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1.
Macroalgae contribute to intertidal food webs primarily as detritus, with unclear implications for food web studies using stable isotope analysis. We examined differences in the thallus parts of two South African rhodophytes (Gelidium pristoides and Hypnea spicifera) and changes in overall δ13C, δ15N signatures and C:N ratios during degradation in both the field and laboratory. We hypothesized that both degrading macroalgal tissue and macroalgal-derived suspended particulate material (SPM) would show negligible changes in δ13C, but enriched δ15N signatures and lower C:N ratios relative to healthy plants. Only C:N laboratory ratios conformed to predictions, with both species of macroalgae showing decomposition related changes in δ13C and significant depletions in δ15N in both the field and laboratory. In the laboratory, algal tissue and SPM from each species behaved similarly (though some effects were non-significant) but with differing strengths. Gelidium pristoides δ13C increased and C:N ratios decreased over time in tissue and SPM; δ15N became depleted only in SPM. Hypnea spicifera, δ13C, δ15N and C:N ratios all decreased during degradation in both SPM and algae. 相似文献
2.
E. Louise Allan Shan T. AmbroseNicole B. Richoux P. William Froneman 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》2010
Mesoscale oceanographic features, such as upwellings, are known to play an important role in regulating the structure and productivity of nearshore marine communities. Stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) and fatty acid analyses were employed to assess the influence of an upwelling cell along the south-eastern coastline of southern Africa on the diet of the mussel, Perna perna. Eight sites were sampled: two upstream, three in the vicinity and three downstream of the upwelling cell. Stable isotope and fatty acid signatures indicated that the mussels consumed a diet of detritus derived mainly from macroalgae, diatoms and dinoflagellates. One-way ANOVA on the δ13C and δ15N signatures and the principal component analysis of the fatty acid profiles of the mussels identified distinct groups corresponding to the above mentioned regions. The proportion of diatom biomarkers in the fatty acid profiles decreased downstream of the upwelling region while the proportion of dinoflagellate biomarkers increased. Upwelling regions are typically associated with elevated levels of productivity; however, these systems usually become silicon depleted and result in the replacement of diatoms with dinoflagellates. The highest proportions of the dinoflagellate markers were recorded in the two furthest sites downstream of the upwelling cell. The spatial variation in the diet of the mussels, therefore, appears to reflect the presence of the upwelling cell in the nearshore biology of the region. 相似文献
3.
Augy Syahailatua Moninya Roughan Iain M. Suthers 《Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography》2011,58(5):678-690
Ichthyoplankton assemblages were compared between regions dominated by the oligotrophic East Australian Current (EAC) and the inner-shelf waters off southeastern Australia, to determine if the early life history of fish was related to the separation of the EAC from the coast, producing different water masses as well as characteristic taxa. Samples were collected at the surface and in sub-surface waters, at 50 and 100 m isobath stations, during two summer research voyages in November 1998 and January 1999. On both voyages the study region was characterized by coastal and EAC waters in the north (∼31°S), and in the south by topographically induced upwelling (∼31°S), associated with narrowing of the continental shelf and separation of the EAC from the coast. Among the 111 families of larval fish, we observed distinctive assemblages of ichthyoplankton associated with the two different water masses. A greater abundance of the Carangidae, Labridae, Lutjanidae, Microcanthidae, Myctophidae and Scombridae was associated with the nutrient poor EAC water mass, while the Callionymidae, Clupeidae, Platycephalidae and Sillaginidae were mostly found in the cooler and/or fresher inner-shelf water mass. We assessed these patterns with opportunistic samples from an unusual, wind-driven upwelling event in the north (∼31°S) earlier in the November voyage. The relative abundance of these 10 characteristic families distinguished this wind-driven upwelling event from the subsequent relaxation and predominance of the EAC assemblage at this location just 6 d later. Distinctive and abundant families such as larval clupeids, relative to larval carangids, could be a useful marker of inner-shelf, EAC and mixed water masses in the absence of robust hydrographic data. This and related studies indicate contrast in early life histories of Sardinops sagax and Trachurus spp., which appear to spawn respectively in the inner-shelf and outer-shelf waters. The post-flexion stages of S. sagax predominate in the outer-shelf and Tasman Front, while post-flexion Trachurus spp. predominate in inner-shelf water masses. 相似文献
4.
