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1.
Gulf sturgeon,Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi, forage extensively in the Suwannee River estuary following emigration out of the Suwannee River, Florida. While in the estuary, juvenile Gulf sturgeon primarily feed on benthic infauna. In June–July 2002 and February–April 2003, random sites within the estuary were sampled for benthic macrofauna (2002 n = 156; 2003 n = 103). A mean abundance of 2,562 ind m−2 (SE ± 204) was found in the summer, with significantly reduced macrofaunal abundance in the winter (mean density of 1,044 ind m−2, SE ± 117). Benthic biomass was significantly higher in the summer with an average summer sample dry weight of 5.92 g m−2 (SE ± 0.82) compared to 3.91 g m−2 (SE ± 0.67) in the winter. Amphipods and polychaetes were the dominant taxa collected during both sampling periods. Three different estimates of food availability were examined taking into account principal food item information and biomass estimates. All three estimates provided a slightly different view of potential resources but were consistent in indicating that food resource values for juvenile Gulf sturgeon are spatially heterogeneous within the Suwannee River estuary.  相似文献   

2.
Estuaries are critical habitats for larvae and juveniles of many marine fishes, possibly because they promote high growth rates and survival rates. We investigated spatial and temporal changes in growth rate of larval bay anchovy (Anchoa mitchilli), in the middle Hudson River estuary where abundance of larvae is high. In two consecutive summer seasons, we sampled larvae at 4 sites evenly spaced over 45 km, at weekly intervals for up to a month. We examined otoliths to determine age in days and then used age-length regressions to estimate growth rate. In 1995, larval anchovy growth rates varied from 0.39 to 0.88 mm d−1 (median=0.48 mm d−1). In 1996, growth rates varied from 0.41 to 0.77 mm d−1 (median=0.55 mm d−1). In both years, we found significant spatial and temporal variation in growth rate. Larvae collected in the upper portion of Haverstraw Bay tended to grow more slowly than larvae collected in other sites. The dates on which the most rapidly growing larvae were collected varied from site to site. Neither temperature nor salinity variations explained growth rate differences. Growth rate variation, probably governed by patches of zooplankton, occurred on temporal scales of a week and spatial scales of 15 km.  相似文献   

3.
The waters of the Seine river estuary, located in a highly anthropogenicized area in the northern part of France, are of poor microbiological quality; the concentrations of faecal bacteria usually exceed the European Union bathing and recreational water directives. The aim of the present study was to identify the main sources of the faecal pollution of the Seine estuary in order to help define priorities for management and sanitation efforts. Budgets of faecal coliform (FC) inputs to the estuary were established for various hydrological conditions. Main sources of FC were the outfalls of the treated effluents of the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) located along the estuary, the faecal bacteria brought in through the tributaries of the Seine estuary, and the faecal bacteria transported by the Seine river flow at the estuary entrance at Poses dam. In order to quantify these inputs, FC were enumerated during sampling campaigns conducted for various hydrological conditions in the Seine at the entrance of the estuary, in the tributaries close to their confluence with the estuary, and in the effluents of some WWTPs located along the estuary. The importance of the flux of FC transported by the Seine river flow at the estuary entrance at Poses dam decreased from 92% of the total FC input when the flow rate was high (717 m3 s−1) to 5% when flow rate was low (143 m3 s−1). The release of the domestic wastewaters of the large city of Paris located 120 km upstream from the entrance of the estuary was mainly responsible for this microbiological pollution. At low flow rates, the tributaries represent the most important source of FC (64–76% for flow rates of the Seine at Poses at approximately 150 m3 s−1), mainly from the Robec and Eure rivers. The treated wastewater of the WWTPs located along the estuary was the second source of FC for low flow conditions (19–30%); it was less important for high to intermediate flow rate conditions.  相似文献   

