淡水水体溶解有机氮对有毒藻种的生物有效性

溶解有机氮(Dissolved organic nitrogen,DON)是多数天然水体中溶解氮的主要组成部分。天然水体DON是许多微生命体包括有毒藻种的氮营养源,在供水安全以及水体富营养化等方面的生态环境效应不容忽视。文章系统地介绍了淡水水体DON含量与来源、生物有效性与估算方法,以及对有毒藻种生长的影响。DON的来源是影响水体中DON含量动态特征的关键因素。DON来源包括陆地径流,植物碎屑,土壤淋溶液,沉积物释放,大气沉降,藻类、大型植物、细菌与细胞死亡或自我分解,微型及大型浮游动物捕食和排泄、分泌物释放等。研究表明约有12%～72%的DON可迅速被生物所利用,具显著差异,究其原因可能是其来源组成、化学本质(分子质量与极性)、测试生物组成、是否有细菌作用等因素造成的。不同藻种具有不同氮源利用能力,DON对藻类生长具有直接或间接的作用,并可能影响藻类群落结构(有毒藻类成为优势种)。考虑到水环境保护与饮用水安全供水的重要性,未来研究应重视淡水水体DON生物有效性与其化学本质的揭示,尤其是对有毒藻种。     

绿潮藻类暴发对天鹅湖水体和沉积物磷含量的影响

在荣成天鹅湖藻类暴发区域采集新鲜沉积物和丝状硬毛藻（Chaetomorpha spp.）,进行室内模拟试验,监测了生长过程中硬毛藻的生物量、磷富集量以及不同处理水体总磷（TP）和可溶性磷（SRP）质量浓度的变化,并分析了藻类生长对沉积物中各形态磷含量的影响。结果表明,当水体磷含量较高时,硬毛藻生长较快,相对生长速率高达14.88%,之后随着水体磷浓度的下降,生长速率逐渐减小。不同处理间硬毛藻的生物量相差很大,高磷含量处理显著高于低磷处理,最大差值可达26.50 g。随着藻类的生长,水体TP和SRP含量明显降低,其中高磷含量处理的TP质量浓度由0.93 mg·L-1降至0.01 mg·L-1,低磷含量处理水体SRP质量浓度均降至0.006 mg·L-1以下。当水体磷含量降至一定水平,沉积物中磷可向水体释放,其中可还原态磷和铁铝结合态磷的降幅分别为23.98%和12.61%。在高磷含量处理组,藻体中磷的富集量显著升高,且当水体磷含量相同的条件下,有沉积物处理的富集量显著高于无沉积物处理。相关分析表明,藻体生物量与水体TP和SRP的相关性较好,其中高磷含量处理组生物量与水体TP、SRP呈高度负相关,而相对生长速率与之呈显著正相关。结果说明,水体及沉积物中磷均可作为硬毛藻生长的营养来源;另一方面,藻类生长可明显降低水体磷含量,并促进沉积物中磷的释放。     

