impacts on the seagrass meadow from July 2008 to October 2014. Our study demonstrated strong inter-annual and seasonal dynamics of the intertidal seagrass meadow in the study area. Generally, the community performed best (highest seagrass cover, leaf area, shoot density, total biomass) in summer and worst in spring among the 4 seasons. The temporal variations in the seagrass community attributes (e.g. above-ground biomass) were significantly affected by precipitation, atmospheric visibility, and salinity, while leaf width was significantly negatively correlated with temperature, atmospheric visibility and salinity. Temperature was a major factor influencing the seagrass community (both macroalgae and seagrass), with temperature data showing an inverse relationship between seagrass and macroalgae. The above-ground: below-ground biomass ratio and leaf width of H. ovalis were the most sensitive plant parameters monitored when assessing environmental interactions. Human physical disturbances did not have a significant effect on seagrass dynamics in the study area. We concluded that long-term monitoring (like SeagrassNet) is valuable in understanding the relationship between environmental variables and seagrasses.     

Primary production and community respiration in a warm streamer associated with Kuroshio warm core ring in spring

Daily rates of gross primary production, net community production and community respiration were determined in spring of 1997 at two stations in a warm streamer off Sanriku, Japan fromin vitro changes in dissolved oxygen. The phytoplankton community was composed of chlorophytes, cryptophytes and prymnesiophytes as determined by biomarker pigment analysis. Gross production, integrated from the surface to its 1% light level was 52.5 and 80.4 mmol O₂ m⁻²d⁻¹. The difference in gross production is ascribed to variations in photosynthetic activity of the population. Community respiration was 17.4 and 49.5 mmol O₂ m⁻²d⁻¹, and positive net community production was found within the euphotic zone. The contribution of autotrophic and heterotrophic respiration to community respiration was estimated on the basis of the observed respiration and the phytoplankton composition. Heterotrophic respiration was calculated to be highly variable and the observed difference in community respiration was due to heterotrophic respiration. Heterotrophic respiration was considered to play an important role in the rapid mineralization of organic materials.     

Spatial distribution of zooplankton in the intertidal marsh creeks of the Yangtze River Estuary,China

Zooplankton are important grazers of primary production within intertidal marshes and are the optimal prey of higher trophic consumers; however, the patterns of their spatial distribution in marsh creeks are rarely reported. The zooplankton in the intertidal creeks with different salinities at Dongtan marshes of the Yangtze River Estuary was surveyed. The mean zooplankton densities in the intertidal creeks were 53,638 ind. m⁻³ in April and 132,916 ind. m⁻³ in July, respectively, which were as high as in the near-shore subtidal waters of the Yangtze River Estuary. This high abundance implied the important roles of zooplankton in the matter flux between marshes and near-shore waters through complex intertidal creek systems. Zooplankton total densities changed significantly from northern to southern creeks. ANOSIM and CCA analyses revealed that the zooplankton community structure were significantly different among the northern, eastern and southern creeks, and between two sampling seasons. Salinity accounted for most of the spatial variation of zooplankton community, whereas water temperature, chlorophyll a concentration, and pH were the main reasons of the temporal variation observed. Copepods were the most abundant zooplankton group. A total of 24 copepod species, belonging to 15 families and 20 genera, were recorded. Planktonic copepods preferred the northern and eastern creeks, with higher densities in July than in April, while benthic copepods predominated only in the northern creeks in April. Since the role of benthic and planktonic copepods may differ in transporting nutrients in the intertidal creeks, it is suggested that the variations in their distribution may influence the ecological functions of zooplankton in the estuarine matter fluxes both spatially and temporally.     

大亚湾夏季浮游群落生产代谢特征及其影响因素*

2017年8月对大亚湾海域浮游群落初级生产、群落呼吸代谢及其平衡特征进行了研究, 并分析了其潜在环境影响因素以及对沿岸生态系统功能与健康的指示作用。研究结果表明, 大亚湾夏季海水表层呈自养状态, 而底层呈异养状态, 群落总初级生产力(gross primary productivity, GPP)、呼吸代谢速率(community respiration, CR)与净生产力(net commutnitiy production, NCP)在表层分别为1335.36±910.12、597.86±403.30和737.50±608.22mg C·m^-3·d^-1; 在底层分别为43.65±37.05、216.25±147.28和-160.27±137.01mg C·m^-3·d^-1。海湾整体呈自养状态, 水柱平均NCP为233.41±248.88mg C·m^-3·d^-1; 部分沿岸水域存在异养状态。1~200μm粒级浮游生物是GPP和CR的主要贡献者。相关性分析和主成分分析显示, NCP在表层受GPP和CR共同调控, 且与浮游植物生物量和营养盐正相关; 而在底层主要受CR影响, 且与盐度正相关。大亚湾夏季群落生产代谢平衡存在明显的水平和垂向变化, NCP的区域差异与潜在波动性对该海湾生态系统稳定性及健康状况有重要的指示作用。     

杭州湾北岸潮间带生态学研究——Ⅰ.软相底栖动物群落调查

地处陆、海交界的潮间带,底栖生物与栖息环境密切相关,环境一旦受污染,生物群落结构将发生变化,影响到生态平衡。位于杭州湾北岸中部的上海石油化工总厂,投产后对该湾环境质量是否有潜在污染的可能性,将是个重大问题。为了比较本厂投产后对本区域生态学的影响,在上海市环境保护局领导下,上海石油化工总厂、上海市卫生防疫站、国家水产总局东海水产研究所和国家海洋局第三海洋研究所等单位相互协作,自1975年5月开始在该湾软相潮间带设五个断面,逐年定期地开展调查。     

