Fisheries assessment of Biscayne Bay 1983

Creel and trawl surveys of Biscayne Bay were carried out in 1982-1983 to assess commercial fish and macro-invertebrate habitats and fisheries. Dredged and/or barren bottom was dramatically less productive than seagrass, algae or hard bottom areas. Low fish abundance and diversity in north Biscayne Bay appeared to be correlated with high turbidity and low seagrass abundance. Substantive increases in fish and crustacean productivity in north Biscayne Bay will occur only if seagrass communities can be re-established. Deeper dredged areas in North Bay will not likely become recolonized with seagrass even if turbidity levels are reduced. Hard bottom areas in South Bay are associated with high diversity of fish fauna and serve as nursery areas for several highly desirable species (e.g. hogfish, yellowtail snapper, lane snapper). The area between Julia Tuttle and 79th Street Causeways, which had very dense seagrass abundance, was the richest area on either North or South Biscayne Bay for juvenile fish and shrimp. This basin can serve as a model for the potential of the remainder of North Bay.

Deepwater Horizon oil spill: assessment of potential impacts on the deep soft-bottom benthos; interim data summary report

A study was initiated in May 2011, under the direction of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Deepwater Benthic Communities Technical Working Group (NRDA Deep Benthic TWG), to assess potential impacts of the DWH oil spill on sediments and resident benthic fauna in deepwater (> 200 meters) areas of the Gulf. Key objectives of the study were to complete the analysis of samples from 65 priority stations sampled in September-October 2010 on two DWH Response cruises (Gyre and Ocean Veritas) and from 38 long-term monitoring sites (including a subset of 35 of the original 65) sampled on a follow-up NRDA cruise in May-June 2011. The present progress report provides a brief summary of results from the initial processing of samples from fall 2010 priority sites (plus three additional historical sites). Data on key macrofaunal, meiofaunal, and abiotic environmental variables are presented for each of these samples and additional maps are included to depict spatial patterns in these variables throughout the study region. The near-field zone within about 3 km of the wellhead, where many of the stations showed evidence of impaired benthic condition (e.g. low taxa richness, high nematode/harpacticoid-copepod ratios), also is an area that contained some of the highest concentrations of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (total PAHs), and barium in sediments (as possible indicators of DWH discharges). There were similar co-occurrences at other sites outside this zone, especially to the southwest of the wellhead out to about 15 km. However, there also were exceptions to this pattern, for example at several farther-field sites in deeper-slope and canyon locations where there was low benthic species richness but no evidence of exposure to DWH discharges. Such cases are consistent with historical patterns of benthic distributions in relation to natural controlling factors such as depth, position within canyons, and availability of organic matter derived from surface-water primary production.

Migration patterns of young Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) determined with archival tags

We investigated the migration and behavior of young Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) using archival tags that measure environmental variables, record them in memory, and estimate daily geographical locations using measured light levels. Swimming depth, ambient water temperature, and feeding are described in a companion paper. Errors of the tag location estimates that could be checked were –0.54° ±0.75° (mean ±SD) in longitude and –0.12° ±3.06° in latitude. Latitude, estimated automatically by the tag, was problematic, but latitude, estimated by comparing recorded sea-surface temperatures with a map of sea-surface temperature, was satisfactory. We concluded that the archival tag is a reliable tool for estimating location on a scale of about one degree, which is sufficient for a bluefin tuna migration study. After release, tagged fish showed a normal swimming behavioral pattern within one day and normal feeding frequency within one month. In addition, fish with an archival tag maintained weight-at-length similar to that of wild fish; however, their growth rate was less than that of wild fish. Of 166 fish released in the East China Sea with implanted archival tags, 30 were recovered, including one that migrated across the Pacific Ocean. Migration of young Pacific bluefin tuna appears to consist of two phases: a residency phase comprising more than 80% of all days, and a traveling phase. An individual young Pacific bluefin tuna was observed to cover 7600 km in one traveling phase that lasted more than two months (part of this phase was a trans-Pacific migration completed within two months). Many features of behavior in the traveling phase were similar to those in the residency phase; however the temperature difference between viscera and ambient temperature was larger, feeding was slightly more frequent, and dives to deeper water were more frequent.

