Salt marsh plants (Juncus maritimus and Scirpus maritimus) as sources of strong complexing ligands     

Ana P. Mucha  C. Marisa R. Almeida  Adriano A. Bordalo  M. Teresa S.D. Vasconcelos 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》2008

This work aimed to evaluate, in vitro, the capability of roots of salt marsh plants to release strong Cu-complexing ligands and to ascertain whether Cu contamination would stimulate ligands' exudation or not. The sea rush Juncus maritimus and the sea-club rush Scirpus maritimus, both from the lower Douro river estuary (NW Portugal), were used. Plants were collected seasonally, four times a year in 2004, during low tide. After sampling, plant roots were washed for removal of adherent particles and immersed for 2 h in a solution that matched salinity (3) and pH (7.5) of the pore water from the same location and spiked with Cu²⁺ in the range 0–1600 nM to obtain plant exudates. In the final solutions as well as in sediment pore water total dissolved Zn and Cu, Cu-complexing ligand concentrations and the respective conditional stability constants (K_CuL^′) values were determined by voltammetry. This study demonstrated that plants are able to release, in a short period of time, relatively high amounts of strong Cu-complexing ligands (56–265 nmol g_root⁻¹), which differed among plants and sampling site but were independent of the season. Cu contamination did not stimulate exudation of Cu-complexing ligands. On the other hand, in media contaminated with Cu both plants accumulated relatively high amounts (29–83%) of the initially dissolved Cu, indicating that they have alternative internal mechanisms for Cu detoxification. Cu exchange between roots and medium (either accumulation in contaminated medium or release in the absence of Cu) was more intense for S. maritimus than for J. maritimus. It was observed that exudate solutions obtained in the absence of added Cu and sediment pore water (the densities of roots observed inside the salt marsh where comparable to those used in the in vitro experiments), displayed similarities in terms of total dissolved metals, Cu-complexing ligands concentrations, values of K_CuL^′ (12 < log K_CuL^′ < 14), as well as patterns of variation among seasons (only observed for Zn). These results are novel and point out that salt marsh plants may be the source at least partially of the strong organic ligands found in the sediment pore water in shallow marginal areas. The capability of salt marsh plants to release strong organic ligands into the environment, conjugated with their known capacity to oxidize anaerobic sediment around roots, indicate that these plants can play a role in controlling metal speciation in the water/sediment interface.  相似文献   

Estuarine classification and response to nitrogen loading: Insights from simple ecological models     

D.P. Swaney  D. Scavia  R.W. Howarth  R.M. Marino 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》2008

Estuaries exhibit a large range in their responses to nitrogen loadings determined in part by characteristics of the driver, such as magnitude and frequency, but also by such intrinsic characteristics as physical/chemical factors (e.g., depth, volume, hypsometry, salinity, turbidity) and biological factors (e.g., nature of ecological communities, trophic interactions). To address the richness of estuarine response to driver variables, the aim ultimately is to establish a simple estuarine classification scheme, beginning with a river-dominated subset of estuarine systems and focusing on the role of water residence time in the estuary. Residence time (or flushing time) is related to other drivers (streamflow, nutrient, and sediment loads) and drives much of the biological response of estuaries because of flushing effects on plankton, temperature, nutrients, and light. Toward this goal, nutrient–phytoplankton–zooplankton (NPZ) models have been used to examine a range of subjects including effects of nutrient limitation and zooplankton predation on phytoplankton dynamics and fish predation. This class of model can admit a wide range of behavior, including multiple steady-states and oscillatory behavior. The NPZ equations include terms for nutrient recycling, phytoplankton settling, benthic regeneration, and zooplankton mortality. Analysis of the equations suggests that both the nature of nitrogen loading (i.e., whether it is correlated with discharge or independent of it) and residence time are critical in determining the steady-state response of the system.  相似文献   

Fishes in Mangrove Prop-root Habitats of Northeastern Florida Bay: Distinct Assemblages across an Estuarine Gradient     