微生物和硬毛藻对天鹅湖不同湖区沉积物氮磷释放的影响

荣成天鹅湖为一天然瀉湖,近年来绿潮硬毛藻大量爆发,内源污染日益严重。以大型硬毛藻和不同湖区沉积物为试材,设置沉积物+水、沉积物+水(灭菌)、沉积物+水+藻、沉积物+水+藻(灭菌)4个处理,研究了不同微生物活性及藻类条件下上覆水体氮磷质量浓度的变化,同步监测水土界面DO和pH等理化参数,以探讨藻分解和微生物对天鹅湖不同湖区沉积物氮磷释放的影响,为藻华消亡过程中内源污染的治理提供理论依据。结果表明,微生物存在和硬毛藻分解可使水体氮质量浓度明显增加(P<0.05)。试验过程中,水体总氮在有藻和无藻条件下的质量浓度变幅分别为1.56-14.11 mg·L^?1和0.11-8.96 mg·L^?1,后期灭菌处理明显低于未灭菌处理。藻分解对水体磷质量浓度具有极显著影响(P<0.01),有藻条件下灭菌处理总磷质量浓度为0.31-1.27 mg·L^?1,未灭菌处理为0.27-1.41 mg·L^?1;而无藻条件下灭菌和未灭菌处理变幅分别为0.019-0.047 mg·L^?1和0.025-0.078 mg·L^?1。在天鹅湖,不同湖区沉积物氮磷的释放能力存在差异,水体氮质量浓度在有藻和无藻条件下均表现为西北部>湖中心>湖南部,磷质量浓度有藻条件下与氮一致,而无藻条件下则表现为湖中心>西北部>湖南部。湖中心沉积物处理水体营养盐浓度受微生物活性影响较大。3种因素对水体氮磷质量浓度的影响效应表现为:藻类>微生物>沉积物。可见,在藻类大量暴发且微生物活性较高的湖中心及西北部,沉积物氮磷的释放潜力较大,尤其在藻类堆积腐烂时期,应引起足够重视。     

pH对鱼腥藻和普通小球藻生长竞争的影响

pH值是藻类生长环境的重要理化指标,它可以通过改变环境酸碱度和碳酸盐平衡系统及不同形态无机碳分配关系来影响藻类的生长。为揭示水体中常见藻类的生长过程及其与pH的相互关系,设置了6.0,7.0,8.0和9.0等4个pH梯度,通过室内实验模拟水体条件,研究不同pH条件下主要水华藻类--鱼腥藻（Anabaena sp.strain PCC）和常见淡水藻类--普通小球藻（Chlorella vulga）的生长和种间竞争。结果表明,无论是在单种培养还是在共同培养体系中,4个pH条件下两种藻类的最大生物量差异显著（P〈0.05）,鱼腥藻和普通小球藻的最适pH均为9.0,其中单种培养时鱼腥藻和普通小球藻的最大生物量分别为4473.5×104,689.6×10^4 cells·mL-1;共同培养时鱼腥藻和普通小球藻的最大生物量分别为2798.0×10^4,296.5×10^4 cells·mL-1。竞争试验结果表明,pH对藻类种间竞争抑制参数能够产生显著影响,pH 7.0时普通小球藻对鱼腥藻的竞争抑制参数（β）最大,为12.91;鱼腥藻对普通小球藻的竞争抑制参数（α）则是pH 6.0时最大,为1.778。在4个pH条件下普通小球藻对鱼腥藻的竞争抑制参数（β）均大于鱼腥藻对普通小球藻的竞争抑制参数（α）,与单种培养相比,鱼腥藻最大藻细胞数受到明显削弱,说明普通小球藻在竞争中占优势。因此,在水产养殖过程控制和精准培水技术研究,以及控制养殖水体富营养化的过程中,可以通过调节养殖水体pH值以及普通小球藻的浓度来控制鱼腥藻的生长。     

多效唑在大型溞体内富集与释放行为

本文探讨了大型在含藻（系统Ａ）和不含藻（系统Ｂ）水体内，对￣３Ｈ多效唑的生物富集以及释放行为。用药物动力学模型分析了多效唑在大型－水体之间的转移。结果表明：在实验初期，由于大型对小球藻的摄食作用，大型在系统Ａ的生物富集系数显著大于系统Ｂ，存在生物放大作用。而在实验后期，两个系统中大型对多效唑的生物富集系数趋于相近。多效唑在大型体内的释放行为符合一级动力学过程，半衰期为６ｈ．实验结束后，多效唑在大型体内的残留量占总量的２０％。     

