化学污染物对珊瑚礁生态系统的影响研究进展

化学污染物是影响珊瑚礁生态系统健康的重要因素之一。随着我国社会经济的发展,沿海农业活动、城市工业化以及旅游业的发展导致珊瑚礁生长区的化学污染物浓度越来越高。珊瑚礁生态系统长期在化学污染物的联合胁迫下,生态风险指数日益增加,受到国内外研究者的极大关注。本文综述了国内外该领域的重要研究进展,并从个体、细胞和分子水平重点介绍了化学污染物对珊瑚的影响,主要包括：(1)珊瑚礁对重金属和多环芳烃有明显的富集作用,可以作为该海域化学污染物污染水平的外在反映;(2)化学污染物对珊瑚幼体的影响程度比成体大;(3)抗氧化酶和特定的功能基因可被用作生物标记物来监测珊瑚礁生态系统的健康状况。最后,对我国未来珊瑚礁生态系统的研究方向进行展望,建议在典型珊瑚礁海域进行长期的生态学监测,结合室内胁迫实验,筛选出敏感的生物标志物(biomarker),为今后珊瑚礁生态系统的保护提供基础信息,并对其可能存在的环境风险进行评价。     

南海北部珊瑚生长区海水重金属污染特征

重金属污染被认为对珊瑚生长存在潜在的危害,而目前对南海北部珊瑚礁区海水重金属的污染状况仍了解较少。以南海北部的广西涠洲岛、海南三亚鹿回头、雷州半岛灯搂角以及广东大亚湾等有珊瑚群落发育的海域为研究对象,采集了44个海水样品,根据海洋监测规范,利用原子吸收光谱仪及原子荧光光度计进行分析测定,研究了海水Zn、Pb、Cr、As、Cu、Cd和Hg的污染特征,并采用Hakanson潜在生态风险指数法对珊瑚生长环境风险进行了评价。结果表明,4个珊瑚生长区海水中7种重金属平均质量浓度分别为6.92(Zn)、1.05(Pb)、0.89(Cr)、0.80(As)、0.77(Cu)、0.079(Cd)、0.055(Hg)μg?L~(-1),部分站点Pb和Hg质量浓度略高于一类海水水质标准,但均低于二类海水水质标准;近岸珊瑚生长区海水重金属可能主要来源于工业排污、船舶运输、旅游业、养殖业及农业活动;从生态风险来看,单项潜在生态风险表现为HgPbCdCuAsZnCr,其中Hg是珊瑚生长区主要的生态风险因子,对综合生态风险指数(ERI)的贡献率达83.0%,各区均有站点表现为中等潜在生态风险。总体而言,ERI值均小于150,7种重金属对珊瑚生态系统表现为轻微潜在风险。     

南海近岸珊瑚礁海域表层水体中微塑料的分布特征

海洋环境中的微塑料作为近年来备受国内外关注的一种新型污染物，具有颗粒小、难去除和分布广等特性，并且易携带有毒有害物质，易被生物吸收，因此海洋微塑料成为影响珊瑚礁生态系统健康的重要因素.研究近岸珊瑚礁海域水体中微塑料的污染分布特征有助于了解陆源污染对近岸珊瑚礁生态系统的影响，为珊瑚礁海域生态环境保护提供基础数据.为探究中国南海近岸珊瑚礁海域(文昌和徐闻海域)表层水体中微塑料的分布特征，本研究采用拖网法(0.33 mm)在该海域设置10个站位并收集表层水体中的微塑料样品，经过微塑料鉴定及数据统计分析后，得出以下结论：(1)南海近岸珊瑚礁海域表层水体微塑料的平均丰度为(1.186±1.370) n·m^-3，高于外海珊瑚礁海域；与国内外其他近岸海域相比，其丰度处于中等水平.(2)粒径0.1—3.0 mm范围内的微塑料数量检出最多，占总数的82.1%；文昌珊瑚礁海域微塑料的主要成分是聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯，主要颜色为白色，形状以纤维为主；徐闻珊瑚礁海域主要成分为聚丙烯、聚乙烯、聚苯乙烯，主要颜色为白色和透明，形状分布相对均匀，以片状和泡沫状为主.(3)南海近岸珊瑚礁海域表层水...     