The southern coasts of Africa are influenced by two major oceanic currents, leading to biogeographic patterns in inshore and offshore species assemblages, and in the stable isotope signatures of suspended particulate matter and filter-feeding mussels. We used the stable isotope ratios of carbon (13C/12C) and nitrogen (15N/14N) from the blood and feathers of adult and chick Cape gannets (Morus capensis) to investigate whether the geographic differences observed at the lower levels in the marine communities are deep penetrating effects that reach top predators. Additionally, we evaluated whether trophic segregation occurs between adult and reared chick gannets, and whether a shift to wintering habitat occurs in adults. The study was conducted during the 2006 breeding season on Bird Island in the Agulhas system, and on Malgas and Ichaboe Islands, in the south and north Benguela respectively. Our results showed significant differences in the isotope ratios of members of different colonies, but no intra-colony differences between tissues or age groups. These results indicate that there is neither age-related nor temporal segregation in the diet of members of the same colony. Feather isotopic values suggest that adults remain all year round in the same habitats, and do not undertake long migration after reproduction. Since all gannets tend to target similar prey, we attributed among-colony differences in isotope signatures mostly to the oceanic conditions experienced by the main prey of birds rather than substantial differences in diet composition. Overall, isotopic signatures segregate the two current systems, with depleted carbon values in the Agulhas and enriched nitrogen values in the upwelled waters of the Benguela. Within the Benguela birds from Ichaboe in the north had higher δ15N values than those from Malgas in the south, which we attributed to differences in the functioning of the upwelling cells in the vicinity of the two colonies. Finally, slight variation in the proportion of main prey and discards from fisheries may contribute to the variation in the stable-isotope signatures between colonies in the Benguela. 相似文献
5.
《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》2005,62(1-2):41-53
To examine the relationship between near-bottom larval surfclam concentrations and surfclam settlement at an inner continental shelf site off New Jersey (USA), four consecutive sets of settlement experiments were carried out at three stations at the Long-term Ecosystem Observatory (LEO-15) from 14 to 31 July 1997 during upwelling and downwelling. Two inshore stations were on the landward and seaward sides of Beach Haven Ridge at ∼12 m depth, and a third station was 8 km further offshore at ∼20 m depth. In each experiment, four replicate trays of azoic sand from Beach Haven Ridge were placed flush with the seafloor and exposed for 3–7 days. Larval surfclam concentrations were measured every 4 h at 1 m above the bottom (mab) using Moored, Automated, Serial Zooplankton Pumps at the three stations. At all three stations, larval surfclam concentrations (1 mab) were low during upwelling, and higher during and after downwelling. Pulses of highest larval surfclam concentrations coincided with the initial arrival of downwelled warm water. In addition, larval surfclam concentrations were higher at the two inshore stations than at the offshore station. Larval surfclam settlement in the trays was higher during and following downwelling than during upwelling at one inshore station and at the offshore station. At the other inshore station (landward of Beach Haven Ridge), surfclam settlement did not increase during and following downwelling. Overall, surfclam settlement was higher inshore than offshore. The results indicate that spatial and temporal variation in larval surfclam supply was controlled by upwelling and downwelling circulation and that surfclam settlement was influenced by larval supply. Bottom flows across Beach Haven Ridge during a storm may have reduced larval surfclam settlement on the upcurrent side of the ridge, affecting initial densities on a small (∼1 km) scale. 相似文献
6.
南海东北部春季海表pCO_2分布及海-气CO_2通量 总被引：1，自引：1，他引：0
2013年南海东北部春季共享航次采用走航观测方式,现场测定了表层海水和大气的二氧化碳分压(pCO2)及相应参数。结合水文、化学等同步观测要素资料,对该海域pCO2的分布变化进行了探讨。结果表明,陆架区受珠江冲淡水、沿岸上升流及生物活动的影响,呈现CO2的强汇特征;吕宋海峡附近及吕宋岛西北附近海域受海表高温、黑潮分支"西伸"、吕宋岛西北海域上升流等因素影响,呈现强源特征。根据Wanninkhof的通量模式,春季整个南海东北部海域共向大气释放约4.25×104 t碳。 相似文献
7.