高原深水湖泊程海氮磷形态分布特征及其与叶绿素a的相关性

湖泊水体氮、磷形态分布特征及其与藻类生长的关系是湖泊富营养化研究的重要方面。采用GPS定位,在程海湖设置了3个断面9个采样点,研究了氮、磷形态分布特征,并分析了各形态氮磷与叶绿素a的相关性。结果表明：总氮（TN）质量浓度为0.773 mg.L-1,总磷（TP）质量浓度为0.046 mg.L-1,叶绿素a质量浓度为0.024 mg.L-1。氮素的赋存形态特征是以溶解态总氮（DTN）占大部分,DTN中又以溶解态有机氮（DON）占绝大部分;磷素的存在特点是溶解态无机磷（DIP）含量比重较大。各形态氮、磷都有明显的季节性波动但区域性差异不明显,叶绿素a则有明显的季节节律和时空差异。叶绿素a很好地响应了总氮（TN）、总磷（TP）、溶解态总氮（DTN）、溶解态总磷（DTP）、颗粒态总氮（PTN）、颗粒态总磷（PTP）的变化。程海富营养化受氮和磷共同限制,控制富营养化必须同时削减氮和磷。     

利用多生物学指标评价宝应湖沉积物的环境质量

研究了江苏宝应湖沉积物浸出液对水生生态系统的生产者斜生栅列藻 (Scenedesmusobilquus)、初级消费者大型氵蚤 (Daphniamagna)和高级消费者斑马鱼 (Brachyddaniorerio)的影响。结果表明 ,沉积物浸出液对大型氵蚤和斑马鱼无明显的急性毒性。但与湖水对照相比 ,浸出液对斜生栅列藻的生长有显著促进作用 ,且随浸出液浓度升高 ,对藻类促进作用越大。化学监测结果表明 ,沉积物浸出液中磷浓度明显高于湖水 ,表明沉积物中磷向水体释放 ,可促进湖泊富营养化。     

不同氮源对2种微藻生长及总脂含量的影响

采用一次培养的方式研究硝态氮（NaNO3）、氨态氮（NH4Cl）、有机氮（尿素）及硝铵混合氮（NH4NO3）（氮浓度17.6 mmol.L-1）对新分离的两株热带淡水微藻——网状空星藻Coelastrum reticulatum及栅藻Scenedesums sp.生长情况及总脂含量的影响。结果表明,2株微藻在不同氮源影响下生长状况不同,并且造成最终的干质量、总脂含量也有较为明显的差异。2种藻添加NaNO3和NH4Cl情况下分别获得了最高的生物量（（0.72±0.08）g.L-1和（0.80±0.03）g.L-1）和最高总脂含量（（38.35±1.32）%和（30.24±3.13）%）。最终二者在添加NaNO3的情况下单位体积总脂产量最高,分别为199.26 mg.L-1和190.76 mg.L-1,均可作为生物柴油的良好来源。     

不同水生植物的除氮效率及对生物脱氮过程的调节作用

选取漂浮植物凤眼莲(Eichhornia crassipes)和大薸(Pistia stratiotes)、浮叶植物乌菱(Trapa bicornis)和沉水植物轮叶黑藻(Hydrilla verticillata)4种不同类型水生植物为供试植物,构建富营养化水体净化系统,在植物生长初期(6—7月)、快速生长期(7—8月)和缓慢生长期(9月)研究其吸收富集氮的能力、去除水体中氮的效率及对水体生物脱氮过程的影响。结果表明,4种水生植物去除水体氨氮、硝态氮、总氮的效率有所差异,凤眼莲、大薸在3个生长阶段对上覆水中各种形态氮的去除效率均较高,对氮的富集能力也较强,轮叶黑藻去除水体中氮的效率最低。快速生长期各类植物净化水体氮的速率最快,其次是生长初期。4种植物体内富集氮能力从大到小依次为凤眼莲、大薸、乌菱和轮叶黑藻,种植沉水植物的水体生物脱氮气体N2和N2O的释放通量以及气体释放总量明显高于其他类型水生植物。     

