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1.
Effect of temperature on phosphorus sorption to sediments from shallow eutrophic lakes 总被引:3,自引:0,他引:3
Lidong HuangLili Fu Chongwei JinGerty Gielen Xianyong LinHailong Wang Yongsong Zhang 《Ecological Engineering》2011,37(10):1515-1522
The availability of phosphorus (P) in lakes is dependent on the sorption characteristics of the underlying sediments. Temperature is a crucial factor affecting the P sorption in sediments. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of temperature on sorption of P by sediments from two eutrophic lakes. The study was carried out using short-term batch experiments at 4, 20 and 30 °C. Phosphorus sorption kinetics, isotherms, fractionation and desorption were investigated. The P sorption was dependent on sediment type and temperature (p < 0.001). The Mei sediments showed a higher sorption rate and sorption capacity than Hua sediments. The P sorption kinetics were best described by a pseudo second order model (R2 > 0.97). Activation energies derived from the kinetics rate constant indicated that P sorption onto the two sediments was controlled by a diffusion process. For both sediments, Freundlich model fit the P sorption isotherms well and the calculated apparent sorption heat was 6.37 kJ mol−1 for Mei sediments and 8.67 kJ mol−1 for Hua sediments. This indicated that P sorption onto both sediments was endothermic. Adding P significantly increased the soluble and loosely bound P (S/L-P), aluminum-bound P (Al-P) and iron-bound P (Fe-P) (p < 0.05). The amount of Al-P and Fe-P was markedly higher at 30 °C than at 4 °C (p < 0.05). Subsequent P desorption indicated that adsorbed P was highly labile, in particular for Hua sediment. The degree of P mobility that occurred during sediment sorption was inversely related to the temperature at the time of sorption. A significant relationship (R2 = 0.978) between phosphorus sorption maximum and oxalate-extractable Fe and Al at different temperatures reflects that the amorphous contents of Fe and Al are responsible for the temperature effect on P sorption. 相似文献
2.
Phosphorus speciation in Myall Lake sediment, NSW, Australia 总被引:1,自引:0,他引:1
Daniel Abel Shilla Takashi Asaeda Martin Kalibbala 《Wetlands Ecology and Management》2009,17(2):85-91
The amount of phosphorus and its fractions in the sediment of Lake Myall, NSW, Australia, was assessed using a sequential extraction technique. Five sedimentary phosphorus reservoirs were measured, namely loosely sorbed phosphorus (NH4Cl–P), iron associated phosphorus (BD–P), calcium bound phosphorus (HCl–P), metal oxide bound phosphorus (NaOH–P) and residual phosphorus (organic and refractory P, Res-P). Samples were taken from the deep and shallow sites of the lake. During the analysis, the average concentrations of each fraction of phosphorus was calculated. The results depicted that the total phosphorus (TP) content and chemically extractable phosphorus in both fine and coarse sediment fractions from the deep sites of the lake were significantly higher than those of the shallow sites, except for HCl–P extracted from the fine sediment fraction. Sediment TP was also strongly and positively correlated to sediment Fe. The phosphorus in the sediment mainly consisted of BD–P and Res-P, while NH4Cl–P and HCl–P only contributed a minor part. The rank order of the different phosphorus extracts was similar for the two sites, namely Residual-P > BD–P > NaOH–P > HCl–P > NH4Cl–P. 相似文献
3.
《Harmful algae》2019
Non-diazotrophic Microcystis and filamentous N2-fixing Aphanizomenon and Dolichospermum (formerly Anabaena) co-occur or successively dominate freshwaters globally. Previous studies indicate that dual nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) reduction is needed to control cyanobacterial blooms; however, N limitation may cause replacement of non-N2-fixing by N2-fixing taxa. To evaluate potentially counterproductive scenarios, the effects of temperature, nutrients, and zooplankton on the spatio-temporal variations of cyanobacteria were investigated in three large, shallow eutrophic lakes in China. The results illustrate that the community composition of cyanobacteria is primarily driven by physical factors and the zooplankton community, and their interactions. Niche differentiation between Microcystis and two N2-fixing taxa in Lake Taihu and Lake Chaohu was observed, whereas small temperature fluctuations in Lake Dianchi supported co-dominance. Through structural equation modelling, predictor variables were aggregated into ‘composites’ representing their combined effects on species-specific biomass. The model results showed that Microcystis biomass was affected by water temperature and P concentrations across the studied lakes. The biomass of two filamentous taxa, by contrast, exhibited lake-specific responses. Understanding of driving forces of the succession and competition among bloom-forming cyanobacteria will help to guide lake restoration in the context of climate warming and N:P stoichiometry imbalances. 相似文献
4.
