Temporal and spatial variability of phytoplankton monitored by a combination of monitoring buoys,pigment analysis and fast screening microscopy in the Fehmarn Belt Estuary

For 2 years, a baseline investigation was carried out to collect reference information of the present environmental status in the Fehmarn Belt and adjacent area. The temporal and spatial variability of phytoplankton was monitored by a combination of monitoring buoys, pigment analysis and fast screening microscopy. The overall phytoplankton succession in the Fehmarn Belt area was found to be influenced primarily by the seasonal changes, where various diatoms dominated the spring and autumn blooms and flagellates like Chrysochromulina sp., Dictyocha speculum and various dinoflagellates were occasionally abundant in late spring and summer. The phytoplankton groups were remarkably uniform horizontally in the investigation area while large differences in both biomasses and composition of individual phytoplankton groups were seen vertically in the water column, especially in the summer periods, in which the two-layer exchange flow between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea is showing a particularly strong stratification in the Fehmarn Belt. The chlorophyll a concentrations ranged continuously from 1 to 3 μg/L at the three permanent buoy stations during the 2 years of monitoring, except for the spring and autumn blooms where chlorophyll a increased up to 18 μg/L in the spring of 2010 and up to 8 μg/L in the autumn of 2009. Recurrent blooms of filamentous cyanobacteria are common during the summer period in the Baltic Sea and adjacent areas, but excessive blooms of cyanobacteria did not occur in 2009 and 2010 in the Fehmarn Belt area. The combination of the HPLC pigment analysis method and monitoring buoys continuously measuring fluorescence at selected stations with fast screening of samples in the microscope proved advantageous for obtaining information on both the phytoplankton succession and dynamic and, at the same time, getting information on duration and intensity of the blooms as well as specific information on the dominant species present both temporally and spatially in the large Fehmarn Belt area.     

太阳山湿地浮游植物优势功能群季节演替特征及驱动因子分析

为探明太阳山湿地浮游植物优势功能群季节演替规律及其主要驱动因子,于2019年4月(春季)、7月(夏季)、10月(秋季)和2020年1月(冬季)采样分析了太阳山湿地浮游植物的种类组成、优势种、丰度、生物量及季节变化,同时测定了水环境理化因子指标,采用冗余分析方法研究了浮游植物优势功能群的优势度、丰度与水环境因子之间的关系。结果表明:太阳山湿地浮游植物可分为22个功能类群;优势功能群的季节演替和空间分异特征明显,存在一定的规律性。春、秋、冬3个季节的浮游植物以硅藻门为主,夏季以绿藻门和蓝藻门为主。春季优势功能群主要为D、C、P,以硅藻门种类为主;夏季优势功能群主要为J、Lo、TC、M、H1,以硅藻门、绿藻门、蓝藻门种类为主;秋季优势功能群主要为D、S1、MP,以硅藻门、绿藻门种类为主;冬季优势功能群主要为D、X3,以硅藻门种类为主。影响太阳山湿地浮游植物优势功能群季节演替的水环境因子有水温(WT)、pH、溶解氧(DO)、透明度(SD)、盐度(Sal)、氮磷营养元素含量、化学需氧量(COD_Cr)和高锰酸盐指数(COD_Mn)。4个湖区浮游植物优势功能群的时空差异与水环境因子密切相关,其中,西湖区浮游植物优势功能群的季节演替驱动因子为pH、DO、WT、总磷(TP),东湖区为pH、DO、WT、氮磷营养元素含量,南湖区为pH、DO、COD_Cr、五日生化需氧量(BOD₅),小南湖区为pH、DO、WT、BOD₅、COD_Cr、TP。pH、DO、WT、BOD₅、SD等水环境因子的季节差异以及TP、TN、氨氮(NH₃-N)、COD_Mn等水环境因子的湖区差异是太阳山湿地浮游植物优势功能群出现季节演替的主要原因。     

Variations in seasonal phytoplankton assemblages as a response to environmental changes in the surface waters of a hypo saline coastal station along the Bhagirathi�CHooghly estuary

