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1.
High-latitude seas are mostly covered by multi-year ice, which impacts processes of primary production and sedimentation of organic matter. Because of the warming effect of West Spitsbergen Current (WSC), the waters off West Spitsbergen have only winter ice cover. That is uncommon for such a high latitude and enables to separate effects of multiyear-ice cover from the latitudinal patterns. Macrofauna was sampled off Kongsfjord (79°N) along the depth gradient from 300 to 3000 m. The density, biomass and diversity at shallow sites situated in a canyon were very variable. Biomass was negatively correlated with depth (R=-0.86, p<0.001), and ranged from 61 g ww m−2 (212 m) to 1 g ww m−2 (2025 m). The biomasses were much higher than in the multiyear-ice covered High Arctic at similar depths, while resembling those from temperate and tropical localities. Species richness (expressed by number of species per sample and species–area accumulation curves) decreased with depth. There was no clear depth-related pattern in diversity measures: Hurbert rarefaction, Shannon–Wiener or Pielou. The classic increase of species richness and diversity with depth was not observed. Species richness and diversity of deep-sea macrofauna were much lower in our study than in comparable studies of temperate North Atlantic localities. That is related to geographic isolation of Greenland–Icelandic–Norwegian (GIN) seas from the Atlantic pool of species.  相似文献   

2.
Seasonal and diurnal reduced sulfur gas emissions were measured along a salinity gradient in Louisiana Gulf Coast salt, brackish and freshwater marshes. Reduced sulfur gas emission was strongly associated with habitat and salinity gradient. The dominant emission component was dimethyl sulfide (average: 57·3 μg S m−2 h−1) in saltmarsh with considerable seasonal (max: 144·03 μg S m−2 h−1; min: 1·47 μg S m−2 h−1) and diurnal (max: 83·58 μg S m−2 h−1; min: 69·59 μg S m−2 h−1) changes in flux rates. Hydrogen sulfide was dominant (average: 21·2 μg S m−2 h−1, max: 79·2 μg S m−2 h−1; min: 5·29 μg S m−2 h−1) form in brackishmarsh and carbonyl sulfide (average: 1·09 μg S m−2 h−1; max: 3·42 μg S m−2 h−1; min: 0·32 μg S m−2 h−1) was dominant form in freshwater marsh. A greater amount of H2S was evolved from brackishmarsh (21·22 μg S m−2 h−1) as compared to the saltmarsh (2·46 μg S m−2 h−1) and freshwater marsh (0·30 μg S m−2 h−1). Emission of total reduced sulfur gases decreased with decrease in salinity and distance inland from the coast. Emission of total reduced sulfur gases over the study averaged 73·3 μg S m−2 h−1 for the saltmarsh, 32·1 μg S m−2 h−1 for brackishmarsh and 2·76 μg S m−2 h−1 for the freshwater marsh.  相似文献   

3.
Phytoplankton community composition, productivity and biomass characteristics of the mesohaline lower Neuse River estuary were assessed monthly from May 1988 to February 1990. An incubation method which considered water-column mixing and variable light exposure was used to determine phytoplankton primary productivity. The summer productivity peaks in this shallow estuary were stimulated by increases in irradiance and temperature. However, dissolved inorganic nitrogen loading was the major factor controlling ultimate yearly production. Dynamic, unpredictable rainfall events determined magnitudes of seasonal production pulses through nitrogen loading, and helped determine phytoplankton species composition. Dinoflagellates occasionally bloomed but were otherwise present in moderate numbers; rainfall events produced large pulses of cryptomonads, and dry seasons and subsequent higher salinity led to dominance by small centric diatoms. Daily production was strongly correlated (r = 0·82) with nitrate concentration and inversely correlated (r = −0·73) with salinity, while nitrate and salinity were inversely correlated (r = −0·71), emphasizing the importance of freshwater input as a nutrient-loading source to the lower estuary. During 1989 mean daily areal phytoplankton production was 938 mgC m−2, mean chlorophyll a was 11·8 mg m−3, and mean phytoplankton density was 1·56 × 103 cells ml−1. Estimated 1989 annual areal phytoplankton production for the lower estuary was 343 gC m−2.  相似文献   

