Natural and Anthropogenic Effects On Phytoplankton Primary Productivity in Mangroves

Abstract

Spatial and temporal variations and the factors influencing primary production have been studied in three different mangrove waters (Pichavaram, Ennore Creek and Adyar Estuary) of South India characterised by different anthropogenic impacts. the gross primary productivity in the unpolluted Pichavaram mangrove was 113 g Cm^?2yr^?1 exhibiting natural variability with the environmental forcing factors. Human activities have elevated primary productivity in the Ennore Creek mangrove (157g Cm^?2yr^?1) primarily through the direct discharge of fertilizer effluents. By contrast, a combination of domestic and industrial effluent discharges into the Adyar Estuary mangrove has considerably reduced phytoplankton primary productivity 83g Cm^?2yr^?1 the Redfield N: P ratio varies from 0.96 N: 1P at Ennore Creek, 1.75N: 1P at Adyar Estuary to 15.2 N: 1P at Pichavaram mangroves. This suggests that the Pichavaram mangroves represent a well equilibrated ecosystem with N: P ratio close to steady-state values in contrast to the anthropogenically altered mangrove ecosystems studied. Results show a significant temporal variability in nutrient concentration in the three mangrove areas. Distinct differences in nutrient concentrations between the dry and the wet seasons have been observed.     

The representation of cyanobacteria life cycle processes in aquatic ecosystem models

Two simplified versions of a numerical life cycle model for diazotrophic cyanobacteria (of the order Nostocales) are developed and evaluated. Both consider two-life cycle stages, one growing, nitrogen-fixing stage and one stage that combines the resting, germinating and vegetative stages. The versions differ in the vertical resolution of the non-diazotrophic stage: version 1 collects the biomass in one layer at the bottom, version 2 considers sinking and rising of biomass explicitly. The results of the two versions are compared with a complex cyanobacteria life cycle model which describes four different life cycle stages each with two internal quotas for energy and nitrogen. The two simplified approaches show a good agreement with respect to the main characteristics of cyanobacteria dynamics (timing and duration of blooms, magnitude of nitrogen fixation, interannual variability). Our model study shows that both simplified approaches are suitable to be implemented into three-dimensional coastal or lake models.     

Modelling the temperature and the phytoplankton distributions at the Aveiro near coastal zone,Portugal

The main objective of this paper is to implement a coupled three-dimensional physical and ecological model for the Aveiro coast, and to apply it to study the temperature and the phytoplankton biomass spatial distributions along the coastal ecosystem. The Aveiro coast is located at Portugal within the upwelling system of the Atlantic Iberian coast, characterized by nutrients availability and phytoplankton biomass accumulation, from April to October. In order to implement the ecological model, its validation was assessed by comparing simulations to data relative to the horizontal and vertical distributions of the temperature, nutrients and phytoplankton biomass, obtained during the CICLOS I survey off the Portuguese coast [Moita, M.T., 2001. Estrutura, Variabilidade e Dinâmica do Fitoplâncton na Costa de Portugal Continental. PhD Thesis. Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 272 pp.]. A sensitivity analysis of the model has been performed in order to assess the influence of the main ecological model variables. The simulation results show that the model is capable of predicting realistic the temperature, the nutrients and the chlorophyll-a distributions for the study area. The scenarios evidence the setup of a thermal stratification pattern resulting from the upwelling of deep and rich in nutrients water to the surface layer and a chlorophyll-a maxima extending offshore, along the picnocline and the nutricline. The results confirm the crucial role played by the physical processes in the phytoplankton bloom along the Aveiro coast. They also evidence the close link between the surface phytoplankton distribution and the surface temperature distribution.     

应用浮游植物群落结构指数评价海域富营养化

探讨了浮游植物对海水富营养化程度的指示作用,并用浮游植物群落结构指数对天津近岸海域的富营养化水平进行了现状评价,结果表明,天津近岸海域水质基本属中营养水平,但某些站位在有些季节呈严重的富营养水平,并呈现枯水期和丰水期高,平水期低的特征,与化学指标的评价结果相比,结果基本一致,说明该方法是可行的,特别是当浮游植物大量繁殖,消耗了大量的营养盐,生物学指标更能正确合理地进行水质评价     

Developing an empirical model of phytoplankton primary production: a neural network case study

We describe the development of a neural network model for estimating primary production of phytoplankton. Data from an enriched estuary in the eastern United States, Chesapeake Bay, were used to train, validate and test the model. Two error backpropagation multilayer perceptrons were trained: a simpler one (3-5-1) and a more complex one (12-5-1). Both neural networks outperformed conventional empirical models, even though only the latter, which exploits a larger suite of predictive variables, provided truly accurate outputs. The application of this neural network model is thoroughly discussed and the results of a sensitivity analysis are also presented.     