Benthic nutrient fluxes in a eutrophic,polymictic lake 总被引:2,自引:0,他引:2
Sediment release rates of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and ammonium (NH4) were determined seasonally at three sites (water depth 7, 14 and 20 m) in Lake Rotorua using in situ benthic chamber incubations.
Rates of release of SRP ranged from 2.2 to 85.6 mg P m−2 d−1 and were largely independent of dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration. Two phases of NH4 release were observed in the chamber incubations; high initial rates of up to 2,200 mg N m−2 d−1 in the first 12 h of deployment followed by lower rates of up to 270 mg N m−2 d−1 in the remaining 36 h of deployment. Releases of SRP and NH4 were highest in summer and at the deepest of the three sites. High organic matter supply rates to the sediments may be important
for sustaining high rates of sediment nutrient release. A nutrient budget of Lake Rotorua indicates that internal nutrient
sources derived from benthic fluxes are more important than external nutrient sources to the lake. 相似文献
5.
The effect of wave-reduction engineering on sediment resuspension in a large, shallow, eutrophic lake (Lake Taihu) 总被引:1,自引:0,他引:1
Frequent resuspension of sediments is recognized as an important process in large shallow lakes, impeding the recovery of eutrophic lakes. A large-scale project, including a wave barrier (3.3 km long) and a soft enclosure, was implemented to reduce wave energy and sediment resuspension in Lake Taihu, eastern China. The effects of the wave-reduction engineering on sediment resuspension and internal nutrient loading were investigated. Results showed that sediment resuspension rates as well as suspended solids (SS) in the areas protected by the wave barrier and the soft enclosure were significantly lower than in the unprotected areas. There was a positive relationship between total phosphorus (TP) and SS; thus internal loading of phosphorus was significantly reduced by the wave-reduction structure. High nutrient levels and phytoplankton biomass persisted during the experiment period, suggesting that additional measures, such as re-establishment of the macrophyte community, must be included to help restore the water quality in such a large, shallow and eutrophic lake. 相似文献
6.
Phosphorus (P) dynamics in large shallow lakes are greatly influenced by physical processes such as wind-driven sediment resuspension,
at times scales from hours to years. Results from long-term (30 year) research on Lake Okeechobee, Florida (area 1,730 km2, mean depth 2.7 m) illustrate key features of these P dynamics. Variations in wind velocity result in changes in water column
transparency, suspended solids, and total P (TP). In summer there are diurnal changes in TP associated with afternoon winds,
and in winter, when strong winds occur for multiple days, monthly average TP remains high compared to summer. The magnitude
of daily and seasonal TP changes can exceed 100 μg l−1. Hurricanes and tropical storms also cause extreme changes in TP that are superimposed on seasonal dynamics. When a hurricane
passed 80 km south of the lake in October 1999, mean pelagic TP increased from 88 to 222 μg l−1. During large resuspension events, light attenuation is substantially increased, and this influences the biomass and spatial
extent of submerged plants, as well as water column TP. In Lake Okeechobee, TP concentrations typically are ∼20 μg l−1 when submerged plants are dense, and soluble reactive P concentrations are reduced below detection, perhaps by the periphyton
and plant uptake and by precipitation with calcium at high pH. In contrast, TP exceeds 50 μg l−1 when submerged plants and periphyton are absent due to prolonged deep water, and phytoplankton biomass and algal bloom frequency
both are increased. In Lake Okeechobee and other large shallow lakes, complex models that explicitly consider wind-wave energy,
hydrodynamics, and sediment resuspension, transport, and key biological processes are needed to accurately predict how lake
water TP will respond to different management options. 相似文献
7.
Submerged macrophyte vegetation in two shallow lakes in the Netherlands, Lake Veluwemeer and Lake Wolderwijd, has been affected by eutrophication in the late 1960's and 1970's. Recent changes in the vegetation occurred in the period following lake restoration measures. Between 1987 and 1993, the dominance of Potamogeton pectinatus decreased, while Charophyte meadows expanded over the same time interval. The pattern of change of the dominant macrophyte species might result from changes in the underwater light climate. Seasonally persistent clear water patches associated with the Chara meadows have been observed in the last few years. The interaction between submerged macrophyte vegetation succession and water transparency in the lakes is discussed. 相似文献
8.