4.
Spring profiles of microbial production derived from the dark incorporation of tritiated leucine and tritiated thymidine in the northwest Mediterranean show an exponential decline with depth. Assuming this to represent a steady-state balance between microbial respiration and the downward flux of carbon, the downward flux is estimated as (1−/)p/b, where p is the microbial production, their gross growth efficiency and b the coefficient of exponential decline with depth. Summer profiles, ranging over about 3° of latitude and 4° of longitude, were well fitted by a two-component exponential decline, suggesting two distinct microbial substrates. Values of b for the more rapidly declining component varied between 0.01 and 0.06 m−1 according to location. In the case of the slower component, b was estimated as 0.002 m−1, and did not vary significantly over the region. Estimated fluxes of carbon at the surface are 123–335 mg m−2 d−1 for the fast and 95 mg m−2 d−1 for the slow component. Below about 200 m, carbon flux is dominated by the slow component. Flux estimates are compatible with flux estimates from sediment traps in the same region. The observed changes between the spring and summer profiles, combined with the horizontal homogeneity of the summer profiles below 200 m, are consistent with a downward transport of about 5–10 m d–1, implying a significant dispersive component to the observed fluxes.  相似文献   

5.
We examined the effect of light on water column and benthic fluxes in the Pensacola Bay estuary, a river-dominated system in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. Measurements were made during the summers of 2003 and 2004 on 16 dates distributed along depth and salinity gradients. Dissolved oxygen fluxes were measured on replicate sediment and water column samples exposed to a gradient of photosynthetically active radiation. Sediment inorganic nutrient (NH4+, NO3, PO43−) fluxes were measured. The response of dissolved oxygen fluxes to variation in light was fit to a photosynthesis–irradiance model and the parameter estimates were used to calculate daily integrated production in the water column and the benthos. The results suggest that shoal environments supported substantial benthic productivity, averaging 13.6 ± 4.7 mmol O2 m−2 d−1, whereas channel environments supported low benthic productivity, averaging 0.5 ± 0.3 mmol O2 m−2 d−1SE). Estimates of baywide microphytobenthic productivity ranged from 8.1 to 16.5 mmol O2 m−2 d−1, comprising about 16–32% of total system productivity. Benthic and water column dark respiration averaged 15.2 ± 3.2 and 33.6 ± 3.7 mmol O2 m−2 d−1, respectively Inorganic nutrient fluxes were generally low compared to relevant estuarine literature values, and responded minimally to light exposure. Across all stations, nutrient fluxes from sediments to the water column averaged 1.11 ± 0.98 mmol m−2 d−1 for NH4+, 0.58 ± 1.08 mmol m−2 d−1 for NO3, 0.01 ± 0.09 mmol m−2 d−1 for PO43−. The results of this study illustrate how light reaching the sediments is an important modulator of benthic nutrient and oxygen dynamics in shallow estuarine systems.  相似文献   