水体增温对浮游植物群落结构及其生态学特性影响的研究

本文对受河南平顶山姚孟热电厂温排水影响的白龟山水库的浮游植物群落的情况进行了野外调查,并在室内对浮游植物的群落结构及其生态学特征进行了模拟增温试验。试验结果表明:水体增温对水库浮游植物的种群组成、优势种的优势度、藻类密度和生物量均有影响。影响的程度与环境固有的水温及增温强度有关。室内增温模拟试验还表明:连续的增温对藻类的光合色素含量和光合作用强度均有影响。      

Embedded reservoir and constructed wetland for drinking water source protection: Effects on nutrient removal and phytoplankton succession

An embedded reservoir that provides an efficient nutrient removal system protects drinking water.However,embedded reservoirs are rarely used in eutrophic shallow lakes because of their undetermined nutrient retention efficiency and unknown effects by the phytoplankton community.In this study,we aim to investigate the nutrient retention and algae succession in an embedded reservoir and adjacent wetland from April 2017 to September 2018 in the eastern part of Lake Taihu,China.More than 40% of total phosphorus(TP) and 45% of particulate phosphorous entering the reservoir were retained semiannually,and the highest TP removal efficiency was achieved in the reservoir during autumn with an average value of 53.3% ± 9.9%.The overall nitrogen retention efficiency(21.7% ± 37.8%) was lower than that of TP(41.8% ± 27.8%).Similar trends were obtained in the wetland area.An important pathway for phosphorus removal is through particulate matter retention.Our study revealed that nutrient retention mechanisms in the reservoir were primarily via macrophyte absorption,particulate substance sedimentation,and prolonged water residence time.Consequently,the phytoplankton biomass(Chl-a) in the reservoir decreased(from 48.0 to 25.2 μg/L) and water transparency improved,due to the decreased P level and transformation of the phytoplankton group into simple structures with good ecological status.Therefore,the combination of embedded reservoir and constructed wetland ecosystem can be used successfully to protect surface water.The results will be advantageous to groups seeking to preserve drinking water sources.     

Cell size dependent toxicity thresholds of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to natural and cultured phytoplankton populations

The toxicity of pyrene and phenanthrene to phytoplankton was studied by analyzing the effect on the growth, abundance and cell viability of cultured species and natural communities of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. A decrease in cell abundance, and growth rate was observed as concentration of PAHs increased, with catastrophic cell mortality induced at the highest PAH concentration tested. A strong positive linear relationship was observed between the LC50 (the PAH concentration at which cell population will decline by a half), and the species cell volume, for both phenanthrene and pyrene. Natural communities were however significantly more sensitive to PAHs than cultured phytoplankton, as indicated by the lower slope (e.g. 0.23 and 0.65, respectively, for pyrene) of the relationship LC50 vs. cell volume. The results highlight the importance of cell size in determining the phytoplankton sensitivity to PAHs identifying the communities from the oligotrophic ocean to be more vulnerable.     

The algal toxicity of silver engineered nanoparticles and detoxification by exopolymeric substances

In this study, we report that silver ions (Ag⁺) from the oxidative dissolution of silver engineered nanoparticles (Ag-ENs) determined the EN toxicity to the marine diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii. Most of the Ag-ENs formed non-toxic aggregates (>0.22 μm) in seawater. When the free Ag⁺ concentration ([Ag⁺]_F) was greatly reduced by diafiltration or thiol complexation, no toxicity was observed, even though the Ag-ENs were better dispersed in the presence of thiols with up to 1.08 × 10⁻⁵ M Ag-ENs found in the <0.22 μm fraction, which are orders of magnitude higher than predicted for the natural aquatic environment. The secretion of polysaccharide-rich algal exopolymeric substances (EPS) significantly increased at increasing [Ag⁺]_F. Both dissolved and particulate polysaccharide concentrations were higher for nutrient-limited cells, coinciding with their higher Ag⁺ tolerance, suggesting that EPS may be involved in Ag⁺ detoxification.