Swimming depth, ambient water temperature preference, and feeding frequency of young Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) determined with archival tags

We investigated the migration and behavior of young Pacific Bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) using archival tags. The archival tag measures environmental variables, records them in its memory, and estimates daily geographical locations based on measured light levels. Of 166 archival tags implanted in Pacific bluefin tuna that were released at the northeastern end of the East China Sea from 1995 to 1997, 30 tags were recovered, including one from a fish that migrated across the Pacific. This article describes swimming depth, ambient water temperature, and feeding frequency of young Pacific bluefin tuna based on retrieved data. Tag performance, effect of the tag on the fish, and horizontal movements of the species are described in another paper. Young Pacific bluefin tuna swim mainly in the mixed layer, usually near the sea surface, and swim in deeper water in daytime than at nighttime. They also exhibit a pattern of depth changes, corresponding to sunrise and sunset, apparently to avoid a specific low light level. The archival tags recorded temperature changes in viscera that appear to be caused by feeding, and those changes indicate that young Pacific bluefin tuna commonly feed at dawn and in the daytime, but rarely at dusk or at night. Water temperature restricts their distribution, as indicated by changes in their vertical distribution with the seasonal change in depth of the thermocline and by the fact that their horizontal distribution is in most cases confined to water in the temperature range of 14−20°C.

Age, growth, and mortality of the Mayan cichlid (Cichlasoma urophthalmus) from the southeastern Everglades

Mayan cichlids (Cichlasoma urophthalmus) were collected monthly from March 1996 to October 1997 with hook-and-line gear at Taylor River, Florida, an area within the Crocodile Sanctuary of Everglades National Park, where human activities such as fishing are prohibited. Fish were aged by examining thin-sectioned otoliths, and past size-at-age information was generated by using back-calculation techniques. Marginal increment analysis showed that opaque growth zones were annuli deposited between January and May. The size of age-1 fish was estimated to be 33–66 mm standard length (mean=45.5 mm) and was supported by monthly length-frequency data of young-of-year fish collected with drop traps over a seven-year period. Mayan cichlids up to seven years old were observed. Male cichlids grew slower but achieved a larger size than females. Growth was asymptotic and was modeled by the von Bertalanffy growth equation Lt=263.6(1–exp[–0.166(t–0.001)]) for males (r2=0.82, n=581) and Lt=215.6 (1–exp[–0.197(t–0.058)]) for females (r2= 0.77, n=639). Separate estimates of total annual mortality were relatively consistent (0.44–0.60) and indicated moderate mortality at higher age classes, even in the absence of fishing mortality. Our data indicated that Mayan cichlids grow slower and live longer in Florida than previously reported from native Mexican habitats. Because the growth of Mayan cichlids in Florida periodically slowed and thus produced visible annuli, it may be possible to age introduced populations of other subtropical and tropical cichlids in a similar way.

