Trends and variability in spectral diffuse attenuation of coral reef waters

Coral Reefs - Knowledge of water clarity is an essential component of coral reef ecology. While qualitative trends are well known, there are currently few published records of...     

Spatial variability of sulfate reduction in a shallow aquifer

The distribution and metabolic activity of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in a shallow, suboxic aquifer were studied. A radioimaging technique was used to visualize and quantify the activity of sulfate reducers in sediments at a centimetre-level scale. The distribution of SRB metabolic activity was heterogeneous with areas showing little activity far outnumbering areas with high activity. Variation in sulfate-reducing activity was not statistically correlated with variation in depth, bacterial numbers, or the following sediment properties: sediment type (sand, peat or silt), grain size, permeability and hydraulic conductivity. Sulfate-reducing bacteria activity did vary significantly with sediment porosity (multivariate analysis, r = 0.48). We hypothesized that the small pore sizes associated with sediments with low porosity restricted the ability of SRB to grow to high numbers as well as their access to nutrients. To further explore the relationship between pore size and microbial metabolic activity, columns with varying pore diameters were constructed. Sulfate-reducing bacteria in the columns with the smallest pore diameters had the lowest rates of metabolism and SRB metabolic rates increased as the pore diameter increased. For the aquifer studied, sediment porosities and pore sizes were the main factor controlling SRB activity.     

Influence of bio-optical parameter variability on the reflectance peak position in the red band of algal bloom waters

On the basis of field measurements, the quantitatively different relationships of peak position in the red band of the remote sensing reflectance vs. Chl concentration are found in the bloom waters of the diatom Skeletonema costatum and the dinoflagellate Prorocentrum donghaiense in coastal areas of the East China Sea. Model simulations of remote sensing reflectance, R_rs, accounting for the influence of variations in the bio-optical parameters such as chlorophyll fluorescence quantum efficiency, Φ, and specific absorption coefficient, a_ph^⁎, are carried out to analyze the characteristics of this spectral peak. The strong effect of fluorescence on the magnitude of R_rs results in the inhibition of the shift of the peak to longer wavelengths, increasing Φ enhances this effect. Increasing a_ph^⁎, specifically in the red-wavelength band, causes a sharper shift in the red peak position by decreasing the effect of the fluorescence. The dominant parameter governing the slope of the shift is a_ph^⁎. The analysis indicates that the higher a_ph^⁎ of S. costatum in the red region is primarily responsible for the much higher slope of the peak shift than for that of P. donghaiense. We show that the relationship between the peak position and Chl concentration may be useful for discriminating S. costatum blooms from those due to P. donghaiense, although information about chlorophyll fluorescence quantum efficiency should be included. Finally, we show that using the band ratio R_rs(708 nm)/R_rs(665 nm) instead of Chl in the relationship with peak position can be useful for the practical identification of S. costatum blooms from hyperspectral measurements of remote sensing reflectance.     

Spatial and temporal variability of light attenuation in large rivers of the Amazon

The light field and its relationship with biogeochemical variables were investigated in the Solimões, Negro, Amazon, Madeira, Uatumã, Trombetas, and Tapajós Rivers. In high suspended sediment rivers, total suspended matter is the primary control on light attenuation (r = 0.8), with colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) being secondary (r = ?0.6) due to scattering and absorption, respectively. Photosynthetically active radiation was the lowest (<100.0 μmol m^?2 s^?1 at the depth of half Z _1%) and was limited to depths of less than 1.0 m and confined to red light. In low suspended sediment rivers, CDOM is the primary control on light attenuation (r = 0.9). The concentrations of chlorophyll a (Chla) and CDOM cause variations among these rivers. High CDOM rivers, Negro and Uatumã, are depleted (<0.5% of incoming irradiance) of blue and green light at the depth of half Z _1%. The light spectra of low CDOM and higher Chla waters, such as the Tapajós, Uatumã, and Trombetas Rivers at rising water stage, are restricted to green and red wavelengths, and marked by high absorption at 620 and 670 nm, due to the presence of Cyanophyceae.     

Spatial and interannual patterns in growth of an exploited coral-reef fish

Patterns of growth in an exploited reef fish Lethrinus miniatus were examined over 5 years (1995–1999) at two spatial scales: (1) among regions of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) separated by >100 km and (2) among reefs within each of these regions, separated by ≤10 km. Mean annual growth of L. miniatus varied significantly among years, but this variation was consistent among ages and regions, indicating that factors that influence temporal patterns in growth were not age-specific and operated at relatively large spatial scales. Significant variation in growth was also observed among some reefs within regions, although the greatest variation was among regions. The average maximum fork length ( ) and average maximum mass ( M _∞) varied significantly among regions, suggesting that productivity of L. miniatus is likely to vary among regions of the GBR. There was also significantly greater mass of fish for a given L _F in two regions, which magnified the regional differences in M _∞. The observed temporal and spatial variation in growth highlighted the importance of a multi-scale approach to population studies and assessment of fish stocks.     

