Nutrient concentrations in tidal creeks as indicators of the water quality role of mangrove wetlands in Southwest Florida

Coastal mangroves have the potential to improve the water quality of urban and rural runoff before it is discharged into adjacent coastal bays and oceans; but they also can be impaired by excessive pollutants from upstream. Nutrients (phosphorus and nitrogen), salinity, and other water quality parameters were measured in five mangrove tidal creeks in different hydrogeomorphic and urbanization settings during high and low tides over a calendar year of wet (June and August 2015) and dry (February and April 2016) seasons in the Greater Naples Bay area in Southwest Florida, USA. Nutrient concentrations (ave. ± std error) in the tidal creeks were 0.055 ± 0.008 mg-P/L for total phosphorus (TP) and 0.610 ± 0.020 mg-N/L for total nitrogen (TN), with an average N:P ratio of 11.4:1. Average wet season TP (0.075 ± 0.010 mg-P/L) was significantly higher than the dry season TP (0.033 ± 0.003 mg-P/L; p < 0.01, f = 15.17, f_crit = 3.89) and the average wet season TN (0.75 ± 0.03 mg-N/L) was significantly higher than dry season TN (0.52 ± 0.02 mg/L; p < 0.01, f = 64.14, f_crit = 3.89), suggesting that urban stormwater runoff is directly or indirectly affecting the nutrient conditions in these mangroves. Significant differences in nutrient concentrations between low tide and high tide were not found for either TP (p = 0.43, f = .63, f_crit = 3.88) or TN (p = 0.20, f = 1.66, f_crit = 3.89). These differences were confirmed by a PCA and cluster analyses, which found differences to be seasonal. We could not conclude from these results whether these five mangrove wetlands were sources nor sinks of nutrients based simply on the measurement of nutrient concentrations. But we illustrated that nutrient concentrations were indicators of the mangroves’ hydrogeomorphic settings, their tidal fluxes from Naples Bay, and the Bay's upstream watersheds, and less by direct urban runoff.     

Diatoms as indicators of isolated herbaceous wetland condition in Florida,USA

Benthic, epiphytic, and phytoplanktonic diatoms, as well as soil and water physical–chemical parameters, were sampled from 70 small (average 0.86 ha) isolated depressional herbaceous wetlands located along a gradient of human disturbance in peninsular Florida to (1) compare diatom assemblage structure between algal types; (2) develop biological indicators of wetland condition; (3) examine synecological relationships between diatom structure and environmental variables, with the ultimate goal of developing an index of biological integrity using a single assemblage. Collected diatom samples were enumerated to 250 valves and identified to species or subspecies. An assessment of wetland condition was made using a landscape-scale human disturbance score (Landscape Development Intensity index, LDI), calculated for each site using land use maps and GIS.Assemblages from both impaired and reference sites were compared using blocked multi-response permutation procedures, the percent similarity index, and visually examined using non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS). No ecologically significant compositional differences were found within sites. Mantel's test (Mantel's r = 0.29, p < 0.0001) and NMDS (stress: 14.52, variance: 78.5%) identified epiphytic diatoms as the most responsive to human disturbance. Strong significant correlations (|r_s| > 0.50, p < 0.05) were found between epiphytic NMDS site scores and soil pH, specific conductivity, water total phosphorous, and LDI, while soil pH, water color, soil TP, and turbidity were also significantly correlated (p < 0.05).Metrics to assess wetland condition were developed using epiphytic abundance data. Epiphytic taxa sensitive or tolerant to human landscape modification were identified using Indicator Species Analysis, and autecological indices relating diatom sensitivity to nutrients, pH, dissolved oxygen levels, saprobity, salinity, and trophic status were calculated. Fourteen final metrics were identified, scored on an ordinal scale, and combined into the Diatom Index of Wetland Condition (DIWC). The DIWC was highly correlated with the disturbance score (Spearman's r_s = −0.71, p < 0.0001), although the results need to be validated.     