三亚珊瑚礁区珊瑚体内多环芳烃(PAHs)的分布特征及来源分析

采用高效气相色谱-质谱法(GC-MS)对三亚典型珊瑚礁区珊瑚体内的16种优控PAHs进行定量分析,初步探讨了不同属珊瑚体内PAHs的分布特征、环数组成及来源,对其可能存在的环境风险进行评价。结果表明:(1)珊瑚体内PAHs总质量分数范围为326.63~894.55 ng·g~(-1)(干质量,下同),具有明显的空间分布特征,凤凰岛最高(778.03 ng·g~(-1)),鹿回头次之(488.23 ng·g~(-1)),蜈支洲岛最低(396.07 ng·g~(-1));(2)在同一区域,块状珊瑚(滨珊瑚属Porites、盔形珊瑚属Galaxea、牡丹珊瑚属Pavona、蜂巢珊瑚属Favosites和星珊瑚属Montastrea)体内的PAHs质量分数比分枝状珊瑚(杯形珊瑚属Pocillopora和鹿角珊瑚属Acropora)高。其中,滨珊瑚属富集PAHs的能力最强,鹿角珊瑚属和杯形珊瑚属最弱;(3)珊瑚体内的PAHs以低环(2~3环)为主,所占百分比为75%~87%。高环PAHs(4环及以上)在所有珊瑚中均有检出;滨珊瑚属、鹿角珊瑚属和杯形珊瑚属中高环PAHs所占比例高于同地区其他属珊瑚;(4)与海洋贝类相比,珊瑚体内总PAHs质量分数以及高环PAHs在总PAHs中所占的比重更高,这可能与珊瑚自身独特的骨骼结构和生活习性有关;(5)结合不同环数PAHs的相对丰度法和同分异构体比值法对珊瑚体内的PAHs来源进行分析,结果表明,三亚珊瑚礁区珊瑚体内的PAHs污染来源复杂,主要为石油污染和化石燃料、煤炭及生物质的燃烧,推测与三亚市近年来的工业生产、渔业活动及旅游业的发展有关。该研究不仅可为珊瑚礁生态系统的环境保护提供基础信息,而且可以为环境耐受性珊瑚的选育提供重要的科学依据。     

渤海北部典型芳香烃类化合物污染状况及生态风险评价

为探究渤海北部海上油气区及周边近岸海域典型芳香烃类化合物污染状况,2015年5月现场采集了32个站位的海水样品,针对7种苯系物(BTEX)和17种多环芳烃(PAHs)进行测定,并采用商值法和毒性当量法对污染物开展单一和联合生态风险评估。结果显示,研究海域海水中7种苯系物总含量范围为65.1～222.6 ng·L~(-1),以甲苯含量最高,表层含量略低于底层,油气区平均含量低于周边近岸,受到陆源污染输入的影响特征明显。表层海水中ΣPAHs含量范围为98.9～356.0 ng·L~(-1),平均值为184.5 ng·L~(-1),以低环芳烃占优势,总体处于中等水平,比值法判定该海域PAHs可能主要来源于石油及其加工产品。该海域海水中苯并(a)芘的风险商RQ值大于0.1,表现出低度风险,其余3种处于可接受水平。4种芳香烃类化合物联合生态风险等级为低度风险,对生态系统具有潜在的不利影响,但不同区域仍存在一定差异性,海上石油开采与陆源输入是影响该海域个别区域生态风险较高的重要因素。     

管理珊瑚礁生态系统的新的更好方法

人们早就知道,过度捕捞、来自陆地的污染和气候变化造成世界范围内珊瑚礁数量下降。Bellwood等人归纳了人类活动对珊瑚礁所造成的干扰的性质,识别出一些在决定珊瑚礁恢复能力中发挥关键功能的鱼类和珊瑚物种。如果要让珊瑚礁存在下去,我们需要让它们有恢复能力,而不仅仅只是将它们保持在可以利用的水平上。其办法包括:实质性地扩大禁捕区;在人类活动是生态系统一个重要组成部分的广大区域,由地方相关部门采取措施,保持珊瑚礁的恢复能力;实行经济刺激,管理珊瑚礁生态系统的新的更好方法@肖辉林     

有机污染物生物有效性的评价方法

环境中有机污染物的生物有效性评价对生物修复、生态毒性和环境风险研究有着重要的意义.本文概括了影响有机污染物生物有效性的因素,综述了近年来有机污染物生物有效性评价方法的发展与应用,并对该领域的研究趋势进行了展望.     

