Spatial distribution and export of nutrients and metal elements in the subterranean estuary of Daya Bay

Subterranean estuaries(STE)are important seawater-groundwater mixing zones with complex biogeochemical processes,which play a vital role in the migration and transformation of dissolved materials.In this study,we first investigated the spatial distributions of dissolved inorganic nitrogen(DIN),dissolved inorganic phosphorous(DIP),dissolved inorganic silicon(DSi)and metal elements(As,Ba,Cr,Cu,Fe,Mn,Ni,Pb,and Zn)in STE including upper intertidal,seepage face and subtidal zones.We then estimated submarine groundwater discharge(SGD)and associated nutrient and metal element fluxes.From the generalized Darcy’s law method,SGD was estimated to be 30.13 cm/d,which was about 7 times larger than the inflow(4.16 cm/d).The nutrient and metal fluxes from SGD were estimated to be(5.33±4.99)mmol/(m^(2)·d)for DIN,(0.22±0.03)mmol/(m^(2)·d)for DIP,(16.20±2.05)mmol/(m^(2)·d)for DSi,(1325.06±99.10)μmol/(m^(2)·d)for Fe,(143.41±25.13)μmol/(m^(2)·d)for Mn,(304.06±81.07)μmol/(m^(2)·d)for Zn,(140.21±13.33)μmol/(m^(2)·d)for Cu,(84.49±2.94)μmol/(m^(2)·d)for Pb,(37.38±5.51)μmol/(m^(2)·d)for Ba,(27.88±3.89)μmol/(m^(2)·d)for Cr,(10.10±6.33)μmol/(m^(2)·d)for Ni,and(6.25±3.45)μmol/(m^(2)·d)for As.The nutrient and metal fluxes from SGD were relatively higher than those from the inflow,suggesting that nearshore groundwater acted as the sources of nutrients and metal elements discharging into the sea.The environmental potential pollution of coastal seawater was evaluated by pollution factor index(Pi),comprehensive water quality index(CWQI),and ecological risk index(ERI).Pb mainly caused potential danger of nearshore environment with considerable contamination(Pi=5.78±0.19),heavy pollution(CWQI=4.09)and high ecological risk(ERI=18.00).This study contributed to better understanding the behavior of nutrients and metal elements and improving the sustainable management of STE under the pressure of anthropogenic activities and climate change.

Using radium isotopes to evaluate the uncertainty of submarine groundwater discharge in the northeast and entirety of Daya Bay

Submarine groundwater discharge(SGD),which can be traced using naturally occurring radium isotopes,has been recognized as a significant nutrient source and land-ocean interaction passage for the coastal waters of the Daya Bay,China.However,uncertainties in assessing SGD fluxes must still be discussed in detail.In this study,we attempted to utilize the Monte Carlo method to evaluate the uncertainties of radium-derived SGD flux in the northeast and entirety of the Daya Bay.The results show that the uncertainties of the SGD estimate in the northeast bay are very sensitive to variations in excess radium inventories as well as radium inputs from bottom sediments,while the uncertainties of the SGD estimate for the entire bay are strongly affected by fluctuations in radium inputs from bottom sediments and radium end-members of SGD.This study will help to distinguish the key factors controlling the accuracy of SGD estimates in similar coastal waters.

Changes of Water Temperature and Harmful Algal Bloom in the Daya Bay in the Northern South China Sea

Economic development around the Daya Bay, China has profoundly affected the marine environment in the bay area in recent years, particularly since the operation of Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station （DNPS） in 1994. This study analyzed the changes of water temperature and harmful algal blooms （HABs） for two periods： 1983-1993 and 1994-2004, using in situ and satellite data. Results showed that yearly mean surface water temperature （SWT） and Chl-a concentration （Chl-a） increased by 1.1 ℃ and 1.9 mg/m^3, respectively, after 1994. The monthly occurrence of HAB was found to have increased also. HABs appeared only in spring and autumn before 1994, but occurred all the year round after 1994. SWT, Chl-a and HABs all increased significantly in May. Those changes were associated with environmental changes in this area, such as thermal discharge from the DNPS and enhancement of eutrophication from human activities around the Daya Bay.