Spatial and temporal distributions of epiphytic diatoms growing on Thalassia testudinum Banks ex König: relationships to water quality

The spatial and temporal distributions of the epiphytic diatom flora on Thalassia testudinum was described within the Florida Bay estuary and at one Atlantic site east of the Florida Keys over a 1-year period. Species of the genus Mastogloia dominated the epiphytic diatom flora (82 out of 332 total species). Nonmetric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) and Analysis of Similarity (ANOSIM) revealed four distinct spatial assemblages and two temporal assemblages. Eastern and western Florida Bay assemblages were identified within the estuary. The eastern diatom assemblage was characterized by high relative abundances of Brachysira aponina and Nitzschia liebetruthii, while the western assemblage was characterized by the abundance of Reimerothrix floridensis, particularly during summer. Two diverse and distinct marine assemblages, one located in the Gulf of Mexico along the western edge of Florida Bay and the other behind the Florida reef tract in the Atlantic Ocean, were also identified. Analysis of the spatial distribution of diatoms and water quality characteristics within Florida Bay suggest that these assemblages may be structured by salinity and nutrient availability, particularly P. The Gulf of Mexico and the western Florida Bay assemblages were associated with higher water column salinities and TP concentrations and lower DIN concentrations and TN:TP ratios relative to the eastern Florida Bay assemblage. The temporal variation in diatom assemblages was associated with water temperature, though temporal indicator species were few relative to the number of spatial indicators. Electronic supplementary material Electronic supplementary material is available for this article at and accessible for authorised users.     

Diatom taxa and assemblages for establishing nutrient criteria of lakes with anthropogenic hydrologic alteration

Stressor-response models offer guidance for concentration-based nutrient criteria in lakes under human intervention. Diatom-based statistics from biological responses were incorporated to derive taxon-specific and community-level change points (thresholds) of phosphorous and nitrogen in 77 Yangtze floodplain lakes. Diatom metrics relating with conductivity were adopted as response variables, since conductivity explained the maximum variation (38.1%) in diatom assemblages via Bootstrapped regression trees. Nonparametric change-point analysis and Threshold Indicator Taxa ANalysis showed threshold responses of diatom community structure at 0.05–0.08 mg TP/L in connected lakes and 0.02–0.04 mg TP/L in isolated lakes. Distinct community change points of sensitive diatoms occurred at 0.96–1.63 mg TN/L in connected lakes and 0.52–0.63 mg TN/L in isolated lakes. Diatom community structures of tolerant taxa were substantially altered beyond 0.22–0.23 mg/L in connected lakes and 0.52–0.69 mg NO_x/L in isolated lakes. Hydrological river-lake connectivity differed significantly in ecological nutrient criteria with more TN/TP criteria and less NO_x criteria in connected lakes. Given the ecological significance and biological integrity, diatom-based statistics can provide more reliable change points (thresholds) for nutrient criteria than Chl a-nutrient relationships.     

Developing a regional diatom index for assessment and monitoring of freshwater streams in sub-tropical Australia

The use of borrowed indices to assess stream health has limitations and research suggests a need to develop more reliable regionally based indices that are sensitive to the relationship between taxa and environmental conditions. Implementing this is challenging in the Southern Hemisphere given the scarcity of diatom indices, specifically in sub-tropical areas. The purpose of this study was to develop a regionally based diatom index to assess freshwater lotic systems in sub-tropical eastern Australia and compare the results with borrowed indices to derive meaningful inferences on river health. A total of 119 epilithic diatom and water samples were collected during 2014–2015 from the Richmond River Catchment in Northern NSW Australia. Statistical analysis indicated that total phosphorus (TP) and total nitrogen (TN) were strong variables influencing the data set and subsequently TP was chosen as a nutrient proxy for the index. Analysis of diatoms resulted in TP sensitivity values (1–5) being assigned to 105 species with relative abundance of >1% in the data set. These species were used to calculate the Richmond River Diatom Index (RRDI) for 45 sites within the Catchment. The index effectively scored sites along the environmental gradient with sites in the upper catchment generally scoring lower (healthier) than the mid and lower catchment sites. The index compared positively with both the Diatom Species Index for Australian Rivers (DSIAR) (r = 0.76) and the Trophic Diatom Index (TDI) (r = 0.65). Further research is suggested to test the RRDI on independent sites in neighbouring catchments and develop class boundaries from the RRDI so that the index can be readily used by water managers to assess and monitor freshwater systems in sub-tropical Australia.     