Relationship between hypolimnetic phosphorus and iron release from eleven lakes in Maine, USA 总被引:5,自引:0,他引:5
Aria Amirbahman Andrea R. Pearce Roy J. Bouchard Stephen A. Norton J. Steven Kahl 《Biogeochemistry》2003,65(3):369-386
We studied five eutrophic (high phosphorus) and six mesotrophic/oligotrophic (low phosphorus) lakes in Maine, USA, all of which are dimictic and develop anoxic hypolimnia during stratification. The lakes were sampled during the stratified period from May to September 1999. Late summer hypolimnetic total phosphorus (P) concentrations in the high-P lakes ranged from 185 to 460ppb; epilimnetic total P increased up to 30ppb from the spring to the fall overturn. During the same period, the low-P lakes had hypolimnetic total P concentrations in the range of 6–19ppb.Individual high-P lakes demonstrated strong temporal correlations between aqueous hypolimnetic dissolved Fe and total P concentrations (R
20.88) with an average molar Fe:P ratio of 11.9±4.2. For the combined data, the high-P lakes exhibited strong correlation between hypolimnetic Fe and P concentrations (R
2=0.82). The low-P lakes, however, did not show a good correlation between the hypolimnetic Fe and P concentrations. Among the low-P lakes two lakes had hypolimnetic Fe fluxes comparable to the Fe fluxes of the high-P lakes. These two lakes had considerably higher hypolimnetic Fe:P ratios than all other lakes studied here. There were no significant differences in surface sediment Fe(III) or P fractions that correlated with the differences in the relationship between aqueous concentrations of Fe and P in these two outlier low-P lakes. A model for the generation of hypolimnetic acid neutralization capacity (ANC) was developed based on microbially-catalyzed reduction of Fe(III) hydroxide, Mn(IV) oxide and sulfate. Reduction of Fe(III) hydroxide was the most important contributor to the increase in the hypolimnetic ANC in all high-P and the two outlier lakes. Assuming that all hypolimnetic P was due to the reduction of Fe(III) hydroxide by bacteria and sulfide, average summer hypolimnetic P flux for each lake was predicted using the sediment reducible Fe(III):P ratio. The observed and predicted average P fluxes in the high-P lakes corresponded reasonably, suggesting that in these lakes internal P release is closely related to the reduction of Fe(III) hydroxide. Other release or sequestration mechanisms may operate for the release and availability of P in the low-P lakes. 相似文献
9.
Effects of hydrodynamics on phosphorus concentrations in water of Lake Taihu,a large,shallow, eutrophic lake of China 总被引:4,自引:0,他引:4
Guangwei Zhu Boqiang Qin Guang Gao Lu Zhang Liancong Luo Yunlin Zhang 《Hydrobiologia》2007,581(1):53-61
To understand the effect of hydrodynamical process on water phosphorus concentration, wind, wave, and several water quality
indices were observed in Meiliang Bay, a shallow and eutrophic bay locates in north of Lake Taihu. During the 7 day observation
period, wind speed and significant wave height were recorded more than 3 h per day, and water samples were collected in five
water-depth layers once a day. Hydrodynamical disturbance had no significant correlationship with the water quality at the
top layer when the significant wave height was smaller than 30 cm, but it significantly increased suspended solids (SS) concentration
of the bottom water layer. Concentrations of nutrients showed no positive correlationship with SS concentration in the water
body. Intensive sediment resuspension may not have occurred when the hydrodynamic stress on sediment was only a little higher
than the critical stress for sediment resuspension. A new method for confirming the critical stress for intensive sediment
resuspension and nutrient release still needs to be developed. The range of the water quality indices was quite high during
the seven days of observation. High variation seems to be a common character of large shallow lakes like Taihu. 相似文献
10.