4.
Ecological processes driving the oxygen budget were investigated in the downstream part of the Seine River and its estuary. Phytoplankton and bacterioplankton production were measured along longitudinal profiles (11 to 17 stations) in a range of low discharges from 300 m3 s−1 in 1993 and 1995 to 140 m3 s−1 in 1996. Values representative of the water column were based on investigations carried out during two tidal cycles. Net primary production was invariably greatest in the freshwater estuary, from Poses to Rouen (from 500 to 1,000 μg C l−1 d−1 between PK 202 and 240) and decreased sharply downstream (from 10 to 25 μg c l−1 d−1 between PK 250 and 310). This decrease was mainly due to the deterioration of the light conditions with the increase in depth and suspended matter concentrations. Heterotrophic activity was maximum in the reach where primary production declined. Judging by the production:respiration ratio (P:R), the system appeared clearly heterotrophic in the Seine River immediately downstream of the Paris region due to high allochthonous organic pollution by the incompletely treated Parisian effluents and in the part of the estuary characterized by intense degradation of autochthonous material. Because the effluents are not treated by a nitrification step, the oxygen consumption due to nitrification was much higher than expected from the P:R ratio. Oxidation of ammonium represented an oxygen consumption of between 1 and 14 g O2 m−2 d−1, almost equalling the sum of heterotrophic respirations that were barely balanced by photosynthesis. The reaeration flux at the water-atmosphere interface was deduced from the calculations and a reaeration coefficient was estimated.  相似文献   

5.
Cadmium (Cd) variations were investigated over an annual cycle (12 surveys between February 1998–January 1999) in the Morlaix estuary (Brittany, France) in both the water column and the benthic compartment in relation to hydrological conditions. The drainage basin of the Morlaix River estuary is predominantly agricultural in character. Dissolved Cd concentrations in the water column varied from 0.04 to 0.48 nM. Particulate Cd concentrations ranged from 1 to 64 nmol g−1. These concentrations reach levels commonly observed in estuaries affected by heavy industrial activities. Extensive agricultural activities in the drainage basin may be responsible for Cd levels above pristine conditions. Metal concentrations varied significantly over the seasonal cycle and the dissolved fraction exhibited high values in summer months. Particulate concentrations were always lowest during this season. In the benthic compartment, Cd concentrations in surface sediment varied from 0.4 to 5.0 nmol g−1 and from 0.2 to 5.0 nM in porewaters. Concentrations in sediment were slightly affected by Cd contamination and temporal changes were important over the seasonal cycle. The variations seem to be controlled by the succession of sedimentation and erosion processes, which are tightly linked to seasonal changes in river discharge. A box model was constructed based on known Cd sources and sinks in the estuary. Cd is chiefly brought into the estuary by the Morlaix River and accumulates within the estuary. The accumulation within the estuary represents from 6.3 to 7.2 kg yr−1.  相似文献   

6.
The basal area and productivity of managrove wetlands are described in relation to selected soil properties to understand the general pattern of optimum forest stature at the mouth of estuaries in the Everglades, such as the Shark River Slough, Florida (U.S.). The basal area of mangroves decreases from 40.4 m2 ha−1 and 39.7 m2 ha−1 at two stations 1.8 km and 4.1 km from the estuary mouth to 20.7 m2 ha−1 and 19.6 m2 ha−1 at two sites 9.9 km and 18.2 km from the mouth, respectively. The gradient in basal area at these four sites is mostly the result of approximately 34 yr of growth since Hurricane Donna. Wood productivity is higher in the lower estuary (10.7 Mg ha−1 yr−1 and 12.0 Mg ha−1 yr−1) than in the upper estuary (3.2 Mg ha−1 yr−1 and 4.2 Mg ha−1 yr−1). Porewater salinity among these four mangrove sites during seasonal sampling in 1994 and 1995 ranged from 1.6 g kg−1 to 33.5 g kg−1, while sulfide was generally<0.15 mM at all sites. These soil values indicate that abiotic stress cannot explain the decrease in forest structure along this estuarine gradient. Concentrations of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are more closely related to patterns of forest development, with higher soil fertility at the mouth of the estuary as indicated by higher concentrations of extractable ammonium, total soil P, and available P, along with higher ammonium production rates. The more fertile sites of the lower estuary are dominated by Laguncularia racemosa, whereas the less fertile sites in the intermediate and upper estuary are dominated by Rhizophora mangle. Relative N mineralization per unit of total N is higher in the lower estuary and is related positively to concentrations of available P, indicating the importance of turnover rates and nutrient interactions to soil fertility. Concentrations of Ca-bound P per volume soil in the lower estuary is 40-fold higher than in the upper estuary, and along with an increase in residual P in the upper estuary, indicate a shift from mineral to organic P along the estuarine gradient. Mineral inputs to the mouth of Shark River estuary from the Gulf of Mexico (rather than upland inputs) apparently control the patterns of mangrove structure and productivity.  相似文献   