Using algal metrics and biomass to evaluate multiple ways of defining concentration-based nutrient criteria in streams and their ecological relevance

We examined the utility of nutrient criteria derived solely from total phosphorus (TP) concentrations in streams (regression models and percentile distributions) and evaluated their ecological relevance to diatom and algal biomass responses. We used a variety of statistics to characterize ecological responses and to develop concentration-based nutrient criteria (derived from ecological effects) for streams in Connecticut, USA, where urbanization is the primary cause of watershed alteration. Mean background TP concentration in the absence of anthropogenic land cover was predicted to be 0.017 mg/l, which was similar to the 25th percentile of all study sites. Increased TP concentrations were significantly correlated with altered diatom community structure, decreased percent low P diatoms and diatoms sensitive to impervious cover, and increased percent high P diatoms, diatoms that increase with greater impervious cover, and chlorophyll a (P < 0.01). Variance partitioning models showed that shared effects of anthropogenic land cover and chemistry (i.e., chemistry affected by land cover) represented the majority of explained variation in diatom metrics and chlorophyll a. Bootstrapped regression trees, threshold indicator taxa analysis, and boosted regression trees identified TP concentrations at which strong responses of diatom metrics and communities occurred, but these values varied among analyses. When considering ecological responses, scientifically defensible and ecologically relevant TP criteria were identified at (1) 0.020 mg/l for designating highest quality streams and restoration targets, above which sensitive taxa steeply declined, tolerant taxa increased, and community structure changed, (2) 0.040 mg/l, at which community level change points began to occur and sensitive diatoms were greatly reduced, (3) 0.065 mg/l, above which most sensitive diatoms were lost and tolerant diatoms steeply increased to their maxima, and (4) 0.082 mg/l, which appeared to be a saturated threshold, beyond which substantially altered community structure was sustained. These criteria can inform anti-degradation policies for high quality streams, discharge permit decisions, and future strategies for watershed development and managment. Our results indicated that management practices and decisions at the watershed scale will likely be important for improving degraded streams and conserving high quality streams. Results also emphasized the importance of incorporating ecological responses and considering the body of evidence from multiple conceptual approaches and statistical analyses for developing nutrient criteria, because solely relying on one approach could lead to misdirected decisions and resources.     

Potential of diatom consortium developed by nutrient enrichment for biodiesel production and simultaneous nutrient removal from waste water

Because of the decreasing fossil fuel supply and increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, microalgae have been identified as a viable and sustainable feedstock for biofuel production. The major effect of the release of wastewater rich in organic compounds has led to the eutrophication of freshwater ecosystems. A combined approach of freshwater diatom cultivation with urban sewage water treatment is a promising solution for nutrient removal and biofuel production. In this study, urban wastewater from eutrophic Hussain Sagar Lake was used to cultivate a diatom algae consortium, and the effects of silica and trace metal enrichment on growth, nutrient removal, and lipid production were evaluated. The nano-silica-based micronutrient mixture Nualgi containing Si, Fe, and metal ions was used to optimize diatom growth. Respectively, N and P reductions of 95.1% and 88.9%, COD and BOD reductions of 91% and 51% with a biomass yield of 122.5 mg L^?1 day^?1 and lipid productivity of 37 mg L^?1 day^?1 were observed for cultures grown in waste water using Nualgi. Fatty acid profiles revealed 13 different fatty acids with slight differences in their percentage of dry cell weight (DCW) depending on enrichment level. These results demonstrate the potential of diatom algae grown in wastewater to produce feedstock for renewable biodiesel production. Enhanced carbon and excess nutrient utilization makes diatoms ideal candidates for co-processes such as CO₂ sequestration, biodiesel production, and wastewater phycoremediation.     

Diatom biomonitoring of streams: Reliability of reference sites and the response of metrics to environmental variations across temporal scales

Benthic diatoms are widely used indicators of human impacts on stream ecosystems because they are very responsive to changing environmental conditions. However, little research has explicitly focused on their reliability with regards to temporal variation in assemblage structure and environmental conditions. We examined variability in diatom-environment relationships at bi-weekly, monthly, and yearly time scales from 7 reference, 7 agricultural, and 2 acid mine drainage (AMD)-impacted streams, and how nutrient and pH fluctuations may affect the interpretation of diatom metrics and the Diatom Model Affinity (DMA) index. Reference streams had less bi-weekly variability in NO₃-N concentrations than non-reference streams. The % eutraphentic diatoms and DMA scores were more strongly correlated with seasonal means of NO₃-N and PO₄-P concentrations than with same day concentrations. Most nutrient indicator metrics had strong correlations with watershed land use. All 14 non-AMD streams experienced substantial increases in NO₃-N and decreases in temperature from November to May, which were associated with high species turnover, substantial changes in community structure, reduced diversity and richness, increased relative abundances of high nutrient diatoms, and decreases in low nutrient diatoms and DMA scores. The % acidophilic diatoms and DMA scores were significantly correlated with increased pH associated with greater precipitation at AMD sites from December to April (r = ?0.77, r = 0.62, respectively; P < 0.01). Yearly, DMA scores for all reference streams were consistently in the minimally impaired category, whereas scores for non-reference streams varied among impairment categories. Reference sites serve as reliable benchmarks for diatom ecological integrity during the summer. In this region, June to October is a recommended time period for diatom sampling in monitoring programs because subsequent shifts in hydrologic regimes, nutrients, and diatom assemblages occurred, affecting all sites and masking among stream differences attributable to agricultural land uses.     