水生生态系统中微塑料对微藻的生态毒理效应研究进展

作为一种新污染物,微塑料引起的环境问题日益严重,引起的生物效应和健康风险备受关注。微塑料粒径小,比表面积大,易成为各种污染物的载体,影响水生生物的生长繁殖或沿食物链传递,从而威胁到水生生态系统的安全。然而微塑料对水生生物的毒性作用机理尚不明确,因此,微塑料对水生生态系统的影响在很大程度上仍然是未知的。微藻是水生食物链的基础,是水生生态系统的基本组成部分,也是实现多种生态系统功能的关键生物,了解微塑料对微藻的生态毒性效应有助于评估其生态风险。本文基于已有研究,通过个体-种群-群落-生态系统等不同尺度综合论述微塑料对微藻的生态毒理效应,解析微塑料对微藻毒性作用的影响因素,包括浓度、粒径、形状、表面电荷和添加剂等。在此基础上,提出当前领域存在的问题和未来研究的重点方向。期望能为今后的微塑料毒性作用研究提供理论基础和数据参考。     

种群水平生态风险评价方法概述及其在环境管理中的应用

生态风险评价的目的是保护生态系统功能的完整性、稳定性和持久性,为环境风险管理提供理论依据。然而,目前常见的用于保护生物的化学污染物浓度阈值大多是以个体水平的毒性试验结果为基础,忽略了物种在时间和空间相互作用等因素,不能够完全保护生态环境安全和生态系统功能的延续性。本文从生态风险评价的概念、目的和意义引出种群水平生态风险评价在环境管理应用的重要性,综述了种群水平生态风险评价的科学问题(如密度依赖、遗传变异和空间结构等),归纳了种群水平风险评价主要模型方法及其应用(如Euler-Lotka方程、预测矩阵、个体模型、空间模型和动态能量预算模型等),列举了各国现有法律法规中关于种群水平生态风险评价的规定,以期为种群水平生态风险评价方法研究及在环境管理中的应用提供有益借鉴。     

潜流人工湿地中有机污染物降解机理研究综述

人工湿地是一种完整的生态系统,它是利用系统中发生的物理、化学和生物等多重协同作用实现对污水的净化功能.开展潜流人工湿地中废水处理的机理、湿地内部有机污染物的迁移转化、湿地工艺设计及其水力学、动力学参数的研究,对环境废水中有机污染物的去除及生态安全具有重要意义.文章主要从化学、生物、设计参数等方面论述了人工湿地废水处理中有机污染物的降解及其机理研究进展.化学因素主要包括溶解性有机质(DOM)对有机污染物的迁移转化、氧化还原环境(Redox)及废水中电子受体的存在对有机质的分解状况、不同溶解氧(DO)水平为厌氧、好氧细菌对有机物的生物降解及湿地内反应动力学模型建立等因素对废水中有机污染物降解的作用及影响;生物因素主要涉及植物和微生物的作用,湿地中的生物降解是有机污染物的主要去除方式;在工艺参数方面,主要就水流特性、孔隙度、停留时间(HRT)、水力负荷(HLR)和水位等因素对湿地中有机污染物去除的影响进行了探讨.     