7.
Egg production of planktonic copepods, is commonly measured as a proxy for secondary production in population dynamics studies and for quantifying food limitation. Although limitation of copepod egg production by food quantity or quality is common in natural waters, it appears less common or severe in estuaries where food concentrations are often high. San Francisco Estuary, California, has unusually low concentrations of chlorophyll compared to other estuaries. We measured egg production rates of three species ofAcartia, with dominate the zooplankton biomass at salinity above 15 psu, on 36 occasions during 1999–2002. Egg production was determined by incubating up to 40 freshly collected individual copepods for 24 h in 140 ml of ambient water. Egg production was less than 10 eggs female−1 d−1 most of the year, but as high as 52 eggs female−1 d−1 during month-long spring phytoplankton blooms. Egg production was a saturating function of total chlorophyll concentration with a mean of 30 eggs female−1 d−1 above a chlorophyll concentration of 12±6 mg chl m−3. We take chlorophyll to be a proxy for total food ofAcartia, known to feed on microzooplankton as well as phytoplankton. These findings, together with long-term records of chlorophyll, concentration and earlier studies of abundance of nauplius larvae in the estuary, imply chronic food limitation ofAcartia species, with sufficient food for maximum egg production <10% of the time over the last 25 yr. These results may show the most extreme example of food limitation of copepod reproduction in any temperate estuary. They further support the idea that estuaries may provide suitable habitat forAcartia species by virtue of other factors than high food concentration.  相似文献   

8.
The nitrogen and carbon stable isotope ratios (δ15N and δ13C) of the pygmy mussel,Xenostrobus securis, were determined for three estuaries with varying levels of catchment disturbance in northern New South Wales, Australia. The lower Manning River catchment supported the highest human population densities with 3% residential development and some livestock agriculture (41%); the Wallamba River catchment was mostly livestock agriculture (56%) while the Wallingat River catchment was mostly vegetated (79%). Mussels, estuarine particulate organic matter (POM), and livestock and human-derived waste were collected in two stages during the austral summers of 2001–2002 and 2002–2003 for dual carbon-nitrogen stable isotope analysis. The disturbed Manning and Wallamba River catchment mussels were enriched in15N by an average of 3.2‰ and 1.5‰, respectively, compared to the vegetated Wallingat River mussels. Mussel δ13C values ranged from −24.8‰ to −30.3‰ and showed an estuarine gradient becoming enriched with distance downstream within estuaries, but were unable to distinguish patterns in catchment disturbance between estuaries. The δ15N and δ13C values of POM showed a similar pattern to mussels, indicating a direct link between them within each estuary. A multiple regression model of mussel δ15N using the fractions of land used for livestock agriculture and residential development within 5 km zones from river networks to a distance equivalent to a tidal ellipse from sites explained 67% of the variation in mussel δ15N with 95% of the differences lying within 1.6‰ of observed values. Increasing fractions of land used for livestock agriculture depleted mussel δ15N values estimated by the regression equation, indicating the use of cow manure as a nutrient source with a value of 2.0‰. Increasing fractions of land used for residential development enriched estimated mussel δ15N, indicating the use of human-derived waste with a value of 20.8‰. Pygmy mussels are a useful long-term bio-indicator for the effects of anthropogenic catchment disturbance and nutrient enrichment in estuaries.  相似文献   

