Estuarine nutrient loading affects phytoplankton growth and microzooplankton grazing at two contrasting sites in Hong Kong coastal waters

To investigate the effects of enhanced nutrient loading in estuarine waters on phytoplankton growth and microzooplankton grazing, we conducted monthly dilution experiments at 2 stations in Hong Kong coastal waters with contrasting trophic conditions. The western estuarine station (WE) near the Pearl River estuary is strongly influenced by freshwater discharge, while the eastern oceanic station (EO) is mostly affected by the South China Sea. Growth rates of phytoplankton were often limited by nutrients at EO, while nutrient limitation of phytoplankton growth seldom Occurred at WE due to the high level of nutrients delivered by the Pearl River, especially in the summer rainy season. Higher chlorophyll a, microzooplankton biomass, phytoplankton growth and microzooplankton grazing rates were found at WE than at EO. However, the increase in chlorophyll greatly exceeded the increase in phytoplankton growth rate, reflecting different response relationships to nutrient availability. Strong seasonality was observed at both stations, with temperature being an important factor affecting both phytoplankton growth and microzooplankton grazing rates. Picophytoplankton, especially Synechococcus, also exhibited great seasonality at EO, with summer abundances being 2 or 3 orders of magnitude higher than those during winter, Our results confirm that in eutrophic coastal environments, microzooplankton grazing is a dominant loss pathway for phytoplankton, accounting for the utilization of >50%, of primary production on average.

Marine bacteria associated with marine macroorganisms: the potential antimicrobial resources

In order to explore marine microorganisms with medical potential, marine bacteria were isolated from seawater, sediment, marine invertebrates and seaweeds collected from different coastal areas of the China Sea. The antimicrobial activities of these bacteria were investigated. Ethyl acetate extracts of marine bacterial fermentation were screened for antimicrobial activities using the method of agar diffusion. The results showed that 42 strains of the isolates have antimicrobial activity. The proportion of active bacteria associated with marine invertebrates (20%) and seaweeds (11%) is higher than that isolated from seawater (7%) and sediment (5%). The active marine bacteria were assigned to the genera Alteromonas, Pseudomonas, Bacillus and Flavobacterium. The TLC autobiographic overlay assay implied that the antimicrobial metabolites produced by four strains with wide antimicrobial spectrum were different. Due to a competitive role for space and nutrient, the marine bacteria associated with marine macroorganisms (invertebrates and seaweeds) could produce more antibiotic substances. These marine bacteria were expected to be potential resources of natural antibiotic products.

Sources and transport of dissolved and particulate organic carbon in the Mississippi River estuary and adjacent coastal waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC), stable carbon isotopic (delta(13)C) compositions of DOC and particulate organic carbon (POC), and elemental C/N ratios of POC were measured for samples collected from the lower Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers and adjacent coastal waters in the northern Gulf of Mexico during the low flow season in June 2000 and high flow season in April 2001. These isotopic and C/N results combined with DOC measurements were used to assess the sources and transport of terrestrial organic matter from the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers to the coastal region in the northern Gulf of Mexico. delta(13)C values of both POC (-23.8parts per thousand to -26.8parts per thousand) and DOC (-25.0parts per thousand to -29.0parts per thousand) carried by the two rivers were more depleted than the values measured for the samples collected in the offshore waters. Strong seasonal variations in delta(13)C distributions were observed for both POC and DOC in the surface waters of the region. Fresh water discharge and horizontal mixing played important roles in the distribution and transport of terrestrial POC and DOC offshore. Our results indicate that both POC and DOC exhibited non-conservative behavior during the mixing especially in the mid-salinity range. Based on a simple two end-member mixing model, the comparison of the measured DOC-delta(13)C with the calculated conservative isotopic mixing curve indicated that there was a significant in situ production of marine-derived DOC in the mid- to high-salinity waters consistent with our in situ chlorophyll-a measurements. Our DOC-delta(13)C data suggest that a removal of terrestrial DOC mainly occurred in the high-salinity (>25) waters during the mixing. Our study indicates that the mid- to high- (10-30) salinity range was the most dynamic zone for organic carbon transport and cycling in the Mississippi River estuary. Variability in isotopic and elemental compositions along with variability in DOC and POC concentrations suggest that autochthonous production, bacterial utilization, and photo-oxidation could all play important roles in regulating and removing terrestrial DOC in the northern Gulf of Mexico and further study of these individual processes is warranted. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Environmental and health effects associated with Harmful Algal Bloom and marine algal toxins in China