6.
Wind-driven cyclonic eddies are hypothesized to relieve nutrient stress and enhance primary production by the upward displacement of nutrient-rich deep waters into the euphotic zone. In this study, we measured nitrate (NO3), particulate carbon (PC), particulate nitrogen (PN), their stable isotope compositions (δ15N-NO3, δ13C-PC and δ15N-PN, respectively), and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) within Cyclone Opal, a mature wind-driven eddy generated in the lee of the Hawaiian Islands. Sampling occurred in March 2005 as part of the multi-disciplinary E-Flux study, approximately 4–6 weeks after eddy formation. Integrated NO3 concentrations above 110 m were 4.8 times greater inside the eddy (85.8±6.4 mmol N m−2) compared to the surrounding water column (17.8±7.8 mmol N m−2). Using N-isotope derived estimates of NO3 assimilation, we estimated that 213±59 mmol m−2 of NO3 was initially injected into the upper 110 m Cyclone Opal formation, implying that NO3 was assimilated at a rate of 3.75±0.5 mmol N m−2 d−1. This injected NO3 supported 68±19% and 66±9% of the phytoplankton N demand and export production, respectively. N isotope data suggest that 32±6% of the initial NO3 remained unassimilated. Self-shading, inefficiency in the transfer of N from dissolved to particulate export, or depletion of a specific nutrient other than N may have led to a lack of complete NO3 assimilation. Using a salt budget approach, we estimate that dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) concentrations increased from eddy formation (3.8±0.4 mmol N m−2) to the time of sampling (4.0±0.09 mmol N m−2), implying that DON accumulated at rate of 0.83±1.3 mmol N m−2 d−1, and accounted for 22±15% of the injected NO3. Interestingly, no significant increase in suspended PN and PC, or export production was observed inside Cyclone Opal relative to the surrounding water column. A simple N budget shows that if 22±15% of the injected NO3 was shunted into the DON pool, and 32±6% is unassimilated, then 46±16% of the injected NO3 remains undocumented. Alternative loss processes within the eddy include lateral exchange of injected NO3 along isopycnal surfaces, remineralization of PN at depth, as well as microzooplankton grazing. A 9-day time series within Cyclone Opal revealed a temporal depletion in δ15N-PN, implying a rapid change in the N source. A change in NO3 assimilation, or a shift from NO3 fueled growth to assimilation of a 15N-deplete N source, may be responsible for such observations.  相似文献   

7.
Field investigations on the population dynamics of Nereis diversicolor were carried out from January 2002 to December 2003 in the estuary of Oued Souss (southwestern Morocco) to determine the changes caused by setting up of a domestic and industrial wastewater purification plant (M'zar) before and after by the end of wastewater discharges in November 2002 on the structure of the ecosystem. Samples of N. diversicolor were collected monthly in the intertidal zone at low tide before (during 2002) and after (during 2003) the end of wastewater discharges.Separation of cohorts using the Algorithm EM method (McLachlan, G.J., Krishnan, T., 1997. The EM algorithm and extensions. Wiley Series in Probability and Statistics. Wiley, New York, 274 pp.) allowed determination of the growth rate (mm day−1) by cohort and the annual production. The data showed significant differences between populations of Nereis diversicolor before and after the end of wastewater discharges. During the wastewater discharge period (2002), the population had a mean annual density of 1992 ind m−2, a mean annual biomass of 75.52 g DW m−2 and an annual secondary production of 141.3 g DW m−2 with a P/B ratio of 1.87. After the end of discharges (2003), density, biomass and secondary production decreased significantly. The annual averages for these parameters were 740 ind m−2, 14.16 g DW m−2 and 23.83 g DW m−2, respectively, with a P/B ratio of 1.68.The important decrease observed in density, biomass and secondary production of Nereis diversicolor may be attributed (a) to the environmental changes observed after the end of wastewater discharges in the estuary of Oued Souss, namely the increase of salinity and the decrease of organic matter content, and (b) to the migration of this species towards other areas.  相似文献   

8.
Nitrification, fuelled by ammonium is the pivotal oxidative pathway to nitrogen cycling. In spite of its ecological significance, the factors regulating nitrification rates in the benthic realm remain poorly understood. The present study therefore examines some of the factors like ammonium, nitrite, nitrate, organic carbon, iron and manganese on down-core variability in benthic nitrification rates in two different mangrove ecosystems, one under the influence of ferromanganese ore mining (experiment) and the other relatively undisturbed (control). We hypothesize that besides organic carbon, iron could also influence the rate of nitrification. The study also contrasts the distributive pattern of autotrophic and heterotrophic nitrifiers in the two regions. The concentration of iron at the control site ranged from 1.1% to 15.1% while at the experimental site it ranged from 2.9% to 46%. The levels of organic carbon at control and experimental sites ranged from 0.02% to 6.9% and 0.1% to 6.5%, respectively. The nitrification rates at the control and experimental sites are comparable and ranged from 3.2 ± 1.2 to 18.4 ± 1.9 ng at-N g(sediment)−1 h−1 and 2.7 ± 1.5 to 18.2 ± 0.6 ng at-N g(sediment)−1 h−1, respectively. While the abundance of heterotrophic nitrifiers at both the sites ranged from 102–3 cells g−1 sediment, the autotrophic nitrifiers at the experimental site was higher by an order at 103 cells g−1 sediment reflecting the relatively higher refractile nature of organic carbon at the experimental site (Straus and Lamberti, 2000). Though organic carbon and nitrification rates are similar in both the sites, the underlying mechanisms governing the processes could be different. Our studies suggest that at the control site, heterotrophic nitrifiers govern nitrification rates (r = 0.28, p < 0.05, n = 64) using organic carbon (r = 0.32, p < 0.01, n = 64). At the experimental site, nitrification was governed more by autotrophic nitrifiers (r = 0.43, p < 0.001, n = 64) at the expense of iron (r = 0.47, p < 0.001, n = 64). Therefore at the experimental site with higher load of iron, autotrophic nitrification could be more important. It is therefore inferred that both the quality of organic carbon and quantity of iron govern nitrification rates in these mangrove swamps.  相似文献   

