La transparence et la charge sestonique de l'Étang de Berre (côte méditerranéenne française)

Water transparency and seston weight were measured in the brackish Etang de Berre and Etang de Vaïne (between the Rhone river and Marseilles), in nearby seawater and in four main tributaries of the Etang de Berre. The large quantities of seston conveyed by rivers, particularly the Durance diversion, strongly reduce the transparency in the brackish waters. The transparency progressively increases from freshwater to open seawater, as mineral particles sink to the bottom (about 1.7 kg m^-2 a^-1 on the average in brackish lakes). Comparatively, the role played by phytoplankton in light attenuation amounts to only 5% in seawater and 10–17% in Etang de Berre. In spite of turbidity, the euphotic layer generally extends to the bottom, in both the shallow brackish waters and in the deeper seawater.     

Distribution,Circulation et Evolution des Eléments Nutritifs,en Particulier du Phosphore Minéral,dans l'Etang de Berre. Influence des Eaux Duranciennes.

Distribution, Circulation and Evolution of Nutrients, Inorganic Phosphorus Particularly, in Lake Etang de Berre. Influence of River Durance Waters Nutrients, phosphorus in particular, were studied at five locations in the brackish lake Etang de Berre's waters in order to examine vertical and horizontal distributions, seasonal and annual evolutions, and circulation. The phosphorus cycle was surveyed taking into account the extensive freshwater input from the river Durance which was recently deviated into the Etang de Berre. Of primary importance is the phenomenon of trapped nutrients in the deepest layer of the lake, corresponding to the occurrence of a pycnocline (halocline). This layer is in a steady state characterized by anoxic conditions and shows denitrification processes.     

Forecasting Physicochemical Variables by a Classification Tree Method. Application to the Berre Lagoon (South France)

The dynamics of the "Etang de Berre", a brackish lagoon situated close to the French Mediterranean sea coast, is strongly disturbed by freshwater inputs coming from an hydroelectric power station. The system dynamics has been described as a sequence of daily typical states from a set of physicochemical variables such as temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen rates collected over three years by an automatic sampling station. Each daily pattern summarizes the evolution, hour by hour of the physicochemical variables. This article presents results of forecasts of the states of the system subjected to the simultaneous effects of meteorological conditions and freshwater releases. We recall the main step of the classification tree method used to build up the predictive model (Classification and Regression Trees, Breiman et al., 1984) and we propose a transfer procedure in order to test the stability of the model. Results obtained on the Etang de Berre data set allow us to describe and predict the effects of the environmental variables on the system dynamics with a margin of error. The transfer procedure applied after the tree building process gives a maximum gain in prediction accuracy of about 15%.     

Annual Cycles and Budget of Nutrients in Berre Lagoon (Mediterranean Sea,France)

The annual cycles of nutrients in the Etang de Berre were studied in 1985. From measurements twice a month at the input points, daily data for the freshwater flow and from daily measurements at the output point, an estimation is proposed for a nutrient budget. Seasonal variability is important, and a biological control of nutrient availability (locally remineralized products) results in a hydrologically controlled system (nutrients carried by continental waters) which produces the very high microalgal biomass observed in the lagoon. The seasonal halocline brings the euphotic layer very close to the remineralization site: nutrients are then constantly available to the phytoplankton.     

Changes in the phytoplankton community of a coastal,hyposaline lake in western Anatolia,Turkey

The phytoplankton composition of coastal, hyposaline (≅12 g l⁻¹) Lake Bafa in western Turkey, was investigated after the alteration of salinity levels in past decades. Lake Bafa, formerly a bay of the Aegean Sea, was separated from the sea as a result of alluvium deposits of the Meander River. After the construction of a sett for flood control in 1985, freshwater inflow was reduced and salinity increased, which caused some ecological changes. Phytoplankton samples were taken in August and November 2000, and February and May 2001, from the surface and at 5-m intervals in the water column at three stations. The phytoplankton community contained a mixture of freshwater and marine origin species. A total of 45 species from Bacillariophyceae, Chlorophyceae, Cyanophyceae, Chrysophyceae, and Dinophyceae were identified. Marineoriginated species such as Chaetoceros spp. (November and May), Thalassionema nitzschioides and Prorocentrum micans (August and November), and P. minimum (May) were dominant on the basis of numerical abundance. The occurrence of salinity-tolerant species such as T. nitzschioides, P. micans, and P. minimum has not been recorded in previous studies.     