Due to the close proximity of the Bay of Bengal and the freshwater inflow of Bhagirathi-Hooghly, Diamond Harbour appeared as an important coastal station of the Bhagirathi-Hooghly estuary. The spatial and temporal composition and abundance of microphytoplankton species was examined in relation to physical and chemical surface water variables (i.e., salinity, nutrient, and temperature).The primary objective of the study was to observe the variations in phytoplankton species assemblages as a response to environmental variables. Hierarchical cluster analysis and non-metric multidimensional scaling were used to find out distinct seasonal groups based on the composition of phytoplankton. The results indicate that several key environmental factors like temperature, DIN content, and molar ratio of nutrients like DIN-DIP and DIN-DSi influenced seasonal phytoplankton assemblages within the estuary. The distribution of phytoplankton population showed two main groups where the blue-green and green algal populations favored the warmer conditions of summer and monsoon months, whereas the diatom population primarily flourished in the cooler months of autumn and winter.     

新安江水库浮游植物群落特征及影响因素分析

为了解新安江水库浮游植物群落特征及影响因素,于2008年1月—2009年12月,对其浮游植物和相关理化因子进行了单月1次的采样。共检测到浮游植物103种(属),浮游植物密度为1.46×106~2.55×107cells/L,年平均密度为6.09×106cells/L,春、秋季出现2个密度峰值;浮游植物组成随季节变化有所不同,春、冬季硅藻、隐藻占优势,夏季蓝藻、绿藻占优势,秋季蓝藻、硅藻占优势;浮游植物密度与TP、Chl-a及上月降水量均呈显著正相关,与透明度呈显著负相关,与TN相关性不明显;水库的水文形势季节性变化显著影响浮游植物结构和密度的变化,浮游植物生长短期效应明显受流域降水和温度双重影响;从大尺度生态效应角度看,食物网的下行效应可能是目前影响新安江水库浮游植物密度的主导因素,大规模滤食性的杂食性鱼类对浮游动物造成较高的捕食压力,间接促进了浮游植物种群的增长;磷是关键的营养盐因子,保持水体低磷浓度和氮磷比大于100,对降低浮游植物密度有现实意义。     

Phytoplankton abundance and pigment biomarkers in the oligotrophic, eastern Adriatic estuary

Phytoplankton distribution and environmental characteristics were determined in a shallow, highly stratified and oligotrophic estuary (Zrmanja, eastern Adriatic). Samples were collected in two contrasting seasons; winter (February 2000), when river discharge was high, and in summer (July 2003), a period of drought. Phytoplankton distribution was closely related to salinity gradients, nutrient levels, and water residence time. Microscopic analysis revealed that phytoplankton was composed mainly of marine diatoms, dinoflagellates, cryptophytes, green flagellates, and coccolithophorids. The dominant biomarker pigments were fucoxanthin, alloxanthin and 19'-hexanoyloxyfucoxanthin, while lower, but indicative contributions of peridinin and chlorophyll b were also noted. Maximum abundance and biomass were found in the middle estuary in winter and in the upper estuary in summer. The estuary is mostly P-limited. Development of chain-forming marine diatoms was evident in winter. Due to the reduced nutrient input in summer, the biomass accumulated in the upper estuary (1,000 ng chlorophyll a l(-1)) was composed mostly of nanoplanktonic unicellular diatoms, nanoplanktonic marine dinoflagellates, cryptophytes, and chlorophytes. The concentrations of about 200 ng l(-1) hex-fuco, suggested that the contribution of prymnesiophytes to total biomass was comparable to that of diatoms and dinoflagellates. In the middle estuary and coastal sea, PO(4) and TIN were 3.5 times lower, resulting in a fivefold decrease in biomass (<100 ng chlorophyll a l(-1)). The oligotrophic Zrmanja and other karstic rivers discharging in the eastern Adriatic Sea, provide insufficient source of nutrients and low productivity of the eastern Adriatic Sea.     

