Diatoms as indicators of environmental change in coastal areas:a case study in Lianjiang coast of East China Sea

Owing to the significant differences in environmental characteristics and explanatory factors among estuarine and coastal regions,research on diatom transfer functions and database establishment remains incomplete.This study analysed diatoms in surface sediment samples and a sediment core from the Lianjiang coast of the East China Sea,together with environmental variables.Principal component analysis of the environmental variables showed that sea surface salinity(SSS)and sea surface temperature were the most important factors controlling hydrological conditions in the Lianjiang coastal area,whereas canonical correspondence analysis indicated that SSS and pH were the main environmental factors affecting diatom distribution.Based on the modern diatom species–environmental variable database,we developed a diatom-based SSS transfer function to quantitatively reconstruct the variability in SSS between 1984 and 2021 for sediment core HK3 from the Lianjiang coastal area.The agreement between the reconstructed SSS and instrument SSS data from 1984 to 2021 suggests that diatombased SSS reconstruction is reliable for studying past SSS variability in the Lianjiang coastal area.Three low SSS events in AD 2019,2013,and 1999,together with an increased relative concentration of freshwater diatom species and coarser sediment grain sizes,corresponded to two super-typhoon events and a catastrophic flooding event in Lianjiang County.Thus,a diatom-based SSS transfer function for reconstructing past SSS variability in the estuarine and coastal areas of the East China Sea can be further used to reflect the paleoenvironmental events in this region.

Novel Proposal of Bio-based Sewing Timber Joint:Learning from Diatoms

The twenty-first century is one of the most complex in the history of humanity,mainly due to the ecological crisis it is going through.The construction sector generates about 40%of CO2 emissions into the environment;the foregoing should motivate this sector to seek new alternatives to develop new building practices.Taking these current needs into account,this document classifies and presents a multidisciplinary solution that integrates biology,engineering and architecture to develop a new and innovative lightweight timber structure;it divides with a main structure made of timber and an innovative joint system made of bio-polymers connecting all the panels.Through the study of diatoms,it was able to analyze the bio-morphology of the structure,joints and in particular the geometry since they were the inspiration for the design of this structure that presents an innovative and novel design of structural optimization.Through parametric design and digital fabrication,it was able to create a complex geometry that obtains excellent structural behavior.This research discusses and explores how materials,geometry led to the optimization of a structure and how new structures can arise,thanks to biology new solutions can be obtained that are completely sustainable,being a clear example of how to combat the effects of the climate change and in a precise way it highlights the advantages of the bio-design in the architectural design.

Quantitative relationship between surface sedimentary diatoms and water depth in North-Central Bohai Bay,China

To study the quantitative relationship between surface sedimentary diatoms and water depth,67 surface samples were collected for diatom analysis on eight profiles with water depth variation from the muddy intertidal zone to the shallow sea area in North-Central Bohai Bay,China.The results showed that the distribution of diatoms changed significantly in response to the change in water depth.Furthermore,the quantitative relationship between the distribution of dominant diatom species,their assemblages,and the water depth was established.The water depth optima for seven dominant species such as Cyclotella striata/stylorum,Paralia sulcata,and Coscinodiscus perforatus and the water depth indication range of seven diatom assemblages were obtained in the study area above the water depth(elevation)of-10 m.The quantitative relationship between surface sedimentary diatoms and water depth provides a proxy index for diatom-paleo-water depth reconstruction in the strata in Bohai Bay,China.

Toxic marine diatoms of Hong Kong:A paleoecological study

To determine whether toxic diatoms in Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour have become more common during the last four decades,a gravity core was taken from the anaerobic sediments of Kowloon Bay in the harbour. Analysis of these sediments from a depth of 0-1cm,4-5cm and 9-10cm indicated that 6.4%,2.4% and 1.5% of the diatoms observed at each of these three respective depths belonged to the genus Pseudonitzschia. The abundance of Pseudonitzschia frustules in the surface sediments of Victoria Harbour was significantly higher(p<0.05)than it was in the harbour's deeper and older(ca.1965)sediments. The increase in potentially toxic diatom species over the last 30 years was attributed to a variety of factors including the addition of large amounts of nutrients to Hong Kong's coastal waters as a re- sult of man's activities.