A geological perspective on the degradation and conservation of western Atlantic coral reefs

Continuing coral‐reef degradation in the western Atlantic is resulting in loss of ecological and geologic functions of reefs. With the goal of assisting resource managers and stewards of reefs in setting and measuring progress toward realistic goals for coral‐reef conservation and restoration, we examined reef degradation in this region from a geological perspective. The importance of ecosystem services provided by coral reefs—as breakwaters that dissipate wave energy and protect shorelines and as providers of habitat for innumerable species—cannot be overstated. However, the few coral species responsible for reef building in the western Atlantic during the last approximately 1.5 million years are not thriving in the 21st century. These species are highly sensitive to abrupt temperature extremes, prone to disease infection, and have low sexual reproductive potential. Their vulnerability and the low functional redundancy of branching corals have led to the low resilience of western Atlantic reef ecosystems. The decrease in live coral cover over the last 50 years highlights the need for study of relict (senescent) reefs, which, from the perspective of coastline protection and habitat structure, may be just as important to conserve as the living coral veneer. Research is needed to characterize the geological processes of bioerosion, reef cementation, and sediment transport as they relate to modern‐day changes in reef elevation. For example, although parrotfish remove nuisance macroalgae, possibly promoting coral recruitment, they will not save Atlantic reefs from geological degradation. In fact, these fish are quickly nibbling away significant quantities of Holocene reef framework. The question of how different biota covering dead reefs affect framework resistance to biological and physical erosion needs to be addressed. Monitoring and managing reefs with respect to physical resilience, in addition to ecological resilience, could optimize the expenditure of resources in conserving Atlantic reefs and the services they provide.     

Diversity,abundance, and distribution of reef sharks on outer-shelf reefs of the Great Barrier Reef,Australia

Quantifying the distribution and habitat use of sharks is critical for understanding their ecological role and for establishing appropriate conservation and management regimes. On coral reefs, particularly the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), little is known regarding the distribution of sharks across major reef habitat types. In this study, we surveyed shark populations across outer-shelf reefs of the GBR in order to determine the diversity, abundance, and distribution of reef sharks across three major coral reef habitats: (1) the reef slope, (2) the back reef and (3) the reef flat. Model selection revealed that habitat was the principal factor influencing shark distribution and abundance. Specifically, overall shark abundance and diversity were significantly higher on the reef slope (and to a lesser degree, the back reef) than the reef flat. This confirms that shark populations are not homogeneously distributed across coral reefs. Thus, the results presented herein have important implications for shark population assessments. In addition, our results highlight the potential importance of the reef slope, with high levels of live coral cover and structural complexity, for sustaining reef shark populations. As this habitat is highly susceptible to disturbance events, this study provides a useful context for predicting and understanding how environmental degradation may influence reef shark populations in the future.     

Diversity and stability of herbivorous fishes on coral reefs

Biodiversity may provide insurance against ecosystem collapse by stabilizing assemblages that perform particular ecological functions (the "portfolio effect"). However, the extent to which this occurs in nature and the importance of different mechanisms that generate portfolio effects remain controversial. On coral reefs, herbivory helps maintain coral dominated states, so volatility in levels of herbivory has important implications for reef ecosystems. Here, we used an extensive time series of abundances on 35 reefs of the Great Barrier Reef of Australia to quantify the strength of the portfolio effect for herbivorous fishes. Then, we disentangled the contributions of two mechanisms that underlie it (compensatory interactions and differential responses to environmental fluctuations ["response diversity"]) by fitting a community-dynamic model that explicitly includes terms for both mechanisms. We found that portfolio effects operate strongly in herbivorous fishes, as shown by nearly independent fluctuations in abundances over time. Moreover, we found strong evidence for high response diversity, with nearly independent responses to environmental fluctuations. In contrast, we found little evidence that the portfolio effect in this system was enhanced by compensatory ecological interactions. Our results show that portfolio effects are driven principally by response diversity for herbivorous fishes on coral reefs. We conclude that portfolio effects can be very strong in nature and that, for coral reefs in particular, response diversity may help maintain herbivory above the threshold levels that trigger regime shifts.     