The effect of blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) presence in eelgrass (Zostera marina) beds was studied from June 2004 to July 2005 in Flensborg fjord, Denmark. The field experiments were conducted at two stations, one with only Z. marina (Eelgrass station) present and one where M. edulis were present in the Z. marina beds (Mixed station). Zostera marina parameters were measured (growth of leaves, shoot density, leaf length, and nutrient content) in combination with epiphyte cover and sediment parameters (sulphate reduction rates, sediment nutrient fluxes, organic content, C, N and P content) to examine possible positive and negative effects of the mussels on eelgrass performance. The fluxes of ammonium from the sediments were stimulated at all sampling dates at the Mixed station, and possibly stimulated epiphyte growth at this station. Further 15N signals in epiphytes from the Mixed station suggested that excretion products from the mussels were important nitrogen sources at this station. Sulphate reduction rates were enhanced at the Mixed station and also sediment sulphide concentrations increased under mussel influence, which may have resulted in sulphide toxicity and decreased growth of Z. marina at this station. The study indicates that for Z. marina beds in Flensborg Fjord the effects of M. edulis in seagrass beds are primarily negative, and raises the question whether this leads to negative effects on the stability and expansion of Z. marina beds. 相似文献
8.
《Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography》1999,46(8-9):1745-1768
Phytoplankton community structure is expected to shift to larger cells (e.g., diatoms) with monsoonal forcing in the Arabian Sea, but recent studies suggest that small primary producers remain active and important, even in areas strongly influenced by coastal upwelling. To better understand the role of smaller phytoplankton in such systems, we investigated growth and grazing rates of picophytoplankton populations and their contributions to phytoplankton community biomass and primary productivity during the 1995 Southwest Monsoon (August–September). Environmental conditions at six study stations varied broadly from open-ocean oligotrophic to coastal eutrophic, with mixed-layer nitrate and chlorophyll concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 11.5 μM NO3 and 0.16 to 1.5 μg Chl a. Picophytoplankton comprised up to 92% of phytoplankton carbon at the oceanic stations, 35% in the diatom-dominated coastal zone, and 26% in a declining Phaeocystis bloom. Concurrent in situ dilution and 14C-uptake experiments gave comparable ranges of community growth rates (0.53–1.05 d−1 and 0.44–1.17 d−1, to the 1% light level), but uncertainties in C:Chl a confounded agreement at individual stations. Microzooplankton grazing utilized 81% of community phytoplankton growth at the oligotrophic stations and 54% at high-nutrient coastal stations. Prochlorococcus (PRO) was present at two oligotrophic stations, where its maximum growth approached 1.4 d−1 (two doublings per day) and depth-integrated growth varied from 0.2 to 0.8 d−1. Synechococcus (SYN) growth ranged from 0.5 to 1.1 d−1 at offshore stations and 0.6 to 0.7 d−1 at coastal sites. Except for the most oligotrophic stations, growth rates of picoeukaryotic algae (PEUK) exceeded PRO and SYN, reaching 1.3 d−1 offshore and decreasing to 0.8 d−1 at the most coastal station. Microzooplankton grazing impact averaged 90, 70, and 86% of growth for PRO, SYN, and PEUK, respectively. Picoplankton as a group accounted for 64% of estimated gross carbon production for all stations, and 50% at high-nutrient, upwelling stations. Prokaryotes (PRO and SYN) contributed disproportionately to production relative to biomass at the most oligotrophic station, while PEUK were more important at the coastal stations. Even during intense monsoonal forcing in the Arabian Sea, picoeukaryotic algae appear to account for a large portion of primary production in the coastal upwelling regions, supporting an active community of protistan grazers and a high rate of carbon cycling in these areas. 相似文献
9.
We tracked the duration and intensity of the euphausiid spawning season through biweekly sampling along a transect off Newport, OR (latitude 44°40′N) over a six year period from 1996 to 2001. Our sampling consisted of vertical plankton tows, CTD casts, and collection of water for determination of chlorophyll a. Here, we report on data collected from two stations, 5 and 15 nautical miles (9.3 and 27.8 km) offshore. The density of euphausiid eggs in our samples was highly variable spatially and temporally; we saw the most striking differences in egg densities and length of the spawning season, when we compared spawning before and after 1999. This year corresponded to the time when the Pacific Decadal Oscillation switched from warm phase (pre-1999) to cool phase (1999–present). The years 1996 and 1997 were characterized by one large, late summer peak in egg density at our inshore station. 1998, an El Niño year, followed this pattern for our offshore station, but eggs were nearly absent at our inshore station. Starting in 1999, we saw multiple peaks in egg density and found that the spawning season extended from spring through early fall. For example, in spring (March–May) at the inshore station, the abundance of eggs increased from an average of 0.4 m−3 (1996–1998) to 51.3 m−3 (1999–2001), and for summer (July–September), 27.8 m−3 to 132.6 m−3 for the same time period. At the offshore station, egg abundances doubled over the same two time periods: 7 m−3 versus 11 m−3 (spring) and 55 m−3 versus 186 m−3 (summer). Peaks in egg densities were often associated with phytoplankton blooms, but not in a predictable way. Peaks in egg densities often followed cold-water upwelling events, especially at the inshore station. It is not yet clear whether this connection is due to changes in advection or changes in upwelling-induced productivity. 相似文献
10.