北京山区荆条灌丛生态系统研究--群落学，生物量，元素循环及稳定性特征

本文对北京怀柔汤河口、北京云蒙山、西山以及河北省石家庄地区元氏县的荆条灌丛的群落学特征及其生物量进行了较为详细的研究，并着重研究了汤河口、云蒙山、西山三个亲地的荆条群落的地球化学特征和元素循环特征，对西山的荆条群落中荆条叶片枯落物的分解过程进行了详细的比较研究，最后，对汤河口和西山的两个荆条灌丛的相对稳定性进行了探讨，并和昭田真的演替度进行了比较，期望对荆条灌丛的现况有个较全面和深入的了解，为合理的改造利用广阔的华北落叶灌丛提供理论依据。 本研究设置了四个样地。样地1在北京市怀柔县汤河口乡，样地2在汤河口以南40公里的云蒙山林场，下设两个小样地2a和2b，分别经过8年和3年的封山保护。样地3在北京海淀区的西山上，样地4位于河北省元氏县。四个样地的地理位置，地形、立地条件及所受的人为干扰的程度各不相同。DCA分析对样地的排序图中从左到右样地的顺序为样地2b，2a，样地3，样地1，样地4。 6个样地的荆条滋丛中计有高等植物49种，分属24科47属。其中样地1 8科14种,样地2a 15科24种，样地2b 13科18种，样地3 9科14种，样地4a 11科18种，样地4b 7科11种。以禾本科植物最多（8种），菊科植物6种次之，蔷薇科植物4种，居第三。6个样地中常见植物种（存在度60%以上）有11个，较1965年调查时的常见种数（16种）显著减少。 生活型谱分析表明样地1和2a的生活型谱介于热带和温带类型之间。样地2b的生活型谱是较典型的温带类型，样地3则较偏向荒漠类型;样地4a和4b的生活型谱则较偏向热带和荒漠的类型。 植物区系分析表明，样地2b带有最明显的中生性，而样地4a因含有最多的热带和亚热带分布种而最为干燥。样地依干燥度增加的顺序为2b，2a3，1，4b，4a。这个顺序恰好和DCA对样地的排序结果完全吻合，同时，它还是温度升高的梯度。 荆条灌丛中荆条地上部生物量，以样地2a和2b为最高，分别为3571,9和3285.8公斤／公顷，其次为样地3，达2445.7公斤／公顷，余下的顺序为样地1，样地4a和4b。这个顺序和DCA与样地的排序结果一致，即荆条地上部生物量随着样地干燥程度的增加和温度的增加而减少。相关分析表明，热量（年日照时数）是控制荆条生长的最主要因素，且荆条的生长受土壤中砾石的很大的制约。 荆条灌丛中荆条之外的其它植物种类，作为一个组分，其地上部生物量除样地1外，和荆条地上部生物量的大小顺序一致，这些植物地上部生物量随人为干扰程度的增强而极显著的减少，且随海拔高度的增加而极显著的增加，说明这些植物较适于生长在海拔较高的地区，且它们随人为干扰的能力很弱。 荆条灌丛群落地上部总生物量，作为上述两个组分的综合，较多的受灌丛中其它植物地上部生物量的影响，而且与海拔高度呈现显著的相关性。群落地上部总生物量与年蒸发量、无霜期、人为干扰程度均表现极显著的负相关，与≥10'C的年积温也显著的负相关。这些特点，都表明荆条灌丛一个总趋势，即较低的温低更适合该群落的生长。 荆条地下部生物量在样地l达9641.8公斤，公顷顾(1986) 和l0996.6公斤／公顷(1987)，其中各有51.1%和28.90%是根球的生物量，在样地3则1988年为2306.1公斤/公顷，l989年增至5442.2公斤/公顷，两个样地中，地下部生物量为枝条生物量的6.29和5.44倍（样地1）,以及2．10和1.23倍《样地3），根枝比的分析表明样地1年龄大于样地3，且样地1比样地3．干燥，荆条的根枝比大于其它灌术种类的根枝比，这是荆条对砍伐的适应．就象灌丛栎(根枝比6.23)对火灾的适应一样。 样地1荆条灌丛的总生物量，1986年为13.44吨／公顷，87年为l6.4吨／公顷，增加了22.2%，群落年净第一性生产量为3.96吨／公顷•年。在群落总生物量中，荆条的生物量占绝大部分，分别达90.4%和86.3%，而在群落年净第一性生产量中，荆条的贡献达3.00吨／公顷•年，占75.8%。 样地3的总生物量88年为9.90砘／公顷．89年猛增至21.17砘／公顷，增加了113.9%，群落年净第一性生产量为12.62砘／公顷•年，是样地1的3.19倍。