Plankton ciliate community responses to different aquatic environments in Nan'ao Island, a representative mariculture base in the South China Sea

2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (3) ◽  
pp. 426
Author(s):  
Fengxia Wu ◽  
Ming Dai ◽  
Honghui Huang ◽  
Zhanhui Qi
Keyword(s):  
South China Sea ◽  
Mixed Culture ◽  
South China ◽  
Dominant Species ◽  
Fish Culture ◽  
Chl A ◽  
Culture Area ◽  
Ciliate Community ◽  
Ciliate Species ◽  
Aquaculture Area

The temporal variation and spatial distribution of plankton ciliate communities were investigated in Shen’ao Bay, South China Sea. In all, 35 species belonging to 17 genera and 7 orders were identified. The number of ciliate species was lower in spring than in summer, whereas ciliate abundance was higher in spring than in summer. Spatially, the number of ciliate species and ciliate abundance were higher in the oyster–algae mixed culture area and non-aquaculture area, and lower in the caged fish culture area. Multivariate and univariate analyses demonstrated that ciliate communities were associated with environmental factors (e.g. temperature, chlorophyll (Chl)-a, nutrient levels). In addition, two dominant species, namely Mesodinium rubrum and Tintinnopsis beroidea, were significantly positively correlated with Chl-a. Three dominant species, namely Strombidium globosaneum, Tintinnopsis minuta and Strombidium conicum, showed more sensitivity to dissolved oxygen, pH and chemical oxygen demand, whereas Tintinnopsis parvula and Tintinnopsis chinglanensis were significantly related to NO2–. Ciliate species diversity, species evenness and species richness were higher in the oyster–algae mixed culture area and non-aquaculture area and lower in the caged fish culture area. Therefore, the results of this study suggest that the ciliate community is significantly correlated with its aquatic habitat and the dominant species can be considered a favourable bioindicator of the marine water environment.

Spatial and seasonal variations in the planktonic ciliate community and its relationship with environmental factors in Daya Bay, the South China Sea

2017 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fengxia Wu ◽  
Jianrong Huang ◽  
Zhanhui Qi ◽  
Honghui Huang
Keyword(s):  
South China Sea ◽  
South China ◽  
Seasonal Variations ◽  
The South China Sea ◽  
Daya Bay ◽  
China Sea ◽  
Ciliate Community ◽  
Ciliate Abundance ◽  
Ciliate Species ◽  
Planktonic Ciliate

AbstractPlanktonic ciliate composition, abundance and its response to environmental change were investigated during four seasons (winter of 2013, spring, summer and autumn of 2014) in Daya Bay, the South China Sea. A total of 41 species belonging to eight orders were identified, 14 of which were dominant. Planktonic ciliate communities showed a distinct seasonal pattern in ciliate abundance and a clear seasonal shift in the taxonomic composition. The largest number of ciliate species occurred in summer, whereas the highest abundance peaked in spring, mainly due to oligotrichids. In terms of spatial distribution, ciliate species were abundant in the area of artificial reefs, and ciliate abundance was higher in the Dapeng Cove aquaculture area and lower at the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station. Clustering analysis demonstrated that the seasonal variations of the ciliate community structure were more obvious than spatial variations. Multivariate and univariate analyses illustrated that ciliate abundance was significantly correlated with the water nutrient level and chlorophyll-

scholarly journals Spatiotemporal Variability of Surface Phytoplankton Carbon and Carbon-to-Chlorophyll a Ratio in the South China Sea Based on Satellite Data

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 30
Author(s):  
Wenlong Xu ◽  
Guifen Wang ◽  
Long Jiang ◽  
Xuhua Cheng ◽  
Wen Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South China Sea ◽  
Chlorophyll A ◽  
South China ◽  
Satellite Data ◽  
Phytoplankton Biomass ◽  
The South China Sea ◽  
Spatiotemporal Variability ◽  
The South ◽  
Chl A ◽  
China Sea