通过2009-2011年5月下旬-7月下旬辽东湾北部近海10m等深线内的大型水母调查数据,分析了辽东湾北部近海近三年中大型水母资源状况,并探讨了辽东湾大型水母的生态类型。结果显示:辽东湾北部近海大型水母种类主要有海蜇(Rhopilema esculentum)、沙蜇(Nemopilema nomurai)、白色霞水母(Cyanea nozakii)、海月水母(Aurelia sp.1),海蜇和沙蜇是优势种。海蜇幼水母阶段主要集中分布在5m等深线以内的近岸河口水域,随着个体增大有略向深水或密度较小的水域扩散的趋势,仍主要分布在5m等深线两侧水域,属于高温低盐种类。6月份调查海区中发现大量的沙蜇幼水母,随着沙蜇个体增大,7月份调查海区中沙蜇数量大幅度减少。辽东湾海月水母在南部海域出现较多,2010、2011年在北部近海部分海域出现。白色霞水母近几年来辽东湾出现较少,栖息在盐度较高的水域。辽东湾各种大型水母中,沙蜇的生长速度最快。辽东湾海蜇幼水母、沙蜇幼水母的海区出现时间要晚于黄、东海。 相似文献
11.
Vincent Zintzen Alain Norro Claude Massin Jérôme Mallefet 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》2008
We investigated the cover, community structure and abiotic environment of nine shipwrecks lying at increasing distance from the Belgian coast. Results indicated that all shipwrecks were strongly dominated by cnidarians in terms of biomass and by amphipods in terms of abundances. Based on their epifaunal composition, three groups of shipwrecks could be determined. Metridium senile dominated a species poor community of the coastal sites. On the same sites, a Tubularia larynx community with a more species-rich assemblage was also developing. The T. larynx community had a lower biomass value (102 g AFDW m−2) and significantly lower species richness compared to the other sites. The coastal sites were characterized by periodic salinity decreases, large seasonal temperature fluctuation, high total suspended matter load and reduced current velocity. Channel water masses influence the offshore sites causing a more stable temperature and salinity environment, less turbid waters and high current speed. Tubularia indivisa dominated this community, with an average biomass of 229 g AFDW m−2. Intermediate sites were also dominated by T. indivisa, but a higher biomass (424 g AFDW m−2) was observed. They showed intermediate results for the abiotic parameters and fast current velocities. Hypotheses for the observed variation in community structures are discussed in the light of the abiotic characterization of the shipwrecks. 相似文献
12.
夜光藻是我国广泛分布的赤潮原因种之一,其有性繁殖在种群增长中的作用尚不明确,定量分析配子细胞是研究夜光藻有性繁殖过程的重要手段。利用实时荧光定量PCR技术,以夜光藻rRNA基因的18S-ITS1为靶区域,建立了定量检测夜光藻配子细胞的方法。以配子细胞基因组DNA和含目的片段的重组质粒分别建立标准工作曲线,二者均呈现良好的线性响应,检出限分别为每反应0.17个细胞和102个拷贝,满足定量检测应用需求。应用该方法对2015年逐月采集的胶州湾环境样品进行检测,并首次对夜光藻配子细胞的季节变化、水平分布与垂直分布进行了研究。结果表明,调查海域夜光藻配子丰度呈冬末春初、夏季双峰分布,范围为18.12~9.70×105 cells/L;在水深小于10m的湾内近岸站位,配子丰度较低,垂直分布均匀;在湾中心、湾口和湾外的深水站位,配子丰度较高,仅在2~3月、7月和11月出现垂向差异。夜光藻配子细胞对种群增长和存续有潜在的积极意义,其丰度在营养细胞丰度高值期相对较高,在营养细胞丰度极低时仍可普遍检出。丰富了对近岸海域夜光藻配子细胞时空分布的认识,为深入研究夜光藻的种群增长模式、进一步探究其赤潮暴发的内在机理奠定了基础。 相似文献
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14.