Pigment signatures of some diatoms isolated from China seas

The photosynthetic pigments of 12 species （14 strains） of cultured diatoms from six genera under specific conditions were examined by the HPLC. The diatom genera were Skeletonema, Thalassiosira, Chaetoceros, Nitzschla, Phaeodactylum and Meuniera. All strains were isolated from China seas and most of them were from the Jiaozhou Bay, China. Fifteen pigments were identified and eight of them were various chlorophyll a derivatives. Chlorophyll a, c2 and c1 and the carotenoids fucoxanthin, diadinoxanthin, diatoxanthin and β, β-carotene existed in all species. The ratios of each pigment to chlorophyll a were compared with the results in literatures. The pigment ratios of this study generally fall within the ranges reported by the literatures although the maximum ratio of fucoxanthin to chlorophyll a was higher and the ratios of chlorophyll c and diatoxanthin to chlorophyll a were low. The pigment ratios are useful to understanding the pigment signatures of diatoms in the Jiaozhou Bay, China, and to setting up the chemotaxonomic method of phytoplankton in these sea areas.

STUDIES ON CULTURE CONDITIONS OF BENTHIC DIATOMS FOR FEEDING ABALONE Ⅲ. EFFECTS OF IRON AND SILICON NUTRIENTS AND OF ORTHOGONAL COMBINATIONS OF NITROGEN,PHOSPHORUS,IRON AND SILICON ON GROWTH RATE

Effects of iron and silicon nutrients and of orthogonal combinations of nitrogen, phosphorus, iron and silicon on the growth rate of three benthic diatoms were studied by using an in situ OD measurement method. The results of monofactor tests of ironand silicon shawed that Fe-EDTA was bettef than ferric citrate in the culture of these diatoms;that the favourable concentration of Fe-EDTA was about 0.5 mg/L of Fe and that of silicate was 2.5 mg/L of Si or more.The orthogonal test showed that the optimal concentration ratios(mg/L)of nitrogen, phosphorus, iron and silicon were: 5. 0: 0. 25: 0.5: 2. 0 for Cocconeis scutellum var. parva; 2.5: 1.0: 1.0: 2.0 for Amphora coffeaeformis; and 5.0: 0. 15: 0.5: 2.0 for N. mollis.

Surface sediment diatoms from the western Pacific marginal seas and their correlation to environmental variables

Diatom data of 192 surface sediment samples from the marginal seas in the western Pacific together with modern summer and winter sea surface temperature and salinity data were analyzed.The results of canonical correspondence analysis show that summer sea-surface salinity(SSS) is highly positively correlated with winter SSS and so is summer sea-surface temperature(SST) with winter SST.The correlations between SSSs and SSTs are less positively correlated,which may be due to interactions of regional current pattern and monsoon climate.The correlations between diatom species,sample sites and environmental variables concur with known diatom ecology and regional oceanographic characters.The results of forward selection of the environmental variables and associated Monte Carlo permutation tests of the statistical significance of each variable suggest that summer SSS and winter SST are the main environmental factors affecting the diatom distribution in the area and therefore preserved diatom data from down core could be used for reconstructions of summer SSS and winter SST in the region.

Distribution patterns of benthic diatoms during summer in the Niyang River,Tibet,China

The aim of this study was to investigate the distribution, density, community structure and biodiversity characteristics of benthic diatoms, and to analyze whether differences in species composition and abundance exist in different regions of the Niyang River, Tibet. Among the 157 taxa observed in 15 sampling sites in the main river and tributary, most were casual species （〉100）, the relative abundance of the genera Achnantkes and Fragilaria was 67% of the total relative abundance. Acknantkes minutissima was the most important species and dominated the whole river reaches （average relative abundance was 30%）; the average diatom densities were 7.4 x 105 cell/cm2 at all sites, and increased slowly from the upper section to downriver. The significant indicator taxa with higher relative abundance were Achnanthes biasolettiana （18.0%） and Fragilaria arcus （18.2%）, Fragilaria capucina var. vaucheriae （31.2%）, Fragilaria construens var. renter （11.3%） and Cymbella affinis （11.0%） in the upper, tributary and mid-river sections, respectively. Achnanthes minutissima was the most abundant species （56%） in the downriver section. Biodiversity indices showed a gradual decrease from the up- to down-river section, and dominant species were more abundant in the upper and mid-river sections than in the downriver section. A two-way indictor species analysis （TWINSPAN） of diatom composition clearly showed four different groups, namely the upper, mid, lower and tributary sections. Detrended correspondence analysis （DCA） supported the results of TW1NSPAN, and the characteristics of site distribution and species composition in the Niyang River supported the spatial structure of diatom assemblages. This study indicates that bio-assessment programs utilizing benthic diatoms could clearly benefit lotic water with regional stratification.