Etudes expérimentalles sur la sensibilité du phytoplancton d'eau douce aux variations de salinité dans le fjord du Saguenay (Estuaire du St-Laurent), Canada Experimental Studies on the Susceptibility of Freshwater Phytoplankton to Variation of Salinity in the Fjord of Saguenay (St. Lawrence Estuary), Canada

The Saguenay Fjord is characterized by very high run-offs. The annual flow varies between 1.2 and 4.2 × 10³ m³ . s⁻¹. During the summer the surface salinity shows a sharp horizontal gradient (from 1 0/00 to 20 0/00). The surface phytoplankton, mainly freshwater and even some euryhaline species is submitted to salinity stress. Continuous culture experiments were conducted to study the susceptibility of this freshwater phytoplankton under different salinity conditions. Some pennate diatoms (dominant group) are found as relatively tolerant to salinity. Microflagellates have been found to be resistant to salinity up to 26 0/00. Chlorophyll concentrations and rates of primary production of those organisms are as high as those of the control.     

Palynological evidence for drier phases during the historical period recorded in the Etang de Berre lagoon,south-eastern France

A pollen profile from Marais du Sagnas at the northern edge of the Etang de Berre lagoon, west of Marseille, is compared and correlated with a profile (C10) from the southern margin of the lagoon. This new profile extends the pollen record for the area to recent times. The palaeoecological data now available indicate distinct phases of marine influence in the lagoon from about 900 A.D. (non-calibrated) to the 16/17 century. These correspond to historically known drier periods during which it appears that reduced freshwater input facilitated increased influx of saline water.     

Gulf of fos (France): Main hydrological features (1976–1978)

Surrounded by a heavily industrialized area, subject to natural fresh water dilution (Etang de Berre, Rhône river), the Gulf of Fos is an unbalanced neritic zone. Its distrophic character is accentuated by numerous continental discharges; furthermore, the climatic instability which characterizes this region (irregular periods of winds, fluvial risings) reinforces the changing ecological conditions in the gulf waters. The present paper shows the major ecological conditions in that neritic area, and the main events occured during the 1976–1978 period, through and extensive sampling network. The principal regulating features are thus described by the mean of a mathematical data processing (Principal Components Analysis).     

Dynamics of Sundarban estuarine ecosystem: eutrophication induced threat to mangroves

Background

Sundarbans is the largest chunk of mangrove forest and only tiger mangrove land in the world. Compared to the rich species diversity and uniqueness, very few studies have so far been conducted here, mainly due to its inaccessibility. This study explores water quality, density of biomass, species diversity, phytoplankton abundance and bacterial population of a tidal creek in Sunderban estuary during the post and pre monsoon period of 2008-09.

Results

Phytoplankton community was observed to be dominated by diatoms (Biacillariophyceae) followed by Pyrrophyceae (Dinoflagellates) and Chlorophyceae. A total of 46 taxa belonging to 6 groups were recorded. Other algal groups were Cyanophyceae, Euglenophyceae and Chrysophyceae. Species diversity was highest in summer (March) and lowest in winter season (November) in all the sample stations indicating its close correlation with ambient temperature. Species evenness was fairly high in all five stations throughout the study period. Present study indicated that dissolved oxygen, nutrients and turbidity are the limiting factors for the phytoplankton biomass. The estuary was in eutrophic condition (Chlorophyll-a ≥10 μg/L) in winter. During the month of May phytoplankton biomass declined and at high salinity level (21.2PSU) new phytoplankton species take over, which are definitely better resilient to the high saline environment. Bio-indicator species like Polykrikos schwartzil, Dinophysis norvegica and Prorocentrum concavum points to moderately polluted water quality of the estuary.

Conclusion

Eutrophication as well as presence of toxic Dinoflagellates and Cyanophyceae in the tidal creek of Sundarban estuary definitely revealed the deteriorated status of the water quality. The structure and function of the mangrove food web is unique, driven by both marine and terrestrial components. But little attention has been paid so far to the adaptive responses of mangrove biota to the various disturbances, and now our work unfolds the fact that marine status of Sundarban estuary is highly threatened which in turn will affect the ecology of the mangrove. This study indicates that ecosystem dynamics of the world heritage site Sundarban may facilitate bioinvasion putting a question mark on the sustainability of mangroves.     