9.
The interplay between the oxygen minimum zone and remotely-forced oxygenation episodes determines the fate of the benthic subsystem off the Central Peruvian coast. We analyzed a 12 year monthly time-series of oceanographic and benthic parameters at 94 m depth off Callao, Central Peru (12°S), to analyze: (i) near-bottom oxygen level on the continental shelf in relation to dynamic height on the equator (095°W); and (ii) benthic ecosystem responses to oxygen change (macrobiotic infauna, meiofauna, and sulphide-oxidizing bacteria, Thioploca spp.). Shelf oxygenation episodes occurred after equatorial dynamic height increases one month before, consistent with the propagation of coastal trapped waves. Several but not all of these episodes occurred during El Niños. The benthic biota responded to oxygenation episodes by undergoing succession through three major ecological states. Under strong oxygen deficiency or anoxia, the sediments were nearly defaunated of macro-invertebrates and Thioploca was scarce, such that nematode biomass dominated the macro- and meiobiotas. When frequency of oxygenation events reduced the periods of anoxia, but the prevailing oxygen range was 10–20 μmol L−1, mats of Thioploca formed and dominated the biomass. Finally, with frequent and intense (>40 μmol L−1) oxygenation, the sediments were colonized by macrofauna, which then dominated biomass. The Thioploca state evolved during the 2002–2003 weak EN, while the macrofauna state was developed during the onset of the strong1997–1998 EN. Repeated episodes of strong oxygen deficiency during the summer of 2004, in parallel with the occurrence of red tides in surface waters, resulted in the collapse of Thioploca mats and development of the Nematode state. Ecological interactions may affect persistence or the transition between benthic ecosystem states.  相似文献   

10.
Density, biomass and community structure of macrofauna were estimated together with several sediment characteristics at seven stations ranging from 208 m to 4460 m water depth along the OMEX transect in the Goban Spur area (NE Atlantic) during three seasons (October 1993, May 1994, and August 1995). Median grain size decreased with increasing water depth and showed no differences between the seasons. The percentages of organic carbon and total nitrogen were highest at mid-slope depths (1000 to 1500 m), and were significantly higher in August at the upper part of the slope to a depth of 1500 m. The C:N ratio in the surface layer amounted to 7 to 8 in May, 10 to 12 in August and 14 to 17 in October at all stations (except the deepest at 4460 m, where it was 11 in May and August), indicating arrival of fresh phytodetritus in May, and therefore seasonality in food input to the benthos. Densities of macrofauna decreased exponentially with increasing water depth. Significantly higher densities of macrofauna were found in May at the upper part of the slope to a depth of 1500 m. These differences were mainly due to high numbers of postlarvae of echinoids at the shallowest station and ophiuroids at the deeper stations. Biomass values also decreased with increasing water depth, but biomass was relatively high at the 1000 m station and low at 1500 m, due to relatively high and low mean weights of the individual macrofaunal specimens. No significant differences in biomass were found between the seasons. Respiration was high (15 to 20 mgC·m−2·d−1) in May at the upper part of the slope to a depth of 1000 m and low (1–3 mg C·m−2·d−1) at the deeper part. At the shallowest stations to a depth of 1000 m respiration was highest in May, at the mid-slope stations (1400–2200 m) it was highest in August, whereas the deepest stations (3600 to 4500 m) did not show any differences in respiration rates. In conclusion; seasonal variation in organic input is reflected in denstiy, community structure and activity of the macrofauna along the continental slope in the NE Atlantic.  相似文献   