Classification of marine diatoms using pigment ratio suites

Diatoms are widely distributed in many temperate areas and some species frequently form extensive blooms in spring. Hence, monitoring the variations of specific genera or species of diatoms is necessary for studying phytoplankton population dynamics in marine ecosystems. To test whether pigment ratios can be used to identify diatoms at a below-class taxonomic level, we analyzed 14 species/strains of diatoms isolated from Chinese seas using high performance liquid chromatography （HPLC）. We normalized all pigment concentrations to total chlorophyll a to calculate the ratios of pigment to chlorophyll a, and calculated the ratios between accessory pigments （or pigment sums）. Cluster analysis indicated that these diatoms could be classified into four clusters in terms of three accessory pigment ratios： chlorophyll c2： chlorophyll Cl, fucoxanthin：total chlorophyll c and diadinoxanthin：diatoxanthin. The classification results matched well with those of biological taxonomy. To test the stability of the classification, pigment data from one species, cultured under different light intensities, and five new species/strains were calculated and used for discriminant analysis. The results show that the classification of diatom species using pigment ratio suites was stable for the variations of pigment ratios of species cultured in different light intensities. The introduction of new species, however, may confuse the classification within the current scheme. Classification of marine diatoms using pigment ratio suites is potentially valuable for the fine chemotaxonomy of phytoplankton at taxonomic levels below class and would advance studies on phytoplankton population dynamics and marine ecology.

TOTAL LIPID AND FATTY ACID COMPOSITION OF EIGHT STRAINS OF MARINE DIATOMS

Fatty acid composition and total lipid content of 8 strains of marine diatoms ( Nitzschia frustrula, Nitzschia closterium, Nitzschia incerta, Navicula pelliculosa,Phaeodactylum tricornutum, Synedra fragilaroides ) were examined. The microalgae were grown under defined conditions and harvested at the late exponential phase. The major fatty acids in most strains were 14:0 (1.0%-6.3%), 16:0 (13.5%-26.4%), 16:1n-7 (21.1%-46.3%) and 20:5n-3 (6.5%-19.5%). The polyunsaturated fatty acids 16:2n-4, 16:3n-4, 16:4n-1 and 20:4n-6 also comprised a significant proportion of the total fatty acids in some strains. The characteristic fatty acid composition of diatoms is readily distinguishable from those of other microalgal groups. Significant concentration of the polyunsaturated fatty acid 20:5n-3 (eicosapentaenoic acid) was present in each strain, with the highest proportion in B222 (19.5%).

STUDIES ON CULTURE CONDITIONS OF BENTHIC DIATOMS FOR FEEDING ABALONE I.EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE AND LIGHT INTENSITY ON GROWTH RATE

Effects of temperature and light intensity on the groWth rate of four species of benthic diatoms for feeding abalone were studied by using a novel method (in situ optical density measurement)which was simple, convenient, fast, accurate and reliable for determining biomass of benthic algae. The results showed that the favourable temperature and light intensity were as follows: for Amphora coffeaeformis, 30℃, 18 W/m2 for Cocconeis scutellum var. parv. 18℃, 20 W/m2; for Navicula Corymbosa, 18℃. 12.4 W/m2;for Navicula mollis, 24℃, 6 W/m2.

PHYTOPLANKTON,ESPECIALLY DIATOMS,IN THE GUT CONTENTS AND FECES OF TWO PLANTIVOROUS CYPRINIDS-SILVER CARP AND BIGHEAD CARP

In order to clarify whether the planktivorous silver carp and bighead carp can collect phytoplanktonas small as Cyclotella(【20μm)in Donghu Lake,studies on phytoplankton in their gut contents and feceswere made in 1990.The fish were cultured in both net cage in Donghu Lake and aquaria with the lakewater.Past the intestine,the average valve diameter of Cyclotella changed little.The average ratio of emptyfrustule of Cyclotella to total Cyclotella in the foregut contents of the fishes were 1.8—1.9 times higherthan that in the lake water,but changed little from foregut to feces.The aquarium experiment showedthat both carps could collect particles as small as 8-10μm, which was obviously narrower than the dis-tance between their gill rakers.Probably,secretion of mucus plays an important role in collecting suchsmall

