Physical determinants of intertidal communities on dissipative beaches: Implications of sea-level rise     

Tsuyuko Yamanaka  Dave RaffaelliPiran C.L. White 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》2010

Sea-level rise is likely to cause significant changes in the morphodynamic state of beaches in the higher latitudes, resulting in steeper beaches with larger particle sizes. These physical changes have implications for beach invertebrate communities, which are determined largely by sediment particle size, and hence for ecosystem function. Previous studies have explored the relationships between invertebrate communities and environmental variables such as particle size, beach slope and exposure to wave action, and often these physical variables can be integrated in various indices of morphodynamic state. Most of these studies incorporated a full range of beach types that included wave-dominated surf beaches, where the wave action is harsh enough to enable reliable estimates of breaker height, a parameter included in several of the indices, and concluded that more dissipative beaches with gentler slopes and finer particle sizes often support a higher number of species and greater abundance than more reflective beaches. Whether these predictions remain valid for less wave-dominated beaches, where breaker height is more difficult to determine, is uncertain. In the present study, the abundance of meio- and macrofauna was quantified across a range of beaches in the UK, which are generally towards the lower energy end of the morphodynamic gradient, and their relationships with beach physical properties explored. No significant relationships were found between abundance and the standard morphodynamic indices, but significant relationships were found for both macro- and meiofaunal abundance when these indices were combined with an exposure index (derived from velocity, direction, duration and the effective fetch). All the relationships identified between abundance and combined morphodynamic indices indicated a higher abundance of both macro- and meiofauna on the more dissipative beaches. The reverse was however found for species richness. If predictions that accelerated sea-level rise will move beaches towards a more reflective morphodynamic state are correct, this could lead to declines in the abundance of meio- and macrofauna, with potential adverse consequences for ecosystem functioning.  相似文献   

鸭绿江河口沉积物元素地球化学及其控制因素   总被引：2，自引：0，他引：2  

李家胜  高建华  李军  王珍言  严杰  白凤龙  程岩 《海洋地质与第四纪地质》2010,(1)

对鸭绿江河口地区的56个站位沉积物的常量元素含量进行了测试,并对测试结果进行了多元统计分析。研究结果表明,多数常量元素含量在鸭绿江西岸潮滩地区和西部海域波动较小,而在上游地区和河口口门地区变动较大,在河口最大浑浊带内出现两个峰值。R型主因子分析结果表明,粒度控制效应对鸭绿江河口地区常量元素的含量分布起着主要作用,贡献方差达76.55%。运用Q型聚类分析将各站位归为两种类型,揭示出沉积动力环境的差异是造成这种常量元素地球化学分区特征的最主要因素。此外,通过与附近河口对比发现鸭绿江河口及近岸地区沉积物中的常量元素含量同朝鲜半岛的河流、中朝准地台花岗岩以及朝鲜半岛花岗岩比较接近,但与长江和黄河有着较大的差异。  相似文献   

Inorganic arsenic speciation in the waters of the Penzé estuary (NW France): Seasonal variations and fluxes to the coastal area     

Jennifer Vandenhecke  Matthieu Waeles  Jean-Yves Cabon  Cédric Garnier  Ricardo D. Riso 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》2010

Over this one-year study, the variations of inorganic As species were examined monthly along the salinity gradient of the Penzé estuary (NW France) in relation with different biogeochemical parameters. In most cases, dissolved As exhibited a non-conservative behaviour which resulted from the competition between two major processes. In the upstream section of the estuary, a strong input of both total inorganic As and As(III) occurred. Then, the removal of the same species, under precipitation of iron oxides/oxyhydroxides, was observed in the low-salinity range (S < 10). Using our experimental data, the fluxes of the various As species were estimated for the first time in estuarine waters. Inputs from the river were mainly constituted of particulate As (∼70%). Conversely, dissolved species were predominant in the net fluxes (∼65%) and As(III) accounted for ∼15% of the dissolved net flux.  相似文献   

Mineralogy of metal contaminated estuarine sediments,Derwent estuary,Hobart, Australia: implications for metal mobility     