Relationship Between Surface Sediment Diatoms and Summer Water Quality in Shallow Lakes of the Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River

The relationship between surface sediment diatoms and summer water quality was investigated at 49 lakes in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Lakes ranging from oligomesotrophic to hypereutrophic were examined, providing an obvious nutrient gradient. With the shift from mesotrophic to eutrophic levels, diatom multi-ecotypes dominated by epiphytic and facultative planktonic taxa were replaced by nutrient-tolerant planktonic taxa, such as Cyclotella meneghiniana Skvortzow, C. atomus Hustedt,Cyclostephanos Round, and Stephanodiscus Ehrenberg etc., reflecting the nutrient changes in the lake.The relationship between diatoms and summer water quality indices was explored further using numeric analysis. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) with forward selection and a Monte Carlo permutation test revealed that of all 25 summer water environmental variables, total phosphorus (TP), chlorophyll a (Chzl a), Secchi depth (SD), dissolved inorganic phosphorus, C1-, SO42-, Mg2 , CO32-, and water depth were significant variables (P＜0.05) in explaining diatom distributions. Of these, TP, Chl a, SD, and C1-, were the most important variables. The result of the correlation analysis also showed that a significant correlation exists among these variables, implying that these indices are either interconnected or independent in explaining the diatom data. For phosphorus-limited sites, TP was the most significant variable affecting the diatoms, also affecting changes in Chl a, SD, and iron concentrations. The independence of Chl a may be related to algal competition induced by lake eutrophication, resulting in the feedback to diatom community.In addition to TP, SD can be related to sediment disturbance by wave action and the growth of macrophytes in large shallow lakes. These relationships between diatom ecotypes and water quality provide the basis for a future quantitative reconstruction of historic lake nutrient evolution in the study area and will also provide a wealth of modern ecological knowledge that can be used to interpret fossil diatom records.     

Relationship Between Surface Sediment Diatoms and Summer Water Quality in Shallow Lakes of the Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River

The relationship between surface sediment diatoms and summer water quality was investigated at 49 lakes in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Lakes ranging from oligomesotrophic to hypereutrophic were examined, providing an obvious nutrient gradient. With the shift from mesotrophic to eutrophic levels, diatom multi-ecotypes dominated by epiphytic and facultative planktonic taxa were replaced by nutrient-tolerant planktonic taxa, such as Cyclotella meneghiniana Skvortzow, C. atomus Hustedt, Cyclostephanos Round, and Stephanodiscus Ehrenberg etc., reflecting the nutrient changes in the lake. The relationship between diatoms and summer water quality indices was explored further using numeric analysis. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) with forward selection and a Monte Carlo permutation test revealed that of all 25 summer water environmental variables, total phosphorus (TP), chlorophyll a (Chl a), Secchi depth (SD), dissolved inorganic phosphorus, Cl–, SO42–, Mg2+, CO32–, and water depth were significant variables (P<0.05) in explaining diatom distributions. Of these, TP, Chl a, SD, and Cl–, were the most important variables. The result of the correlation analysis also showed that a significant correlation exists among these variables, implying that these indices are either interconnected or independent in explaining the diatom data. For phosphorus-limited sites, TP was the most significant variable affecting the diatoms, also affecting changes in Chl a, SD, and iron concentrations. The independence of Chl a may be related to algal competition induced by lake eutrophication, resulting in the feedback to diatom community. In addition to TP, SD can be related to sediment disturbance by wave action and the growth of macrophytes in large shallow lakes. These relationships between diatom ecotypes and water quality provide the basis for a future quantitative reconstruction of historic lake nutrient evolution in the study area and will also provide a wealth of modern ecological knowledge that can be used to interpret fossil diatom records.     