Salinity gradient and nutrients as major structuring factors of the phytoplankton communities in salt marshes

This study investigated the major environmental factors structuring, for a year, phytoplankton assemblages in the Sfax saltern (Tunisia): salinity and nutrients. A STATICO analysis based on 11 environmental variables and the abundances of 64 phytoplanktonic species was conducted. STATICO is used to analyze the stable part of the relationships between the environment and species, and then to determine how these relationships change over time. The analysis confirmed that the salinity gradient had a considerable influence on the composition of the phytoplanktonic communities. Bacillariophyceae and Dinophyceae dominated in the least salty ponds, whereas Chlorophyceae and Cyanophyceae dominated in the saltiest ponds, in accordance with the halotolerance level estimated for each species by calculating the optimum salinity and salt tolerance. Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) ions could have a secondary influence on the phytoplankton distribution and its dynamics. Dinophyceae seem to be favored by high ammonium (NH₄ ⁺) concentrations, whereas diatoms seem to be favored by high orthophosphates (PO₄ ^3?) and nitrates (NO₃ ^?) values. The Chlorophyceae Dunalliela salina thrived in the saltiest ponds when the NO₃ ^? concentrations increased.     

Molecular diversity studies of bacterial communities of oil polluted microbial mats from the Etang de Berre (France)

The biodiversity of microbial mats inhabiting the oil-contaminated lagoon Etang de Berre was determined by molecular approaches. The fingerprint of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and automatic ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA) of mats exposed to different pollution levels showed specific microbial communities for each site but similar diversity richness. Species composition of the mats were compared by constructing 16S rRNA libraries. Amplified rDNA restriction analysis (ARDRA) of clone libraries confirmed their similar level of diversity richness. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA sequences showed that the classes gamma and alpha of Proteobacteria were abundantly present in both sites whereas phylotypes related to the delta-Proteobacteria and to the uncultured WS3 group were mainly found in the site with the highest pollution. Identification of the species involved in oil degradation by combining culture-based approaches and DGGE, showed that enrichment cultures were constituted by members of the Rhodobacterales and species related to Rhodococcus, Sphingomonas, Xanthomonas and Microbacterium, all of them known for their ability to degrade hydrocarbons. Our findings suggest that oil pollution has not affected the biodiversity richness of the mats. However, the populations involved in hydrocarbon degradation represent a minor fraction of the mat communities in the Etang de Berre.     

The relationship between phytoplankton distribution and water column characteristics in North West European shelf sea waters

Phytoplankton underpin the marine food web in shelf seas, with some species having properties that are harmful to human health and coastal aquaculture. Pressures such as climate change and anthropogenic nutrient input are hypothesized to influence phytoplankton community composition and distribution. Yet the primary environmental drivers in shelf seas are poorly understood. To begin to address this in North Western European waters, the phytoplankton community composition was assessed in light of measured physical and chemical drivers during the "Ellett Line" cruise of autumn 2001 across the Scottish Continental shelf and into adjacent open Atlantic waters. Spatial variability existed in both phytoplankton and environmental conditions, with clear differences not only between on and off shelf stations but also between different on shelf locations. Temperature/salinity plots demonstrated different water masses existed in the region. In turn, principal component analysis (PCA), of the measured environmental conditions (temperature, salinity, water density and inorganic nutrient concentrations) clearly discriminated between shelf and oceanic stations on the basis of DIN:DSi ratio that was correlated with both salinity and temperature. Discrimination between shelf stations was also related to this ratio, but also the concentration of DIN and DSi. The phytoplankton community was diatom dominated, with multidimensional scaling (MDS) demonstrating spatial variability in its composition. Redundancy analysis (RDA) was used to investigate the link between environment and the phytoplankton community. This demonstrated a significant relationship between community composition and water mass as indexed by salinity (whole community), and both salinity and DIN:DSi (diatoms alone). Diatoms of the Pseudo-nitzschia seriata group occurred at densities potentially harmful to shellfish aquaculture, with the potential for toxicity being elevated by the likelihood of DSi limitation of growth at most stations and depths.     

Multiannual phytoplankton trends in relation to environmental changes across aquatic domains: A case study from Sardinia (Mediterranean Sea)

We investigated multiannual trends in phytoplankton in relation to several environmental drivers. We analyzed ecological data collected during the past two decades from three aquatic sites: an artificial lake, a coastal lagoon, and a marine coastal area. Hydrographic, nutrient, and phytoplankton data were statistically analyzed to detect trends and interactions. In all ecosystems, the chlorophyll a concentration decreased with increasing abundance of small-sized phytoplankton. Phytoplankton dynamics were related to decreased nutrient concentrations in the lake, to dynamics of phosphorus and decreased salinity in the lagoon, and probably to combined top-down and bottom-up processes in the marine gulf.     