D. Gregory  S. Meffre  R. R. Large 《Australian Journal of Earth Sciences》2013,60(5):589-603

The mobility, bioaccessibility and transfer pathways of metals and metalloids in estuarine sediments have been the focus of much detailed research. However, to date, few studies have examined the mineralogical siting of metals and metalloids in such sediments. This is despite the fact the mineralogy of sediments is an important factor that controls which and how much of a particular metal is released to pore waters and overlying water columns. This study reports on the mineralogical siting of metals in contaminated estuarine sediments, Hobart, Australia, and aims to evaluate the mobility of metals in the contaminated substrates. Mineralogical, mineral chemical and bulk chemical analyses demonstrate that the sediments contain very high levels of several metals and metalloids. The contaminated sediments have concentrations of zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), copper (Cu) and cadmium (Cd) ranging from 0.55 to 4.23 wt%, 0.16 to 0.70 wt%, 415 to 951 mg/kg and 23 to 300 mg/kg, respectively. Franklinite and lesser sphalerite are the main repositories of Zn, whereas much of the Pb and Cu is hosted by sulfides, organic matter and undetermined iron (Fe) oxides. While the release of contaminant loads from franklinite through dissolution is likely to be insignificant, even small releases of metals from the highly contaminated sediments can still cause the deterioration of local water quality. The contaminated sediments represent long-term sources of metal pollutants, particularly Zn, to local waters. This study demonstrates that mineralogical analyses are a vital tool to recognise the potential mobility of trace metals in estuarine environments.  相似文献   

Application of Two Turbulence Closure Schemes in the Modelling of Tidal Currents and Salinity in the Hooghly Estuary     

P. C. Sinha  Y. R. Rao  S. K. Dube  C. R. Murthy  A. K. Chatterjee 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》1999,48(6):649

This paper has two purposes. The first is to study the circulation and salinity in Hooghly Estuary, along the east coast of India and the second is to compare the performance of two turbulence closure schemes by modelling it. A breadth averaged numerical model using a sigma co-ordinate system in the vertical is briefly described. Vertical diffusion of momentum and salt are parameterized by a simple first-order turbulent closure or by a one equation model for turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) which uses a specified mixing length. The results are compared with the available neap and spring tide observations along the estuary for both low and high discharge periods.The computed elevations and currents are in reasonable agreement with the observations showing no major differences in vertical current profiles by both the turbulent schemes. However, there is a slight under-prediction of bottom currents. The salinity profiles predicted by TKE model show better matching with observations. Statistical tests are also conducted to study the comparative performance of the turbulent closure schemes. The maintenance of two layer structure in residual currents and salt variability are also studied by using the model.  相似文献   

The impact of extreme turbidity events on the nursery function of a temperate European estuary with regulated freshwater inflow     

E. González-Ortegón  M.D. Subida  J.A. Cuesta  A.M. Arias  C. Fernández-Delgado  P. Drake 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》2010

Estuaries are used as nursery grounds by numerous marine species despite being usually subject to strong anthropogenic disturbances. Abundances of marine recruits (fish and crustacean decapods) and their main prey (mysids) were monitored by monthly sampling, from June 1997 to February 2009, in the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir estuary (SW Spain). During that period, unusually high and persistent turbidity events (HPTEs) were observed twice. Both HPTEs started with strong and sudden freshwater discharges after relatively long periods of very low freshwater inflow. Data from this time-series were used to test the hypothesis that HPTEs may negatively impact the nursery function of estuaries either by decreasing prey availability or by decreasing survival/arrival of marine recruits. During HPTEs, the commonest mysid (Mesopodopsis slabberi), a key species in the estuarine food web, showed a significant decrease in abundance. Likewise, some marine recruits that prey on M. slabberi and whose peaks of abundance within the estuary occur in summer–autumn (Engraulis encrasicolus and Pomadasys incisus) were less abundant during HPTEs. It is also suggested that HPTEs might have triggered a shift in the distribution of the most euryhaline prey (Neomysis integer) and predator (Dicentrarchus punctatus and Crangon crangon) species, towards more saline waters. This could have contributed to an increase in the inter-specific competition (for food/habitat) within the estuarine nursery area. The results discussed in this study call attention to the need to reduce as much as possible the anthropogenic pressures that may stimulate the occurrence of high and persistent turbidity events (HPTEs) in order to preserve the nursery function of temperate estuaries.  相似文献   

Zooplankton community structure in a highly turbid environment (Charente estuary,France): Spatio-temporal patterns and environmental control   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Julien Modéran  Pierre Bouvais  Valérie DavidSandrine Le Noc  Benoit Simon-BouhetNathalie Niquil  Pierre MiramandDenis Fichet 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》2010

