Long and short term variations in suspended particulate material: the influence on light available to the phytoplankton community

The magnitude and frequency of events leading to changes in turbidity have been studied in a large (61 km²), shallow (mean depth 3.4 m) wind-exposed lake basin at the western end of Lake Mälaren, Sweden. In this paper we couple changes in suspended particulate inorganic material (SPIM) resulting from wind driven sediment resuspension, and variations in the discharge and sediment load, to spectral variations in subsurface light and estimates of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). To accomplish this we use a semi-analytical model which predicts the spectral variations in downwelling irradiance (E _d()) and the attenuation coefficient of downwelling irradiance (K _d()), as a function of the concentrations of chlorophyll, dissolved yellow substances, and suspended inorganic and organic particulate material. Unusually high river discharge, led to large inputs of yellow substances and large in lake yellow substance concentrations (a _ys(420) 20 m^–1), causing variations in yellow substance concentration to have the greatest role in influencing temporal trends in the attenuation of PAR and variations in the depth of the euphotic zone (Z _eup). In spite of this, variations in SPIM could account for approximately 60% of the variation in Z _eup attributed to changes in yellow substances alone. Our results show that changes in suspended sediment concentration leads to both long-term and short-term changes in the attenuation of PAR, even in the presence of high concentrations of dissolved yellow substances.     

Photophysiological responses of Halophila johnsonii to experimental hyposaline and hyper-CDOM conditions

The endemic seagrass Halophila johnsonii grows intertidally to 3 m deep, in both marine and riverine influenced habitats of eastern Florida. Salinity and chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) levels widely fluctuate across this broad habitat range, changing tidally and with variable influx of freshwater from watershed runoff, river discharge and stochastic storm events. CDOM exponentially absorbs light in the UV to blue wavelengths, affecting optical water quality. H. johnsonii produces 15 flavonoid compounds that maximally absorb in the UV range. These flavonoids are thought to function as UV-protectants (UVP) in high-light and UV-intense environments. This mesocosm study examined the photosynthetic capacity, quantum efficiency and pigment content of H. johnsonii under experimental treatments of three salinities (10, 20 and 30) with and without CDOM. Main treatment effects and possible interactive effects at both short- (1 day to 1 week) and longer-term (1 month) time scales were examined. There were no significant CDOM or CDOM x salinity effects over any of the experimental treatment durations. There was 100% mortality of plants at salinity 10 after 10 days regardless of water color. UVP content of leaves was not affected by CDOM in this study, but there was significant variation in UVP in response to salinity. Our results do not support the primary role of UVP in this species as a sunscreen, but indicate that different salinity environments contribute to changes in the levels of these flavonoids. The UVP response to salinity stress response was not mitigated by a decrease in UV-radiation (increased CDOM) as H. johnsonii continued to put energy into the production of the carbon-rich flavonoids regardless of potential UV-stress. The experimental results indicate that prolonged hypo-salinity conditions are an important environmental factor to manage in the limited geographic range of H. johnsonii.     

太湖典型草、藻型湖区紫外辐射的衰减及影响因素分析

2004年4月通过野外原位观测和实验室测定相结合的方法对东太湖和梅梁湾典型草、藻型湖区紫外辐射光谱衰减及影响因素进行了研究。结果表明,320nm(UV-B)、380nm(UV-A)的衰减系数在6.33~19.59m-1、3.41~13.64m-1间变化,对应的1%表面光强穿透深度分别为0.24~0.73m、0.35~1.35m,到达湖面的99%UV-B辐射在0.5m左右表层水就衰减完毕,东太湖和梅梁湾紫外辐射衰减系数存在明显的湖区差异;溶解性有机碳(DOC)的浓度在6.60~17.17mg/L间变化,其均值为(9.99±2.48)mg/L;375nm波长处CDOM吸收系数为1.78~6.25m-1,均值为(3.70±1.10)m-1;在短波部分CDOM吸收与DOC浓度存在显著性相关,相关性大致随波长降低而增加,320nm处的线性关系式:ad320=0.885DOC 2.182;紫外辐射衰减主要受制于水体中的CDOM浓度,衰减系数与DOC浓度、CDOM吸收系数存在显著性相关,340nm处的关系式分别为:Kd340=0.82 1.05DOC、Kd340=1.98 1.49ad340。在太湖紫外辐射衰减还要受悬浮物和叶绿素a浓度的影响,衰减系数与DOC、叶绿素a和悬浮物浓度多元回归的结果明显要高于单独与DOC浓度或CDOM吸收系数的回归结果。     