Choice of biota in stream assessment and monitoring programs in tropical streams: A comparison of diatoms,macroinvertebrates and fish

The objective of this study was to compare the responses of diatoms, macroinvertebrates and fish to agriculture, urbanization and mining in the Manyame River Basin. Water quality sampling and benthic diatom, macroinvertebrate and fish community data were collected in April (end of the rain season) and September (dry season) 2013 at 44 sampling stations spread out across three land-use categories: commercial agricultural, communal agricultural and urban-mining areas. Commercial agricultural areas were relatively pristine as they were characterized by mature deciduous riparian forest strips which acted as riparian buffers thus protecting water resources from nonpoint source pollution. In communal agricultural areas a combination of poor agricultural practices (stream bank cultivation, overgrazing, soil erosions) and high human population densities had negative effects on water quality of streams draining these areas. Streams in urban-mining areas were highly stressed, being impacted primarily by physical habitat degradation and both point and nonpoint sources of pollution. A suite of environmental variables that varied with land-use pattern was assessed to find the combination of variables that best explained patterns of biota community composition. Community metrics i.e. the Trophic Diatom Index (TDI) based on diatoms, the South African Scoring system version 5 (SASS 5) based on macroinvertebrates and the Fish Assemblage Integrity Index (FAII) were used to determine the ecological status of study streams in relation to human-induced stressors. Data were also subjected to multivariate statistical techniques; canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), mantel test and cluster analysis to determine environmental gradients along which the diatom, macroinvertebrate and fish assemblages were distributed as well as to elucidate hypothesized differences in response to stressors among communities per land-use type. Using CCA, we assessed the individual importance of a set of environmental variables on each biotic community structure. ANOVA, showed a significant difference (p < 0.05) in physical and chemical variables among commercial agricultural, communal agricultural and urban-mining sampling stations with no significant differences (p > 0.05) between the 2 sampling periods. Based on CCAs carried out using individual variables, the strengths of relationships between diatoms and macroinvertebrates was generally high for nutrient levels, organic and metal pollution and other variables. However, fish assemblages showed a relatively low association with all water quality variables in the study; this might be explained by the high abundance of omnivores and air breathers which are able to tolerate a variety of environmental conditions. These patterns were also confirmed by the mantel test as well as the other CCAs carried out to investigate the simultaneous effects of environmental variables. These findings indicate that diatoms are more powerful indicators in accessing ecological stream/river quality and have potential for application in routine monitoring programs in tropical streams.     

Response of epilithic diatom communities to environmental gradients along an Ecuadorian Andean River

Epilithic diatom communities are particularly suitable for the evaluation of freshwater quality. In Ecuador, however, no water quality index includes this biotic parameter. This work is the first attempt in the country to determine the composition of epilithic diatom communities associated with different degrees of eutrophication. This was accomplished by measuring physical, chemical and microbiological variables at five sampling sites along the Pita River, Ecuador, from August to December 2016. The results indicate a clear gradient of eutrophication from sampling sites P1 (good water) in the upper reaches to P5 (bad water) located in the lower reaches. Concerning diatom analyses, the results indicated a high diversity for tropical areas in terms of species richness, varying from S = 34 in headwaters to S = 42 downstream. Moreover, the results obtained suggest a lack of concordance with the trophic values given to some of the epilithic diatoms in the literature. There were also species that seem to be sensitive to downstream nutrient increases that were not considered as bioindicators in previous studies. We concluded that the trophic values of diatom species available in the scientific literature are not directly applicable to their sites in the Pita River. Hence, it is necessary to establish a trophic diatom index for the Andean region of Ecuador.     

三峡库区古夫河水质时空分异特征

以湖北省神农架林区和兴山县境内长江三峡库区香溪河支流古夫河为研究对象,于2010年8月-2011年7月在整条河流中选取20个采样点,进行样本采集,并测定溶解氧、碱度、硬度、电导率、总磷、总氮、化学需氧量、二氧化硅、总有机碳共9项水质指标,运用多元统计方法,分析水质的时空分异特征.依据研究区土地利用类型差异,将20个采样点分成4组,即森林(A组)、耕地(B组)、水库(C组)和村镇(D组);根据该区域的水文节律,将5-10月归为湿季,其余月份为干季.判别分析和方差分析结果表明,古夫河水质具有时空显著性差异:总磷、二氧化硅、电导率、化学需氧量、总硬度和总碱度等指标具有空间显著性差异;总氮、化学需氧量、溶解氧、二氧化硅和总有机碳与季节存在显著相关性,所测9项水质指标在不同空间类别上呈现出显著的季节变化.主成分分析表明,不同空间类别上的干湿季节引起水质变化的主导因子是不同的:A组中,湿季主要体现为二氧化硅和总有机碳,干季主要体现为总磷、二氧化硅、总有机碳和化学需氧量,该组水质主要受地表径流、地质成因和风化作用等自然因素的影响;B组中,湿季主要体现为硬度和总有机碳,干季主要体现为总磷、化学需氧量、总碱度和总硬度,该组除了受自然因素的影响,还受如农业径流、未处理的生活污水排放等人为因素影响;C组中,湿季主要体现为二氧化硅、总氮和总磷,干季主要体现为总氮、总有机碳和二氧化硅,该组主要受农业径流、地表径流以及未经处理的生活污水等的影响;D组中湿季主要体现为二氧化硅、总氮和总磷,干季主要体现为碱度、硬度、总氮和总有机碳,该组主要受村镇生活污水和农业径流等的影响.结果表明,古夫河水质受自然和人为因素影响而发生变化,其中受人为因素影响更大.因此,加强水资源的管理和保护,改善水质,做好水源地的长期水质监测显得尤为重要.     