Oxygene dissous et saturation dans un milieu de forte production organique (Etang de Berre). Role d'une halocline sur leur distribution et sur les rapports oxygene-phosphate. Notion de bilan

Résumé L'évolution des structures de distribution de l'oxygène (concentration et saturation) a été suivie, dans les eaux de l'Etang de Berre, durant plusieurs années. A l'existence d'une pycnocline (halocline) à gradient très exprimé, correspond celle d'une oxycline aboutissant à l'anoxie dans certain cas. L'analyse des relations entre oxygène et phosphore minéral, en conditions de pénurie d'oxygène, montre que l'existence d'anomalies dans ces relations tient au fonctionnement du système consommation-production-régénération. Un concept de bilan théorique d'oxygène dans un bassin saumâtre est proposé.

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The evolution of oxygen distribution parameters (concentration and saturation) has been monitored in brackish waters of lake Etang de Berre during several years. In relation with the occurrence of a well-defined pycnocline (halocline) an oxycline is shown to be present, leading to anoxic conditions in some cases. The relationships between oxygen and nutrients under conditions of oxygen depletion are examined and it is shown that anomalies are due to the dynamic aspects of the consumption-production-regeneration system. A concept of theoretical oxygen budget in a brackish water basin is proposed.

     

Phytoplankton species abundance in Lake Kasumigaura (Japan) monitored monthly or biweekly since 1978

This data paper reports the abundance of phytoplankton species in monthly or biweekly samples collected from May 1978 through March 2010 at two stations on Lake Kasumigaura, a shallow lake that is the second-largest lake in Japan. The data set of quantitatively over several decades is unique among the available published data papers concerning lakes or plankton and continues to be freely available. The monitoring has been performed as a component of the Lake Kasumigaura Long-term Environmental Monitoring program, conducted by the National Institute for Environmental Studies since 1977. The data set details 173 phytoplankton species (or taxa), which can be identified by using an optical microscope and records their abundance. The abundance of each species is expressed in units of volume (??m³) per milliliter of lake water. This approach allows quantitative comparisons among taxa because the cell size of phytoplankton varies by several orders of magnitude among taxa. The phytoplankton data include 39 species (taxa) of Cyanophyta, 67 Chlorophyceae (Chlorophyta), 3 Prasinophyceae (Chlorophyta), 1 Raphidophyceae (Heterokontophyta), 6 Euglenophyceae (Euglenozoa), 4 Dinophyceae (Dinophyta), 38 Bacillariophyceae (Heterokontophyta), 6 Chrysophyceae (Heterokontophyta), 7 Xanthophyceae (Heterokontophyta), 1 Cryptophyceae (Cryptophyta) and 1 Prymnesiophyceae (Haptophyta). The data have been used for ecological and environmental studies and for studies on lake management.     

九龙江河口浮游植物的时空变动及主要影响因素

于2009年春（5月）、夏（8月）、秋（11月）在九龙江河口水域进行了水文、化学和生物的生态完全示范区综合外业调查,研究了九龙江河口浮游植物的种类组成、密度分布、季节变化、空间差异及主要影响因素,并结合前期资料分析了年际变动。结果表明,九龙江河口的浮游植物共记录7个门类75属134种。主体是硅藻,绿藻次之,甲藻和蓝藻较少,黄藻检出率高,裸藻和金藻零星检出。种类组成的空间差异大,绿藻在河口内区淡水水域比硅藻更占优势, 中肋骨条藻（Skeletonema costatum）、短角弯角藻（Eucampia zodiacus）、圆筛藻（Coscinodiscus spp.）、颗粒直链藻（Melosira granulata）、微小小环藻（Cyclotella. caspia）是河口区咸淡水水域及近海区的主要种类。浮球藻（Planktosphneria gelotinosa）、栅藻（Scenedesmus spp.）、盘星藻（Pediastrim spp.）、小席藻（Phormidium tenus）是河口内区淡水水域的主要种类。根据浮游植物的生态类型及其生境特征大致可分为三大类群。浮游植物密度夏季最高,平均为358.68103cells/L,密集中心的季节变化明显,密度分布由优势类群的密度分布决定。中肋骨条藻和短角弯角藻的数量庞大,导致优势种突出,多样性降低,种间分布不均匀,群落结构简单化。与史料比对,种类组成因淡水藻类的列入而更丰富,密度年际降低,中肋骨条藻仍是第一优势种,但优势度有较大降幅,优势类群有重大年际变化,细胞个体较小的种类占优。盐度和营养盐对浮游植物的分布及密度变化造成极大的时空差异,存在线性、复合线性、多项回归等复杂的相关关系。     