The spatiotemporal variability of phytoplankton biomass has been widely studied because of its importance in biogeochemical cycles. Chlorophyll a (Chl-a)—an essential pigment present in photoautotrophic organisms—is widely used as an indicator for oceanic phytoplankton biomass because it could be easily measured with calibrated optical sensors. However, the intracellular Chl-a content varies with light, nutrient levels, and temperature and could misrepresent phytoplankton biomass. In this study, we estimated the concentration of phytoplankton carbon—a more suitable indicator for phytoplankton biomass—using a regionally adjusted bio-optical algorithm with satellite data in the South China Sea (SCS). Phytoplankton carbon and the carbon-to-Chl-a ratio (θ) exhibited considerable variability spatially and seasonally. Generally, phytoplankton carbon in the northern SCS was higher than that in the western and central parts. The regional monthly mean phytoplankton carbon in the northern SCS showed a prominent peak during December and January. A similar pattern was shown in the central part of SCS, but its peak was weaker. Besides the winter peak, the western part of SCS had a secondary maximum of phytoplankton carbon during summer. θ exhibited significant seasonal variability in the northern SCS, but a relatively weak seasonal change in the western and central parts. θ had a peak in September and a trough in January in the northern and central parts of SCS, whereas in the western SCS the minimum and maximum θ was found in August and during October–April of the following year, respectively. Overall, θ ranged from 26.06 to 123.99 in the SCS, which implies that the carbon content could vary up to four times given a specific Chl-a value. The variations in θ were found to be related to changing phytoplankton community composition, as well as dynamic phytoplankton physiological activities in response to environmental influences; which also exhibit much spatial differences in the SCS. Our results imply that the spatiotemporal variability of θ should be considered, rather than simply used a single value when converting Chl-a to phytoplankton carbon biomass in the SCS, especially, when verifying the simulation results of biogeochemical models.

scholarly journals Response of Total Suspended Sediment and Chlorophyll-a Concentration to Late Autumn Typhoon Events in the Northwestern South China Sea

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 2863
Author(s):  
Junyi Li ◽  
Huiyuan Zheng ◽  
Lingling Xie ◽  
Quanan Zheng ◽  
Zheng Ling ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South China Sea ◽  
Continental Shelf ◽  
Suspended Sediment ◽  
Chlorophyll A ◽  
South China ◽  
Total Suspended Sediment ◽  
Offshore Area ◽  
Chl A ◽  
Late Autumn ◽  
China Sea

Strong typhoon winds enhance turbulent mixing, which induces sediment to resuspend and to promote chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) blooms in the continental shelf areas. In this study, we find limited Chl-a responses to three late autumn typhoons (typhoon Nesat, Mujigae and Khanun) in the northwestern South China Sea (NWSCS) using satellite observations. In climatology, the Chl-a and total suspended sediment (TSS) concentrations are high all year round with higher value in autumn in the offshore area of the NWSCS. After the typhoon passage, the Chl-a concentration increases slightly (23%), while even TSS enhances by 280% on the wide continental shelf of the NWSCS. However, in the southern area, located approximately 100 km from the typhoon tracks, both TSS and Chl-a concentrations increase 160% and 150% after typhoon passage, respectively. In the deeper area, the increased TSS concentration is responsible for the considerable increase of the Chl-a. An empirical analysis is applied to the data, which reveals the TSS and Chl-a processes during typhoon events. The results of this study suggest a different mechanism for Chl-a concentration increase and thus contribute toward further evaluation of typhoon-induced biological responses.

scholarly journals Research on Cold Core Eddy Change and Phytoplankton Bloom Induced by Typhoons: Case Studies in the South China Sea

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao-dong Shang ◽  
Hai-bin Zhu ◽  
Gui-ying Chen ◽  
Chi Xu ◽  
Qi Yang
Keyword(s):  
South China Sea ◽  
South China ◽  
Mechanical Energy ◽  
The South China Sea ◽  
Gravitational Potential Energy ◽  
The South ◽  
Chl A ◽  
China Sea ◽  
Slow Transit ◽  
Transit Speed