Xiuyun Cao Chunlei Song Yiyong Zhou Alena Štrojsová Petr Znachor Eliška Zapomělová Jaroslav Vrba 《Limnology》2009,10(2):95-104
Extracellular phosphatases are an important part of the phosphorus cycle in aquatic environments. Phosphatase activity (PA)
in plankton was studied in seven subtropical shallow lakes of different exploitation management and trophic status in the
urban area of Wuhan City. Bulk PA was rather high (range 1.1–11 μmol l−1 h−1), although concentrations of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) were also high (range 27 μg P l−1 to ~1.5 mg P l−1) in all lakes. Cell-associated extracellular PA in phytoplankton was detected using the fluorescence-labelled enzyme activity
technique. Phytoplankton species partly contributed to the bulk PA. We found explicit differences in the presence of cell-associated
phosphatase within the main phytoplankton groups; species belonging to Chlorophyta and Dinophyta were regularly phosphatase-positive,
while Cyanophyta and Bacillariophyceae were phosphatase-negative in all but one case. Furthermore, there is a certain potential
of extracellular phosphatases produced by heterotrophic nanoflagellates in most of the lakes. This new finding compromises
the ‘traditional’ interpretation of bulk phosphatase data as being due to overall phytoplankton or bacterial P regeneration. 相似文献
11.
12.
Phosphorus fractions and alkaline phosphatase activity in sediments of a large eutrophic Chinese lake (Lake Taihu) 总被引:6,自引:0,他引:6
Yiyong Zhou Chunlei Song Xiuyun Cao Jianqiu Li Guoyuan Chen Zhuoying Xia Pinghong Jiang 《Hydrobiologia》2008,599(1):119-125
Spatial, vertical, and seasonal variations in phosphorus fractions and in alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) were investigated in sediments in a large-shallow eutrophic Chinese lake (Lake Taihu) in 2003–2004. The phosphorus content was highest in the most seriously polluted lake area. Iron-bound phosphorus (Fe(OOH)~P) dominated (47% on average) among the phosphorus fractions determined according to Golterman (Hydrobiologia 335:87–95, 1996). Notably, organically-bound P comprised a further significant additional portion (acid-soluble + hot NaOH-extractable organic P = 25%), which was highest at the most polluted sites. The Fe(OOH)~P content was the lowest in spring (April, 2004), suggesting that degradation of organic matter led to the release of iron-bound phosphates. Sediment APA showed a significant positive relationship with both organically-bound P and Fe(OOH)~P. Consequently, organically-bound P is an important portion of the sediment phosphorus in Lake Taihu. It is mainly derived from freshly-settled autochthonous particles and from external discharges. Organically-bound P induces APA and may lead to the release of bioavailable phosphates from the organic sediments, thereby accelerating lake eutrophication. 相似文献
13.
Indirect effects of fish community structure on submerged vegetation in shallow,eutrophic lakes: an alternative mechanism 总被引:2,自引:2,他引:0
The loss of submerged macrophytes during eutrophication of shallow lakes is a commonly observed phenomenon. The proximate reason for this decline is a reduction of available light due to increasing phytoplankton and/or epiphyton biomass. Here we argue that the ultimate cause for the transition from a macrophyte-dominated state to a phytoplankton-dominated state is a change in fish community structure. A catastrophic disturbance event (e.g. winterkill) acting selectively on piscivores, cascades down food chains, eventually reducing macrophyte growth through shading by epiphyton, an effect that is reinforced by increasing phytoplankton biomass. The transition back from the phytoplankton to the macrophyte state depends on an increase in piscivore standing stock and a reduction of planktivores. A conceptual model of these mechanisms is presented and supported by literature data and preliminary observations from a field experiment. 相似文献
14.
安徽沿江浅水型通江湖泊湿地是东亚-澳大利亚迁徙水鸟的重要越冬地和停歇地。近年来,高强度的渔业养殖使湿地严重退化,对越冬水鸟构成威胁。为了解湿地变化对越冬迁徙水鸟的影响,2007年11-2008年4月和2008年11月-2009年4月,对安徽菜子湖和升金湖11个样带内越冬水鸟的种类、数量及空间分布进行了调查,并分析了湖泊渔业模式对水鸟分布的影响。两个湖泊共统计到越冬水鸟7目12科43种。其中,菜子湖群38种,密度为8.2ind./hm2;升金湖42种,密度为3.5ind./hm2,优势种为鸿雁(Anser cygnoides)、豆雁(Anser fabalis)、小天鹅(Cygnus columbianus)和黑腹滨鹬(Calidris alpina)。越冬水鸟种类和数量在12月底-次年1月上旬达到最大值,但不同类型越冬群最大数量出现的具体时期有所不同。根据水鸟组成的聚类分析,可将水鸟栖息地分为三组。水鸟的分布与渔业模式有关,在自然捕捞区,鹤类、雁鸭类和鸻鹬类密度较大,在围网养殖区密度较小,而鹭类的密度在各湖区变化都较小。本研究结果提示,发展可持续渔业对于长江中下游浅水湖泊湿地越冬水鸟资源的保护具有重要意义。 相似文献
15.