太湖水色因子空间分布特征及其对水生植物光合作用的影响

利用太湖全湖64个采样点的数据,分析了各水色因子及真光层深度的空间分布和变化特征,并探讨了其对水生植物光合作用的影响.结果表明:叶绿素a浓度在全湖间的差异最大,其变化范围为1.67～159.94μg.L-1,均方差为41.03μg.L-1,在梅梁湾、竺山湖、夹浦港和小梅口附近湖区,叶绿素a浓度较高且空间变化明显,等值线在这些湖区密集分布;悬浮物浓度变化次之,其含量在6.47～143.47mg.L-1之间变化,均方差为31.63mg.L-1,其在大浦港和小梅口入湖口附近湖区的空间变化明显,等值线分布密集;有色可溶性有机物(CDOM)吸收系数在全湖变化较小,没有明显的空间变化特征;真光层深度受悬浮物和叶绿素的共同影响,其空间分布特征与悬浮物相反.     

The optical qualities of shallow wetland lined bays in Lake Victoria

In tropical lakes, the characteristics and dimension of the coastal wetlands can have a strong influence on the quality of the inshore waters. The interaction between littoral wetlands and the open water environment is complex and requires an understanding of the material and energy exchanges between these compartments. In the present analysis, we examine the impact of wetlands on the optical properties (underwater light environment) of two adjacent bays on the Ugandan side of Lake Victoria. We use both irradiance profiles within the water column as well as measurements of the dissolved and particulate fractions of the water column. By introducing a new term to identify that part of the solar spectrum most affected by wetland released dissolved organic matter, it is possible to determine the area of each bay that is influenced by the wetland. Depending on the period of analysis, wetland released chromophoric dissolved organic matter can play a dominating role in the attenuation of UV and visible radiation in the underwater environment.     

Temporal variations in phytoplankton, particulates, and colored dissolved organic material based on optical properties during a Long Island brown tide compared to an adjacent embayment

Since 1985, the coastal embayments of Long Island, New York, have been plagued with recurrent blooms, aptly called brown tides, of the pelagophyte Aureococcus anophagefferens. The distinct ocean color observed during these blooms suggests that optical methods can be used as a tool to study, detect, and track brown tides. Thus, the goal of our project was to compare the optical properties and pigment composition during bloom and non-bloom conditions and assess temporal variations in the phytoplankton and other constituents in the seawater associated with bloom development. From 17 May to 8 June 2000, we measured a time series of particle size distributions and concentrations as well as size-fractioned algal pigments and optical properties in two Long Island embayments where brown tides are known to occur. During our study, A. anophagefferens represented an insignificant contribution to the algal community in West Neck Bay (WNB), whereas a bloom developed in Quantuck Bay (QB). Initially, temperature and salinity were similar at the two locations; however, bulk optical properties, chlorophyll, and particle concentrations were nearly a factor of 2 greater at QB. Bulk optical properties remained constant at WNB, yet increased exponentially at QB as the bloom developed. The composition of particulates, including phytoplankton, varied little at QB, and the optical properties suggested the dominance of A. anophagefferens (confirmed by microscopy). The largest temporal variations were observed in the colored dissolved organic material (CDOM); the colloidal (0.2–0.7 μm) fraction, exhibiting a strong protein-like signal, increased dramatically at the height of the bloom. At WNB particle sizes and algal composition varied despite the invariant bulk optical properties; CDOM variations were minimal. Overall, the optical properties in the two bays demonstrated that at QB temporal variations were dominated by biomass and colloidal protein changes, whereas shifts in the algal community occurred at WNB. This study demonstrates the utility of in situ optical observations to resolve temporal changes in the ecological conditions associated with algal bloom development.     

Larvaceans and copepods excrete fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM)

Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) can play an important role in regulating biological production in coastal environments. Fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) is a subset of the larger CDOM pool that can be used to look at sources of CDOM. Experiments were conducted with copepods and the pelagic larvacean, Oikopleura dioica to determine if these two types of zooplankton excrete FDOM. Shipboard bottle experiments were conducted with copepods in the Gulf of Mexico, in the Mississippi River Plume in April 2001 and laboratory experiments with the pelagic larvacean, O. dioica were conducted in Oviedo, Spain in June 2001. Both copepods and O. dioica were found to excrete FDOM. Excitation/emission matrices revealed that both animals contributed to fluorescent protein pools (ex/em 275/315-350 nm) and to humic-like material (maximum ex/em 300/420 nm). The humic-like material excreted by the copepods and larvaceans was shifted toward shorter wavelengths, providing a possible unique fluorescent signature for zooplankton. Using a ratio of the humic-like fluorescence excreted by the animals (ex/em 300/420) to the humic-like fluorescence maximum in controls (ex/em 320/420 nm) showed the zooplankton could contribute nearly 50% of the Peak M fluorescence. Molecular weight analysis of the CDOM in an O. dioica excretion study showed that O. dioica excreted CDOM was primarily < 30 kDa. Both copepods and larvaceans are sources of marine FDOM and CDOM and can potentially influence the amount and type of CDOM present in coastal waters.     