Early Cretaceous Tectonism and Diatoms in Korea

The Early Cretaceous Sindong Group, a non-marine molasse, unconformably overlies the folded earliest Cretaceous Myogok Formation. The tectonism that folded the Jaseong Synthem including the Myogok and other formations is here called the Nakdong-Jaeryeonggang （N-J） tectonism. The Oknyeobong and Dabokni Formations are discussed to show that they belong to the Jaseong Synthem. The Dabokni Formation yielded fossil diatoms whose age has been referred as the ＂earliest Cretaceous＂ based on the geologically constrained age of the fossil-bearing deposit. The age of the N-J tectonism appears Barremian as it is between the Hauterivian Myogok Formation and the Aptian Sindong Group with the TPN （Trigonioides-Plicatounio-Nippononaia） fauna. The N-J tectonism, an orogeny, quite deformed pre-Aptian strata in Korea, but can hardly find its reported equivalent in NE China. A revised correlation table shows that the Jaseong- Sindong sequence corresponds to the Jehol Group of China. The Sindong-Hayang transition was characterized by basin migration and dextral rotation probably caused by the Tan-Lu fault system in a broad sense.

Decadal variations in diatoms and dinoflagellates on the inner shelf of the East China Sea, China

Diatoms and dinoflagellates are two major groups ofphytoplankton that flourish in the oceans, particularly in coastal zone and upwelling systems, and their contrasting production have been reported in several world seas. However, this information is not available in the coastal East China Sea （ECS）. Thus, to investigate and compare the decadal trends in diatoms and dinoflagellates, a sediment core, 47-cm long, was collected from the coastal zone of the ECS. Sediment chlorophyll-a （Chl-a）, phytoplankton-group specifc pigment signatures of diatoms and dinoflagellates, and diatom valve concentrations were determined. The sediment core covered the period from 1961 to 2011 AD. The chlorophyll-a contents ranged from 2.32 to 73 gg/g dry sediment （dw） and averaged 9.81 gg/g dw. Diatom absolute abundance ranged from 29 152 to 177 501 valve/gram （v/g） dw and averaged 72 137 v/g dw. Diatom valve and diatom specific pigment marker concentrations were not significantly correlated. Peridinin increased after the 1980s in line with intensified use of fertilizer and related increases in nutrient inputs into the marine environment. The increased occurrence of dinoflagellate dominance after the 1980s can be mostly explained by the increase in nutrients. However, the contribution of dinoflagellates to total phytoplankton production （Chl-a） decreased during the final decade of this study, probably because of the overwhelming increase in diatom production that corresponded with the construction of the Three Gorges Dam （TGD） and related light availability. Similarly, the mean ratio of fucoxanthin/peridinin for the period from 1982 to 2001 was 6% less than for 1961 to 1982, while the ratio for 2001 to 2011 was 45.3% greater than for 1982 to 2001. The decadal variation in the fucoxanthirdperidinin ratio implies that dinoflagellate production had been gradually increasing until 2001. We suggest that the observed changes can be explained by anthropogenic impacts, such as nutrient loading and dam construction.

The Impact of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Dynamics on the Kinneret Phytoplankton: II: Chlorophyta, Cyanophyta, Diatoms and Peridinium

Lake Kinneret long-term data of the epilimnetic concentrations (ppm) and loads (tones) of the total Nitrogen (TN), total Phosphorus (TP), total inorganic Nitrogen (TIN), total Dissolved Phosphorus (TDP), Phytoplankton groups’ biomass, water level (WL) and Jordan River Discharge were analyzed. Previously collected data compiled aimed at an insight into the causative background for the modification of Phytoplankton community change. The study was carried out by searching for relations between algal groups’ densities and nutrient conditions in the Epilimnion by the use of statistical methods (Simple and Fractional Polynomial Regressions). The study is aimed at analyzing the relations between algal biomass and nutrient contents. It was found that Nitrogen decline and slight increase of phosphorus were followed by Peridinium (Photo 1)?decline and biomass increase of non-peridinium algae. It is suggested that nitrogen supply for algal growth is mostly from external sources, and the reduction of nitrogen in the epilimnion was caused by external removal. Contrary to nitrogen, phosphorus sourcing is only partly external (dust deposition, drainage basin) and mostly internal through double channels: Microbial mineralization of bottom sediments and Peridinium cysts mediation. The resulted complexity of the Kinneret ecosystem structure is nitrogen limitation, and enhancement of Non-peridinium algal growth, mostly Cyanobacteria.

