杭州湾潮滩表层沉积物中磷的分布、赋存形态及生态意义

对杭州湾潮滩表层沉积物样品中的磷进行了总量、形态分级提取及生物有效性分析.结果表明:沉积物中总磷的含量为595.5～1268.8μg·g-1,空间分布特征总体表现为杭州湾北岸＞钱塘江杭州河段＞杭州湾南岸.总磷中有89.3%以无机磷形式存在,钙磷、残留无机态磷、有机磷和铁铝结合态磷是沉积物中磷的主要赋存形态,平均分别占总磷的68.3%、14.6%、10.7%和5.3%.钙磷的分布受到盐度变化影响,自钱塘江河口向外海方向明显增加;铁铝结合态磷则相反,分布朝外海逐步递减.沉积物中的潜在生物有效磷(BAP)含量为43.62～177.84 μg·g-1,平均含量为94.13 μg·g-1.该地区与国内典型的河口和滨岸带潮滩比较,总磷处于相对较高水平.强烈的水动力作用及咸淡水交汇使得环境因子频繁变化,加大了沉积物中磷作为内源向上覆水体释放及造成水体富营养化的可能性.     

湖泊生态系统弹性系数理论及其应用

在湖泊生态系统健康评价的基础上,分析城市湖泊营养状态的特殊性,论证得出响应型和非响应型湖泊的生态系统健康指数(EHI)与营养状态指数(TSI)近似呈二次函数关系.提出湖泊生态系统弹性系数,对生态系统健康指数(EHI)做出适当改进.改进后的生态系统健康指数(EHI′)能够更好地反映各类型湖泊的健康状态,完善了Xu等的EHI理论并扩展了其应用范围,是目前最为接近Costanza对HI定义的可量化计算的数学公式和方法,并成功用于厦门杏林湾生态系统健康评价.     

粤东柘林湾中肋骨条藻(Skeletonema costatum)种群生态学

于2000年5月～2004年12月对粤东大规模养殖区柘林湾的赤潮藻中肋骨条藻（Skeletonema costatum）种群的时空分布进行了长达5a的调查。结果表明,中肋骨条藻种群密度的周年变动模式基本为双峰型,平面分布没有显著的空间差异。调查期间,中肋骨条藻种群密度的站位实测值为0～1．4×10^7cells／dm^3,总均值为3．3×10^5cells／dm^3,占浮游植物总细胞数的67．1％,为调查海区第1优势种。在总共1045份样品中,有中肋骨条藻出现的样品数为1020份。其中,种群密度大于10^6cells／dm^3的样品有65份,大于10^7cells／dm。则有4份。以大于10^6cells／dm^3为中肋骨条藻的赤潮密度标准,在调查期间至少于2000年、2003年发生4次赤潮。运用灰关联理论对中肋骨条藻种群密度与13个环境因子的关系进行排序分析发现,水温、pH值和浮游动物是影响柘林湾中肋骨条藻种群时空分布的关键因子。水温还与中肋骨条藻种群密度的对数值具极显著意义的线性关系,而达到赤潮密度的样品均落在24．5～32．0℃区间,即每年的5～9月份高温季节。由于柘林湾浮游动物的年高峰期也出现在高温季节,说明浮游动物摄食压力的存在可能是柘林湾中肋骨条藻赤潮发生的重要抑制因子。2004年调查海区中肋骨条藻种群密度和在浮游植物群落中的优势度骤然降低,可能与水体营养盐结构和Fe含量的变化有关。因此,长期调查与监测对于研究海湾生态学和赤潮发生机制是极为重要的。     