9.
The distribution of nitrification has been measured with the H14CO3 − incorporation method in the Seine River and its estuary during summer conditions. The Seine River below Paris receives large amounts of ammonium through wastewater discharge. In the river itself, this ammonium is only slowly nitrified, while in the estuary nitrification is rapid and complete. We show that this contrasting behavior is related to the different hydrosedimentary conditions of the two systems, as nitrifying bacteria are associated with suspended particles. In the river, particles and their attached bacteria either rapidly settle or have a sestonic behavior. Because of the short residence times of the water masses, the slow growing nitrifying population has no time to develop sufficiently to nitrify the available ammonium. The estuary is characterized by strong tidal dynamics. Particles settle and are resuspended continuously with the strong current inversions of ebb and flood. As a result of these dynamics, particles and their attached nitrifying bacteria experience longer residence times in a temporary suspended state than the water masses themselves, providing to slow growing nitrifying bacteria the opportunity to develop a large population capable of nitrifying all the available ammonium.  相似文献   

10.
Tidal currents and the spatial variability of tidally-induced shear stress were studied during a tidal cycle on four intertidal mudflats from the fluvial to the marine part of the Seine estuary. Measurements were carried out during low water discharge (<400 m3 s−1) in neap and spring tide conditions. Turbulent kinetic energy, covariance, and logarithmic profile methods were used and compared for the determination of shear stress. The cTKE coefficient value of 0.19 cited in the literature was confirmed. Shear stress values were shown to decrease above mudflats from the mouth to the fluvial part of the estuary due to dissipation of the tidal energy, from 1 to 0.2 N m−2 for spring tides and 0.8 to 0.05 N m−2 for neap tides. Flood currents dominate tidally-induced shear stress in the marine and lower fluvial estuary during neap and spring tides and in the upper fluvial part during spring tides. Ebb currents control tidally-induced shear stress in the upper fluvial part of the estuary during neap tides. These results revealed a linear relationship between friction velocities and current velocities. Bed roughness length values were calculated from the empirical relationship given by Mitchener and Torfs (1996) for each site; these values are in agreement with the modes of the sediment particle-size distribution. The influence of tidal currents on the mudflat dynamics of the Seine estuary was examined by comparing the tidally-induced bed shear stress and the critical erosion shear stress estimated from bed sediment properties. Bed sediment resuspension induced by tidal currents was shown to occur only in the lower part of the estuary.  相似文献   

11.
Planktonic gross primary production (GPP), community respiration (CR), and nitrification (NIT) were measured monthly in the Scheldt estuary by the oxygen incubation method in 2003. No significant evolution of planktonic GPP was observed since the 1990s with high rates in the freshwater area (salinity 0; 97±65 mmol C m−2 d−1) decreasing seaward (22–37 mmol C m−2 d−1). A significant decrease of NIT was observed with regard to previous investigations although this process still represents up to 20% of total organic matter production in the inner estuary. Planktonic CR was highest in the inner estuary and seemed to be mainly controlled by external organic matter inputs. Planktonic net community production was negative most of the time in the estuary with values ranging from −300 to 165 mmol C m−2 d−1. Whole estuary net ecosystem production (NEP) was investigated on an annual scale using the results mentioned above and published benthic metabolic rates. A NEP of −39±8 mmol C m−2 d−1 was estimated, which confirms the strong heterotrophic status of this highly nutrified estuary. NEP rates were computed from June to December 2003 to compare with results derived from the Land-Ocean Interaction in the Coastal Zone budgeting procedure applied to dissolved inorganic phosphorus and carbon (DIP and DIC). DIP budgets failed to provide realistic estimates in the inner estuary where abiotic processes account for more than 50% of the nonconservative DIP flux. DIC budgets predicted a much lower NEP than in situ incubations (−109±31 versus −42±9 mmol C m−2 d−1) although, as each approach is associated with several critical assumptions, the source of this discrepancy remains unclear.  相似文献   