The effects of 8 typhoons which passed by coldcore eddy (CCE) areas in the South China Sea (SCS) from 1997 to 2009 were observed and evaluated. The changes in the preexisting CCE acted upon by typhoons were described by eddy kinetic energy (EKE) and eddy available gravitational potential energy (EAGPE). The mechanical energy of CCE was estimated from a two-layer reduced gravity model. Comparing with the scenario that typhoon passes by the region without CCEs, the preexisting CCE area plays an important role in the increase of chlorophyll-a (chl-a) concentration in the CCEs impacted by the typhoons. The preexisting chl-a in CCE is about 25%~45% (8%~25%) of postexisting chl-a in CCE for higher (slower) transit speed typhoons. If the EAGPE of CCE increases greatly after typhoon passing by with slow transit speed, so does the chl-a in the CCE area. The EKE (EAGPE) changes of the preexisting CCE are in the order of O(1014~1015 J). EKE and EAGPE of CCE are dominantly enhanced by typhoon with slow transit speed (<3 m/s) and the posttyphoon EAGPE is always larger than posttyphoon EKE for 8 cases. The maximum EAGPE change of the preexisting CCE reaches5.11×1015 J, which was induced by typhoon Hagibis.

scholarly journals Fish Composition and Diversity of Four Coral Reefs in the South China Sea Based on Hand-Line Catch

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 38
Author(s):  
Yuanjie Li ◽  
Zuozhi Chen ◽  
Jun Zhang
Keyword(s):  
South China Sea ◽  
Coral Reefs ◽  
South China ◽  
Dominant Species ◽  
The South China Sea ◽  
Fish Diversity ◽  
The South ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
China Sea ◽  
Sea Fish

To improve the overall understanding of the fish diversity and spatial patterns of major coral reefs in the South China Sea, fish assemblage composition, dominant species, biodiversity indices, and multivariate analysis of community structure were reported for four major coral reefs based on hand-line survey data in May and September 2018. A total of five orders, 21 families, 45 genera and 121 species of fish were recorded with Perciformes (78.5%) being the most diverse. The highest number (5) of dominant species was found near Chenhang Island while the lowest (2) number was detected at Zhubi Reef. The highest abundance index (7.21) occurred at Zhubi Reef, while the Shannon–Wiener diversity (4.80), Pielou’s evenness (0.81), and Simpson’s dominance (0.95) indexes were all highest at Qiliangyu Island. Based on cluster analysis and non-metric multi-dimensional scaling (NMDS), fish communities varied more spatially than seasonally. Our results led us to hypothesize that the habitat complexity and level of anthropogenic disturbance were the main factors affecting the composition of reef-dwelling fish on each coral reef. Topography was likely responsible for most variation in the spatial pattern of fish diversity.

scholarly journals Biogeographic Role of the Kuroshio Current Intrusion in the Microzooplankton Community in the Boundary Zone of the Northern South China Sea

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 1104
Author(s):  
Ping Sun ◽  
Silu Zhang ◽  
Ying Wang ◽  
Bangqin Huang
Keyword(s):  
South China Sea ◽  
South China ◽  
Northern South China Sea ◽  
Kuroshio Current ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Kuroshio Intrusion ◽  
China Sea ◽  
Ciliate Community ◽  
The Kuroshio

Kuroshio Current intrusion (KCI) has significant impacts on the oceanographic conditions and ecological processes of the Pacific-Asian marginal seas. Little is known to which extent and how, specifically, the microzooplankton community can be influenced through the intrusion. Here, we focused on ciliates that often dominated the microzooplankton community and investigated their communities using high-throughput sequencing of 18S rRNA gene transcripts in the northern South China Sea (NSCS), where the Kuroshio Current (KC) intrudes frequently. We first applied an isopycnal mixing model to assess the fractional contribution of the KC to the NSCS. The ciliate community presented a provincial distribution pattern corresponding to more and less Kuroshio-influenced stations. Structural equation modeling revealed a significant impact of the KCI on the community, while environmental variables had a marginal impact. KCI-sensitive OTUs were taxonomically diverse but mainly belonged to classes Spirotrichea and Phyllopharyngea, suggesting the existence of core ciliates responding to the KCI. KCI-sensitive OTUs were grouped into two network modules that showed contrasting abundance behavior with the KC fraction gradient, reflecting differential niches (i.e., winner and loser) in the ciliate community during the Kuroshio intrusion scenarios. Our study showed that the Kuroshio intrusion, rather than environmental control, was particularly detrimental to the oligotrophic microzooplankton community.

scholarly journals The Influence of Turbulent Mixing on the Subsurface Chlorophyll Maximum Layer in the Northern South China Sea