Spatial and seasonal variation in greenhouse gas and nutrient dynamics and their interactions in the sediments of a boreal eutrophic lake 总被引:1,自引:0,他引:1
Anu Liikanen Jari T. Huttunen Timo Murtoniemi Heikki Tanskanen Tero Väisänen Jouko Silvola Jukka Alm Pertti J. Martikainen 《Biogeochemistry》2003,65(1):83-103
Dynamics of greenhouse gases, CH4, CO2 and N2O, and nutrients, NO
2
–
+ NO
3
–
, NH
4
+
and P, were studied in the sediments of the eutrophic, boreal Lake Kevätön in Finland. Undisturbed sediment cores taken in the summer, autumn and winter from the deep and shallow profundal and from the littoral were incubated in laboratory microcosms under aerobic and anaerobic water flow conditions. An increase in the availability of oxygen in water overlying the sediments reduced the release of CH4, NH
4
+
and P, increased the flux of N2O and NO
2
–
+ NO
3
–
, but did not affect CO2 production. The littoral sediments produced CO2 and CH4 at high rates, but released only negligible amounts of nutrients. The deep profundal sediments, with highest carbon content, possessed the greatest release rates of CO2, CH4, NH
4
+
and P. The higher fluxes of these gases in summer and autumn than in winter were probably due to the supply of fresh organic matter from primary production. From the shallow profundal sediments fluxes of CH4, NH4
+ and P were low, but, in contrast, production of N2O was the highest among the different sampling sites. Due to the large areal extension, the littoral and shallow profundal zones had the greatest importance in the overall gas and nutrient budgets in the lake. Methane emissions, especially the ebullition of CH4 (up to 84% of the total flux), were closely related to the sediment P and NH
4
+
release. The high production and ebullition of CH4, enhances the internal loading of nutrients, lake eutrophication status and the impact of boreal lakes to trophospheric gas budgets. 相似文献
16.
Biomanipulation,new perspectives for restoration of shallow,eutrophic lakes in The Netherlands 总被引:9,自引:0,他引:9
S. H. Hosper 《Aquatic Ecology》1989,23(1):5-10
Eutrophication of Dutch lakes has led to massive algal growth, disappearance of most of the macrophytes and disturbance of the food chain. The pike population has fallen sharply and bream developed very strongly, in the absence of this predator. Eutrophication problems are primarily being tackled by reducing nutrient loading. Restoration of water quality, however, seems to be impeded by the present structure of the food chain,i.e. the large bream stock. Biomanipulation, especially fish stock control with the aim of reducing the bream stock and increasing that of predatory fish, can accelerate the process of restoration. For the further development of biomanipulation it is very important that water authorities and managers of fish stocks agree on a common strategy. 相似文献
17.
The transport and cycling of nutrients through the various pools in water, soil and sediment is controlling the long term and short term productivity of water bodies. An understanding of the size of these pools and the fluxes between them is essential for the assessment of the usefulness of management measures resulting in reduced external input and the anticipated resilience of the system towards changes in trophic character. Large pools, such as phosphorus in surficial sediments and nitrate in groundwater have a potential for prolonged stimulation of productivity. Diffuse sources, fluxes towards sinks, competition between biota and adsorbents for sparse nutrients, feedback mechanisms, non-linearities and shifts among prevailing processes are discussed. 相似文献
18.