12.
Estuarine species with wide geographic distributions often experience tidal regimes that vary significantly throughout their range. Plasticity in behaviors associated with the tide is expected to enable synchronization with local tides. The American horseshoe crabLimulus polyphemus typically inhabits estuaries and coastal areas with pronounced semi-diurnal tides that play a role in synchronizing the timing of spawning and larval hatching, but also lives in areas that lack significant tides and associated synchronization cues. We investigated the spatial and temporal pattern of adult spawning and larval hatching ofL. polyphemus in a microtidal coastal lagoon (Indian River Lagoon, Florida, USA). Spawning activity and larval abundance were monitored weekly February 1998–August 2000 at sites spanning 100 km of the lagoon. To identify possible synchronization cues for spawning and hatching success, the presence of adult and larvalL. polyphemus were related to environmental and hydrologic variables using logistic regression. The presence of spawning adults varied significantly among the sub-basins of the lagoon, with the highest densities occurring in the Banana River. Large spawning aggregations were not observed and densities never exceeded 6 m−2. Spawning occurred year-round but varied seasonally with episodes of increased mating activity in the early spring. The occurrence of mating pairs was episodic and was not synchronized among sites. Larval densities were low (4 m−3) and larvae were present at only 12 of the 21 sites. Hatching success was decoupled temporally from spawning activity, with peaks in larval abundance occurring approximately 8 wk after peaks in spawning. Larval abundance was associated with periods of high water. Reproductive activity of horseshoe crabs in the lagoon differs significantly from populations inhabiting areas with semi-diurnal and diurnal tides. These differences are likely due to the lack of periodic tidally-related synchronization cues and regular beach inundation.  相似文献   

13.
Estuarine macrobenthos respond to a variety of environmental gradients such as sediment type and salinity, and organic enrichment. A relatively new influence, organic loading from suspended bivalve culture, has the potential to alter this response. A study on soft-bottom macrobenthic communities was carried out in the Richibucto estuary (46°40′N, 64°50′W), New Brunswick, Canada, with samples collected from 18 stations in late September and early October 2006. The site consisted of a large tidal channel originating upstream in a small river. The channel was punctuated by bag culture of oysters along its length. A total of 88 species were recorded. The mean values of abundance, species richness, and diversity (H′) of macrofauna were 11,199 ind. m−2 (ranged from 4,371 to 19,930 ind. m−2), 23.4 species grab−1 and 3.29 grab−1, respectively. In general species richness and H′ increased from the upper estuary to the estuarine mouth. Multivariate analyses clearly exhibited the spatial distribution in community structure, which coincided with the locations along the estuary (the upper, the lower and the mouth), as well as inside and outside the channel. Species richness and diversity H′ showed strong positive correlations with salinity (21.2–25.2 ppt), and abundance was positively correlated with water depth (1.0–4.5 m). Abundance and species richness were negatively correlated with both of silt–clay fraction (3.3–24.8%) and sorting (σI). Species richness was also negatively correlated with organic content (1.9–12.7%). The BIO-ENV analyses identified silt–clay fraction, σI and salinity as the major environmental variable combination influencing the macrofaunal patterns, and silt–clay fraction as the single best-correlated variable.  相似文献   

14.
The bivalve Pisidium amnicum (Müller 1774) is a common species in several European freshwater ecosystems. However, few Iberian watersheds are colonized by this species, and the River Minho estuary is possibly the Iberian aquatic ecosystem with the larger population. In October 2004–2007, investigations on spatial and temporal variations in P. amnicum abundance and biomass were carried out at 16 sites along the River Minho tidal freshwater wetlands. Mean abundance and biomass per site ranged from 0 to 750 ind m−2 and 0 to 7.42 g AFDW m−2, respectively. A clear decrease in the spatial distribution, abundance, and biomass was observed during the 4-year assessment. Furthermore, a stepwise multiple regression model showed that organic matter and conductivity explained 50.2% of the variation in P. amnicum abundance (R 2 = 0.502, F [2, 15] = 7.569, p = 0.005). Ecological knowledge is essential to the implementation of future conservation plans for P. amnicum, and the results of this study are of paramount importance to identify habitats that should be protected in order to preserve this species and provide scientific reference that may be useful in the development of management and/or restoration plans.  相似文献   