J. A. Ley  C. C. McIvor  C. L. Montague 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》1999,48(6):701

Seasonal changes in freshwater inflow and other environmental conditions may induce changes in density and species composition of mangrove fishes along estuarine gradients. Fishes within mangrove habitats in a subtropical estuary were sampled monthly from May 1989 to May 1990, using block nets with rotenone and visual censuses. At 18 stations, temperature ranged from 22 to 34°C, depth from 10 to 104cm and underwater visibility from 1 to 13m. Salinity ranged from 0 to 60 upstream, and 35 to 54 mid- and downstream. A total of 573191 individuals (76 species) was observed or collected, with an average density of 6·5 fish m⁻². Engraulidae, Atherinidae, Poeciliidae and Cyprinodontidae numerically dominated the assemblage. Distinct assemblages occurred up-, mid- and downstream and maintained coherent groups in these gradient positions over the seasons. Residents totalled 94·5% of the individuals, estuarine transients comprised 5·1% and occasional marine visitors were less than 0·4%. Densities of resident fishes peaked in winter as temperatures and water levels fell, uncorrelated with changes in salinity. These observations suggest that mangrove habitats may sustain diverse and abundant fish communities dominated by euryhaline residents. Although estuarine transients were consistently rare in upstream sub-basins, downstream were found numerous sub-adults of species occurring as adults on nearby reefs (Lutjanidae, Haemulidae). Thus, reef-associated estuarine transients may be abundant in mangrove habitats having near-marine salinities. Contrary to expectations, mangrove habitats in northeastern Florida bay did not function as a nursery as defined under the nursery-ground paradigm: young-of-the-year juveniles of estuarine transient species did not seek low salinity sub-basins. However, northeastern Florida Bay may not be representative of most mangrove estuaries as the area: (1) is without lunar tides and related circulation; (2) has low and variable amounts of submersed vegetation; and (3) experiences severe hypersaline conditions.  相似文献   

Recruitment dynamics of bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) from Cape Hatteras to Cape Cod, 1973-1995     

Munch  Stephan B.; Conover  David O. 《ICES Journal of Marine Science》2000,57(2):393-402

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Longitudinal mixing in the upper reaches of the Bay of Fundy     

Peter E. Holloway 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》1981,13(5):495-515

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The Distribution and Redox Chemistry of Iron in the Pettaquamscutt Estuary     

D.W. O’Sullivan  A.K. Hanson  Jr  D.R. Kester 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》1997,45(6):769-788

A series of high resolution (10 cm) vertical profiles of iron were determined across the oxic/anoxic boundary in the Lower Pond of the Pettaquamscutt Estuary. Selective chemical treatments and multiple analytical methods were used to detemine the oxidation state and lability of iron across the oxic/anoxic boundary. The vertical distributions of dissolved and total iron were determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy, and dissolved Fe(II) and reducible iron were determined using a modified Ferrozine spectrophotometric method. Well-developed maxima of total dissolved iron ≈7·5 μM occurred within the oxic/anoxic transition zone. Analysis of Fe(II) by the FZ method indicates that more than 95% of the dissolved iron determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy within the maximum is in the form of Fe(II). The concentration of dissolved Fe(II) ranged from <4 nM in oxygenated surface waters to between 7 and 8 μM at the total dissolved iron maximum.Both dissolved and total iron samples were treated with ascorbic acid to quantify the fraction of iron that was reducible in this system. Dissolved iron is quantitatively reduced to Fe(II) by 3·5 m depth, and particulate iron was almost completely dissolved by 6 m. Thermodynamic speciation calculations indicate that the dominant species of Fe(II) in the anoxic waters is the Fe(HS)⁺complex. In addition, the concentration of Fe(II) in the anoxic zone appears to be controlled by precipitation of a sulfide phase, the ion activity product for waters below 7 m is in good agreement with the solubility product of mackinawite.The vertical distribution of oxidation states of the metals indicates non-equilibrium conditions due to microbiological and chemical processes occurring in the redox transition zone. A one-dimensional vertical, eddy diffusion model is presented that incorporates redox reactions of iron, sulfide and oxygen. The modeling suggests the maximum in Fe(II) can be achieved through inorganic oxidation and reduction reactions, however the depth at which the maximum occurs is sensitive to sulfide oxidation, which appears to be dominated by biological oxidation. The magnitude of the Fe(II) maximum depends on the flux of iron into the basin, and reductive dissolution of particulate iron.  相似文献   

The benthic macroinvertebrates of the Block Island Sound     

Frank W. Steimle 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》1982,15(1):1-16