Seasonal Community Structure of Mesozooplankton in the Daya Bay,South China Sea

Mesozooplankton are key components of coastal ecosystems,linking the microbial food web to the classic food chain.In this study,species composition and abundance of mesozooplankton is studied for the Daya Bay in April(spring) and October(fall),2006.A total of 27 species of mesozooplankton were identified in spring and 58 species in fall.Dominant species were Oithona tenuis,Flaccisagitta enflata,Penilia avirostris and Centropages tenuiremis in spring,shifting to Microsetella norvegica,Oithona tenuis and Parvocalanus crassirostris in fall.Higher mesozooplankton abundance was found at Aotou Cove and Dapeng'ao Cove compared to other stations,indicating the influence of eutrophication on mesozooplankton community in the Daya Bay.The outbreak of Noctiluca scintillans bloom in spring reduced the species diversity and abundance of mesozooplankton.

Determination of the spatial and temporal variability of phytoplankton community structure in Daya Bay via HPLC-CHEMTAX pigment analysis

The spatial and temporal variability of the phytoplankton community structure in Daya Bay, South China Sea, were identified by using HPLC-CHEMTAX analytical techniques. The highest chlorophyll a(Chl a) concentrations were observed during summer(with an average value of 0.84 μg/L) and lowest ones during winter(with an average value of 0.33 μg/L). CHEMTAX processing revealed the seasonal succession of phytoplankton species in Daya Bay. During winter, diatoms were the dominant phytoplankton species and contributed 41.5% to total Chl a. Based on Chl a concentration, the average ratio of dinofl agellates to total phytoplankton biomass substantially increased with increasing temperature and nitrogen to phosphorus(N/P) ratio, reaching 52.2% in spring. Nutrient limitation shifted from phosphorus to nitrogen during summer. Moreover, this period was associated with the predominance of diatoms, which accounted for 71.1% of Chl a. Prasinophytes and cryptophytes were the other two dominant groups and particularly dominated during winter. Cyanobacteria became an important group during summer and autumn. Canonical correspondence analysis suggested that chrysophytes, dinofl agellates, and cryptophytes were strongly associated with high nitrate concentration, ammonium, dissolved inorganic nitrogen(DIN), and N/P ratio, and were negatively associated with temperature and phosphate. Diatoms and cyanobacteria were strongly associated with temperature, phosphate, and salinity, and are negatively influenced by nitrate, ammonium, DIN, and N/P ratio. Microscopic observations and pigment HPLC information were in good agreement for diatoms and dinofl agellates in the bay. This study demonstrated the usefulness of pigment analysis in investigating the distribution of phytoplankton groups in a complex physical environment, such as Daya Bay.

Diurnal variation of phytoplankton community in a high frequency area of HABs: Daya Bay, China

Phytoplankton community was investigated in the cage culture area of Daya Bay during a diurnal cycle. Two rainfalls occurred during the course of the experiment and decreased the surface seawater salinity in the aquaculture area. A total of 38 species were identified, of which the dominant species included Pseudo-nitzschia spp. and Skeletonema costatum. Water stratification obstructed the vertical migration of dinoflagellates. Statistical analysis indicated that Synechococcus showed negative relationship with silicate and ammonia, which indicated that Synechococcus adapted to grow at oligotrophic environment. Phytoplankton community structure implied the risk of Pseudo-nitzschia spp. blooms in the aquaculture area of Daya Bay.