Spatial variability in reef-fish assemblages in shallow and upper mesophotic coral ecosystems in the Philippines

The variability in reef-fish species assemblages was examined at three geographic locations in the Philippines (Apo, Abra and Patn), each showing varying levels of disturbances (low to high) at two depths, shallow-water reef (SWR; 8–20 m) and the upper mesophotic coral ecosystem (MCE; 30–35 m). Fish species assemblages varied among locations and between depths. Differences in fish assemblages among locations corresponded to the variability in benthic assemblages and levels of disturbances, wherein locations with higher coral cover and less disturbances had the highest fish species richness, abundance and biomass. Variation in fish assemblages between depths was also associated with changes in benthic assemblages and possibly inaccessibility to local fishing techniques. Fish species richness decreased with depth in all locations, but biomass increased only in the MCEs of Apo and Abra, which is a similar pattern exhibited in many MCEs. Our results suggest that despite location differences, depth had a relatively consistent influence on fish species assemblages, particularly in locations exposed to low and intermediate disturbance. Under high disturbance, MCEs exhibit similar vulnerability to SWRs.     

四川盆地西缘浅层地下水铁、锰含量的空间变异特征

以四川盆地西缘低山丘陵区典型县--名山县为例,采用地统计分析方法,研究了四川盆地西缘低山丘陵区浅层地下水铁、锰含量的空间变异特征.结果表明,研究区浅层地下水铁含量变异较大,局部区域超标现象较为严重,42.86%的样点未达到欧盟生活饮用水水质标准(<0.2 mg/L),25%的样点未达到我国和美国生活饮用水水质标准(<0.3 mg/L);锰含量总体水平较低,其中94.64%的样点达到我国的生活饮用水水质标准(<0.1 mg/L),所有样点均达到世界卫生组织规定的生活饮用水水质标准(<0.4 mg/L).研究区浅层地下水中铁、锰含量空间分布特征基本一致,均呈现出从东北向西南逐渐降低,至名山县城附近又有所上升的趋势,高值区主要出现在东北部一带,低值区主要出现在中南部一带.研究区地下水中铁、锰含量分布特征与区域土壤母质、土壤类型、人为活动等因素密切相关, 其中受土壤母质和土壤类型的影响尤为明显.统计结果表明,第四系更新统冰碛物及冰水沉积物(Q2fgL)分布区域地下水铁、锰含量显著高于白垩系夹关组(K2j)、灌口组(K2g),第三系名山群(K1～2mn)等紫色岩分布区域;黄壤下浅层地下水铁、锰含量显著高于紫色土.     

Diel variation of zooplankton in the tropical coral-reef water of Tioman Island,Malaysia

Zooplankton was sampled at 3-h intervals for a 48-h period from a coral reef of Tioman Island, Malaysia. It was size-fractionated into three size classes: 100–200, 200–335, and >335 μm using different sieves with different mesh sizes. Total zooplankton (>100 μm) abundance and biomass in the water column were high later at night (0300 h), not just after sunset as previously described in other studies. Only the largest size-fraction (>335 μm) of zooplankton significantly differed in biomass and abundance between day and night. The increase in the large zooplankton later in the night is suggested to be caused by the advection of pelagic species into the reef. This work has provided a measurement of the variation of zooplankton community over coral reef that can exist on a scale of hours.     

Floristic changes in shallow soft waters i n relation to underlying environmental factors

SUMMARY 1. Historical and recent data on the occurrence of macrophytes in twenty-eight lentic soft waters in The Netherlands are summarized. These waters were, and a few still are, characterized by a submerged vegetation of isoetid plants. Changes in the species composition of macrophytes are visualized by means of multivariate analysis and by shifts in species-spectra.
2. Ordination of the available data shows that the pH, alkalinity, acidity, contents of heavy metals, dissolved organic matter and some important salts and nutrients in water and interstitial water are strongly related to the recent distribution of aquatic plants in waters, which were originally of low alkalinity. In addition, the available inorganic carbon and the redox potential in the sediment are also important environmental parameters in explaining differences in aquatic vegetation.
3. The recorded changes in the macrophyte species composition can be attributed to the effects of acidification and eutrophication. The most important, overall change is a reduction of the number of species.
4. Hydrology proves to be important in controlling the sensitivity of a body of water for acidifying deposition.     