粤东柘林湾中肋骨条藻（Skeletonema costatum）种群生态学

于2000年5月~2004年12月对粤东大规模养殖区柘林湾的赤潮藻中肋骨条藻（Skeletonema costatum）种群的时空分布进行了长达5a的调查。结果表明,中肋骨条藻种群密度的周年变动模式基本为双峰型,平面分布没有显著的空间差异。调查期间,中肋骨条藻种群密度的站位实测值为0~1.4×10⁷ cells/dm³,总均值为3.3×10⁵ cells/dm³,占浮游植物总细胞数的67.1%,为调查海区第1优势种。在总共1045份样品中,有中肋骨条藻出现的样品数为1020份。其中,种群密度大于10⁶ cells/dm3的样品有65份,大于10⁷ cells/dm³则有4份。以大于10⁶ cells/dm³为中肋骨条藻的赤潮密度标准,在调查期间至少于2000年、2003年发生4次赤潮。运用灰关联理论对中肋骨条藻种群密度与13个环境因子的关系进行排序分析发现,水温、pH值和浮游动物是影响柘林湾中肋骨条藻种群时空分布的关键因子。水温还与中肋骨条藻种群密度的对数值具极显著意义的线性关系,而达到赤潮密度的样品均落在24.5~32.0℃区间,即每年的5~9月份高温季节。由于柘林湾浮游动物的年高峰期也出现在高温季节,说明浮游动物摄食压力的存在可能是柘林湾中肋骨条藻赤潮发生的重要抑制因子。2004年调查海区中肋骨条藻种群密度和在浮游植物群落中的优势度骤然降低,可能与水体营养盐结构和Fe含量的变化有关。因此,长期调查与监测对于研究海湾生态学和赤潮发生机制是极为重要的。     

粤东大规模海水增养殖区柘林湾浮游细菌的时空分布

2001年9月至2004年12月对粤东大规模海水增养区柘林湾表、底层水体中浮游细菌的时空分布进行调查。结果表明,柘林湾浮游细菌总均值为59．4×10^4／dm^3,与国内外富营养化程度较高的内湾海域大致相当。在平面分布上,浮游细菌总体上表现出湾内高于湾外、养殖区高于非养殖区的分布格局,说明大规模增养殖业对浮游细菌的时空分布具有重要的影响,其中网箱养殖的影响尤其显著。湾顶黄冈河口浮游细菌呈现显著的逐年增加趋势,其原因一方面与调查期间降雨减少有关;另一方面可能是受周边陆源污染输入加剧的影响。在周年变化上,浮游细菌表现为典型的单峰型周年变化模式,主要是受水温的调控。年度峰值出现在夏季高温季节（6～8月）,低谷出现在冬季低温季节（12～2月）。浮游细菌与溶氧呈现显著意义的负相关关系,但低溶氧可能是湾内养殖区初级生产力低下所致,而非浮游细菌耗氧所为。相反,溶氧降低可能会促进专性或兼性厌氧细菌的增加,使养殖环境进一步恶化。     

Vertical distribution of macrobenthic infauna from the shallow sublittoral zone of Admiralty Bay,King George Island,Antarctica

A 0.0625 m² mini-box corer (MBC) was used to study the vertical distribution of macrobenthos in the shallow sublittoral zone of Admiralty Bay, during the 2003/2004 summer, near the Brazilian Station Comandante Ferraz, and the Peruvian Station Machu Picchu. Sediment samples were taken from 20, 30 and 60 m, and stratified for particle-size, total organic matter (TOM) and faunal composition analysis. The most abundant taxa were Polychaeta, Oligochaeta, Amphipoda, Cumacea, Bivalvia and Gastropoda. In general, macrofauna were concentrated in the 0–4 cm layer (64% of total organisms). Correlations between sediment characteristics and faunal densities have not completely explained neither the aggregation of organisms at the surface sediment layers nor the differences in faunal composition between locations at 20 m depth. Analysis of parameters such as organic carbon, heavy metals, interstitial water, and species composition should contribute to a better understanding of the diversity patterns found in this study.     

Breeding success and population trends in Adélie penguins in areas with low and high levels of human disturbance

The breeding performance and population trends of Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) was studied at Esperanza/Hope Bay, Antarctic Peninsula, by comparing an area with low levels of human disturbance (LLD) and an area with high levels of human disturbance (HLD), close to an Argentine research station. From 1995/1996 to 2004/2005 (except for 1999/2000 and 2003/2004), the following population parameters were measured in both areas: (1) the number of breeding pairs, (2) the number of chicks in creches and (3) the number of chicks produced by breeding pairs. Counts were made for 26 breeding groups situated in the LLD area and 63 breeding groups located in the HLD area. The number of chicks per breeding pair was obtaobtained by following 100 marked nests in each area. All parameters were measured as described in the CCAMLR Monitoring Program protocols. The magnitude and direction (increasing or decreasing) of the changes in breeding population size and the number of chicks creched were similar in both areas. Overall, the number of breeding pairs decreased from 4,744 to 2,968 (37.4%) in the LLD area, and from 8,744 to 5,378 (38.6%) in the HLD area. The number of chicks fledged increased from 3,808 to 4,065 (6.7%) in the LLD area, and decreased from 6,991 to 6,712 (4%) in the HLD area. Breeding success (chicks fledged per marked nest) did not differ significantly between areas for most of the seasons compared. In 1996/1997, breeding success was significantly higher in the HLD area. Our data suggest that environmental influences currently exert greater effects than human disturbance on the penguin population at Esperanza Bay.     