Effects Assessment of Summer Fishing Moratorium in Daya Bay in the Northern South China Sea

In order to assess effects of Summer Fishing Moratorium (SFM) in Daya Bay, variations in stock density, fish diversity, fish species composition, fish body length and weight, and bio-environments during the pre-SFM (May in 2015) and post-SFM (August in 2015) in Daya Bay were analyzed, based on trawl survey data. Results showed that the average stock density in the post-SFM was 5.65 times of that in the pre-SFM, and the average species numbers in the post-SFM was 1.76 times of that in the pre-SFM. Analysis of fish body length and weight indicated that fish grew faster during the SFM, and body weight was more uniform in the post-SFM. In the post-SFM, the Shannon-Wiener diversity index and Pielou evenness index increased by 0.36 and 0.14, respectively, indicating that the fish biodiversity and community structure improved. SFM alleviated fishing intensity, recovered and conserved coastal fish resource. In order to improve efficiency and impacts of SFM and to promote sustainable development of coastal fish resource, prolonging the time of SFM, reducing the number of coastal fishing boats and enforcing the conservation of fish resources were suggested.

Environmental Drivers of Temporal and Spatial Fluctuations of Mesozooplankton Community in Daya Bay, Northern South China Sea

The response of zooplankton to the ecological environment in Daya Bay is unclear under the influence of both climate changes and anthropogenic activities on a seasonal to inter-annual scale.Based on monthly surveys and historical data,we found the zooplankton community had changed temporally and spatially.A total of 134 species was recorded during the study,and copepods dominated numerically in terms of diversity and abundance.Both copepods and cladocerans were the main contributors to zooplankton abundance.The community structure of zooplankton was temporally classified into the warm and cold groups,and spatially into the three groups located in the marine cage-culture area(MCCA),the outflow of nuclear power plants(ONPP)and unpolluted waters(UPW).The zooplankton was characterized by low biomass(dry weight),high diversity and abundance in the warm period in contrast to that in the cold period.Compared with the other two groups,the MCCA group of zooplankton showed high abundance,low diversity and biomass.Variations in dominant species were closely related to temperature,salinity and chlorophyll a concentration.Species diversity and dry weight decreased in comparison with 30 years ago,while zooplankton abundance increased.The seasonal variation in zooplankton was affected mainly by temperature that was controlled by monsoon,while the spatial difference in the community structure was probably due to eutrophication in the MCCA and thermal water discharge from ONPP.The zooplankton community is undergoing great changes with the tendency of miniaturization and gelatinization in recent 30 years in Daya Bay.

BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL STUDIES OF SEA- SURFACE MICROLAYER (SML) IN DAYA BAY, CHINA IIA.BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SML AND THE CORRELATION AMONG THEM

Two cruises for multi discipline investigation were conducted in October and November, 1998 in Daya Bay to collect: (1) samples from five levels including sea surface microlayer (SML), subsurface (SSL), surface, body (mid column) and bottom water; and (2) observational data on chlorophyll a and nutrients, and important factors such as turbidity, BOD, COD, TN, TP and phytoplankton. Results showed that there was no enrichment of chlorophyll a in the SML, but quite notable enrichment of some organic matter and nutrients. Compared with the findings in earlier researches, PO 4 P and SiO 3 Si have decreased, and the N/P ratio has increased obviously to even more than 100 in the SML. It is concluded preliminarily that PO 4 P and SiO 3 Si mainly determine phytoplankton growth in Daya Bay at present.

Estimating submarine groundwater discharge and associated nutrient inputs into Daya Bay during spring using radium isotopes

Daya Bay, a semi-enclosed bay in the South China Sea, is well known for its aquaculture, agriculture, and tourism. In recent years, many environmental problems have emerged, such as the frequent(almost yearly) occurrence of harmful algal blooms and red tides. Therefore,investigations of submarine groundwater discharge(SGD) and associated nutrient inputs to this bay have important theoretical and practical significance to the protection of the ecological system. Such a study was conducted using short-lived radium isotopes ^(223)Ra and ^(224)Ra. The estimated SGD fluxes were 2.89 × 10~7 m^3/d and 3.05 × 10~7 m^3/d based on ^(223)Ra and ^(224)Ra, respectively. The average SGD flux was about 35 times greater than that of all the local rivers. The SGD-associated dissolved inorganic nitrogen(DIN) and dissolved inorganic phosphorus(DIP)fluxes ranged from 1.95 × 10~6 to 2.06 × 10~6 mol/d and from 5.72 × 10~4 to 6.04 × 10~4 mol/d, respectively. The average ratio of DIN to DIP fluxes in SGD was 34, much higher than that in local rivers(about 6.46), and about twice as large as the Redfield ratio(16). Our results indicate that SGD is a significant source of nutrients to the bay and may cause frequent occurrence of harmful algal blooms. This study provides baseline data for evaluating potential environmental effects due to urbanization and economic growth in this region.