11.
Particle export from the upper waters of the oligotrophic ocean may play a crucial role in the global carbon cycle. Mesoscale eddies have been hypothesized to inject new nutrients into oligotrophic surface waters, thereby increasing new production and particle export in otherwise nutrient deficient regimes. The E-Flux Program was a large multidisciplinary project designed to investigate the physical, biological and biogeochemical characteristics of cold-core cyclonic eddies that form in the lee of the Hawaiian Islands. There, we investigated particle dynamics using 210Pb–210Po disequilibrium. Seawater samples for 210Pb and 210Po were collected both within (IN) and outside (OUT) of two cyclones, Noah and Opal, at different stages of their evolution as well as from the eddy generation region. Particulate carbon (PC), particulate nitrogen (PN) and biogenic silica (bSiO2) export fluxes were determined using water-column PC, PN, and bSiO2 inventories and the residence times of 210Po. PC and PN fluxes at 150 m ranged from 1.58±0.10 to 1.71±0.16 mmol C m−2 d−1 and 0.22±0.02 to 0.30±0.02 mmol N m−2 d−1 within Cyclones Opal and Noah. PC and PN fluxes at OUT stations sampled during both cruises were of similar magnitudes, 1.69±0.16 to 1.67±0.16 mmol C m−2 d−1 and 0.30±0.03 to 0.26±0.03 mmol N m−2 d−1. The bSiO2 fluxes within Cyclone Opal were 0.157±0.010 mmol Si m−2 d−1 versus 0.025±0.002 mmol Si m−2 d−1 at OUT stations. These results of minimal PC and PN export, but significant eddy-induced bSiO2 fluxes, agree very well with other studies that used a variety of direct and indirect methods. Thus, our results suggest that using elemental inventories and residence times of 210Po is another independent and robust method for determining particle export and should be investigated more fully.  相似文献   

12.
The Atacama trench, the deepest ecosystem of the southern Pacific Ocean (ca. 8000 m depth) was investigated during the Atacama Trench International Expedition. Sediments, collected at three bathyal stations (1040–1355 m depth) and at a hadal site (7800 m) were analyzed for organic matter quantity and biochemical composition (in terms of phytopigments, proteins, carbohydrates and lipids), bacterial abundance, biomass and carbon production and extracellular enzymatic activities. Functional chlorophyll-a (18.0±0.10 mg m−2), phytodetritus (322.2 mg m−2) and labile organic carbon (16.9±4.3 g C m−2) deposited on surface sediments at hadal depth (7800 m) reached concentrations similar to those encountered in highly productive shallow coastal areas. High values of bacterial C production and aminopeptidase activity were also measured (at in situ temperature and 1 atm). The chemical analyses of the Atacama hadal sediments indicate that this trench behaves as a deep oceanic trap for organic material. We hypothesize that, despite the extreme physical conditions, benthic microbial processes might be accelerated as a result of the organic enrichment.  相似文献   

13.
Annual production was calculated for the dominant ampeliscid amphipod Ampelisca mississippiana [Soliman, Y., Wicksten, M., 2007. Ampelisca mississippiana a new species (Amphipoda: Gammaredea) dominated the head of the Mississippi Canyon (Northern Gulf of Mexico). Zootaxa, submitted] at the head of the Mississippi Canyon in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Average densities were 12,094±2499 ind m−2, with secondary production of 6.93 g dry wt m−2 yr−1, based on the “size-frequency method” [Hynes-Hamilton, H.B.N., Coleman, M., 1968. A simple method for assessing the annual production of stream benthos. Limnology and Oceanography 13, 569–573; Menzies, C.A., 1980. A note on the Hynes-Hamilton method of estimating secondary production. Limnology and Oceanography 25(4), 770–773], with a production/biomass (P/B) ratio of 3.11. Growth rates of this magnitude are comparable to available data for freshwater and shallow marine ampeliscids, but are unexpectedly high for deep-ocean habitats. Growth efficiency appeared to be approximately 35% (Growth/Assimilation×100).  相似文献   