烟台西港倾倒区海域浮游生物的群落特征

分析了倾倒活动结束后烟台西港倾倒区海域浮游生物的群落结构特征。结果表明,浮游植物群落具有硅藻为主、甲藻为次的特征,生态性质以温带近岸性物种为主。倾倒区停用后,硅藻数量大幅增加。桡足类、浮游幼虫及毛颚类的强壮箭虫是浮游动物群落的主要组成。浮游动物丰度、生物量与浮游植物丰度变化趋势大体一致。多样性分析表明,浮游生物群落结构比较稳定,倾倒区海域生态环境质量尚好。     

River discharge as a major driving force on spatial and temporal variations in zooplankton biomass and community structure in the Godavari estuary India

Variability in horizontal zooplankton biomass distribution was investigated over 13 months in the Godavari estuary, along with physical (river discharge, temperature, salinity), chemical (nutrients, particulate organic matter), biological (phytoplankton biomass), and geological (suspended matter) properties to examine the influencing factors on their spatial and temporal variabilities. The entire estuary was filled with freshwater during peak discharge period and salinity near zero, increased to ~ 34 psu during dry period with relatively high nutrient levels during former than the latter period. Due to low flushing time (< 1 day) and high suspended load (> 500 mg L^?1) during peak discharge period, picoplankton (cyanophyceae) contributed significantly to the phytoplankton biomass (Chl-a) whereas microplankton and nanoplankton (bacillariophyceae, and chlorophyceae) during moderate and mostly microplankton during dry period. Zooplankton biomass was the lowest during peak discharge period and increased during moderate followed by dry period. The zooplankton abundance was controlled by dead organic matter during peak discharge period, while both phytoplankton biomass and dead organic matter during moderate discharge and mostly phytoplankton biomass during dry period. This study suggests that significant modification of physico-chemical properties by river discharge led to changes in phytoplankton composition and dead organic matter concentrations that alters biomass, abundance, and composition of zooplankton in the Godavari estuary.     

Investigating the impacts of treated effluent discharge on coastal water health (Visakhapatnam,SW coast of Bay of Bengal,India)

The present study investigated the impacts of treated effluent discharge on physicochemical and biological properties of coastal waters from three pharmaceuticals situated along the coast of Visakhapatnam (SW Bay of Bengal). Seawater samples were collected (during the months of December 2013, March 2014 and April 2014) from different sampling locations (Chippada (CHP), Tikkavanipalem (TKP) and Nakkapalli (NKP)) at 0- and 30-m depths within 2-km radius (0.5 km = inner, 1 km = middle and 2 km?=?outer sampling circles) from the marine outfall points. Physicochemical and biological parameters, which differed significantly within the stations, were likely to be influenced by strong seasonality rather than local discharge. Dissolved oxygen variability was tightly coupled with both physical and biological processes. Phytoplankton cell density and total chlorophyll (TChla) concentrations were significantly correlated with dissolved inorganic nutrient concentrations. CHP (December) represented a diatom bloom condition where the highest concentrations of diatom cells, total chlorophyll (TChla), dissolved oxygen coupled with lower zooplankton abundance and low nutrient levels were noticed. The centric diatom, Chaetoceros sp. (>?50%) dominated the phytoplankton community. TKP (March) represented a post-diatom bloom phase with the dominance of Pseudo-nitzschia seriata; zooplankton abundance and nutrient concentrations were minimum. Conversely, NKP (April) represented a warm well-stratified heterotrophic period with maximum zooplankton and minimum phytoplankton density. Dinoflagellate abundance increased at this station. Relatively higher water temperature, salinity, inorganic nutrients coupled with very low concentrations of dissolved oxygen, TChla and pH were observed at this station. Copepods dominated the zooplankton communities in all stations and showed their highest abundance in the innermost sampling circles. Treated effluent discharge did not seem to have any significant impact at these discharge points.     