Study on Dissolved Trace Metals in Sea Surface Microlayer in Daya Bay

Glass-plate sampling during 1988-1999 in Daya Bay and suitable corresponding analytical methods were used for the measurement of dissolved trace metals, dissolved organic carbon, biological oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, salinity of the sea surface microlayer and subsurface water. Apparent enrichment mechanism and diurnal variation have been revealed for dissolved trace metals in the microlayer in Daya Bay. The more dissolved organic matter was enriched in the sea surface microlayer, the more dissolved trace metals were enriched in the layer. The organic matter played an important role in the enrichment process. The diurnal variations of dissolved trace metals showed that their concentration was apparently inversely related to the tide activity that the concentration was low during rising tide, but high during falling tide. The behavior of dissolved trace metals expressed by the diurnal variation was clearly opposite to that of salinity.

ZOOPLANKTON COMMUNITY STRUCTURE OF THE SEA SURFACE MICROLAYER NEAR NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS AND MARINE FISH CULTURE ZONES IN DAYA BAY

The authors’ surveys in May-June 1999 (two cruises) at six sampling stations near nuclear power plants (NPP) and marine fish culture zones in Daya Bay, Guangdong, revealed species composition, densities and body-size of the sea surface microlayer (SM) zooplankton (>35 μm). Results showed that protozoans and copepod nauplii were the predominant components, accounting for 65.40% to 95.56% of total zooplankton in abundance. The size-frequency distributions showed that the frequency of micro-zooplankton (0.02-0.2 mm) reached 0.8235. The SM zooplankton community structure revealed in the present study was quite different from that revealed by investigations in the 1980s in Daya Bay. Difference of sampling method has important influence on the obtained zooplankton community structure. SM zooplankton consisted of micro- and mesozooplankton (0.2-2.0 mm), with micro-zooplankton being predominant. Some possible cause-effect relations between the zooplankton community structure and mariculture, nuclear power plants cooling systems and sampling method are discussed.

Environmental Ecological Response to Increasing Water Temperature in the Daya Bay, Southern China in 1982-2012

The increase of water temperature, due to thermal discharges from two nuclear power stations, was one of the most significant environmental changes since 1982 in the Daya Bay, located in the north of the South China Sea. This study investigates the long-term (1982-2012) environmental changes in Daya Bay in response to the increase of water temperature, via comprehensively interpreting and analyzing both satellite and in situ observations along with previous data. The results show that: 1) salinity, dissolved oxygen (DO), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and nutrients had been enhanced after the thermal discharges started in 1994;2) the concentration of Chl-a increased while the net-phytoplankton abundance decreased;3) diversity of the phytoplankton community had decreased;4) fishery production had declined;and 5) frequency of Harmful Algal Bloom occurrence had increased. Satellite images show clearly that a thermal plume from the power stations extended toward the interior of Daya Bay, and that surface temperature of the seawater increased as one approached the power stations. The analysis suggests that the thermal water discharged from the two power stations was a driver of the ecosystem’s change in Daya Bay. Several factors, including nutrients, salinity, DO, and COD, varied according to the increase of water temperature. These factors affected the water quality, Chl-a, and phytoplankton in the short term and impaired aquatic organisms and the whole ecosystem in the long term.