14.
Uptake of inorganic carbon and ammonium by the plankton community of three North Carolina estuaries was measured using 14C and 15N isotope methods. At 0% light, C appeared to be lost via respiration, and at increasing light levels uptake of inorganic carbon increased linearly, saturated (mean Ik = 358±30 μEin m−2 s−1), and frequently showed inhibition at the highest light intensities. At 0% light NH4+ uptake was significantly greater than zero and was frequently equivalent to uptake in the light (light independent); at increasing light levels NH4+ uptake saturated (mean Ik = 172±44 μEin m−2 s−1) and frequently indicated strong inhibition. Light-saturated uptake rates of inorganic carbon and NH4+ were a function of chlorophyll a (r2 = 0·7−0·9); average assimilation numbers were 625 nmol CO2 (μg chl. a)−1 h−1 and 12·9 nmol NH4+ (μg chl. a)−1 h−1 and were positively correlated with temperature (r2 = 0·3−0·7). The ratio of dark to light-saturated NH4+ uptake tended to be near 1·0 for large algal populations at low NH4+ concentrations, indicating near light independence of uptake; whereas the ratio was lower for the opposite conditions. These data are interpreted as indicative of nitrogen stress, and it is suggested that uptake of NH4+ deep in the euphotic zone and at night are mechanisms for balancing the C:N of cellular pools. A 24-h study using summed short-term incubations confirmed this; the cumulative C:N of CO2 and NH4+ uptake during the daylight period was 10–20, whereas over the 24-h period the ratio was 6 due to dark NH4+ uptake. Annual carbon and nitrogen primary productivity were respectively estimated as 24 and 4·0 mol m−2 year−1 for the South River estuary, 42 and 7·3 mol m−2 year−1 for the Neuse River estuary, and 9·6 and 1·6 mol m−2 year−1 for the Newport River estuary.  相似文献   

15.
We proposed an empirical equation of sea surface dimethylsulfide (DMS, nM) using sea surface temperature (SST, K), sea surface nitrate (SSN, μM) and latitude (L, °N) to reconstruct the sea surface flux of DMS over the North Pacific between 25°N and 55°N: ln DMS = 0.06346 · SST  0.1210 · SSN  14.11 · cos(L)  6.278 (R2 = 0.63, p < 0.0001). Applying our algorithm to climatological hydrographic data in the North Pacific, we reconstructed the climatological distributions of DMS and its flux between 25 °N and 55 °N. DMS generally increased eastward and northward, and DMS in the northeastern region became to 2–5 times as large as that in the southwestern region. DMS in the later half of the year was 2–4 times as large as that in the first half of the year. Moreover, applying our algorithm to hydrographic time series datasets in the western North Pacific from 1971 to 2000, we found that DMS in the last three decades has shown linear increasing trends of 0.03 ± 0.01 nM year− 1 in the subpolar region, and 0.01 ± 0.001 nM year− 1 in the subtropical region, indicating that the annual flux of DMS from sea to air has increased by 1.9–4.8 μmol m− 2 year− 1. The linear increase was consistent with the annual rate of increase of 1% of the climatological averaged flux in the western North Pacific in the last three decades.  相似文献   