秦皇岛市潮间带大型海藻的种类分析和季节演替

2017年2-11月,对河北省秦皇岛市山海关、海港和北戴河潮间带大型海藻的组成、分布和季节演替情况展开了调查研究工作。调查结果显示:此次共采集到隶属3门23属的41种大型海藻,其中红藻门13属20种,褐藻门7属9种,绿藻门3属12种,分别占总采集种数的48.78%,21.95%和29.27%;海港大型海藻种类最多为35种,其次是北戴河20种,山海关最少为19种,分别占总采集种数的85.37%,48.78%和46.34%;春季优势种类为长石莼(Ulva linza)、多管藻(Polysiphonia senticulosa)、裙带菜(Undaria pinnatifida)、绳藻(Chorda filum)、酸藻(Desmarestia viridis)和海黍子(Sargassum muticum),夏季优势种类为长石莼、孔石莼(U.Pertusa)、刺松藻(Codium fragile)、海黍子、小石花菜(Gelidium divaricatum)、亚栉状蜈蚣藻(Grateloupia subpectinata)和假根羽藻(Bryopsis corticulans),秋季优势种类为长石莼和裂片石莼(U. fasciata),冬季优势种类为长石莼。优势种类生物量测定结果表明,优势种类生物量在不同采样点、不同季节表现出明显差异,如海港春季的裙带菜生物量最大(4 110.8 g·m-2),绳藻的生物量最小(92.32 g·m-2)。     

Freshwater seepages and ephemeral macroalgae proliferation in an intertidal bay: I Effect on benthic community structure and food web

Freshwater seepages and ephemeral Enteromorpha spp. proliferation create heterogeneity at small spatial scale in intertidal sediment. Macrobenthic community diversity was compared between these two disturbances and their respective control points throughout the year 2007 at the Roscoff Aber Bay (Western English Channel, France). In March and September 2007, trophic community pathways of characteristic species were additionally studied using stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen. The low salinity recorded at the freshwater seepage induced the exclusion of the main bioturbator and the presence of omnivores which modified the community composition by biotic pressure. Moreover, food web analyses clearly highlighted a separation at small spatial scale between the two trophic pathways of the impacted area and its control. On the contrary, little differences were observed owning to the ephemeral Enteromorpha spp. proliferation. This suggested a progressive and diffusive disturbance which was applied from the algal mat to the nearby area. However, seasonal changes were observed. First, the algal expansion phase increased the macrofauna diversity and foraminifers’ abundance (meiofauna) and then acted as a physical barrier decreasing sediment and water column exchanges and decreasing the fauna diversity. This study highlights the need to take into account small spatial heterogeneity to avoid misinterpretations in intertidal ecology studies.     

Changes in trophic flow structure of Independence Bay (Peru) over an ENSO cycle

During the strong warm El Niño (EN) that occurred in 1997/98, Independence Bay (14°S, Peru) showed a ca. 10 °C increase in surface temperatures, higher oxygen concentrations, and clearer water due to decreased phytoplankton concentrations. Under these quasi-tropical conditions, many benthic species suffered (e.g. macroalgae, portunid crabs, and polychaetes) while others benefited (e.g. scallop, sea stars, and sea urchins). The most obvious change was the strong recruitment success and subsequent proliferation of the scallop Argopecten purpuratus, whose biomass increased fiftyfold. To understand these changes, steady-state models of the bay ecosystem trophic structure were constructed and compared for a normal upwelling year (1996) and during an EN (1998), and longer-term dynamics (1996–2003) were explored based on time series of catch and biomass using Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) software. Model inputs were based on surveys and landings data collected by the Instituto del Mar del Perú (IMARPE). Results indicate that while ecosystem size (total throughput) is reduced by 18% during EN, mainly as a result of decreased total primary production, benthic biomass remains largely unchanged despite considerable shifts in the dominant benthic taxa (e.g. scallops replace polychaetes as secondary consumers). Under normal upwelling conditions, predation by snails and crabs utilize the production of their prey almost completely, resulting in more efficient energy flow to higher trophic levels than occurs during EN. However during EN, the proliferation of the scallop A. purpuratus combined with decreased phytoplankton increased the proportion of directly utilized primary production, while exports and flows to detritus are reduced. The simulations suggest that the main cause for the scallop outburst and for the reduction in crab and macroalgae biomass was a direct temperature effect, whereas other changes are partially explained by trophic interactions. The simulations suggest that bottom-up effects largely control the system.     

大连温带海域潮间带底栖海藻固碳和储碳潜力模拟研究

底栖海藻是海洋生态系统中重要的初级生产力，开展其固碳和储碳机制研究，有利于提高对我国海域海洋固碳和储碳潜力的认识。本文基于海区条件的模拟，开展了大连海域潮间带优势海藻的日固碳量、日呼吸量和日有机碳释放量的测定，结合海区生物量的调查，阐述了3个海藻床潮间带海藻固碳和储碳的季节变化规律。结果显示:在海藻固碳能力方面，绿藻类的固碳能力最强，褐藻类次之，红藻类最低。大连海域潮间带海藻的固碳量、储碳量和有机碳释放量在12月至5月处于较高水平，6月至11月较低，平均每个海藻床潮间带区域年固碳量和年有机碳释放量分别为1.72×105 g/a和2.1×104 g/a。潮间带海藻月固碳量是储碳量的1.7倍。