The frequency and scale of Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) and marine algal toxin incidents have been increasing and spreading in the past two decades, causing damages to the marine environment and threatening human life through contaminated seafood. To better understand the effect of HAB and marine algal toxins on marine environment and human health in China, this paper overviews HAB occurrence and marine algal toxin incidents, as well as their environmental and health effects in this country. HAB has been increasing rapidly along the Chinese coast since the 1970s, and at least 512 documented HAB events have occurred from 1952 to 2002 in the Chinese mainland. It has been found that PSP and DSP toxins are distributed widely along both the northern and southern Chinese coasts. The HAB and marine algal toxin events during the 1990s in China were summarized, showing that the HAB and algal toxins resulted in great damages to local fisheries, marine culture, quality of marine environment, and human health. Therefore, to protect the coastal environment and human health, attention to HAB and marine algal toxins is urgently needed from the environmental and epidemiological view.

Bacterial roles in the formation of high-molecular-weight dissolved organic matter in estuarine and coastal waters: Evidence from lipids and the compound-specific isotopic ratios

High-molecular-weight dissolved organic matter (HMW-DOM, > 1,000 Daltons) is actively involved in the global biogeochemical cycling of many elements, but its carbon sources and detailed formation pathways are still not well understood. In this study, we measured bulk stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic ratios, lipid composition, and compound-specific carbon isotopic ratios of HMW-DOM samples collected from four U.S. estuaries (Boston Harbor/Massachusetts Bay, Delaware/Chesapeake Bay, San Diego Bay, and San Francisco Bay). Analytical results show (1) a fraction of HMW-DOM (lipid associated) in estuarine and coastal waters is derived from bacteria and phytoplankton; (2) this fraction of HMW-DOM is formed by various release processes of bacterial membrane components and bacterial reworking of phytoplankton-derived material; (3) this fraction of HMW-DOM is generally present in all samples from different coastal systems despite variable organic matter inputs and environmental conditions, suggesting an important bacterial role in HMW-DOM formation.

Current status of bacteriological parameters and DOC/POC in Xiamen coastal waters

The surface and bottom waters samples were collected from six locations in Xiamen western sea. The quantified estimation of bacterial production (H-3-thymidine method) and observation of bacterial heterotrophic activity (C-14-glucose method) have been made in order to have a better understanding of the role of marine bacteria and their activities. The results showed that the mean value of bacterial heterotrophic activity was 9 X 10(8) cells/(L. h) in the surface waters and 2.6 X 10(8) cells/(L. h) in the bottom waters. The mean value of bacterial production was 38 X 108 cells/( L. h) in the surface waters and 7.1 X 10(8) cells/(L. h) in the bottom waters. The relationship between bacterial production, heterotrophic activity, PCC and DOC measured during this survey were discussed. The good understanding of the relationship between bacteria activity and total coliform was addressed.

Nitrogen isotope fractionation during nitrate, ammonium and urea uptake by marine diatoms and coccolithophores under various conditions of N availability

Stable isotopes of N provide a new approach to the study of algal production in the ocean, yet knowledge of the isotope fractionation (epsilon) in various oceanic regimes is lacking. Here we report large and rapid changes in isotope composition (delta(15)N) of 2 coastal diatoms and 2 clones (open and coastal) of a coccolithophore grown in the simultaneous presence of nitrate, ammonium and urea under varying conditions of N availability (i.e. N-sufficiency and N-starvation followed by N-resupply) and hence different physiological states, During N-sufficiency, the delta(15)N of particulate organic N (PON) was well reproduced, using a model derived from Rayleigh distillation theory, with constant epsilon similar to that for growth on each individual N source. However, following N-resupply, the variations in delta(15)N(PON) could be well explained only in the case of the open ocean Emiliania huxleyi, with epsilon similar to N-sufficient conditions. It was concluded that the mechanism of isotope fractionation changed rapidly with N availability for the 3 coastal clones. However, in the case of E. huxleyi isolated from the Subarctic Pacific Ocean, no evidence of a change in mechanism was found, suggesting that perhaps open ocean species can quickly recover from N-depleted conditions.