群落总生物量中，荆条所占的比例在1988年为48.0%，89年增大为58.5%，和样地1的变化趋势相反，表明两个样地的荆条灌丛处于不同的发育阶段。在群落的年净第一性生产量中，荆条的贡献和样地1相似，达71.1%。 和不同类型的灌丛地上部生物量比较的结果表明荆条灌丛小于同地区的落叶灌丛(绒毛绣线菊、荆条、蚂蚱腿子灌丛)，更小于同地区的乔木树种的萌生灌丛如辽东栎萌生丛．以及其他地区的矮针叶树栎灌丛，群落总生物量的比较结果也表明荆条灌丛的生物量还有很大的发展潜力。 荆条灌丛地上部生产量已经超过一些成熟乔木种类的林地的生产量，且荆条灌丛中生长最快的群落（样地3）的地上部生产量已接近一些乔木种类的幼龄林地的生产量说明荆条灌丛有较高的生长速度。 生物量累积比作为植物或群落衰老程度的指标，说明荆条灌丛较之其它原生灌丛还是较”年轻”的，样地1的生物量累积比较大，是该群落遭受频繁砍伐的反映。 由荆条灌丛立地的潜在生产量的分析可知样地1的荆条灌丛离其”成熟类型”的生产量还差距很大，而样地3的生产量正接近其”成熟类型”。结合前面的分析，可以推测在人类活动频繁和强度的干扰下，样地l的荆条灌丛没有继续向其成熟类型发育，而在中途衰退了。 西山荆条灌丛中，在代谢活动较旺盛的部位，N和K的含量较高，Hg，P和Zn也表现相似的倾向，A1和Fe则表现了相反的趋势，即代谢活动较强的部位，含量较低。Mn，Ca和Ha则是介于中问的一种类型。比较各组分中元素的含量值，Mg是较均匀的类型，其余元素在不同组分间含量的差异都较悬殊。西山荆条灌丛中，Mn,Mn, Mg，Ca，AI五个元素都以土壤中的含量为最高，N的含量则以上壤为最低，而植物组分中 K的含量一直保持较高的水平。 多数元素在荆条根球中的含量最低，包括Fe，Hn，Zn，（Ca，P和AI。随着年龄的增大，各组分中K的含量有增加的趋势（其增加量大于其它元素的增加量），在西山荆条灌从中，植物组分以及及土壤里各元素除p外，其含量均与两个以上元素的含量呈显著相关性（图11）．而P的含量只与N的含量具极显著相关性，，在植物组分中，灰分含量与Fe，Mn，Ca，P，AI的含量均具极显著的相关性。荆条内部各组分的元寨岔登之间全部晕缀显著相关，而绝大部分植物组分中元素含量与土壤中相应元素的含量值无相关性。 植物组分中，其它植物地上部，其它植物地下部和羽叶是元素积累量最大的三个组分。荆枝中的Ca和Ha，荆根球和荆根中的Zn和Mg以及荆根中的Al，它们的含量与其积累量之间具有较明显的补偿现象，即它们的积累量并不随生物量的增减而发生显著的变化。 西山荆条灌丛中荆条和其它植物对10种元素的吸收总量基本相等。在荆条的总吸收量中，K，N，Ca的吸收量占88.5％，其余7种元素的吸收量只占11.5%。在其它植物中，则以Ca，N和Al的吸收量占多数，达73.9%。在荆条和其它植物中，K和Al的吸收可能存在着拮抗关系。 西山荆条灌丛中荆条对K的吸收量最大，但对Mn的利用系数最大。10种元素中最大和最小吸收量之间在荆条中相差339倍（K和Zn之间），但荆条对各元素的利用系数却相差不多，平均为0.775±0.09。其它植物对10种元素的利用系数较荆条稍高，平均为0.826±0.07，整个西山荆条灌丛群落对元素的利用系数以Mn为最高，Na为最低。 若以土壤中元素的垒量的贮量计算，荆条对N的吸收系数最大，Al最小。若以土壤中元素的有效含量（可溶性或可代换性量）汁，则荆条的吸收系数以Al最大，Ca最小 （表21）。土壤元素（全量）的周转时间，Al最长，达2603.2年，多数元素在450-600年 之间，只有N，P，K三个元素的周转时间最短，分别只有35.4，151.9，和109.l年。 西山荆条灌丛中荆条以凋落物形式归还土壤的元素量在其吸收量中所占的比例（归 还率），Zn (26.5%)，Mg (36.1％)，Ca (36.1%)，P(21.3%)和N(25.0％)属较高的类型， Al (13.5%)，Na（14.6％）和K（13.1％）居中，Mn (8.5%)和Fe(8.0%)最低。灌丛群落中 元素的归还率除Mn最小（12.1％）外，其余在21.3%-37.9％之间。 