Coral identity underpins architectural complexity on Caribbean reefs

The architectural complexity of ecosystems can greatly influence their capacity to support biodiversity and deliver ecosystem services. Understanding the components underlying this complexity can aid the development of effective strategies for ecosystem conservation. Caribbean coral reefs support and protect millions of livelihoods, but recent anthropogenic change is shifting communities toward reefs dominated by stress-resistant coral species, which are often less architecturally complex. With the regionwide decline in reef fish abundance, it is becoming increasingly important to understand changes in coral reef community structure and function. We quantify the influence of coral composition, diversity, and morpho-functional traits on the architectural complexity of reefs across 91 sites at Cozumel, Mexico. Although reef architectural complexity increases with coral cover and species richness, it is highest on sites that are low in taxonomic evenness and dominated by morpho-functionally important, reef-building coral genera, particularly Montastraea. Sites with similar coral community composition also tend to occur on reefs with very similar architectural complexity, suggesting that reef structure tends to be determined by the same key species across sites. Our findings provide support for prioritizing and protecting particular reef types, especially those dominated by key reef-building corals, in order to enhance reef complexity.     

Microplastics in mangroves and coral reef ecosystems: a review

Microplastic pollution has recently been identified as a major issue for the health of ecosystems. Microplastics have typically sizes of less than 5 mm and occur in various forms, such as pellets, fibres, fragments, films, and granules. Mangroves and coral reefs are sensitive and restricted ecosystems that provide free ecological services such as coastal protection, maintaining natural cycles, hotspots of biodiversity and economically valuable goods. However, urbanization and industrial activities have started contaminating even these preserved ecosystems. Here we review sources, occurrence, and toxicity of microplastics in the trophic levels of mangrove and coral reef ecosystems. We present detection methods, such as microscopic identification and spectroscopy. We discuss mitigating measures that prevent the entry of microplastics into the marine environment.

     

Modelling coral reef ecosystems with limited observational data

Ecosystem models represent potentially powerful tools for coral reef ecosystem managers. They can provide insight into ecosystem dynamics not achievable through alternative means allowing coral reef managers to assess the potential outcome of any given management decision. One of the main limitations in the applicability of ecosystem models is that they often require detailed empirical data and this can restrict their applicability to ecosystems that are either currently well studied or have the resources available to collect the required data. This study describes the development of a coral reef ecosystem model that can be calibrated to an ecosystem with limited empirical data. Based on the assumption that coral reef ecological structure is generic across all tropical coral reefs and that the magnitude of the interactions between ecological components is reef specific, the dynamics of the ecosystem can be replicated based on limited empirical data. The model successfully replicated the dynamics of three individual reef systems including an inshore and oceanic reef within the Great Barrier Reef and a Caribbean reef system. It highlighted the importance of understanding the specific dynamics of a given reef and that a positive management intervention in one system may result in a negative outcome for another. The model was also used to assess the importance of various interactions within coral reef ecosystems. It identified the interactions between hard corals and other non-algal benthic components as being an important (but currently understudied) facet of coral reef ecology. The development of this modelling approach provides access to ecosystem modelling tools for coral reef managers previously excluded due to a lack of resources or technical expertise.     

ReefBahia, an integrated GIS approach for coral reef conservation in Bahia, Brazil

Coral reefs around the world are facing serious threats. These fragile ecosystems are in need for conservation. The coastal state of Bahia hosts the most extensive and richest area of coral reefs in the South Atlantic Ocean. Assessment, planning and management of coral reef ecosystems are particularly challenging tasks. This work shows how the creation of a GIS improves the process of management, monitoring and conservation of the Bahian reef environments The initial data input started by the vectorization of 1) bathymetric data from the Bureau of Hydrography and Navigation (DHN), 2) shoreline and mangrove areas from Landsat 7 ETM + images, 3) near surface reefs from Quickbird images, and 4) coastal and marine protected areas of federal, state and local administrations. Geological, physical, biological and social information was then included in order to create a suitable marine GIS for conservation aims. The data includes information on sediment granulometry and transport patterns, rocky substrate outcrops, sea surface temperature, wave direction, rain precipitation, major contributing river discharge, artisanal fishery, benthic cover and bleaching data. ReefBahia GIS has provided essential information for a better understanding of coral reefs of the state of Bahia geological and ecological characteristics such as mapping, representation, connectivity and biodiversity of coral reefs, geological facies, Quaternary sedimentation, numeric modeling of wave refraction and monitoring of bleaching events.     

