Zooplankton community structure, micro-zooplankton grazing impact, and seston energy content in the St. Johns river system, Florida as influenced by the toxic cyanobacterium Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii

Zooplankton can influence the phytoplankton community through preferential grazing. In turn, nuisance cyanobacteria may affect zooplankton community structure by allowing certain species to out-compete others. We examined zooplankton-phytoplankton interactions, micro-zooplankton (< 200 m) grazing, and biochemical components of the seston in the St. Johns River System (SJR), Florida in the presence and absence of the toxin-producing cyanobacterium Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii. We tested whether this cyanobacterium would cause a decrease in the size structure of the zooplankton community and postulated a resultant decline in the metabolic energy and carbon available to higher consumers (i.e. fish). When numbers of C. raciborskii were low or undetectable, zooplankton were more diverse and were comprised of larger species. Rotifers were the dominant zooplankton, and their numbers relative to other zooplankton increased as C. raciborskii concentrations increased. Micro-zooplankton grazing was higher in times of C. raciborskii abundance, suggesting competitive and predatory exclusion by larger zooplankton in times of higher phytoplankton diversity. Total caloric content of the seston was higher in times of C. raciborskii abundance. However, essential fatty acids and phosphorus may be lacking in the seston, or nutrients may potentially be sequestered by the cyanobacteria and remain as organic matter in the water column. In such cases, higher trophic levels would not be able to obtain optimal energy requirements. Overall, there was a greater impact of micro-grazers on phytoplankton in the presence of C. raciborskii and apparent negative effects on the larger zooplankton species, suggesting a potential for changes in zooplankton and higher trophic level community structure.     

南海台风引发藻华的生物机制

海洋浮游植物的生长和小型浮游动物的摄食,与温度、光照和营养盐等因素密切相关。中国南海海盆是层化结构稳定的寡营养海,然而每年台风过后都有大量藻华的报道。为了探究台风引发藻华的生物形成机制,通过南海海域表层和次表层叶绿素最大层(DCM)中的小型浮游动物的摄食活动以及浮游植物对光照和营养响应的现场实验,探究小型浮游动物摄食、光照和营养对海洋浮游植物生长和群落结构的调控作用。实验表明:1)表层水体中的小型浮游动物摄食速率明显大于DCM层;小型浮游动物摄食在表层水体中以大粒级的浮游植物(5μm)为主,在DCM层中没有明显粒级选择;自然光中的紫外线能增加小型浮游动物的摄食;营养盐添加轻微降低小型浮游动物的摄食。2)营养盐和光照的增强显著促进DCM层浮游植物的生长,并增加大粒级浮游植物的占比;而光照和营养盐变化对表层浮游植物的生长和粒级结构的改变相对不明显。因此,相对表层,深层浮游植物面临较小的摄食压力,拥有更大的光照和营养盐需求潜能;当台风引发水体垂向混合后,获得营养盐补充的表层浮游植物并不能迅速生长,而获得充足光照的深层浮游植物能迅速生长,成为藻华爆发的优势种。     

东海春季水华期浮游植物生长与微型浮游动物摄食

2005年4～6月在东海有害水华频发区14个站位采样,通过现场稀释法实验对春季东海水域浮游植物比生长率和微型浮游动物比摄食率进行了研究.结果表明东海有害水华频发区浮游植物群落以甲藻为优势.浮游植物比生长率在水华爆发前相对较低,平均为1.18 d~(-1);进入水华期后比生长率明显升高,但在水华站位随现存量增加而降低;非水华区比生长率近岸高、远岸低.微型浮游动物主要以急游虫和桡足类幼体为主,而种类上以砂壳纤毛虫居多.微型浮游动物比摄食率在水华爆发前波动较大,介于0.53～1.73 d~(-1),平均为0.90 d~(-1);在水华区比摄食率较为稳定,浮游植物比生长率的降低导致群落净生长率持续下降;在非水华区,比摄食率整体较高,近岸低而远岸高.微型浮游动物的摄食对浮游植物群落的生长有一定的控制作用,但在水华爆发后这种控制作用将减弱.