象山港人工鱼礁区的网采浮游植物群落组成及其与环境因子的关系

根据2010年1月(冬)、4月(春)、7月(夏)和11月(秋)对象山港人工鱼礁区及其邻近海域的网采浮游植物样品,共鉴定出浮游植物8门74属220种,主要由硅藻(168种)和甲藻(38种)组成。春、秋、冬季全区浮游植物丰度(分别为67.85、65.88和56.77×104个/m3)显著高于夏季(7.19×104个/m3),优势种主要有琼氏圆筛藻(Coscinodiscus jonesianus)、大洋角管藻(Cerataulina pelagica)、洛氏角毛藻(Chaetoceros lorenzianus)和罗氏角毛藻(C.lauderi)等,其中琼氏圆筛藻为全年的优势种,且在春、冬季为该海域的绝对优势种。浮游植物群落参数(丰度、chl a浓度、种类数、Shannon-Wiener多样性、Pielou均匀度和Margalef丰富度等指数)和环境因子(温度、盐度、透明度、pH值、DO、悬浮物、DIN、PO4-P和SiO3-Si浓度)均存在极显著的季节变化(P<0.001),但区域(鱼礁区与对照区)间基本无显著差异。聚类、多维尺度和相似性分析结果也表明,浮游植物群落组成存在显著季节差异(P=0.001),但区域间无显著差异。可见,人工鱼礁投放对网采浮游植物群落无显著影响。究其原因:(1)可能是该海域人工鱼礁投放数量不多,仅有230个水泥鱼礁体(共5000空立方),建礁时间也较短,导致其生态效应在短期内难以显著体现;(2)对照区与人工鱼礁区的距离较近,且采样站位均靠近岛屿,潮流和岛屿对浮游植物的影响可能超过了人工鱼礁投放对其的影响。典范对应分析(Canonical correspondence analysis,CCA)显示,影响浮游植物群落的主要因子依次为温度、营养盐、盐度和悬浮物。     

春末三峡大坝首次蓄水期长江口浮游植物群集

根据2003年6月三峡大坝第1次蓄水期长江口及其邻近水域(28°-33°N,120°-125°E)34个测站采集的浮游植物水样,报道了该水域浮游植物群集特征.结果表明:调查区浮游植物以硅藻和甲藻为主,伴有少量的绿藻和金藻.浮游植物细胞丰度介于0.2～1504.2 cells·ml-1,平均为72.7 cells·ml-1,主要优势物种为骨条藻(Skeletonema sp.)、具齿原甲藻(Prorocentrum dentatum)和锥状施克里普藻(ScrippsieUa trochoidea).调查区表层两个浮游植物密集区分别位于北部的冲淡水域和西南部近岸水域.浮游植物细胞丰度最大值出现在中层(10m层),最小值出现在底层.冲淡水域的优势物种是骨条藻,主要出现在表层;而在长江冲淡水与台湾暖流、黄海混合水交汇的水域,优势物种为具齿原甲藻,主要分布在表层和中层.     

Organic Matter,Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorus Contents of the Mesozooplankton,Mainly Acartia clausi,in a Tropical Brackish Lagoon (Ebrié Lagoon,Ivory Coast)

Mesozooplankton samples were collected over a period of one year in five stations of the Ebrié lagoon and analysed for organic, carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus contents. When zooplankton was dominated by A. clausi, body composition was relatively stable compared with the broad variability of environmental factors (mainly salinity, food abundance and composition), although a negative hypothetic influence of salinity may have occurred. Body composition was comparable when zooplankton was dominated by Pseudodiaptomus hessei and freshwater species, but contents were significantly lower for assemblages dominated by more exclusively marine species (Paracalanus spp., Oithona spp., marine cladocerans, chaetognates, etc.).     

长江口赤潮高发区浮游植物与水动力环境因子的分布特征

报道了2002年春季长江口海域(30°50′～31°50′N,121°50′～123°00′E)的22个大面观察站和一个昼夜连续观察站的水样和网样浮游植物的种类组成、丰度分布与水动力环境因子、营养盐的关系．结果表明,长江口区共有浮游植物5门45属110种．主要赤潮生物优势种为中肋骨条藻(Skeletonema castaturn)和具齿原甲藻(Prorocentrum dentatum)等．浮游植物丰度的昼夜变化白天大于夜间,垂直分布不明显．浮游植物主要生态类型可划分为：沿岸河口低盐半咸水类群、沿岸偏低盐广布性类群、外海高盐暖水性类群等．长江口区浮游植物丰度在1．6×10^3～75．2×10^3个.dm-3．浮游植物的种类组成和丰度分布与长江冲淡水密切相关．在该区域存在三股不同性质的水,即长江河口水、长江冲淡水及外海水(台湾暖流)影响着浮游植物的分布．