利用多生物学指标评价宝应湖沉积物的环境质量

研究了江苏宝应湖沉积物浸出液对水生生态系统的生产者斜生栅列藻（Scenedesmus obilquus)，初级消费者大型蚤（Daphnia magna)和高级消费者斑马鱼（Brachyddanio rerio)的影响，结果表明，沉积物浸出液对大型Sao和斑马鱼无明显的急性毒性，但与湖水对照相比，浸出液对斜生栅列藻的生长有显著促进作用，且随浸出液浓度升高，对藻类促进作用越大，化学监测结果表明，沉积物浸出液中磷浓度明显高于湖水，表明沉积物中磷向水体释放，可促进湖泊富营养化。     

Examining the coupling of carbon and nitrogen cycles in Appalachian streams: the role of dissolved organic nitrogen

Although regional and global models of nitrogen (N) cycling typically focus on nitrate, dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) is the dominant form of nitrogen export from many watersheds and thus the dominant form of dissolved N in many streams. Our understanding of the processes controlling DON export from temperate forests is poor. In pristine systems, where biological N limitation is common, N contained in recalcitrant organic matter (OM) can dominate watershed N losses. This recalcitrant OM often has moderately constrained carbon:nitrogen (C:N) molar ratios (approximately 25-55) and therefore, greater DON losses should be observed in sites where there is greater total dissolved organic carbon (DOC) loss. In regions where anthropogenic N pollution is high, it has been suggested that increased inorganic N availability can reduce biological demand for organic N and therefore increase watershed DON losses. This would result in a positive correlation between inorganic and organic N concentrations across sites with varying N availability. In four repeated synoptic surveys of stream water chemistry from forested watersheds along an N loading gradient in the southern Appalachians, we found surprisingly little correlation between DON and DOC concentrations. Further, we found that DON concentrations were always significantly correlated with watershed N loading and stream water [NO3-] but that the direction of this relationship was negative in three of the four surveys. The C:N molar ratio of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in streams draining watersheds with high N deposition was very high relative to other freshwaters. This finding, together with results from bioavailability assays in which we directly manipulated C and N availabilities, suggests that heterotrophic demand for labile C can increase as a result of dissolved inorganic N (DIN) loading, and that heterotrophs can preferentially remove N-rich molecules from DOM. These results are inconsistent with the two prevailing hypotheses that dominate interpretations of watershed DON loss. Therefore, we propose a new hypothesis, the indirect carbon control hypothesis, which recognizes that heterotrophic demand for N-rich DOM can keep stream water DON concentrations low when N is not limiting and heterotrophic demand for labile C is high.     

Pretreatment for dissolved organic nitrogen testing by gas stripping

ABSTRACT

Total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), including dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), is of significant importance in aquatic systems due to its roles in numerous environmental processes, such as nutrients for agriculture activities, sources for lake and estuary eutrophication, and one of the major factors contributing to disinfection byproduct formation. The distribution and impact of DIN on these processes are relatively well-understood; however, information on DON is extremely limited, as there is no direct method for its quantification. DON is conventionally determined by subtracting DIN from TDN. However, significant errors may be introduced if DIN is the predominant species in samples with high concentrations of TDN. In order to deal with this challenge, pretreatment method for nitrogen gas stripping was investigated using 56 water samples collected from various ecosystems. The results indicated that after nitrogen gas stripping pretreatment, removal % of ammonia nitrogen (NH₃–N) was more than 87.5%, and the ratios of removal of NH₃–N/removal of TDN (β) were over 86.5% for most of 56 samples with high [NH₃–N], indicating a high efficiency for removal of NH₃–N, and that NH₃–N was the predominant nitrogen species removed for the samples with high [NH₃–N]. Therefore, nitrogen gas stripping is an appropriate pretreatment method for DON testing when NH₃–N is the dominant inorganic nitrogen species.     