Zooplankton assemblages were studied from January 2007 to January 2008 along the salinity gradient of the Charente estuary (France). A Lagrangian survey was performed monthly at five sampling stations defined by salinity (freshwater, 0.5, 5, 15 and 25) in order to collect zooplankton and measure the main environmental parameters (concentrations of suspended particulate matter, particulate organic carbon, chlorophyll a and phaeopigments). A combination of multivariate cluster analysis, species indicator index and canonical correspondence analysis was used to relate the spatio-temporal patterns of the zooplankton assemblages with environmental drivers. The estuary was divided into three different zones by means of environmental parameters while four zooplankton assemblages were identified along the salinity gradient. The Charente estuary appeared as one of the most turbid systems in Europe, with suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentration reaching 3.5 g l⁻¹ in the Maximum Turbidity Zone (MTZ). Algal heterotrophy and microphytobenthos resuspension from the wide mudflats could be responsible for the relatively high chlorophyll a concentrations measured within this MTZ. Salinity and SPM affected significantly the spatial distribution of zooplankton species while temperature and river flow seemed to control their temporal variations. From a zooplanktonic viewpoint, the highly turbid Charente estuary seemed to match an “ecotone–ecocline” model: the succession of species assemblages along the salinity gradient matched the concept of ecocline while the MTZ, which is a stressful narrow area, could be considered as an ecotone. Although such ecoclinal characteristics seemed to be a general feature of estuarine biocenoses, the ecotone could be more system-specific and biological compartment-specific.  相似文献   

珠江磨刀门水道咸潮上溯加剧的原因   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

韩志远  田向平  刘峰 《海洋学研究》2010,28(2):52-59

对磨刀门水道不同年份地形资料和多年枯季潮位资料进行了对比分析,结果表明:大规模的河床采砂,引起磨刀门上游河段河床大幅下切,河道深泓平均加深0.59~2.25 m,河槽容积平均增加8.91×106~12.11×106m3,使该河段枯季潮差增大,进潮量增加,潮汐动力增强,导致咸水界向上游河段推移;口门围垦整治后,磨刀门口门区由众多岛屿环抱而成的内海区变成人工导堤控制的"一主一支"两条水道,水域面积减少了80%,河槽容积减少了40%,深槽趋于顺直加深,使口门区的"调淡"作用消失,这是咸潮上溯的重要原因;根据多年水文频率分析,发生严重咸潮灾害时,西、北江枯季流量并非都是枯水流量,因此枯季上游来水量变化并不是近年来咸潮灾害加剧的主要原因。  相似文献   

The effect of a storm surge event on the macrophytes of a temporarily open/closed estuary,South Africa     

T. Riddin  J.B. Adams 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》2010

Temporarily open/closed estuaries typically open to the sea due to freshwater inflow coupled with storm surge events. In September 2008, in the absence of freshwater inflow, the mouth of the East Kleinemonde Estuary breached in response to a storm surge. The mouth of the estuary closed the following day at a high level. Marine overwash events following the breach introduced large volumes of saline water into the estuary and raised the water level by 0.07–0.33 m. Salinity was significantly higher in the 15 month closed phase after the breach (31 ± 0.9) compared to 21.9 ± 0.9 in the closed brackish phase before the breach. The historical average salinity for the estuary during a closed period is 23–25. The increase in salinity has reduced submerged macrophytes Ruppia cirrhosa and Chara vulgaris cover by 38.1%. Macroalgal cover of species such as Dictyota dichotoma, Caulacanthus ustulatus, Codium tenue and Ulva spp. have increased by 7.9%. The saline high water levels have also significantly reduced supratidal salt marsh cover by 15.2%, and reed and sedge cover by 19.7%. Loss of these habitats may result in bank destabilisation and erosion. This is the first record of an extended saline period in the 15 years the estuary has been monitored. Sea level rise in association with climate change, together with localised freshwater inflow reduction is likely to result in an increase in marine overwash events. The frequency and duration of closed saline periods are likely to increase in this type of estuary. A loss of submerged macrophytes may have significant impacts on faunal composition and abundance and on the subsequent functioning of temporarily open/closed estuaries. This has serious ecological implications since these estuaries represent 70% of the different types of estuaries found in South Africa.  相似文献   

九龙江河口区现代沉积环境及其物质输运趋势   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

方建勇  陈坚  王爱军  李东义  黄财宾 《海洋地质与第四纪地质》2010,(2)

对九龙江河口区58个表层沉积物样品进行了激光粒度分析,并分别应用系统聚类分析和GSTA模型分析,探讨了研究区的沉积特征、沉积环境和表层沉积物输运趋势。结果表明,九龙江河口区表层沉积物由10种沉积物类型组成,与20世纪80年代相比,该海区底质沉积物在类型分布和粒径粗细上发生了一定的变化;将研究区划分为3种与沉积动力特征相对应的主要沉积环境区;表层沉积物输运趋势因受该区特殊的地形和复杂的水动力条件影响而表现为北进南出,海门岛西北海域形成逆时针方向输运趋势,而海门岛以东海域形成三向汇聚的输运趋势。  相似文献