Assessing the micro-phytoplankton response to nitrate in Comau Fjord (42°S) in Patagonia (Chile), using a microcosms approach

Anthropogenic (aquaculture) changes in environment nutrient concentrations may affect phytoplankton (biomass and taxa composition) in marine coastal waters off the Chilean Patagonia. The effects of adding nitrate (NO₃ ^?) to natural phytoplankton assemblages were evaluated considering biomass, cell abundance, and taxonomic composition. Microcosm experiments were performed in the spring, summer, and winter in the Comau Fjord located in Subantarctic Patagonia. At the end of the experiments, NO₃ ^? decreased rapidly and was undetectable in treatments, indicating a strong NO₃ ^? deficiency associated with an exponential increase in Chl-a concentrations, particulate organic nitrogen, and carbon in these treatments. Moreover, given the depleted nitrate concentrations of the spring and summer experiments, the micro-phytoplankton taxa structure shifted from mixed diatom and dinoflagellate assemblages (Ceratium spp., Dinophysis spp., Coscinodiscus sp., Rhizosolenia pungens) to assemblages dominated by blooms of the classic chain-forming diatoms found in temperate and cold waters such as Chaetoceros spp., Skeletonema spp., and Thalassiosira spp. Thus, nitrogen sources (i.e., nitrate, ammonia) may influence phytoplankton abundance and biomass accumulation dynamics in the northern section of Patagonia. It also emphasizes the importance of diatom taxa in regards to the short-term response of phytoplankton to changing environmental nutrient conditions due to natural (decreasing freshwater stream flow) and anthropogenic (aquaculture) events. This situation may be one of the future scenarios in the Patagonian fjords, thus stressing the needs for active environmental monitoring and impact assessment.     

东平湖浮游动物对南水北调东线运行的时空响应

东平湖是南水北调东线工程输水线路下游的最后一个调蓄湖泊.为探究调水后的东平湖浮游动物时空响应,于2016—2017年对东平湖浮游动物进行了涵盖春(4月)、夏(7月)、秋(10月)、冬(1月)的4次调查,共检出浮游动物3类72种(属),其中,轮虫51种(70.83％)、枝角类11种(15.28％)、桡足类10种(13.8...     

Revisiting the Chesapeake Bay Phytoplankton Index of Biotic Integrity

In 2006, a phytoplankton index of biotic integrity (PIBI) was published for Chesapeake Bay Lacouture et al. (Estuaries 29(4):598–616, 2006). The PIBI was developed from data collected during the first 18 years (1985–2002) of the Chesapeake Bay Program long-term phytoplankton and water quality monitoring programs. Combinations of up to nine phytoplankton metrics were selected to characterize bay habitat health according to plankton community condition in spring and summer seasons across four salinity zones. The independent data available at the time for index validation was not sufficient to test the PIBI because they lacked critical index parameters (pheophytin and dissolved organic carbon) and reference samples for some seasons and salinity zones. An additional 8 years of monitoring data (2003–2010) are now available to validate the original index, reassess index performance and re-examine long-term trends in PIBI conditions in the Bay. The PIBI remains sensitive to changes in nutrient and light conditions. Evaluation of the PIBI results over the entire 1985–2010 time period shows no discernible trends in the overall health of Bay habitat based on phytoplankton community conditions. This lack of overall PIBI trend appears to be a combined response to declines in water clarity and improvements in dissolved inorganic nitrogen and dissolved phosphorus conditions in the bay.     

调水后东平湖浮游植物群落结构及水质生物评价

东平湖是南水北调东线工程的重要调蓄湖泊,在防洪、灌溉、休闲旅游、水产养殖及水资源供应等方面发挥着至关重要的作用.为了解南水北调东线调水后的东平湖浮游植物群落结构及水体健康状态,于2016年4月(春季)、7月(夏季)、10月(秋季)及2017年1月(冬季)对东平湖不同空间区域(根据调水路线划分为进水区、湖中区和出水区)的...     