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chenjing Shang ◽  
Changrong Liang ◽  
Guiying Chen ◽  
Yongli Gao
Keyword(s):  
South China Sea ◽  
Water Column ◽  
South China ◽  
Turbulent Mixing ◽  
Northern South China Sea ◽  
Luzon Strait ◽  
Nutrient Fluxes ◽  
Chl A ◽  
China Sea ◽  
Subsurface Chlorophyll Maximum

Abstract. We present observations from deployments of a turbulent microstructure instrument and a CTD package in the northern South China Sea from April to May 2010. From these we determined the turbulent mixing (dissipation rate ε and diapycnal diffusivity κ), nutrients (phosphate, nitrate, and nitrite), nutrient fluxes, and chlorophyll a (Chl-a) in two transects (A and B). Transect A was located in region far away from the Luzon Strait where turbulent mixing in the upper 100 m was weak (κ~10−6–10−4 m2 s−1). Transect B was located in region near the Luzon Strait where the turbulent mixing in the upper 100 m was strong (κ~10−5–10−3 m2 s−1) due to the influence of the internal waves originating from the Luzon strait and the water intrusion from the western Pacific. In both transects, there was a thin subsurface chlorophyll maximum layer (SCML) (0.3–0.7 mg m−3) nested in the water column between ~50 and 100 m. The observations indicate that effects of turbulent mixing on the distributions of nutrient and Chl-a were different in different transects. In transect with weak turbulent mixing, nutrient fluxes induced by turbulent mixing transported nutrients to the SCML but not to the upper water. Nutrients were sufficient to maintain a local SCML phytoplankton population and the SCML remained compact. In transect with strong turbulent mixing, nutrient fluxes induced by turbulent mixing transported nutrients not only to the SCML but also to the upper water, which scatters the nutrients in the water column, and weakens and diffuses the SCML.

scholarly journals Photosynthetic Characteristics of Smaller and Larger Cell Size-Fractioned Phytoplankton Assemblies in the Daya Bay, Northern South China Sea

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 16
Author(s):  
Guangming Mai ◽  
Xingyu Song ◽  
Xiaomin Xia ◽  
Zengling Ma ◽  
Yehui Tan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Radiation ◽  
South China Sea ◽  
Cell Size ◽  
South China ◽  
Northern South China Sea ◽  
Daya Bay ◽  
Cell Assembly ◽  
Ps Ii ◽  
Chl A ◽  
Change Pattern

Cell size of phytoplankton is known to influence their physiologies and, consequently, marine primary production. To characterize the cell size-dependent photophysiology of phytoplankton, we comparably explored the photosynthetic characteristics of piconano- (<20 µm) and micro-phytoplankton cell assemblies (>20 µm) in the Daya Bay, northern South China Sea, using a 36-h in situ high-temporal-resolution experiment. During the experimental periods, the phytoplankton biomass (Chl a) in the surface water ranged from 0.92 to 5.13 μg L−1, which was lower than that in bottom layer (i.e., 1.83–6.84 μg L−1). Piconano-Chl a accounted for 72% (mean value) of the total Chl a, with no significant difference between the surface and bottom layers. The maximum photochemical quantum yield (FV/FM) of Photosystem II (PS II) and functional absorption cross-section of PS II photochemistry (σPS II) of both piconano- and micro-cells assemblies varied inversely with solar radiation, but this occurred to a lesser extent in the former than in the latter ones. The σPS II of piconano- and micro-cell assemblies showed a similar change pattern to the FV/FM in daytime, but not in nighttime. Moreover, the fluorescence light curve (FLC)-derived light utilization efficiency (α) displayed the same daily change pattern as the FV/FM, and the saturation irradiance (EK) and maximal rETR (rETRmax) mirrored the change in the solar radiation. The FV/FM and σPS II of the piconano-cells were higher than their micro-counterparts under high solar light; while the EK and rETRmax were lower, no matter in what light regimes. In addition, our results indicate that the FV/FM of the micro-cell assembly varied quicker in regard to Chl a change than that of the piconano-cell assembly, indicating the larger phytoplankton cells are more suitable to grow than the smaller ones in the Daya Bay through timely modulating the PS II activity.

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