Vertical migration of the toxic dinoflagellate Gymnodinium catenatum under different concentrations of nutrients and humic substances in culture

Vertical migration behaviour by the chainforming dinoflagellate Gymnodinium catenatum Graham was investigated using vertically-stratified laboratory columns. Under surface nutrient-deplete conditions, with nutrients added only at depth, 100% of cells underwent vertical migration (VM), starting downwards migration 3 h before the end of the light period and beginning upwards migration 3 h before the start of the light period. Cells in nutrient-replete columns showed no VM, but they were more dispersed in the upper layer during the dark compared to the light period. When surface layers (S) were nitrate-deplete (−N) and enriched with humic substances (H) contained in Huon River water and bottom waters (B) were nutrient replete (R) (SH_−NB_R), the pattern of VM was altered—50% of cells underwent migration and 50% remained at the pycnocline. In columns with nitrate-replete and humic-enriched surface layers (SH_RB_R), most cells underwent VM, while 30% remained at the surface. Cells in SH_−NB_R columns showed increased N quotas and intra-cellular nitrate concentrations after 4 days, indicating nitrate uptake by G. catenatum in bottom layers. The concomitant increase in particulate organic nitrogen (PON) with the decrease in external nitrate concentrations in bottom layers provide convincing evidence that VM by G. catenatum facilitates nutrient retrieval at depth. However, addition of humic substances (a potential source of organic nitrogen) to surface layers did not ameliorate G. catenatum N depletion sufficiently to preclude the need for NO₃⁻ uptake at depth. Furthermore, there was no detectable pattern of increasing carbon (C) quota during the day (photosynthate accumulation) or increasing N quota during the night (nitrate assimilation). Toxic dinoflagellate G. catenatum blooms are commonly associated with nitrate depletion in surface waters in south-east Tasmanian waters (Australia). Therefore, vertical migration, facilitating N uptake at depth, could play an important role in this organism's ecological strategy, enabling it to exploit environments where light and nutrients are vertically separated.     

Light absorption by phytoplankton and chromophoric dissolved organic matter in the drainage basin and estuary of the Neuse River, North Carolina (U.S.A.)

1. We examined the absorption of solar radiation by phytoplankton and chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) taking into account riparian shading in the rivers, reservoirs, swamps of the Neuse River Estuary and its drainage basin. 2. In the streams, CDOM typically absorbed 55 and 64% of photons in the spectral range of 400–700 nm (photosynthetically active radiation, PAR) and 500–600 nm, respectively. The large proportion of photons absorbed by CDOM indicates high potential for abiotic photochemial reactions in the 500–600 nm region. 3. Despite the high concentration of nutrients, phytoplankton contributed little (2%) to the total absorption of PAR in the streams. Small (<30 m wide) streams typically received only 7% of incident PAR that impinged onto the more exposed reservoirs and estuary. Riparian shading and the low contribution of phytoplankton to the total absorption resulted in conditions where phytoplankton absorbed nearly two orders of magnitude less PAR in the streams than in the estuary and reservoirs. 4. The results indicated that riparian shading and non‐algal absorbing components can significantly restrict phytoplankton production in nutrient‐rich streams with a high concentration of CDOM flowing throughout forested catchments.     

Effect of exposure to sunlight and phosphorus-limitation on bacterial degradation of coloured dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in freshwater

This study reports on the interacting effect of photochemical conditioning of dissolved organic matter and inorganic phosphorus on the metabolic activity of bacteria in freshwater. Batch cultures with lake-water bacteria and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) extracted from a humic boreal river were arranged in an experimental matrix of three levels of exposure to simulated sunlight and three levels of phosphorus concentration. We measured an increase in bacterial biomass, a decrease in DOC and bacterial respiration as CO(2) production and O(2) consumption over 450 h. These measurements were used to calculate bacterial growth efficiency (BGE). Bacterial degradation of DOC increased with increasing exposure to simulated sunlight and availability of phosphorus and no detectable growth occurred on DOC that was not pre-exposed to simulated sunlight. The outcome of photochemical degradation of DOC changed with increasing availability of phosphorus, resulting in an increase in BGE from about 5% to 30%. Thus, the availability of phosphorus has major implications for the quantitative transfer of carbon in microbial food webs.