Variation of phytoplankton assemblages of Kongsfjorden in early autumn 2012: a microscopic and pigment ratio-based assessment

Phytoplankton species distribution and composition were determined by using microscopy and pigment ratios in the Kongsfjorden during early autumn 2012. Variation in sea surface temperature (SST) was minimal and matched well with satellite-derived SST. Nutrients were generally limited. Surface phytoplankton abundance ranged from 0.21?×?10³ to 10.28?×?10³ cells L^?1. Phytoplankton abundance decreased with depth and did not show any significant correlation with chlorophyll a (chl a). Column-integrated phytoplankton cell counts (PCC) ranged from 94.3?×?10⁶ cells m^?2 (Kf4) to 13.7?×?10⁶ cells m^?2 (Kf5), while chl a was lowest at inner part of the fjord (6.3 mg m^?2) and highest towards the mouth (24.83 mg m^?2). Biomass from prymnesiophytes and raphidophytes dominated at surface and 10 m, respectively. The contribution of Bacillariophyceae to biomass was low. Generally, heterotrophic dinoflagellates were great in abundance (12.82 %) and ubiquitous in nature and were major contributors to biomass. Various chl pigments (chl b, chl c, phaeopigments (phaeo)) were measured to obtain pigment/chl a ratios to ascertain phytoplankton composition. Phaeo were observed only in inner fjord. Chl b:a ratios and microscopic observations indicated dominance of Chlorophyceae at greater depths than surface. Furthermore, microscopic observations confirmed dominance of chl c containing algae throughout the fjord. The study indicates that pigment ratios can be used as a tool for preliminary identification of major phytoplankton groups. However, under the presence of a large number of heterotrophic dinoflagellates such as Gymnodinium sp. and Gyrodinium sp., pigment signatures need to be supplemented by microscopic observations.     

Pond bank access as an approach for managing toxic cyanobacteria in beef cattle pasture drinking water ponds

Forty-one livestock drinking water ponds in Alabama beef cattle pastures during were surveyed during the late summer to generally understand water quality patterns in these important water resources. Since livestock drinking water ponds are prone to excess nutrients that typically lead to eutrophication, which can promote blooms of toxigenic phytoplankton such as cyanobacteria, we also assessed the threat of exposure to the hepatotoxin, microcystin. Eighty percent of the ponds studied contained measurable microcystin, while three of these ponds had concentrations above human drinking water thresholds set by the US Environmental Protection Agency (i.e., 0.3 μg/L). Water quality patterns in the livestock drinking water ponds contrasted sharply with patterns typically observed for temperate freshwater lakes and reservoirs. Namely, we found several non-linear relationships between phytoplankton abundance (measured as chlorophyll) and nutrients or total suspended solids. Livestock had direct access to all the study ponds. Consequently, the proportion of inorganic suspended solids (e.g., sediment) increased with higher concentrations of total suspended solids, which underlies these patterns. Unimodal relationships were also observed between microcystin and phytoplankton abundance or nutrients. Euglenoids were abundant in the four ponds with chlorophyll concentrations >?250 μg/L (and dominated three of these ponds), which could explain why ponds with high chlorophyll concentrations would have low microcystin concentrations. Based on observations made during sampling events and available water quality data, livestock-mediated bioturbation is causing elevated total suspended solids that lead to reduced phytoplankton abundance and microcystin despite high concentrations of nutrients, such as phosphorus and nitrogen. Thus, livestock could be used to manage algal blooms, including toxic secondary metabolites, in their drinking water ponds by allowing them to walk in the ponds to increase turbidity.     

Seasonal dynamics of phytoplankton and its relationship with the environmental factors in Dongping Lake, China

Dongping Lake is the final adjusting and storing lake in the east route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project in China, and there has been serious concern regarding the water quality. Understanding the process of phytoplankton variation can be particularly useful in water quality improvement and management decisions. In this study, the phytoplankton taxonomic composition, abundance, temporal variations, spatial distribution, and diversity were studied based on a monthly sampling campaign from three sampling stations between May 2010 and May 2011. A total of 132 species (8 phyla, 72 genera), including 64 species of Chlorophyta, 26 species of Bacillariophyta, 21 species of Cyanophyta, 12 species of Euglenophyta, 3 species of Cryptophyta, 2 species of Xanthophyta, 1 species of Pyrrophyta, and 3 species of Chrysophyta were identified. Average phytoplankton diversity index and evenness values were 3.83 and 0.77, respectively, revealing a high biodiversity of phytoplankton community. The phytoplankton abundance averaged 5.11?×?10⁶ cells/L, with Bacillariophyta dominant in winter and spring, but Cyanophyta in summer and autumn. There were 14 predominant species including Pseudanabaena limnetica, Chlamydomonas simplex, Cyclotella stelligera, and Chroomonas acuta. Phytoplankton community structure and water quality variables changed substantially over the survey period; redundancy analysis, Pearson correlations, and regression analysis as an integrated approach were applied to analyze the relationships among them. Total phosphorus and ammonium played governing roles in the phytoplankton dynamics of Dongping Lake during all periods investigated.     