The benthic invertebrates of Block Island Sound have not been adequately studied, in contrast to other adjacent southern New England sounds. This study examines the species composition, abundance and biomass of benthic macrofaunal invertebrates at nine locations within Block Island Sound. The sites sampled, represent a wide range of subtidal habitats within the Sound, and were visited in February and September.Some 224 species were identified, of which almost half (104) were polychaetes. The benthic assemblages at most stations were dominated numerically by tube dwelling, surface detritus or suspension feeding amphipods, e.g. Ampelisca agassizi and A. vadorum, as well as the protobranch bivalve, Nucula proxima. This dominant Ampelisca-Nucula assemblage was associated with silty fine sand sediments. The average macrofaunal biomass for all stations was 158 g (wet weight) m^?2, two thirds the average benthic biomass of Georges Bank, an important fishery area. Based on the examination of the records of earlier surveys in Block Island Sound, there is evidence that this silty-sand, ampeliscid-dominated assemblage has persisted since at least the mid-1940s.  相似文献   

The measurement of diffusion coefficients in the Conwy estuary     

John R. West  Andrew P. Cotton 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》1981,12(3):323-336

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Evaluation of dissolved inorganic nitrogen eliminating capability of the sediment in the tidal wetland of the Yangtze Estuary     

WANG Jun  CHEN Zhen-Lou  WANG Dong-Qi  SUN Xiao-Jing  HU Shi-Yuan 《地理学报》2009,30(4):447-460

Estuarine wetlands serve as a natural barrier to remove the land-generated pollutants and attenuate the pollutant load from the land to the sea.As one of the most important estuarine wetlands,the Yangtze estuarine wetlands have attracted particular interests in the biogeochemical studies of nutrients.The objectives of this study were to characterize the seasonal and spatial distribution of dissolved inorganic nitrogen(DIN) fluxes across the sediment-water interface;to calculate the total DIN fluxes in a year and different seasons;and to evaluate the DIN removing capability of the sediment in the tidal wetlands of the Yangtze Estuary.The spatial distribution of DIN fluxes shows complicated seasonal variations and spatial differences.The annual DIN fluxes range from-22.22 mmol N m-2 h-1 to 19.54 mmol N m-2 h-1,with an average of-1.48±1.34 mmol N m-2 h-1.The tidal wetlands in the Yangtze Estuary behave as a source of water DIN in spring when DIN is released from sediment into overlying water,and the released amount of DIN is 1.33×104 tons of nitrogen(T N).In summer,autumn and winter,the sediment absorbs the DIN from the overlying water,and the absorbed amounts of DIN are 4.36×104 T N,6.81×104 T N and 2.24×104 T N,respectively.The average amount of DIN in overlying water of the Yangtze Estuary is 52.6×104 T N yr-1,and the perennial average amount of DIN absorbed from the overlying water by the sediment is 12.1×104 T N yr-1.The annual DIN elimination rate of the tidal wetlands was 23.0%.  相似文献   

Sea-bed Mixing and Particle Residence Times in Biologically and Physically Dominated Estuarine Systems: a Comparison of Lower Chesapeake Bay and the York River Subestuary     

T.M. Dellapenna  S.A. Kuehl  L.C. Schaffner 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》1998,46(6):777-795

Biologically dominated lower Chesapeake Bay and the physically dominated York River subestuary are contrasted in terms of the dynamics of sediment mixing, strata formation and sea-bed particle residence times. Two lower bay sites were examined; both are located within the bay stem plains and are characterized by muddy sand and an abundance of large, deep-dwelling organisms. X-radiographs indicate extensive biological reworking of sediments, with no long-term preservation of physical stratification.²¹⁰Pb profiles reveal low sediment accumulation rates at both lower bay sites (<0·1 cm year⁻¹), but significant differences in biological mixing depths (25vs40 cm) and biodiffusivity (>80vs6–30 cm²year⁻¹). In contrast, the York River site, located within a partially-filled palaeochannel, is predominantly mud with a depauperate benthic community dominated by small, short-lived, shallow-dwelling organisms. Although²¹⁰Pb accumulation rates at the York River site (<0·2 cm year⁻¹) are similar to those measured in the lower bay, there is little bioturbation. In addition, transient bed forms at the York River site form laterally persistent, linear ridges and furrows sub-parallel to the channel, spaced 10–20 m apart. These observations, coupled with evidence of episodic erosion and deposition from radioisotope and porosity profiles, and X-radiographs, suggest that the upper 60–120 cm of the sea-bed are dominated by physical mixing. Deep mixing and low accumulation rates result in long residence times of particles in the mixed upper portion of the sea-bed (10²year) at both locations, despite different mixing controls [i.e. biological (diffusive)vsphysical (advective)].  相似文献