A study of the mesoscale distribution of phytoplankton communities observed along the Portuguese upwelling coast in 1985–1986 made it possible to identify an assemblage composed by the coccolithophores Helicosphaera carteri, Syracosphaera pulchra and Coronosphaera mediterranea. The assemblage was consistently present in the coast in the following years (1991, 1992, 1994, 2003 and 2005) and from 1992 onwards, Rhabdosphaera clavigera was recognised as being part of it, although in low concentrations During late summer, this group of species showed higher affinities with upwelling waters of subtropical origin (ENACWst) on the SW coast. At the end of the upwelling season, in autumn, the assemblage was advected to the NW shelf due to the intensification of the poleward surface circulation or meridional seasonal changes of environmental conditions. The species maximum abundances were not coincident in space: H. carteri developed at the central part of the western coast while blooms of S. pulchra and C. mediterranea generally occurred further south, such as at the upwelling centre of cape S. Vicente. Syracosphaera pulchra blooms were characterised by lower concentrations of C. mediterranea and vice-versa. The above patterns were recurrent along the years but the relative abundance of each species appeared related to the interannual variability of physical conditions as the upwelling. 相似文献
15.
The structure and composition of subtidal rocky seaweed assemblages were studied at 69 sites on the Canary Islands (northeastern Atlantic). This group of islands are situated at the southern boundary of the warm temperate region and adjacent to the cold waters from the northwest African coastal upwelling, which creates a difference of almost 2 °C in surface seawater temperature from the eastern to the western islands. This thermal variation allows an examination of the transition between the warm temperate and the tropical regions along this longitudinal gradient together with the hypothesised Fucales-dominated assemblages towards the eastern islands in contrast to the Dictyotales-dominated assemblages towards the western ones. Environmental and biological parameters were considered in order to investigate which were the main factors explaining spatial variation along the gradient in a multi-scaled approach. Although seventy-nine macroalgae were identified, 87.63% of the total mean cover was due to six taxa (Lobophora variegata, nongeniculate corallines, Canistrocarpus cervicornis, Jania adhaerens, Cystoseira abies-marina and Pseudolithoderma adriaticum). At a large scale, sea urchin density explained the highest variation in seaweed assemblages (26.94%), and its pattern of distribution across the islands. The expected pattern of distribution according to the upwelling distance only occurred in restricted areas of the Canarian Archipelago in absence of herbivore pressure and habitat degradation. Spatial variations within islands (medium scale) were mainly related to wave exposure, while at a small scale these were mostly due to the degree of sedimentation. 相似文献
16.
In this paper we describe results of a study designed to test the hypothesis that coastal regions with weak subtidal flow (i.e., coastal null zones) may serve as retention areas for estuarine larval forms. Our investigation assessed the distribution of 3 taxa of crab larvae (Callinectes sapidus, Uca spp., and Hexapanopeus angustifrons) within a 200-km2 region encompassing the mouth of Delaware Bay (ca. 39° N, 75° W). Previous studies had shown that larvae of C. sapidus and Uca spp. are exported to the coastal ocean, while larvae of H. angustifrons are retained within the estuary. In the present investigation, we conducted simultaneous plankton tows at 3 stations during peak spawning season. Samples were collected from a depth of 1 m every 30 min throughout a complete tidal cycle. One station was located 15 km within the bay and was subjected to strong flow at tidal frequency. A second station was located within a southward-flowing coastal current near the southern terminus of the bay at Cape Henlopen. A final station was located in a coastal area of weak subtidal flow near Cape May at the northern terminus of the bay. Results provide a unique synoptic view of larval distributions in 3 distinct hydrographic regimes in the mouth of a major estuary. The coastal-current station was characterized by low concentrations of newly hatched C. sapidus and Uca zoeae, while the null-zone station had high densities of both early and advanced larval stages of these two taxa. In contrast, the station located within the bay had few C. sapidus or Uca zoeae and was dominated by both early and advanced stages of the mud crab H. angustifrons. These data provide clear evidence for the retention of exported larval forms in a coastal null zone associated with the circulation of a large estuary and thus are consistent with our hypothesis. 相似文献
17.