15.
In the lower delta of the Paraná River, at the head of the Río de la Plata estuary (Argentina), we compared net aboveground primary production (NAPP) and soil properties of the dominant macrophyteScirpus giganteus (Kunth) in a floating and an attached marsh community. Both marshes are tidally influenced but in different ways. The floating marsh site is relatively isolated from tidal influences because its ability to float makes it resistant to overland flow and to sediment inputs from the estuary. The attached marsh lacks the capacity to float and receives sediment supplies from the estuary through overland flow. These hydrologic differences are reflected in lower mineral content in sediments of the floating marsh. Using a leaf tagging technique, estimated NAPP was 1,109 ± 206 g m−2 yr−1 for the floating marsh and 1,866 ±258 g m−2 yr−1 for the attached marsh. We attribute the lower NAPP of the floating marsh to isolation from sediment input from overland flow.  相似文献   

16.
The size-fractionated phytoplankton biomass and primary production were investigated in four contrasting areas of Hong Kong waters in 2006. Phytoplankton biomass and production varied seasonally in response to the influence of the Pearl River discharge. In the dry season, the phytoplankton biomass and production were low (<42 mg chl m−2 and <1.8 g C m−2 day−1) in all four areas, due to low temperatures and dilution and reduced light availability due to strong vertical mixing. In contrast, in the wet season, in the river-impacted western areas, the phytoplankton biomass and production increased greater than five-fold compared to the dry season, especially in summer. In summer, algal biomass was 15-fold higher than in winter, and the mean integrated primary productivity (IPP) was 9 g C m−2 day−1 in southern waters due to strong stratification, high temperatures, light availability, and nutrient input from the Pearl River estuary. However, in the highly flushed western waters, chl a and IPP were lower (<30 mg m−2 and 4 g C m−2 day−1, respectively) due to dilution. The maximal algal biomass and primary production occurred in southern waters with strong stratification and less flushing. Spring blooms (>10 μg chl a L−1) rarely occurred despite the high chl-specific photosynthetic rate (mostly >10 μg C μg chl a −1 day−1) as the accumulation of algal biomass was restricted by active physical processes (e.g., strong vertical mixing and freshwater dilution). Phytoplankton biomass and production were mostly dominated by the >5-μm size fraction all year except in eastern waters during spring and mostly composed of fast-growing chain-forming diatoms. In the stratified southern waters in summer, the largest algal blooms occurred in part due to high nutrient inputs from the Pearl River estuary.  相似文献   

17.
Since 1991, Mississippi River water has been diverted at Caernarvon, Louisiana, into Breton Sound estuary. Breton Sound estuary encompasses 1100 km2 of fresh and brackish, rapidly subsiding wetlands. Nitrite + nitrate, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, ammonium, total phosphorus, total suspended sediments, and salinity concentrations were monitored at seven locations in Breton Sound from 1988 to 1994. Statistical analysis of the data indicated decreased total Kjeldahl nitrogen with associated decrease in total nitrogen, and decreased salinity concentrations in the estuary due to the diversion. Spring and summer water quality transects indicated rapid reduction of nitrite + nitrate and total suspended sediment concentration as diverted Mississippi River water entered the estuary, suggesting near complete assimilation of these constituents by the ecosystem. Loading rates of nitrite + nitrate (5.6–13.4 g m−2 yr−1), total nitrogen (8.9–23.4 g m−2 yr−1), and total phosphorus (0.9–2.0 g m−2 yr−1) were calculated along with removal efficiencies for these constituents (nitrite + nitrate 88–97%; total nitrogen 32–57%; total phosphorus 0–46%). The low impact of the diversion on water quality in the Breton Sound estuary, along with assimilation of TSS over a very short distance, suggests that more water may be introduced into the estuary without detrimental affects. This would be necessary if freshwater diversions are to be used to distribute nitrients and sediments into the lower reaches of the estuary, in an effort to compensate for relative sea-level rise, and reverse the current trend of rapid loss of wetlands in coastal Louisiana.  相似文献   

18.
We studied the macroinvertebrate fauna of a rocky shore in the freshwater tidal Hudson River during 1992–1994, the early years of the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) invasion. The macroinvertebrate community was numerically dominated by chironomids, nematodes, oligochaetes, gastropods, zebra mussels, and planarian flatworms. The community was a mixture of species typical of stony warm water rivers and lake shores, freshwater generalists, and semiterrestrial species. Overall macroinvertebrate densities were moderate to low (2,800–14,600 m−2). Density was a strong function of season and elevation, with consistently low densities in the early spring and in the intertidal zone. This pattern suggests that physical harshness (alternating submergence and desiccation;ice and low temperatures) limits the distribution of invertebrates at this site. Zebra mussels occurred at our study site chiefly below the low tide mark, but only at moderate abundance (usually <1,000 m−2). A weak correlation between the densities of zebra mussels and those of other macroinvertebrates nonetheless suggests that the zebra mussel invasion may have affected community structure.  相似文献   