Isolation and characterization of novel marine Roseobacter clade members producing unique intracellular chromium-rich aggregates

The marine Roseobacter clade comprises one of the largest fractions of heterotrophic marine bacteria and accounts for about 16% of 16S rRNA gene clones retrieved from marine bacterioplankton. Their global distribution seems to be related to oceanic water masses and their environmental and biogeochemical properties. In this study, we report isolation and characterization of novel Roseobacter clade members from the Yellow Sea, China. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences reveals that the new isolates (YSCB1, YSCB2, YSCB3 and YSCB4) are closely related to uncultured Arctic seawater bacterium R7967 (99.57-100% sequence identity) and to the cultured Roseobacter sp. DSS-1 (99.27-99.76% sequence identity) isolated from the southeastern coastal water of the USA. Interestingly, YSCB strains possess unique intracellular chromium-containing aggregates. Therefore, these novel Roseobacter clade members exhibit a peculiar property in mineral biogeneration. (c) 2006 Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Bioremediation potential of the macroalga Gracilaria lemaneiformis (Rhodophyta) integrated into fed fish culture in coastal waters of north China

Fed fish farms produce large amounts of wastes, including dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus. In China, fish mariculture in coastal waters has been increasing since the last decade. However, there is no macroalgae commercially cultivated in north China in warm seasons. To exploit fish-farm nutrients as a resource input, and at the same time to reduce the risk of eutrophication, the high-temperature adapted red alga Gracilaria lemaneiformis (Bory) Dawson from south China was co-cultured with the fish Sebastodes fuscescens in north China in warm seasons. Growth and nutrient removal from fish culture water were investigated in laboratory conditions in order to evaluate the nutrient bioremediation capability of G. lemaneiformis. Feasibility of integrating the seaweed cultivation with the fed fish-cage aquaculture in coastal waters of north China was also investigated in field conditions. Laboratory seaweed/fish co-culture experiments showed that the seaweed was an efficient nutrient pump and could remove most nutrients from the system. Field cultivation trials showed that G. lemaneiformis grew very well in fish farming areas, at maximum growth rate of 11.03% day(-1). Mean C, N, and P contents in dry thalli cultured in Jiaozhou Bay were 28.9 +/- 1.1%, 4.17 +/- 0.11 % and 0.33 +/- 0.01 %, respectively. Mean N and P uptake rates of the thalli were estimated at 10.64 and 0.38 mu mol g(-1) dry weight h(-1), respectively. An extrapolation of the results showed that a 1-ha cultivation of the seaweed in coastal fish fanning waters would give an annual harvest of more than 70 t of fresh G. lemaneiformis, or 9 t dry materials; 2.5 t C would be produced, and simultaneously 0.22 t N and 0.03t P would be sequestered from the seawater by the seaweed. Results indicated that the seaweed is suitable as a good candidate for seaweed/fish integrated mariculture for bioremediation and economic diversification. The integration can benefit economy and environment in a sustainable manner in warm seasons in coastal waters of north China. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Community structure of macrobenthos in coastal water off Rushan, southern Shandong Peninsula, and the relationships with environmental factors