基于GIS的农田土壤、作物特征空间变异性及其相互关系

The objective of this research was to investigate the variability and the quantitative relationships among soil nutrients and crop growth status and yield. All data were analyzed by both classical statistics and geostatistics based on GIS. Soil properties included soil pH, total N, organic matter, available P and available K, while crop growth status was indicated by SPAD, LAI and SPAD × LAI. All parameters except soll pH exhibited spatial correlation.Soil total N and organic matter, SPAD, LAI and SPAD × LAI were all correlated to rice yield. Kriged interpolation maps provided good indication of the spatial variability in crop yield and growth status. Spatial interpolation and correlation analysis proved that SPAD × LAI was more indicative of crop growth status than individual variables, and useful for implementing growth season and topdressing as needed.     

The transport of fine-grained sediments in shallow waters

Modelling

The transport of fine-grained sediments in shallow waters     

黄海近岸海域短吻红舌鳎夏季产卵场的空间分布及其年际变化

根据2014年夏季、2016年夏季与2017年夏季3个航次的黄海近岸海域产卵场调查数据,采用服从Tweedie分布的广义加性模型(GAM),对黄海近岸海域短吻红舌鳎产卵场的空间分布及其年际变化进行了研究。结果表明: 短吻红舌鳎的产卵场主要分布在海州湾(34°00′—35°18′ N,119°30′—121°30′ E)、苏北浅滩(32°18′—34°00′ N,120°18′—122°00′ E)海域范围内,而山东半岛南部海域(34°42′—36°48′ N,119°30′—122°00′ E)鱼卵数量较少。短吻红舌鳎产卵场的空间分布与经纬度、水深及海水表层温度均显著相关,与海水表层盐度、表层叶绿素a相关性不显著;其最适水深、海水表层温度、海水表层盐度、表层叶绿素a浓度范围分别为15～26 m、29～32 ℃、22～25和0.10～3 mg·m^-3。短吻红舌鳎产卵场的空间分布及其影响因子存在一定的年际变化,总体上其产卵场分布较为稳定,但表层温度较高的年份可能存在北移的趋势。     

The attenuation of ultraviolet and visible radiation in Dutch inland waters

The vertical attenuation coefficients (K _d) of downward ultraviolet (UV) and visible irradiance (PAR) were measured in 19 different inland waters in the Netherlands using a scanning spectroradiometer. Water chemistry variables such as dissolved organic carbon (DOC), absorbance of dissolved matter (a _d), chlorophyll-a, and particulate matter were measured to determine the relative contribution of dissolved and particulate components in explaining the variation in K _d. In addition to the field measurements, laboratory measurements were performed to test the relationships between water properties and light attenuation. The attenuation properties of Dutch inland waters vary. In most systems the penetration of UV-B radiation (280–320 nm) is limited to the upper decimetres. Lake Maarsseveen was the clearest waterbody in this study, with K _dUVB of 9.1 (m^–1). The DOC concentration had limited power in predicting UV attenuation in this study (r ²=0.33), because of the large differences in carbon-specific absorption. A _d300 was a much better predictor of UV attenuation (r ²=0.75). The relationships obtained in the laboratory experiments can be used to give a good prediction of in situ K _d values, based on 3 variables (chlorophyll-a, ash weight, and absorption of dissolved matter).     

A multichannel sensor for temperature measurements in shallow waters

A multichannel temperature sensor is presented; it is suitable for almost simultaneous measurements at various depths and time intervals. It allows automatic registration of smallscale time/depth variations of temperature in floating masses of filamentous algae and similar thermally stratified systems. An example is given by a 4-day record of the temperature regime in a floating mass ofOedogonium species in May.     

The spectral distribution and attenuation of underwater irradiance in Tasmanian inland waters

SUMMARY. 1. Measurements were made of the attenuation and spectral distribution of downwelling and upwelling photosynthetically-available radiation (PAR) in all the principal types of natural waters found in Tasmania. 2. Most lakes in the State are clear and non-turbid, with water itself and the low concentrations of gilvin being the principal determinants of the green underwater light climate. Many others are deeply coloured by dissolved and colloidal organic material (gilvin, gelbstoff) which rapidly attenuates short wavelengths, specifying a shallow, predominantly red euphotic zone. 3. A spectrophotometric measure of colour, the absorption coefficient at 440 nm, is statistically related to measurements on the platinum scale with good precision. 4. Few Tasmanian lakes are turbid but in those that are the underwater light climate is almost identical to that of non-turbid, humic lakes. 5. Reflectance, R, varied with depth but not in the asymptotic way previously encountered. A linear relationship existed between the scattering coefficient, b, and nephelometric turbidity, but not at the approximate 1:1 ratio reported elsewhere. 6. Most Tasmanian lakes are oligotrophic or dystrophic and phytoplankton rarely influenced the underwater light field. 7. Seasonal variation in optical character is not great in natural lakes and their optical properties and light fields can be used typologically. 8. Simple and multiple regression analysis showed that Secchi depth was a poor predictor of euphotic depth but the optical properties and the underwater light field of inaccessible lakes could be reasonably predicted from laboratory measurements made on small water samples, using regressions developed for a wide range of lake types and by reference to the quantaradiometric scans of lakes with comparable optical properties. 9. An optical classification of Tasmanian lakes made by cluster analysis agreed reasonably well with one based on edaphic, vegetational and chemical criteria.     