Use of diatom life-forms and ecological guilds to assess pesticide contamination in rivers: Lotic mesocosm approaches

The persistence of pesticides in the environment and their effects are a cause of concern to more and more people, and so in 2009 the French government announced plans to reduce pesticide use in agriculture over the next 10 years. Water managers are to monitor the beneficial impact of this reduction on aquatic environments. It has been suggested that diatoms may be good indicators of pesticides, and more particularly of herbicides, in water. Diatoms have been routinely used to assess organic and nutrient pollution for more than 10 years. The general approach is to develop a diatom-based tool to assess pesticide contamination. Diatom indices are usually based on specific pollution sensitivity. Other metrics, such as life-forms, ecological guilds, or cell size offer other advantages. For instance, the relationships between trends in these metrics and environmental gradients are more robust, and make it easier to establish ecological hypotheses. We have therefore opted for this approach.To develop such a tool, outdoor, lotic mesocosm experiments lasting about 2 months were conducted from 2006 to 2008. Herbicides (diuron) and fungicides (azoxystrobin, tebuconazole) were tested at environmental concentrations (sum of pesticides concentrations from 1.11 to 3.01 μg L^?1 for chronic pollutions and from 20.25 to 29.50 μg L^?1 for short-term acute pollutions). Diatom communities in artificial channels were analyzed by light microscopy using standard European methods. The various parameters structuring diatom communities were assessed, and colonization time appeared to be the most important. However, pesticide contamination was the second most important, and had a more significant impact on the composition of ecological guilds than on species composition. Some metrics did not display any significant trends (benthic/planktonic, colonial, pedunculate, pioneer), but others looked promising for use in pesticide contamination assessment: the abundances of motile guild, low-profile guild and mucous tubule diatoms all increased in contaminated channels, whereas high-profile diatoms showed the opposite trend. Some possible explanations, such as a protective effect of the exopolysaccharide matrix, can be advanced: diatoms living inside a mucous tubule may be shielded from dissolved pesticides, as are motile diatoms, which have a micro-habitat preference for thick matrices which also allows them to withstand higher levels of water contamination. In the same way, high-profile guild diatoms are exposed to dissolved pesticides to a greater extent, and this could explain their lower abundance in contaminated channels.     

环境因素对东平湖沉积物细菌群落结构的影响

【目的】探讨环境因素对东平湖沉积物细菌群落结构的影响。【方法】应用T-RFLP(Terminal RestrictionFragment Length Polymorphism)技术分析和比较了6个不同位置的东平湖沉积物在丰水期和枯水期的细菌多样性,并结合不同样品环境因子的差异,采用主成分分析(PCA)和典型对应分析(CCA),探讨了环境因子对细菌多样性的影响。【结果】不同沉积物样品的T-RFLP图谱具有较高的相似性。除2号样品外,所有枯水期样品的细菌群落具有较高的丰富度、多样性、均匀度和较低的优势度。CCA结果表明,558bp T-RF的丰度与总磷、总氮、总有机碳、铵态氮和硝态氮含量呈负相关而与碳氮比和水深呈正相关;64.5、164、509和543bp T-RFs的丰度与总氮、总有机碳、铵态氮、硝态氮、碳氮比和水深呈正相关;而其它14种主要的T-RFs在不同样品间分布较为稳定受环境因子影响不大。90、136.5、138和488bp等T-RFs可能代表了东平湖沉积物中占优势地位的土著菌群。通过Phylogenetic Assignment Tool在线分析结果推测,东平湖沉积物中的优势菌群可能属于Firmicutes和Proteobacteria门。【结论】环境因素对东平湖沉积物的细菌多样性产生显著影响,但对其土著菌群的影响不大。     