To understand the present actuality of the marine ecosystem in the southern coastal water region of the Shandong Peninsula and the impact of the global change and the human activities to the marine ecosystem of the region, the macrobenthic community structure was researched based on data from 26 sampling stations carried out on four seasonal cruises from December 2006 to November 2007. The data was analyzed using PRIMER 6.0 and SPSS 15.0 software packages. The results showed that 236 macrobenthic species in total were collected from the research region by the field works. Most of the species belong to Polychaeta (76 species), Mollusca (75) and Crustacea (60). Of which, 33 species were common species by the four cruises. The dominant species were different among the four seasons, however, the polychaete species Nephtys oligobranchia and Sternaspis scutata were always dominant in the four seasons. The abundances and biomasses of the macrobenthos from the research region were variable in tire four seasons. The results of CLUSTER and MDS analysis showed that the similarities of macrobenthic structures among the stations were low, most of the similarities were at about 40% of similarity values, only that of two stations were up to 60%. In accordance with the similarity values of the macrobenthic structures, the 26 stations were clustered as six groups at arbitrary similarity level of 30%. The ABC curve indicated that the marcofauna communities in the research region had riot been disturbed distinctly. The results of BIOENV and BVSTEP (Spearman) analysis implied that the concentrations of organic matter in bottom water and heavy metal copper in sediment, water depth and temperature of bottom were the most significant environmental factors to affect the macrobentic community.

Morphology and infraciliature of three species of Metaurostylopsis (Ciliophora, Stichotrichia): M. songi n. sp., M. salina n. sp., and M. marina (Kahl 1932) from sediments, saline ponds, and coastal waters.

Two new urostylid ciliates, Metaurostylopsis songi n. sp. and Metaurostylopsis salina n. sp. and Metaurostylopsis marina (Kahl 1932) are investigated using live observation and protargol impregnation. These species were isolated in Korea from intertidal sediments, saline ponds, and coastal waters. Metaurostylopsis songi is in vivo about 120 pm x 25 mu m, has a slenderly ellipsoidal body, colorless cortical granules in rows on ventral and dorsal body sides, about 54 macronuclear nodules, 28-47 adoral membranelles, five frontal, two or three frontoterminal and six or seven transverse cirri, and 9-12 midventral cirral pairs followed posteriorly by 1-3 single cirri. In vivo M. salina is about 60 pin x 25 mu m, has a pyriform body, colorless cortical granules irregularly arranged, about 45 macronuclear nodules, 18-23 adoral membranelles, three frontal, three to five frontoterminal and two to five transverse cirri, and four or five midventral cirral pairs followed posteriorly by five to seven single cirri. Both species have three marginal cirral rows on each body side and 3 long dorsal kineties. The Korean specimens of M. marina match the Chinese population in all main features. Metaurostylopsis songi differs from M. marina by the more slender body, the number of frontal cirri (invariably five vs. four), and the arrangement of cortical granules (in rows on dorsal and ventral cortex vs. only along dorsal kinetics and anterior body margin). Metaurostylopsis salina differs from its congeners by the distinctly smaller size, the pyriform body shape, the scattered cortical granules (vs. in rows), and number of frontal cirri. It differs from M. marina also by the number of midventral cirral pairs (four or five vs. seven to 11).

Two trichodinid ectoparasites from marine molluscs in the Yellow Sea, off China, with the description of Trichodina caecellae n. sp (Protozoa : Ciliophora : Peritrichia)

The morphology and infraciliature of two ectoparasitic ciliates, Trichodina caecellae n. sp. and T. ruditapicis Xu, Song & Warren, 2000, parasitising the gills of marine molluscs from the Shandong coast of the Yellow Sea, China, were investigated following wet silver nitrate and protargol impregnation. T. caecellae was found on the small marine sand clam Caecella chinensis Deshayes and is distinguished mainly by the acute triangle-like blade, the very delicate central part and the needle-shaped ray. T. ruditapicis was studied based on four populations from three clams: two populations from Ruditapes philippinarum (Adams) and one each from Saxidomus purpuratus (Sowerby) and Solen grandis Dunker. All four populations fell within the range of morphometry and agreed closely in the overall appearance of the adhesive disc. However, variability was found in the denticle structure, especially in populations from different host clams. Our observations suggest that denticle morphology may be more or less variable between and within populations, and that such minor differences should not be overestimated. It should be emphasised that, except for the denticle morphology, the bright granules or circles in the centre of the adhesive disc represent another important feature facilitating the identification of this trichodinid species.