Identification of weathered troughs in granites for tunneling at Daya Bay reactor-neutrino experiment site

Weathered troughs are frequently encountered in granites. They can cause problems to tunneling in the rocks and have to be properly addressed. The structures or spatial shapes of weathered troughs were seldom clarified in the past. In this paper, four weathered troughs are identified by means of geophysical exploration, core drilling, logging, and in-situ stress measurement at Daya Bay reactor-neutrino experiment site in Shenzhen, China. The weathered troughs are exposed on the ground or partially covered by grass and soils, which will threaten the safety of horizontal tunneling at a shallow depth. High electrical resistivity （HER） method is adopted for its feasibility and practicality, in combination with field geological observation, ultrasonic televiewer in boreholes and in-situ stress measurement. By comparing the HER values of completely decomposed to fresh rocks, it is indicated that the HER values of weathered troughs in natural state are 0.4-100 D.m, and the in-situ stress is abnormally lower than those at upper and lower layers. Field investigations show that the depths of the four weathered troughs are 30-182 m, with bottom elevation over 10 m. The volume of each weathered trough is mostly over lx l 0^6 m3 in inverted conic form. The weathered troughs often occur in various kinds of landforms, such as ridges, gullies or gently dipping dish-like depression areas. Faults and boundaries of different granitic plutons as well as joints govern the formation, locations and strikes of these troughs under development.

BIOCHEMICAL STUDIES ON “SUB-MICROMETER PARTICLES" AT DAYA BAY I. STUDY ON CONCENTRATION, DISTRIBUTION AND CORRELATION OF TRACE METALS IN DIFFERENT SIZE FRACTIONS

This paper discusses the measured concentrations of trace metals in different size fractions at Daya Bay, and describes the features of distribution and variation of lead, copper and cadmium there. On average,16% of Pb,10% of Cu and 8% of Cd which previously would have been considered in the dissolved phase are actually associated with colloidal material. Thus, past studies overestimate the dissolved trace metal concentration. The correlation between the colloidal fraction and the so called dissolved fraction suggests the significant role of colloidal material in the biogeochemistry of trace metals.

Study of monthly variations in primary production and their relationships with environmental factors in the Daya Bay based on a general additive model

In this study, the horizontal and vertical distribution of primary production(PP) and its monthly variations were described based on field data collected from the Daya Bay in January–December of 2016. The relationships between PP and environmental factors were analyzed using a general additive model(GAM). Significant seasonal differences were observed in the horizontal distribution of PP, while vertical distribution showed a relatively consistent unimodal pattern. The monthly average PP(calculated by carbon) ranged from 48.03 to 390.56 mg/(m~2·h),with an annual average of 182.77 mg/(m~2·h). The highest PP was observed in May and the lowest in November.Additionally, the overall trend in PP was spring>summer>winter>autumn, and spring PP was approximately three times that of autumn PP. GAM analysis revealed that temperature, bottom salinity, phytoplankton, and photosynthetically active radiation(PAR) had no significant relationships with PP, while longitude, depth, surface salinity, chlorophyll a(Chl a) and transparency were significantly correlated with PP. Overall, the results presented herein indicate that monsoonal changes and terrestrial and offshore water systems have crucial effects on environmental factors that are associated with PP changes.

Mechanisms of high-frequency dinoflagellate blooms of Scrippsiella trochoidea in Daya Bay,South China Sea

Harmful algal blooms(HABs),such as dinoflagellate blooms,have adverse eff ects on coastal water environments,causing seafood contamination and aquaculture economic losses.Based on historical HAB records data(1983-2017)and phytoplankton data(1982-2008),field investigation and laboratory experiments on frequently bloomed dinoflagellate species,we analyzed the possible mechanisms of high frequency dinoflagellate blooms in Daya Bay,South China Sea.The HAB records data show that the proportion of dinoflagellate blooms increased from 15% before 1994 to 77.27% after 2011.The bloom occurred mostly in summer(57.58%)in Yaling Bay(76.92%).The species inducing dinoflagellate blooms tended to be singular over time,with high proportion of Scrippsiella trochoidea(42.86%-88.88%).Laboratory experiment and field investigation of S.trochoidea bloom showed that this species grew rapidly at 30℃ and 32.1℃(r=0.47,P<0.05),respectively.Results indicate that temperature rise in Yaling Bay was aff ected by nearby nuclear plant effluent,which favored the S.trochoidea bloom.Coincidently,nearly 70% of S.trochoidea blooms occurred in about 7 days after local spring tide and strong wind(wind velocity>7 m/s),which disturbed the resting cysts in the sediment and bring them into surface layer.Taking into account of environmental parameters,algae source,and atmospheric conditions,the probable mechanism of S.trochoidea bloom could be explained.The cysts were resuspended by the spring tide or strong wind,germinated at the bottom layer,reproduced rapidly at higher temperature,and then aggregated in the inner bay(Yaling Bay),resulting the frequent S.trochoidea bloom.Considering the influences of global warming and human activities,it should be taken more attention that dinoflagellate blooms might increase along the coastal waters.