19.
Benthic metabolism and nutrient exchange across the sediment-water interface were examined over an annual cycle at four sites along a freshwater to marine transect in the Parker River-Plum Island Sound estuary in northeastern Massachusetts, U.S. Sediment organic carbon content was highest at the freshwater site (10.3%) and decreased along the salinity gradient to 0.2% in the sandy sediments at the marine end of the estuary. C:N ratios were highest in the mid estuary (23:1) and lowest near the sea (11:1). Chlorophyll a in the surface sediments was high along the entire length of the estuary (39–57 mg chlorophyll a m−2) but especially so in the sandy marine sediments (172 mg chlorophyll a m−2). Chlorophyll a to phaeophytin ratios suggested most chlorophyll is detrital, except at the sandy marine site. Porewater sulfide values varied seasonally and between sites, reflecting both changes in sulfate availability as overlying water salinity changed and sediment metabolism. Patterns of sediment redox potential followed those of sulfide. Porewater profiles of inorganic N and P reflected strong seasonal patterns in remineralization, accumulation, and release. Highest porewater NH4 + values were found in upper and mid estuarine sediments, occasionally exceeding 1 mM N. Porewater nitrate was frequently absent, except in the sandy marine sediments where concentrations of 8 μM were often observed. Annual average respiration was lowest at the marine site (13 mmol O2 m−2 d−1 and 21 mmol TCO2 m−2 d−1) and highest in the mid estuary (130 mmol O2 m−2 d−1 and 170 mmol TCO2 m−2 d−1) where clam densities were also high. N2O and CH4 fluxes were low at all stations throughout the year: Over the course, of a year, sediments varied from being sources to sinks of dissolved organic C and N, with the overall spatial pattern related closely to sediment organic content. There was little correlation between PO4 3− flux and metabolism, which we attribute to geochemical processes. At the two sites having the lowest salinities, PO4 3− flux was directed into the sediments. On average, between 22% and 32% of total system metabolism was attributable to the benthos. The mid estuary site was an exception, as benthic metabolism accounted for 95% of the total, which is attributable to high densities of filter-feeding clams. Benthic remineralization supplied from less than 1% to over 190% of the N requirements and 0% to 21% of the P requirements of primary producers in this system. Estimates of denitrification calculated from stoichiometry of C and N fluxes ranged from 0% for the upper and mid estuary site to 35% for the freshwater site to 100% of sediment organic N remineralization at the marine site. We hypothesize that low values in the upper and mid estuary are attributable to enhanced NH4 + fluxes during summer due to desorption of exchangeable ammonium from rising porewater salinity. NH4 + desorption during summer may be a mechanism that maintains high rates of pelagic primary production at a time of low inorganic N inputs from the watershed.  相似文献   

20.
In an annual cycle from March 2005 to February 2006, benthic nutrient fluxes were measured monthly in the Dongtan intertidal flat within the Changjiang （Yangtze River） Estuary. Except for NH4^＋, there always showed high fluxes from overlying water into sediment for other four nutrients. Sediments in the high and middle marshes, covered with halophyte and consisting of macrofauna, demonstrated more capabilities of assimilating nutrients from overlying water than the low marsh. Sampling seasons and nutrient concentrations in the overlying water could both exert significant effects on these fluxes. Additionally, according to the model provided by previous study, denitrification rates, that utilizing NO3- transported from overlying water （Dw） in Dongtan sediments, were estimated to be from -16 to 193 μmol·h^-1·m^-2 with an average value of 63 μmol·h^-1·m^-2 （n=18）. These estimated values are still underestimates of the in-situ rates owing to the lack of consideration of DN, i.e., denitrification supported by the local NO3^- production via nitrification.  相似文献   

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