16.
Midsummer (1 August) population estimates of about 2 million O-group plaice (Pleuronectes platessa L.) were derived for sandy bays around the Firth of Forth in 1979–1980. This is an order of magnitude less than similar estimates made for the Clyde Sea Area in 1973–1974. Autumn population estimates of 0·4–1·0 million fish were comparable to estimates by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for the area between the Scottish border and Flamborough Head (2·3 million for 1970 and 1973) which represented 4·8% (1973) to 5·3% (1970) of the total number of O-group fish on the English east coast.Largo Bay was the most important nursery area holding 25% of the total population. It is particularly well situated to receive newly metamorphosed plaice carried in water currents along the north side of the Forth from the spawning ground off Fife Ness. Plaice in the Forth are mainly distributed on fine to medium sandy beaches (186–480 μm), the mean number per haul in midsummer (D) being correlated with the median diameter (m.d. in μm) of the low water sediments by the equation: D=−45·7666+0·2327 m.d. (n=11,r=0·68,P<0·02 but>0·01).The shallow inshore water in sandy bays in the outer Firth was well mixed and more marine than estuarine (27·7–35·0‰). The correlation coefficient between fish density and water temperature was low, while that with salinity (S‰) was: D=6·1618+0·2238S (n=23,r=0·62,P<0·005).Regression analysis demonstrated that the relationship between the instantaneous mortality rate (Z) and the initial population density (Dp) was: Z×100=0·7480+0·0546dp (n=12,r=0·87,P<0·001).The mean mortality rate for the O-group plaice in the Forth nursery areas was 53% month−1.  相似文献   

17.
Mesoscale eddies may enhance primary production (PP) in the open ocean by bringing nutrient-rich deep waters into the euphotic zone, potentially leading to increased transport of particles to depth. This hypothesis remains controversial, however, due to a paucity of direct particle export measurements. In this study, we investigated particle dynamics using 234Th–238U disequilibria within a mesoscale cold-core eddy, Cyclone Opal, which formed in the lee of the Hawaiian Islands. 234Th samples were collected along two transects across Cyclone Opal as well as during a time-series within the eddy core during a decaying diatom bloom. Particulate carbon (PC), particulate nitrogen (PN) and biogenic silica (bSiO2) fluxes at 150 m varied spatially and temporally within the eddy and strongly depended on the 234Th model formulation used (e.g., steady state versus non-steady state, inclusion of upwelling, etc.). Particle fluxes estimated from a steady state model assuming an upwelling rate of 2 m day−1 yielded the best fit to sediment-trap data. These 234Th-derived particle fluxes ranged from 332±14 to 1719±53 μmol C m−2 day−1, 27±3 to 114±12 μmol N m−2 day−1, and 33±20 to 309±73 μmol Si m−2 day−1. Although PP rates within Cyclone Opal were elevated by a factor of 2–3, PC and PN fluxes were the same, within error, inside and outside of Cyclone Opal. The ratio of PC export to PP remained surprisingly low at <0.03 and similar to those measured in surrounding waters. In contrast, bSiO2 fluxes within the eddy core were three times higher. Detailed analyses of 234Th depth profiles consistently showed excess 234Th at 100–175 m, associated with the remineralization and possible accumulation of suspended and dissolved organic matter from the surface. We suggest that strong microzooplankton grazing facilitated particulate organic matter recycling and resulted in the export of empty diatom frustules. Thus, while eddies may increase PP, they do not necessarily increase PC and PN export to deep waters. This may be a general characteristic of wind-driven cyclonic eddies of the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre and suggests that eddies may preferentially act as a silica pump, thereby playing an important role in promoting silicic-acid limitation in the region.  相似文献   

18.
Quantity, timing, duration, and fluctuation of freshwater inflow are important factors affecting the development and health of aquatic and adjacent wetland ecosystems in coastal estuaries. This study assessed six decades of freshwater inflow from the Amite River, Tickfaw River, and Tangipahoa River watersheds to Lake Pontchartrain, a large oligohaline estuary in the Northern Gulf of Mexico, whose flood waters caused recent damage to the city of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. By utilizing the long-term (1940–2002) river discharge and climatic data from the three major tributary watersheds, monthly and annual freshwater inflows have been quantified and their spatial and temporal variations have been analyzed. On average, the three rivers discharged (±standard error) 0.27 ± 0.04 km3 freshwater monthly and 3.29 ± 0.15 km3 freshwater annually into the lake estuarine system, with the highest inflow from the Amite River (0.16 ± 0.03 m3 mon−1, and 1.91 ± 0.09 km3 yr−1) and the lowest inflow from the Tickfaw River (0.03 ± 0.00 km3 mon−1, and 0.34 ± 0.02 km3 yr−1). A distinct seasonality was evident with over 69% of the total annual inflow occurring during December and May (wet months) and with a low flow period from August to November (dry months). The monthly inflow during the wet months was positively correlated with the monthly precipitation (r2 = 0.64), while the monthly inflow during the dry months was subject to evapotranspiration. Furthermore, the study found a 20-year low flow period from 1954–1973 (2.76 ± 0.24 km3 yr−1) and a 24-year high flow period from 1975–1998 (3.84 ± 0.24 km3 yr−1), coinciding with both the climate variation and population growth in the watersheds.  相似文献   