Determination of copper complexation in surface microlayer of Daya Bay and Jiaozhou Bay

Copper complexing ligands concentration (C C) and conditional stability constant of the sea surface microlayer (SML) and subsurface layer (SSL) samples, collected from Daya Bay of Guangdong Province and Jiaozhou Bay of Shandong Province, were determined by anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) technique. C C of Daya Bay in the SML ranged from 6.19×10-7 to 3.52×10-7 mol/L. C C of Jiaozhou Bay in the SML ranged from 5.30×10-7 to 3.03×10-7 mol/L in August 1998 and from 3.46×10-7 to 1.36×10-7 mol/L in May 2000. The C C concentrations were higher in all surface microlayer samples, compared with corresponding subsurface samples. The average enrichment factors of copper complexation in the SML observed above were 1.58, 1.41 and 1.56, respectively. The enrichment of C C concentration in the microlayer demonstrated that organic ligands had certain buffer action on the toxicity of the enriched trace metals in the same layer. Conditional stability constants of the SML in Jiaozhou Bay were lower than those of the SSL; however, it showed just opposite for Daya Bay. BOD (biological oxygen demand) and COD (chemical oxygen demand) indicated the organic matter content, also showed enriched in the SML. C C had an obvious relationship with BOD or COD.

Effect Evaluation of Summer Fishing Moratorium (SFM)in Daya Bay Based on Remote Sensing and Survey Data

[Objective] The paper was to quantitatively evaluate the maintenance effect of summer fishing moratorium （SFM） in Daya Bay. [Method]Based on satellite remote sensing and trawl surveys, the changes in sea surface temperature （SST） , chlorophyll a （Chla） concentration, catchper unit effort （CPUE）, biodiversity, species composition, body length and weight of total catch in Daya Bay before SFM （May 2015） and after SFM（August 2015） were comparatively analyzed. [Result] The CPUE of total catch mainly distributed from 0-10 kg/h before SFM to 0-40 kg/h afterSFM. The average body length and weight of catches increased, indicating that the growth rate of catches was accelerated. The indices of ShannonWiener diversity index （H忆） and Pielou evenness index（J忆） increased by 0.36 and 0.14, respectively, indicating that the community structure wasimproved. The biomass spectra of fishery resources community suggested that the slopes of normalized biomass spectra after SFM was greater than-1, and the biomass of fishery resources increased with the increase of individual body weight after SFM. SFM reduced offshore fishing intensity,recovered and conserved the fishery resources in Daya Bay. [Conclusion] In order to improve the SFM system and promote the sustainable development of coastal fishery resources, it is suggested to prolong the time of SFM appropriately, reduce the number of coastal fishing boats, and strengthen the conservation of fish resources.

Phytoplankton ecology in the adjacent waters of the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station in Guangdong in spring

The purpose of this study is to detail the ecological characteristics of phytoplankton in waters around the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station in Guangdong (GNPS) (Fig. 1) in spring, the bloom period of algae. The collections with a small temporal scale of every three days were made during 30 cruises from March to May in 1987. Such an investigation has never been carried out before in China except that the seasonal distribution and composition of phytoplankton in these regions were reported in