Tidal and diurnal variations in larval fish abundance in an estuarine inlet in Ariake Bay,Japan: implication for selective tidal stream transport

We have conducted a preliminary study of tidal and diurnal variations in the distribution of dominant larval and juvenile fishes in the Chikugo River inlet (Ariake Bay, Kyushu, Japan) to determine whether selective tidal stream transport (STST) occurs. Larval and juvenile fish were collected from the mesohaline zone of the Chikugo River inlet during spring 2002. Temperature, salinity, depth, and current velocity were measured. Larval and juvenile abundance were compared among four tidal conditions, flooding tide, high tide, ebbing tide, and low tide, and between day and night. A total of 12 families, 15 species, and 5,577 individuals were collected. Temperature did not vary significantly with tidal conditions whereas salinity, depth, and current velocity varied significantly. Salinity also was correlated significantly and positively with depth. The abundance of most of the fishes was correlated positively and significantly with salinity and depth. Lateolabrax japonicus, Trachidermus fasciatus, Acanthogobius hasta, and other gobiid larvae (Gobiidae spp.) were significantly more abundant during high tide; in contrast, Coilia nasus and Neosalanx reganius were most abundant during low tide. The abundance of most of the fishes was higher during high tides at night than during the day, indicating the existence of STST, which may be strategically associated with ascending progress to upstream nursery areas.     

Determinants of preferred intertidal feeding habitat for Eastern Curlew: A study at two spatial scales

Abstract Broadscale habitat use by Eastern Curlews (Numenius madagascariensis) in their non‐breeding range in eastern Australia was assessed using low tide surveys on feeding grounds, where 60 skilled volunteers made repeated counts of the birds on intertidal flats, across 41% (9500 ha) of the intertidal habitat within Moreton Bay, Australia. We analysed 32 defined sections of intertidal flat, of roughly equal area (mostly 200–400 ha), which varied greatly in their curlew density (2–47 birds per 100 ha) and also in substrate and other environmental features. Sites with the least resistant substrates had densities three times those with the most resistant substrates. Of 10 environmental characteristics measured for each site, substrate resistance was the best predictor of curlew density (r² = 0.45). Characteristics that were poor predictors included distance to the nearest roost, level of human disturbance and distance to urban settlement. For a finer‐scale assessment, microhabitat use and feeding behaviour were recorded during low tide within 12 intertidal flats, which varied in size (23–97 ha), substrate, topography and other features. Across all flats, curlews strongly preferred to feed relatively close (0–50 m) to the low‐water line. They fed on a variety of substrates (including sand, sandy‐mud, mud and seagrass) in broadly similar proportions to their occurrence in the habitat. There was a statistically significant preference for sand, although its magnitude was not strong. These results indicate that curlews select habitat most strongly at a between‐flat rather than within‐flat scale.     

Analysis of intergenic spacer region length polymorphisms to investigate the halophilic archaeal diversity of stromatolites and microbial mats

Hamelin Pool in Western Australia is one of the two major sites in the world with active marine stromatolite formation. Surrounded by living smooth and pustular mats, these ancient laminated structures are associated with cyanobacterial communities. Recent studies have identified a wide diversity of bacteria and archaea in this habitat. By understanding and evaluating the microbial diversity of this environment we can obtain insights into the formation of early life on Earth, as stromatolites have been dated in the geological record as far back as 3.5 billion years. Automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA) patterns were shown to be a useful method to genetically discriminate halophilic archaea within this environment. Patterns of known halophilic archaea are consistent, by replicate analysis, and the halophilic strains isolated from stromatolites have novel intergenic spacer profiles. ARISA–PCR, performed directly on extracted DNA from different sample sites, provided significant insights into the extent of previous unknown diversity of halophilic archaea within this environment. Cloning and sequence analysis of the spacer regions obtained from stromatolites confirmed the novel and broad diversity of halophilic archaea in this environment.