西山荆条灌丛中，荆条和其它植物所吸收的元素量在群落总吸收量中所占的比例， 各元素之间显著不同，均匀的类型有N，Zn，Mg和Na，即荆条和其它植物的吸收量相当。 K是唯一以荆条的吸收量占优势的元素，荆条吸收的K占群落总吸收量的80.7%。其余 元素，Mn，P，Al，Fe和Ca均是其它植物的吸收量显著大于荆条的吸收量（表22，图45）。 荆条所吸收的无素量，在其内部各组分中的分配（存留）格局，普遍规律是将绝大 部分用于其叶片的生长（或存留于叶片）中．Mn是唯一例外的元素，荆条将其吸收量的 最大部分存留于其枝条中。其余9个元素．荆条对其叶片存留后剩下的那部分元素量的 分配方式可以区分出三种类型：将剩余部分中的多数存留于其枝条的元素有AI，Fe，Zn， Mg;将剩余部分中的多数存留于其地下部的元素有P,Na， 和Ca;而K和N则属于中间 的类型，即用于叶片后的剩余的K和N在荆枝和荆条地下部（根球和艉）中较均匀的分配 （表22，图46）． 西山荆条灌丛中元素循环的强度和速度都显著大于汤河口荆条灌丛，两个样地的元 素循环特征的最显著差异是汤河口荆条灌丛中荆条将其吸收的元素量中的最大部分存留 于其地下部，和西山样地完全相反，这可能是两个样地荆条灌丛元素循环特征的最本质 的区别。其原因，可能是汤河口样地中荆条对其地上部遭受频繁砍伐的一种适应方式， 也可能是汤河口荆条滋丛衰老的反映。 西山灌丛中荆条落叶分解过程中其失重率曲线呈双S形，其失重率最大增长速度出现在第166-299天之间。经过539天的分解作用，荆条枯落叶损失了其于重的53.3%，其中分解期（千重损失50％所用时间）为514.1天。 与干重失重率相对应，荆条枯落叶的平均腐解率的最高值出现在299和364天，而区 间腐解率的最大值则出现在第66—227天和第227 - 299天之间，比平均腐解率的最高值 出现的早，这与其总失重率曲线是非常吻合的，因为第166 - 227天及第227 - 299天之间 的高腐解率导致了其后高失重率的出现。 平均腐解率与平均气温之间具显著相关性(P<0.0S)，而与平均降水量只在90%置信区间内有相关性，区间腐解率也只在90%置信区内与平均气温有相关性。 以平均腐解率计算，荆条枯落叶干重的95%被分解所需的时间为6.37年，比同一地区的侧柏、元宝槭、黄栌、山杏、刺槐，油讼和栓皮栎短，说明荆条叶片枯落物的分解速率是较快的。 荆条枯落叶分解过程中的失重主要由于有机物被分解引起的，且有机C，可溶性糖 和粗纤维的分解决定了失重率变化的总趋势。 各有机物含量程分解过程中的变化各不相同。就浓度而言，以可溶性糖的浓度降低 速度最快，丹宁的浓度也显著的下降，粗脂肪和有机C浓度属于平缓下降的类型，而木 质素和粗纤维属另一极端的类型，其浓度持续升高。各有机物在枯落叶中的总量以不同 的速率减少。经过539天的分解作用，各有机物的损失率大小的顺序为可溶性糖(97.90%）>丹宁(95. 92%）>粗脂肪(70.83%)>有机C(61.59%)>粗纤维(37.36%)>木质素( 31,97%)。此外，不同的有机物的含量以不同的规律变化，其中可溶性糖和木质素在第105天内即被大量的分解而损失（分别损失63.66%和19.67%）。丹宁和有机C的损失率的变化是较际准的S形曲线，粗纤维的损失率变化曲线为右抛物线的上半部，而粗脂肪类似S形曲线，但最不规则． 荆条枯落叶分解过程中矿质元素浓度和含董的变化很不规则。灰分含量作为大部分矿质元素含量的总和，其浓度在分解过程中稳定升高，而其总量则持续下降，所研究的10种矿质元素的浓度和总量的变化很不一致，在浓度变化方面，K是星下降趋势的唯一元素，其余元素（包括N，Ca，Na，Mg，P，Fe，Zn，Mn和Al）的浓度均随分解过程呈升高的趋势。从元素的总量方面可以区别出两种类型：即N，Ca，Na，K，P5个元素属于减少的类型，而Fe，Mn，Zn，Mg和Al的总量则有所增加。 西山和汤河口两个样地的荆条灌丛都是渐近稳定的，且离其稳定态尚有一定距离,相对稳定性指数没有显示两个样地的稳定性具有显著的差异。 西山荆条灌丛的演替度大于汤河口灌丛，这和它们所受的人为干扰的强度的差异有紧密联系。