利用流式影像术(FlowCAM)分析淡水浮游藻类群落特征 ——以北京城区主要河流为例

浮游藻类是水生态系统的重要初级生产者,对其进行分类鉴定和定量分析是开展生态研究的基础.选取北京城区主要河流为研究对象,于2020年6—7月(夏季)、10月(秋季)对北运河水系22个站位的表层水进行采样调查,探究利用流式影像术(FlowCAM)分析浮游藻类群落结构的可行性.结果表明,浮游藻类的细胞丰度和粒径组成均存在着明...     

于桥水库浮游植物群落特征

于桥水库是天津市惟一饮用水水源地,为了研究该水库浮游植物群落特征,于2012年春、夏、秋对于桥水库浮游植物进行了监测分析。结果表明:该水库共鉴定出绿藻(Chlorophyta)、蓝藻(Cyanophyta)、硅藻(Diatoms)、裸藻(Euglenophyta)、甲藻(Pyrrophyta)、隐藻(Cryptophyta)和黄藻(Xanthophyta)7门114种,群落组成以绿藻-硅藻门为主;浮游植物细胞密度具有明显的季节变化规律,表现为春季较低,夏季急剧增长,到了秋季又有所回落。优势种对于桥水库水质的评价结果表明,春季为中营养水体,夏季为富营养化水体,秋季为中富营养水体。春、夏、秋季于桥水库香农-韦弗多样性指数平均值分别为3.22、2.51和3.17,说明2012年于桥水库春季、秋季为贫营养水体,夏季为中营养水体,且有暴发水华的危险。     

浙江省水源地水库浮游动物食性功能群特征及水质响应

为探明浙江省水源地水库浮游动物食性功能群特征及其与水体综合营养状态指数(TLIc)的关系,达到用浮游动物食性功能群参数监测水源地水库水质的目的,于2014年1月—2018年10月对浙江省8座饮用水水源地水库(K1～K8)开展了水质参数及浮游动物食性功能群丰度、生物量、物种多样性指数季节性调查.采用多元逐步回归与通径分析...     

Predicting System-Scale Impacts of Oyster Clearance on Phytoplankton Productivity in a Small Subtropical Estuary

Oyster populations in south Florida estuaries have declined in part through altered salinity driven by anthropogenic changes in freshwater inputs. In particular, the St. Lucie Estuary (SLE) in southeastern Florida has suffered widespread loss of oyster habitat. With efforts underway to improve water quality and oyster habitat in the SLE, the goal of this study was to develop a model to assess ecosystem level impacts of oyster restoration. Phytoplankton and oyster biomass modeling targets were established from observational data collected from 2005 to 2009. Modeled oyster biomass production and filtration fluctuated with temperature, salinity, and total suspended solids from a combination of observational and predicted input functions in 10-year simulations (1998–2007). Model estimates of oyster biomass fluctuated with salinity from near zero after extreme freshwater discharge in 2002–2003 and 2004–2005 to maximum values near 150.0 and 200.0 g?C?m^?2 in spring 1999 and fall 2006. There was potential for algal blooms as turnover time for the phytoplankton standing stock (15.6 days) was faster than water mass turnover (21.0 days). While >1,000 days were required for 50 ha of oyster habitat to filter the entire volume of the estuarine segment, filter time reduced to <20 days with an estimated fivefold increase in net consumption of phytoplankton if the oyster habitat was increased to 300 ha. Re-establishment of biologically desirable salinity envelopes would stabilize oyster survival allowing the possibility for successful habitat restoration to benefit water quality and faunal attributes of the St. Lucie Estuary.