Review of salinity effects on abundance,growth, and survival of nearshore life stages of pink shrimp (Farfantepenaeus duorarum)

The pink shrimp (Farfantepenaeus duorarum) has been selected as an ecological indicator to assess ecological effects on estuaries of implementation of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan that seeks to restore historical freshwater flows and nearshore salinity regimes in southern Florida. Concern over altered freshwater delivery impacts on pink shrimp productivity was expressed as early as the 1960s. The present review assessed pink shrimp scientific literature of the past 75+ years (>500 publications) to glean information relevant to understanding potential influence of freshwater management on pink shrimp productivity. The review was organized around “Essential Fish Habitat” metrics concerning abundance, growth, survival, distribution, productivity, and behavior. It summarizes previous pink shrimp field, laboratory, and modeling studies. Where possible, statistical analyses and meta-analyses of previously published data were performed to investigate consistency among independent findings. Pink shrimp occur in a wide range of salinities (0.5–67 ppt). A majority of studies (53.3%) reported maximal abundance between ∼20 to 35 ppt salinities. One laboratory study reported maximal growth at 30 ppt. Meta-analysis of reported growth rates did not yield results due to non-convergence of regression models. Reported survival was maximal at ∼30 ppt and remained high (>80% survival) across salinities of ∼15 to 40 ppt. A regression model that combined survival data across studies confirmed a previously reported parabolic relationship between salinity and survival; in this regression, 35 ppt maximized survival. Productivity, conditional upon survival and growth, was maximized at polyhaline (18–30 ppt) conditions. Inshore hypersalinity (>40 ppt) may elicit young pink shrimp behavioral cues counterproductive to settlement in nearshore areas. Virtually no information exists regarding postlarval pink shrimp movement or preference relative to salinity gradients. Realization and preservation of nearshore polyhaline conditions and elimination of hypersalinity should maximize growth, survival, and density, thus improving pink shrimp productivity. New and updated statistical models predicting pink shrimp distribution, abundance, growth, survival, and productivity relative to salinity conditions are needed to better guide freshwater management decisions.     

Seasonal differences and response to a tropical storm reflected in diatom assemblage changes in a southwest Florida watershed

Because estuaries are dynamic on many temporal scales, it is difficult to differentiate long-term shifts from those resulting from erratic pulse events like severe storms. Diatoms are abundant and diverse in estuaries, and may characterize these dynamics across relevant time scales. The climate of south Florida is subtropical, with dry winters and wet summers that may also harbor tropical storms and cyclones. We investigated whether these repeated seasonal drivers of change in estuaries differ from the influence of tropical cyclones on planktonic and benthic diatom assemblages. Diatom assemblages and environmental parameters were measured in the Charlotte Harbor watershed of southwest Florida to identify differences between the wet and dry seasons and changes that occurred following Tropical Storm Debby in 2012. Indicator taxa that were significantly affiliated with each season and post-storm conditions were identified. Diatom assemblages across the watershed were similar in wet and dry seasons, but differences increased following the tropical storm. The reduction in community dispersion following the storm was pronounced in each of the major drainages of the estuary. There were spatially-distinct responses of diatoms to environmental changes driven by the storm. These results suggest that past storm activity could be detected using diatoms preserved in estuarine sediments using both single indicator-species as well as community approaches.     