19.
This study focused on the causes of the variation in microphytobenthic biomass and the effects of this variation on macrobenthic animals in the western Seto Inland Sea, Japan, where the importance of microphytobenthos as the primary food source for benthic animals has been recently reported. We investigated the microphytobenthic biomass together with light attenuation of seawater, phytoplanktonic biomass, macrobenthic density and biomass at eight stations (water depth = 5–15 m) during four cruises in 1999–2000. The increased light attenuation coefficient of the water column associated with increased concentration of the phytoplanktonic Chl-a caused a decrease in light flux that reached the seafloor. The biomass of the microphytobenthos within the upper 1 cm of the sediment, 1.9–46.5 mg Chl-a m−2, was inversely correlated with the phytoplanktonic biomass in the overlying water column, 10.9–65.0 mg Chl-a m−2. Thus, interception of light by phytoplankton is considered to be a main cause of the variation in the microphytobenthic biomass. The microphytobenthos biomass showed a significant positive correlation with the macrobenthic density (78–9369 ind. m−2) and biomass (0.4–78.8 gWW m−2). It appears that the increase in oxygen production by the microphytobenthos allowed macrobenthic animals to become more abundant, as a consequence of oxygenation of the organically enriched muddy sediments (14.5 ± 2.69 mg TOC g−1). This study suggests that the variation in the microphytobenthic biomass is influenced by the phytoplanktonic biomass due to shading effect, and the balance between these two functional groups might affect the variability in the macrobenthic density and biomass.  相似文献   

20.
The Faroe Bank Channel (FBC) is the deepest passage across the Greenland–Scotland Ridge and there is continuous overflow of dense water through the channel, which provides a substantial contribution to the global thermohaline circulation. Since November 1995, Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCPs) have been moored at the sill of the channel continuously, except for short annual servicing periods. In addition to this, CTD sections have regularly been occupied across the channel and instruments, recording temperature and salinity, have been moored for short periods. These observations demonstrate that the channel, due to its small width, can be monitored fairly well with only one ADCP mooring and they allow the generation of a time-series of overflow volume flux for the 1995–2005 period. The kinematic overflow flux, defined solely from the velocity field, was found to have an average value of 2.1 ± 0.2 Sv with a seasonal and with inter-annual variations of approximately 10% amplitude, but with no discernible trend for the whole period. The average flux of water with potential density exceeding 27.8 kg m−3 was found to be 1.9 ± 0.3 Sv with average properties: θ = 0.25 °C, S = 34.93, γθ = 28.01 kg m−3 for this period. No evidence was found for a weakening overflow flux, but the salinity of the FBC-overflow, especially the warmer parts, has increased substantially during the period, which implies an increased average density on the order of 0.01 kg m−3. Previous observations of a helical cross-channel circulation are confirmed and may explain the thin pycnocline layer, but shear-instability induces intensive mixing that puts a lower limit on the layer thickness. Critical control at one point of the sill cross-section, rather than friction, seems to govern the overflow dynamics and simple layered models can explain much of the observed features as well as the seasonal variation, but potential vorticity, as defined for a single overflow layer, is not conserved. A previously suggested 1950–2000 weakening of the FBC-overflow, which was partly based on a subset of the data presented here, is not supported by the full dataset.  相似文献   

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