Spatial variability of soil fertility factors in the Xiangcheng tobacco planting region, China

It is essential to understand the spatial variability of soil properties in tobacco planting regions, so that the right decision can be made as to how many fertilizer rates are likely to be appropriated for the highquality tobacco production. A total of 159 soil samples were taken from the surface soil (0-20 cm) in the Xiangcheng tobacco planting fields, Henan Province, in April 2002 to examine the concentration of soil organic matter, pH, available N, available P, and available K. The spatial variability was evaluated using geostatistics and geographic information system (GIS) analyses. The results show that among those five soil fertility factors, the variation coefficient of soil pH was the smallest, while that of available P was the greatest, which resulted from different cultivation methods and uneven fertilization. Analysis of the isotropic variogram indicated that the soil pH, organic matter, and available P semivariogram were well described with spherical models, with the distance of spatial dependence being 21020, 19150, and 8460 m, respectively, whereas the available N and available K semivariogram were well described with an exponential model, with the distance of spatial dependence being ranged from 7484 to 25320 m. Soil pH value was strongly spatially dependent with C0/sill being 0.1935, while the other four soil fertility factors were moderately spatially dependent with C0/sill ranging between 0.3528 to 0.5260. Through the Kriging analysis, the spatial distribution maps of soil properties were drawn using the arcview software. This study provides a scientific basis for field management, which targets soil quality improvement in the Xiangcheng tobacco planting region.     

Spatial variability of soil fertility factors in the Xiangcheng tobacco planting region, China

It is essential to understand the spatial variability of soil properties in tobacco planting regions, so that the right decision can be made as to how many fertilizer rates are likely to be appropriated for the high-quality tobacco production. A total of 159 soil samples were taken from the surface soil (0-20cm) in the Xiangcheng tobacco planting fields, Henan Province, in April 2002 to examine the concentration of soil organic matter, pH, available N, available P, and available K. The spatial variability was evaluated using geostatistics and geographic information system (GIS) analyses. The results show that among those five soil fertility factors, the variation coefficient of soil pH was the smallest, while that of available P was the greatest, which resulted from different cultivation methods and uneven fertilization. Analysis of the isotropic variogram indicated that the soil pH, organic matter, and available P semivariogram were well described with spherical models, with the distance of spatial dependence being 21020, 19150, and 8460m, respectively, whereas the available N and available K semivariogram were well described with an exponential model, with the distance of spatial dependence being ranged from 7484 to 25320 m. Soil pH value was strongly spatially dependent with C0/sill being 0.1935, while the other four soil fertility factors were moderately spatially dependent with C0/sill ranging between 0.3528 to 0.5260. Through the Kriging analysis, the spatial distribution maps of soil properties were drawn using the arcview software. This study provides a scientific basis for field management, which targets soil quality improvement in the Xiangcheng tobacco planting region.     

Denitrification and a numerical modelling approach for shallow waters

A numerical model (`DiffDeni') has been developed to describe the disappearance of nitrate from the water column of 10–200 cm deep waters. The disappearance is caused by bacterial denitrification in the sediments. The model employs the molecular diffusion constant, an acceleration factor describing eddy diffusion, and three bacterial growth constants, viz. the inoculum size, the maximum growth rate and the half saturation constant for the hyperbolic process. The values of these system-constants were varied over a wide range. The curves obtained were compared with the curves for well-defined situations, viz. in which diffusion takes place without any or with a complete, immediate reaction. These cases have analytical solutions, and were simulated closely by the model `DiffDeni', though this model is based on different assumptions. It is shown that, when the bacterial growth rate is above a critical value, a negative exponential curve describes the nitrate disappearance well. On the other hand, a more complicated negative exponential equation can be used to describe the first phase of this denitrification in which bacterial activity is low and nitrate behaves as a conservative compound. The change-over period from phase 1 (no reaction) to phase 2 (complete, immediate reaction) which may vary between <1 and 50 days cannot be described analytically (mathematically correctly). The influence of temperature on denitrification is assessed and it is shown that both bacterial activity and diffusion may influence the denitrification rate.