柳江流域不同水文季节水质对附生硅藻群落的影响研究

为研究溶解氧(DO)、化学需氧量(CODMn)、氨氮(NH4+-N)、汞(Hg)、铅(Pb)、砷(As)和镉(Cd)在枯水期和丰水期变化对附生硅藻群落结构的影响, 分别于 2017 年 3 月和 6 月对柳江流域进行了调查分析, 旨在为深入研究柳江流域硅藻群落分布特征奠定基础, 以期为该流域水质的利用和管理提供理论依据。柳江流域共鉴定出附生硅藻 137 种, 隶属于 6 目 9 科 34 属。各采样点硅藻丰富度变化范围为 13-42 种, 呈现为丰水期高于枯水期。硅藻优势种组成在枯、丰水期分别有 5 种和 8 种, 具有明显的季节演替。聚类分析(Cluster analysis)显示, 硅藻群落结构在时空分布上存在差异, 枯水期可分为 3 个类群, 基本呈现在干流及支流段的上游、中游和下游; 丰水期可分为 2 个类群, 大致分布在流域的中下游和上游。其中, 在枯水期, Cyclotella fottii、Cyclotella. stelligera、Achnanthes minutissima 和 Cymbella laveis 在上游为优势种, A. minutissima 和 Nitzschia valdecostata 在中游丰度较高, 下游优势种为 Navicula cryptocephala、Amphora montana 和 A. minutissima 等; 在丰水期, 中下游优势种主要以 Nitzschia palea 为主, 上游优势种为 A. minutissima、A. montana 和 Achnanthes petersenii 等。主成分分析(Principle component analysis, PCA)和冗余分析(Redundancy analysis, RDA)显示, 枯水期水质因子对硅藻群落的影响为 Pb>Cd>Hg>As>CODMn>DO, 丰水期为 As>DO>CODMn>NH4+-N>Cd。结果表明, 水质因子 Cd、As、DO 和 CODMn 在枯水期和丰水期都对硅藻群落结构的变化起着重要作用, 但重金属因子在枯水期对硅藻影响较大, 而溶解氧在丰水期对硅藻影响较大。     

Benthic diatoms and phytoplankton to assess nutrients in a large lake: Complementarity of their use in Lake Geneva (France–Switzerland)

Lakes can be monitored using different bioindicators, among which phytoplankton and benthic diatoms. We compared these two indicators in Lake Geneva for nutrient assessment. Bimonthly samplings were carried out during one year in the euphotic layer of a pelagic site. In the same time four littoral sites were sampled at 40–50 cm depth. Species compositions and abundances of both bioindicators were analyzed following European standards. Water physico-chemical composition was analyzed at the same time. Seasonal succession of benthic diatom guilds was observed. The dynamics of benthic diatom communities were better correlated to the pelagic chemistry than to the local littoral chemistry. We also observed that in the sampling sites frequently exposed to winds and waves, benthic diatoms showed lower correlations to physico-chemical dynamics, because of an increase of pioneer diatoms abundance adapted to turbulent environment, such sites must be avoided for lake monitoring. Finally, biotic indices calculated with benthic diatoms in wind protected sites showed higher correlations with pelagic nutrient concentration (PO₄³⁻) than indices calculated with phytoplankton. This unexpected situation can be explained by differences of temporal variability of chemical and biological compartments. Littoral chemistry changed faster than pelagic chemistry because of rains, diffuse flow from watershed and rivers flowing in the littoral zone whereas pelagic chemistry has a much smoother evolution because it is situated 10 km from the coast. But phytoplankton showed a high temporal variability because of wind influence, which explained the low correlation with the smooth evolution of pelagic chemistry. On the other hand, benthic diatoms from sites protected from the dominant wind, showed a lower temporal variability and were more in synchrony with the smooth evolution of pelagic chemistry.Even if we show that diatom seem to be promising indicator of nutrient level of the lake, we also underline the complementarity of using both indicators: benthic diatom and phytoplankton. Each of them brings different information about temporal variability of the lake and about the functioning of different habitats. Comparing these two bioindicators only on the basis of nutrient correlation ability would be an over-simplification whom managers must be warned.     

Performance evaluation of constructed wetlands in a tropical region

Five emergent plant species were compared for their effectiveness in treating contaminants in a wetland system constructed on a military base in El Salvador. The system consisted of the subsurface flow (SSF), open water (OW) and free surface flow (SF) wetlands with a combined flow capacity of up to 151.4 m³ d^?1. Reliability and consistent performance in extreme conditions, such as those occurring during the tropical dry or wet seasons were important evaluation criteria. The discontinuous flow patterns typical of tropical climates necessitated the use of water balance calculations using climatic data such as rainfall and evapotranspiration. System characterization was achieved by computation of daily input and output mass loading rates for each individual constituent. Results suggest that Phragmites and Brachiaria were the most effective plants in SSF wetland. Brachiaria provided the added benefit of serving as a source of fodder and proved proficient, with N and P uptakes of 1.5–3.14% and 0.17–0.25% per dry plants’ biomass, respectively. Typha yielded the highest dry season removal efficiency within the SF (BOD₅: 80.78 ± 9.35%, COD: 65.18 ± 19.6%, TN: 58.59 ± 19.3%, oil and grease: 78.34 ± 10.55%, total dissolved phosphorus: 66.5 ± 20.7%). Phragmites–Typha treatment subset performed better year-round than either Thalia–Thalia or Brachiaria–Cyperus. Evaluated plants were capable of surviving and proliferating in extreme tropical climates.