The objectives of this study were to (1) investigate whether the availability of suitable zooplankton prey limits the distribution of the coastal larval areas of pike (Esox lucius) in two archipelago areas of the northern Baltic Sea and (2) compare the availability of zooplankton prey in spring between different types of coastal littoral habitat. According to the results, reed belt habitats formed by Phragmites australis constitute hot spots for zooplankton prey in the coastal ecosystem. During the spring, reed-covered shores of the inner archipelago maintained more than 10 times higher densities of copepods and cladocerans, the preferred prey for larval pike, compared to the other studied shores. Temperature conditions were also most favourable in the reed belt habitat. Thus, the reed belts of the inner and middle archipelago were shown to form the best habitat for larval pike in the coastal area of the northern Baltic Sea, and this was also the only habitat where pike larvae were found. Our results suggest that the poor survival and recruitment of pike in the outer archipelago, however, cannot exclusively be explained by sub-optimal feeding conditions of the larvae. There are also other important factors, presumably connected to the exposure to the open sea, that affect the distribution of the pike larvae. Our results, however, highlight the importance of sheltered coastal reed belt shores as reproduction habitat for spring-spawning fish in the northern Baltic Sea. Further, this study disproves the assumption that the seaweed bladder wrack (Fucus vesiculosus) forms a reproduction habitat for pike in the coastal area. 相似文献
18.
M. Ribas-Ribas J.M. Hernández-Ayón V.F. Camacho-Ibar A. Cabello-Pasini A. Mejia-Trejo R. Durazo S. Galindo-Bect A.J. Souza J.M. Forja A. Siqueiros-Valencia 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》2011
The role of coastal lagoons and estuaries as sources or sinks of inorganic carbon in upwelling areas has not been fully understood. During the months of May–July, 2005, we studied the dissolved inorganic carbon system in a coastal lagoon of northwestern Mexico during the strongest period of upwelling events. Along the bay, different scenarios were observed for the distributions of pH, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and apparent oxygen utilization (AOU) as a result of different combinations of upwelling intensity and tidal amplitude. DIC concentrations in the outer part of the bay were controlled by mixing processes. At the inner part of the bay DIC was as low as 1800 μmol kg−1, most likely due to high water residence times and seagrass CO2 uptake. It is estimated that 85% of San Quintín Bay, at the oceanic end, acted as a source of CO2 to the atmosphere due to the inflow of CO2-rich upwelled waters from the neighboring ocean with high positive fluxes higher than 30 mmol C m−2 d−1. In contrast, there was a net uptake of CO2 and HCO3− by the seagrass bed Zostera marina in the inner part of the bay, so the pCO2 in this zone was below the equilibrium value and slightly negative CO2 fluxes of −6 mmol C m−2 d−1. Our positive NEP and ΔDIC values indicate that Bahía San Quintín was a net autotrophic system during the upwelling season during 2005. 相似文献
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Several flatfishes spawn in oceanic waters and pelagic larvae are transported inshore to settle in the nursery areas, usually estuaries, where they remain during their juvenile life. Nursery areas appear as extremely important habitats, not only for juveniles but also for the earlier planktonic larval fish. Yet, the majority of nursery studies tend to focus only on one development stage, missing an integrative approach of the entire early life that fishes spent within a nursery ground. Thus, the present study assessed the influence of environmental parameters on the dynamics of the larval and juvenile flatfishes, throughout their nursery life in the Lima Estuary. Between April 2002 and April 2004, fortnightly subsurface ichthyoplankton samples were collected and juveniles were collected from October 2003 until September 2005. Larval assemblages comprised nine flatfish species, while only six were observed among the juvenile assemblages. Solea senegalensis and Platichthys flesus were the most abundant species of both fractions of the Lima Estuary flatfishes. Larval flatfish assemblages varied seasonally, without relevant differences between lower and middle estuary. Platichthys flesus dominated the spring samples and summer and autumn periods were characterized by an increase of overall abundance and diversity of larval flatfishes, mainly S. senegalensis, associated with temperature increase and reduced river flow. On the contrary, during the winter abundance sharply decreased, as a consequence of higher river run-off that might compromised the immigration of incompetent marine larvae. Juvenile flatfishes were more abundant in the middle and upper areas of the estuary, but the species richness was higher near the river mouth. Sediment type, distance from the river mouth, salinity, temperature and dissolved oxygen were identified as the main environmental factors structuring the juvenile flatfish assemblages. Juveniles were spatially discrete, with the most abundant species S. senegalensis and P. flesus associated with the middle and upper estuary, while the remaining species were associated with the lower estuarine areas. The larval fraction exhibited distinct dynamics from the juvenile estuarine flatfish community. Larval flatfishes showed a strong seasonal structure mainly regulated by biological features as the spawning season and also by seasonal variations of water characteristics. On the other hand, juvenile flatfishes were markedly controlled by site specific characteristics such as sediments structure, distance from the river mouth and salinity regime. The present study emphasized the idea that the environmental control varies throughout the ontogenetic development, stressing the importance of integrating all the early life of a species in flatfish nursery studies. 相似文献