Past changes in the abundance of diatoms as inferred from a sediment core from Hebe Haven, Saikung, Hong Kong

The purpose of this study was to infer changes in water quality from diatom stratigraphy of a sediment core taken from Hebe Haven, New Territories, Hong Kong, China. Diatoms and diatom fragments were counted in the top (0—5 cm) and bottom (20—25 cm) portions of the core. The core was age dated using 210 Pb and these results were used to calculate a mean sedimentation rate(0 69 cm/a). A significant difference in the total number of diatoms and their relative abundance between the top 0—5 cm and the bottom 20—25 cm was found ( p <0 05). Significantly higher diatom species diversity and a more even diatom species composition occurred at 20—25 cm some 40—60 years ago. This difference was interpreted as a reflection of the water quality changes which have occurred over the last 40—60 years in Hebe Haven. Benthic diatoms once flushed in the clear waters of Hebe Haven as reported by individuals who swam and boated there immediately after WW II. Increased turbidity in recent years has apparently increased the relative abundance of planktonic diatoms at the expense of benthic diatoms which today are unable to receive sufficient light to grow on the bottom of the Hebe Haven Harbor (mean depth about 6 m). The observed increase in planktonic diatom abundance in the top 5 cm of the sediment core was attributed to increased nutrient loading to Hebe Haven over the last three decades.

Analysis of Diatoms of the Water Column and Bottom Sediments of Lake Shira(Khakassia,Russia)

Meromictic lakes are interesting objects for study in terms of paleolimnology.The lamination of the bottom sediments well expressed in these lakes.It is related with permanent stratification of the water column.Through this

Palaeoenvironmental Reconstruction of the Early to Middle Miocene Sequence in West Central Sinai, Egypt, as Revealed from Fossil Diatoms

A detailed analysis of the diatoms from the sedimentary sequence exposed in Abu Qada basin, west central Sinai, was used to determine the palaeoenvironmental changes during the Lower to Middle Miocene. A total of 85 diatom species and varieties belonging to 37 genera were identified from 154 samples collected throughout the stratigraphic succession. The lithological characters of the studied samples varied between sandstone, silty interbeds, sandy shales, shales, and terminated with anhydrite and limestones. These rock units are included in two lithostratigraphic formations （Rudies and Kareem）, which are separated by a marked unconformity. The distribution and preservation of fossil diatoms in the sedimentary record are examined with the aim of outlining the temporal and spatial variation in the composition of the diatom assemblages, in order to estimate the changes in depositional environments during the Lower to Middle Miocene. The distributional pattern of the recorded diatom taxa distinguished four diatom eco-zones. The environment of each eco-zone is deduced and a proposed paleobathymetric change and depositional history of the Miocene sediments in the studied area are given.

Molecular insights into the circadian clock in marine diatoms

The circadian clock is a fundamental endogenous mechanism of adaptation that coordinates the physiology and behavior of most organisms with diel variations in the external environment to maintain temporal homeostasis.Diatoms are the major primary producers in the ocean.However,little is known about the circadian clock in marine diatoms compared with other organisms.Here,we investigated circadian clock genes,their expression patterns,and responses to environmental stimuli such as light,nitrogen and phosphorus in two marine diatoms,Skeletonema costatum and Phaeodactylum tricornutum,using a combination of q RT-PCR and bioinformatic analysis.We identified 17 and 18 circadian clock genes in P.tricornutum and S.costatum,respectively.Despite significant evolutionary differences,these genes were similar to those of the higher plant Arabidopsis.We also established a molecular model for the marine diatom circadian clock comprising an input pathway,core oscillator,output pathway,and valve effector.Notably,the expression patterns of core clock genes(circadian clock associated 1(CCA1),late elongated hypocotyl(LHY)and timing of cab 1(TOC1))in both species differed from those of terrestrial plants.Furthermore,the expression of these genes was influenced by variations in ambient light,nitrogen and phosphorus availability.Although marine diatoms and higher plants share common circadian clock components,their clock genes have diverged throughout evolution,likely as a result of adapting to contrasting environments.