Identifying Reefs of Hope and Hopeful Actions: Contextualizing Environmental, Ecological, and Social Parameters to Respond Effectively to Climate Change

Abstract:  Priorities for conservation, management, and associated activities will differ based on the interplay between nearness of ecosystems to full recovery from a disturbance (pristineness), susceptibility to climate change (environmental susceptibility [ES]), and capacity of human communities to cope with and adapt to change (social adaptive capacity [AC]). We studied 24 human communities and adjacent coral reef ecosystems in 5 countries of the southwestern Indian Ocean. We used ecological measures of abundance and diversity of fishes and corals, estimated reef pristineness, and conducted socioeconomic household surveys to determine the AC of communities adjacent to selected coral reefs. We also used Web-based oceanographic and coral mortality data to predict each site's ES to climate warming. Coral reefs of Mauritius and eastern Madagascar had low ES and consequently were not predicted to be affected strongly by warm water, although these sites were differentiated by the AC of the human community. The higher AC in Mauritius may increase the chances for successful self-initiated recovery and protective management of reefs of this island. In contrast, Madagascar may require donor support to build AC as a prerequisite to preservation efforts. The Seychelles and Kenya had high ES, but their levels of AC and disturbance differed. The high AC in the Seychelles could be used to develop alternatives to dependence on coral reef resources and reduce the effects of climate change. Pristineness weighted toward measures of fish recovery was greatest for Kenya's marine protected areas; however, most protected areas in the region were far from pristine. Conservation priorities and actions with realistic chances for success require knowledge of where socioecological systems lie among the 3 axes of environment, ecology, and society.     

Differences in the structures of fish assemblages inThalassia testudinum beds in Guadeloupe,French West Indies,and their ecological significance

The structures of fish assemblages in twoThalassia testudinum beds in Guadeloupe, French West Indies, one adjacent to mangroves and the other adjacent to coral reefs, were compared between January 1983 and May 1984. The aim of the study was to compare the influences of mangroves and coral reefs on the utilization of seagrass beds by fishes through examination of species composition, catch rate, size of fishes and temporal changes. The two fish assemblages were similar in terms of the number of species they had in common (nearly 44% of the total number of species collected) and the great abundance of juveniles. They both comprised species that usually inhabit other habitats, i.e., estuaries, open waters or coral reefs. Estuary-associated species (e.g. Gerreidae) were the most abundant species in the seagrass bed near the mangroves, while small pelagic species (e.g. Clupeidae) were the most abundant species in the seagrass bed near the coral reefs. The seagrass bed near the mangroves was preferentially utilized as a nursery area by small juveniles of various species (e.g. Clupeidae, Sparidae, Gerreidae, and at least one coral reef species,Ocyurus chrysurus). The abundance of these species varied frequently, suggesting successive arrivals and departures of juveniles over time. The seagrass bed near the coral reefs was characteristically utilized by fishes that are more able to avoid predation, i.e., fishes that forage over seagrass beds at night and shelter in or near the coral reefs during the day (large juveniles of coral reef species and adults of schooling pelagic species, respectively). The constant migrations of these fishes between the coral reefs and seagrass beds explained the relative stability of the structure of the fish assemblage in the seagrass bed over time. Thus, the two seagrass beds were not equivalent habitats for fishes. The distinct ecological influences of the mangroves (as a nursery for small juveniles) and coral reefs (as a shelter for larger fishes) on the nearby seagrass beds was clearly reflected by the distinct utilizations of these seagrass beds by fishes.     

Translating the 10 golden rules of reforestation for coral reef restoration

Efforts are accelerating to protect and restore ecosystems globally. With trillions of dollars in ecosystem services at stake, no clear framework exists for developing or prioritizing approaches to restore coral reefs even as efforts and investment opportunities to do so grow worldwide. Restoration may buy time for climate change mitigation, but it lacks rigorous guidance to meet objectives of scalability and effectiveness. Lessons from restoration of terrestrial ecosystems can and should be rapidly adopted for coral reef restoration. We propose how the 10 golden rules of effective forest restoration can be translated to accelerate efforts to restore coral reefs based on established principles of resilience, management, and local stewardship. We summarize steps to undertake reef restoration as a management strategy in the context of the diverse ecosystem service values that coral reefs provide. Outlining a clear blueprint is timely as more stakeholders seek to undertake restoration as the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration begins.