Taxonomic composition and production dynamics of phytoplankton assemblages in Crater Lake, Oregon, were examined during time
periods between 1984 and 2000. The objectives of the study were (1) to investigate spatial and temporal patterns in species
composition, chlorophyll concentration, and primary productivity relative to seasonal patterns of water circulation; (2) to
explore relationships between water column chemistry and the taxonomic composition of the phytoplankton; and (3) to determine
effects of primary and secondary consumers on the phytoplankton assemblage. An analysis of 690 samples obtained on 50 sampling
dates from 14 depths in the water column found a total of 163 phytoplankton taxa, 134 of which were identified to genus and
101 were identified to the species or variety level of classification. Dominant species by density or biovolume included Nitzschia gracilis, Stephanodiscus hantzschii, Ankistrodesmus spiralis, Mougeotia parvula, Dinobryon sertularia, Tribonema
affine, Aphanocapsa delicatissima, Synechocystis sp., Gymnodinium inversum, and Peridinium inconspicuum. When the lake was thermally stratified in late summer, some of these species exhibited a stratified vertical distribution
in the water column. A cluster analysis of these data also revealed a vertical stratification of the flora from the middle
of the summer through the early fall. Multivariate test statistics indicated that there was a significant relationship between
the species composition of the phytoplankton and a corresponding set of chemical variables measured for samples from the water
column. In this case, concentrations of total phosphorus, ammonia, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, and alkalinity were associated
with interannual changes in the flora; whereas pH and concentrations of dissolved oxygen, orthophosphate, nitrate, and silicon
were more closely related to spatial variation and thermal stratification. The maximum chlorophyll concentration when the
lake was thermally stratified in August and September was usually between depths of 100 m and 120 m. In comparison, the depth
of maximum primary production ranged from 60 m to 80 m at this time of year. Regression analysis detected a weak negative
relationship between chlorophyll concentration and Secchi disk depth, a measure of lake transparency. However, interannual
changes in chlorophyll concentration and the species composition of the phytoplankton could not be explained by the removal
of the septic field near Rim Village or by patterns of upwelling from the deep lake. An alternative trophic hypothesis proposes
that the productivity of Crater Lake is controlled primarily by long-term patterns of climatic change that regulate the supply
of allochthonous nutrients. 相似文献
19.
Lake Mburo and Lake Kachera are shallow, eutrophic lakes in mid‐western Uganda. Lake Mburo recorded higher values of Secchi and eutrophic depths and lower extinction coefficient (k) values. The lakes showed a ‘red shift’ phenomenon in maximum light transmission. The average values of electrical conductivity in Lake Mburo and Lake Kachera were 136 and 244 μS cm?1, respectively. The pH values indicated high photosynthetic activity. Dissolved oxygen concentration averaged 6.9 and 7.8 mg l?1 in Lake Mburo and Lake Kachera, respectively. The lakes had high total nitrogen (TN) : total phosphorus (TP) ratios averaging 200 and 280 in Lake Mburo and Lake Kachera, respectively. The lakes are dominated by cyanobacterial blooms that reduce light penetration to less than 1 m. Lake Mburo had a lower algal biomass than Lake Kachera. Chlorophyll a concentrations correlated positively (r = 0.73, P < 0.05) with the extinction coefficient in Lake Mburo but not in Lake Kachera. The correlations between chlorophyll a and TN and TP were also high. Both lakes recorded high primary productivity, Lake Mburo showing higher values. The study highlighted the need to investigate the organism–community interrelationships in the two water bodies. 相似文献
20.
Some coral species of the genus Porites can produce thick mucous sheets that partially or completely envelope the colony’s surface. This phenomenon has been reported many times, but the cause and ecological significance remains unclear. In this study, sheet production was examined in response to elevated suspended sediment concentrations associated with a large-scale, extended dredging project on a coral reef. Approximately 400 corals at 16 locations situated from 0.2–33 km from the excavation area were examined at fortnightly intervals over the 1.5 year dredging campaign. Mucous sheets were observed on 447 occasions (from 10,600 observations), with average mucous prevalence ranging from 0–10%. Overall 74 ± 5% of the colonies <1.5 km from the dredging produced one or more sheets. High levels of mucous coverage (≥95% of the colony surface) was observed on 68 occasions, and 82% of these occurred at sites close to the dredging. Approximately 50% of colonies produced ≥3 sheets over the monitoring period, and 90% of these were located close to the dredging. In contrast, at distantly located reference sites (>20 km away), mean mucous sheet prevalence was very low (0.2% ± 0.1), no colonies produced more than 1 sheet, and only 1 colony was observed with high mucous coverage. In a laboratory-based experiment, explants of Porites spp. exposed to fine silt also produced mucous sheets (105 sheets recorded in 1100 observations), with nearly 30% of the fragments exposed to repeated sediment deposition events of 10 and 20 mg cm−2 d−1 producing 2 new sheets over the 28 day exposure period. These multiple lines of evidence suggest a close association between mucous sheet formation and sediment load, and that sheet formation and sloughing are an additional mechanism used by massive Porites spp. to clear their surfaces when sediment loads become too high. These results suggest that mucous sheet formation is an effective bioindicator of sediment exposure. 相似文献