热带滨海区不同土地利用背景下土壤溶解性有机氮的组成与粒径分布特征

溶解态有机氮(DON)是土壤中活跃的氮库,其生态环境行为与它的化学组成和粒径分布密切相关。为评估热带滨海区不同土地利用方式对不同粒径中土壤溶解性有机氮组成特征的影响,从水稻田、橡胶园、菜园和果园采集土壤样品,通过一系列微滤和超滤(0.7,0.45,0.2,0.1μm,100,10,1 kDa)对土壤溶解性有机氮分级,并使用连续流动分析仪、三维荧光光谱和红外光谱研究了滤液中溶解态有机氮、无机氮的含量及荧光组分和有机官能团特征。结果表明,4种土地利用背景下土壤DON值的范围为5.25-10.88 mg·kg^-1,其大小顺序为水稻>菜园>果树>橡胶,且DON与溶解性总氮(DTN)的比值范围为26.08%-67.11%,其中橡胶土最高,水稻土最低;不同粒径下4种土地利用类型土壤DON主要集中在<100 kDa的粒径中,其值范围为4.85-9.48 mg·kg^-1,占全量的85.89%-92.41%。三维荧光光谱(3D-EEMs)及平行因子分析表明,4种土地利用背景下土壤DON含有两种类腐殖质组分及一种类蛋白质组分,且以类腐殖质组分为主,占比54.00%-77.67%;类蛋白组分对土地利用变化敏感,且随着粒径的减小,类蛋白组分占比增加,在<1 kDa组分中比例最高。红外光谱结果表明,4种土地利用背景下土壤DON主要在6个位置有相似的吸收峰,包含3410 cm^-1、1636 cm^-1、1402 cm^-1、1138-1035 cm^-1、673 cm^-1、602 cm^-1,不同土地利用背景下各吸收峰的透光度不同,强度最大的吸收来自游离的胺类N-H伸缩振动;水稻、菜园土壤DON芳香物质含量较高,结构较复杂。了解DON的组成与粒径分布对土地利用的响应,对进一步研究其生态环境行为具有重要意义。     

Growth of marine planktonic diatoms on inorganic and organic nitrogen

A study was conducted to determine if coastal diatoms from eutrophic waters (Werribee, Port Phillip Bay, Australia) are able to grow better than diatoms from oligotrophic waters (Bass Strait, Australia) on organic nitrogen compounds as their principal nitrogen sources. Eight clones of marine planktonic diatoms, belonging to 5 species (Skeletonema costatum, Asterionella japonica, Nitzschia closterium, Coscinodiscus sp., and Fragilaria sp.), were incubated with inorganic (either nitrate or ammonia) or organic (either urea, uric acid, alanine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glycine, serine, threonine, or valine) nitrogen sources and growth response was measured under high and low light intensities. All clones grew well on the organic as well as thorganic nitrogen compounds under both light regimes. Intraspecific differences were not great, as no appreciable difference was noted between clones from oligotrophic and eutrophic waters. The two negatively-charged amino acids, aspartic and glutamic acids, were somewhat less effective in supporting growth of some clones than were the other amino acids. Virtually all of the dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) compounds tested were utilizable for algal growth. Further, all clones appeared able to utilize at least some natural DON (uncharacterized) for cell division; in 1980, DON represented 97% of total nitrogen in Bass Strait and 83% of total nitrogen in Werribee waters. The results are consistent with previous findings on algal utilization of certain DON compounds and indicate comparable abilities of cells from oligotrophic and eutrophic coastal waters to assimilate these nutrients.Publication No. 307 in the Ministry for Conservation, Victoria, Environmental Studies Series     

Changes in the dissolved nitrogen pool across land cover gradients in Wisconsin streams

Increases in anthropogenic nitrogen fixation have resulted in wide-scale enrichment of aquatic ecosystems. Existing biogeochemical theory suggests that N enrichment is associated with increasing concentrations of nitrate; however, dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) is often a major component of the total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) pool in streams and rivers, and its concentration can be significantly elevated in human-influenced basins. We examined N concentrations during summer base flow conditions in 324 Wisconsin streams to determine whether DON was a significant component of TDN and how its relative contribution changed across a gradient of increasing human (agriculture and urban) land use for 84 of these sites. Total dissolved nitrogen varied from 0.09 to 20.74 mg/L, and although DON was significantly higher in human-dominated basins relative to forested and mixed-cover basins, its concentration increased relatively slowly in response to increasing human land cover. This limited response reflected a replacement of wetland-derived DON in low-N streams by anthropogenic sources in human-dominated sites, such that net changes in DON were small across the land use gradient. Nitrate-N increased exponentially in response to greater human land cover, and NH4-N and NO2-N were present at low levels. Nitrite-N exceeded NH4-N at 20% of sites and reached a maximum concentration of 0.10 mg/L. This examination suggests that basic mechanisms driving N losses from old-growth forests subject to N saturation also shape the summertime N pool in Wisconsin streams, in addition to other processes dictated by landscape context. The overwhelming role of human land use in determining the relative and absolute composition of the summertime N pool included (1) rapid increases in NO3-N, (2) limited changes in DON, and (3) the unexpected occurrence of NO2-N. High (>3 mg/L) TDN conditions dominated by NO3-N, regardless of landscape context or forms of N inputs, indicate a state of "N hypersaturation", which appears to be increasingly common in human-influenced streams and rivers. Many sites in agriculturally rich areas had NO2-N and NO3-N concentrations that, if sustained, are at chronically toxic levels for sensitive aquatic biota, suggesting that N enrichment now has local consequences for resident stream biota in addition to contributing to coastal eutrophication.     

大亚湾裸甲藻种群动态及其关键调控因子

2008年1—12月对大亚湾养殖海域裸甲藻种群动态和主要环境因子进行了周年调查。结果表明,大亚湾海域裸甲藻类群以直径约为16～22μm的小型裸甲藻（Gymnodinium sp.）为主,另外米氏凯伦藻（Karenia mikimotoi）、链状裸甲藻（Gymnodnium catenatum）和血红哈卡藻（Akashiwo sanguinea）也有少量出现。裸甲藻种群密度呈现出明显的季节性变化特征：5月出现裸甲藻密度高峰,全年最大密度达到903 cells.mL-1,秋冬季节密度最小。不同站位裸甲藻密度也具有明显的空间分布差异,养殖及近岸海域密度普遍高于外海对照区。相关性分析结果表明,裸甲藻密度的关键调控因子包括温度、化学需氧量（COD）、可溶性有机氮（DON）和尿素浓度。裸甲藻高密度、高频率出现的温度范围在24～26℃,DON和尿素的质量浓度范围分别为N 156.38～187μg·L-1和N 17.4～38.9μg·L-1。在温度适宜的条件下,尿素等有机氮含量的增加可能成为裸甲藻赤潮的触发因子。     

Plant diversity, CO2, and N influence inorganic and organic N leaching in grasslands

In nitrogen (N)-limited systems, the potential to sequester carbon depends on the balance between N inputs and losses as well as on how efficiently N is used, yet little is known about responses of these processes to changes in plant species richness, atmospheric CO2 concentration ([CO2]), and N deposition. We examined how plant species richness (1 or 16 species), elevated [CO2] (ambient or 560 ppm), and inorganic N addition (0 or 4 g x m(-2) x yr(-1)) affected ecosystem N losses, specifically leaching of dissolved inorganic N (DIN) and organic N (DON) in a grassland field experiment in Minnesota, USA. We observed greater DIN leaching below 60 cm soil depth in the monoculture plots (on average 1.8 and 3.1 g N x m(-2) x yr(-1) for ambient N and N-fertilized plots respectively) than in the 16-species plots (0.2 g N x m(-2) x yr(-1) for both ambient N and N-fertilized plots), particularly when inorganic N was added. Most likely, loss of complementary resource use and reduced biological N demand in the monoculture plots caused the increase in DIN leaching relative to the high-diversity plots. Elevated [CO2] reduced DIN concentrations under conditions when DIN concentrations were high (i.e., in N-fertilized and monoculture plots). Contrary to the results for DIN, DON leaching was greater in the 16-species plots than in the monoculture plots (on average 0.4 g N x m(-2) x yr(-1) in 16-species plots and 0.2 g N x m(-2) x yr(-1) in monoculture plots). In fact, DON dominated N leaching in the 16-species plots (64% of total N leaching as DON), suggesting that, even with high biological demand for N, substantial amounts of N can be lost as DON. We found no significant main effects of elevated [CO2] on DIN or DON leaching; however, elevated [CO2] reduced the positive effect of inorganic N addition on DON leaching, especially during the second year of observation. Our results suggest that plant species richness, elevated [CO2], and N deposition alter DIN loss primarily through changes in biological N demand. DON losses can be as large as DIN loss but are more sensitive to organic matter production and turnover.     

Application of a 15N tracer method to the study of dissolved organic nitrogen uptake during spring and summer in Chesapeake Bay

The dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) pool in marine waters contains a diverse mixture of compounds. It is therefore difficult to accurately estimate planktonic uptake of DON using the limited number of radiolabeled compounds commercially available. We describe a method to estimate DON uptake rates using ¹⁵N-labeled DON recently released from phytoplankton. To make ¹⁵N-labeled DON, we incubated surface water with ¹⁵NH ₄ ⁺ and then isolated the DON, including any recently released DO¹⁵N, with ion retardation resin. This DON was then added to a freshly collected water sample from the same environment to quantify the rate of DON uptake. The technique was applied to investigate rates of DON uptake relative to inorganic nitrogen in the mesohaline Chesapeake Bay during May 1990 and August 1991. The May experiment took place after the spring bloom, and rates of DON uptake [ranging from 0.31 to 0.53 g-atom (g-at) Nl^-1 h^-1] often exceeded rates of NH ₄ ⁺ and NO ₃ ^- uptake combined. The rates of DON uptake at this time were higher than estimated bacterial productivity and were not correlated with bacterial abundance or bacterial productivity. They were, however, correlated with rates of NO ₃ ^- uptake. In May, we estimate that only 7 to 32% of DON uptake was a result of urea utilization. In contrast, in August, when regenerated nutrients predominate in Chesapeake Bay, rates of DON uptake (ranging from 0.14 to 0.51 g-atom Nl^-1 h^-1) were an average of 50% of the observed rates of NH ₄ ⁺ uptake. Consistent with the May experiment, rates of DON uptake were not correlated with bacterial production. A sizable fraction of DON uptake, however, appeared to be due to urea utilization; rates of urea uptake, measured independently, were equivalent to an average of 74% of the measured rates of DON uptake. These findings suggest that, during both periods of study, at least a fraction of the measured DON uptake may have been due to utilization by phytoplankton.     

Nutrient balance in the ecosystem of the North Western Adriatic Sea

The effects of biological processes on dissolved inorganic nutrients, dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and phosphorus (DOP) are considered in the north western Adriatic Sea. The budgets of these nutrients, which represent the sum of production and consumption processes in comparison to advection, are discussed with regard to dissolved inorganic nitrogen ( 15 N labelled) uptake, which basically indicates the biological demand of this fraction of nitrogen by phytoplankton community. The presented data show that, although important, the continental input of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), mainly nitrate, is utilised and recycled within the coastal marine environment (budget of m 15 r µmol-N·dm m 3 ). In fact, during four cruises (June, 1996; February, 1997; June, 1997; February, 1998), phytoplankton production was mainly driven by regenerated nutrients ( f h 0.4). Regarding dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP), the negative budgets observed in most cases (down to m 0.4 r µmol-P·dm m 3 ) confirm, above all, its scarce availability in this basin. Recycling processes rather than continental inputs regulate the availability of this nutrient. In addition, the comparison between DIN and DIP budgets indicates that, in this ecosystem, dissolved inorganic phosphorus is recycled faster than nitrogen through the living particulate and dissolved organic pools. As a consequence of biological activities, a strong production of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) can occur in summer (up to +22 r µmol-N·dm m 3 ) while DOP shows a more independent behaviour both with respect to its accumulation in the environment and to the observed nitrogen variations.