Mechanism of Nutrient Silicon and Water Temperature Influences on Phytoplankton Growth

This paper analyzed how nutrient silicon and water temperature influenced the variation of phytoplankton growth and the change of its assemblage structure, and probed the different characteristics of the variation of phytoplankton growth and the different profiles of the change of its assemblage structure influenced by nutrient silicon and water temperature. Taking Jiaozhou Bay for example, this paper showed the process of both the variation of phytoplankton growth and the change of its assemblage structure, unveiled the mechanism of nutrient silicon and water temperature influencing the variation of phytoplankton growth and the change of its assemblage structure, and determined that nutrient silicon and water temperature were the motive power for the healthy running of the marine ecosystem.

Effects of Aquatic Plants on the Feature of Sediment Resuspension in Lake Taihu

[Objective] The aim was to study effects of aquatic plants on resuspen- sion of sediment in Lake Taihu. [Method] New resuspension simulator was used in the research. Elodea nuttalli, submerged plant, and Phragmites australis, emergent aquatic plant, were grown in substrate sludge with varied planting density set. Study of simulation experiment on the feature of sediment resuspension was carried on under shearing stress of 0.2-0.5 N/m2 and agitation of 1-30 min. [Result] Aquatic plant growing would effectively reduce seston concentration in water. Concentrations of final Suspended Particulate Matter （SPM） in experimental groups and control groups were as follows： water without plant〉coverage of 30% of Elodea nuttalli〉cov- erage of 60% of Elodea nuttalli〉Phragmites australis with concentration of 50 stock/m2〉 coverage of 90% of Elodea nuttalli〉Phragmites australis with concentration of 80 stock/m2〉Phragmites australis with concentration of 150 stock/m2; SPM concentration showed a tendency from increasing to stable with change of stirring time under dif- ferent shearing stresses： SPM concentration was of severe change at early stage in barrel without aquatic plant while change of SPM concentration in barrel with aquatic plant was quite mild and grew smaller with concentration increasing; SPM concentration was reduced much more if Phragmites australis planted compared with that of Elodea nuttalli; under different shearing stresses, reduction of SPM concen- tration by increase of Phragmites australis area was much more than by increase of Elodea nuttalli area. [Conclusion] It would provide powerful scientific reference for control on aquatic environment through comprehensive research on the feature of sediment resuspension.

Characteristics of Phytoplankton and Its Correlation with Water Environment in SFTWs

[Objective] The aim was to carry out study on characteristics of phytoplankton and its correlation with water environment in SFTWs. [Method] Based on the pilot-scale SFTWs in Hongqiao transportation hub of Shanghai,phytoplankton＇s community structure,diversity index and their correlation with water purification performance were investigated. [Result] 57 species of seven phylum of phytoplankton were detected in this tested river,including 12 species of Cyanophyta,2 of Cryptophyta,10 of Bacillariophyta,1 of Xanthophyta,7 of Euglenophyta,1 of Pyrrophyta and 24 of Chlorophyta,respectively. Additionally,it was found that Cyanophyta was the dominant phytoplankton,followed by Bacillariophyta and Cyanophyta. Biological density was far more than 10×105 ind./L,thus it could be considered that the river was eutrophic. The range of Shannon-Wiener index was 0.6-2.2,Pielou index was 0.5-2.5 and Margalef index＇s range was 0.35-0.85,which could further prove that the water was eutrophic. The biological density and species were significantly positively correlated with temperature and N content,indicating that the absorption of N by phytoplankton was the main N-removal pathway in SFTWs. [Conclusion] This study had provided basis for the river regulation and ecological restoration.

Examination of Daytime Length's Influence on Phytoplankton Growth in Jiaozhou Bay, China

This study showed how the daytime length in Jiaozhou Bay affected the water temperature, which in turn affected the phytoplankton growth when solar radiation was sufficient for phytoplankton photosynthesis. Jiaozhou Bay observation data collected from May 1991 to February 1994 were used to analyze the daytime length vs water temperature relationship. Our study showed that daytime length and the variation controlled the cycle of water temperature flunctuation. Should the cyclic variation curve of the daytime length be moved back for two months it would be superimposed with temperature change. The values of daytime length and temperature that calculated in the dynamical model of daytime length lag vs water temperature were consistent with observed values. The light radiation and daytime length in this model determined the photochemistry process and the enzymic catalysis process of phytoplankton photosynthesis. In addition, by considering the effect of the daytime length on water temperature and photosynthesis, we could comprehend the joint effect of daytime length, water temperature, and nutrients, on the spatiotemporal variation of primary production in Jiaozhou Bay.

Silicon limitation on primary production and its destiny in Jiaozhou Bay,China Ⅶ:The complementary mechanism of the earth ecosystem

In this paper, the phenomenon that the variation in nutrient and water temperature could cause changes in phytoplankton growth and structure is examined; and the question of how a marine ecosystem make up the earth ecosystem step by step to auto-sustain the balance between phytoplankton and nutrient supply especially Si is discussed. Three major complementary mechanisms of the earth ecosys- tem for nutrient Si, water temperature and carbon were put forward. Understanding the mechanisms nowadays would explain the why the El Nifio and La Nifia occurred, and forecast the trend of human-impacted the earth, which would alert us with proactive countermeasures.

EXAMINATION OF SILICATE LIMITATION OF PRIMARY PRODUCTION IN JIAOZHOU BAY, CHINA I. SILICATE BEING A LIMITING FACTOR OF PHYTOPLANKTON PRIMARY PRODUCTION

Jiaozhou Bay data collected from May 1991 to February 1994, in 12 seasonal investigations, and provided the authors by the Ecological Station of Jiaozhou Bay, were analyzed to determine the spatiotemporal variations in temperature, light, nutrients (NO - 3 N, NO - 2 N, NH + 4 N, SiO 2- 3 Si, PO 3- 4 P), phytoplankton, and primary production in Jiaozhou Bay. The results indicated that only silicate correlated well in time and space with, and had important effects on, the characteristics, dynamic cycles and trends of, primary production in Jiaozhou Bay. The authors developed a corresponding dynamic model of primary production and silicate and water temperature. Eq.(1) of the model shows that the primary production variation is controlled by the nutrient Si and affected by water temperature; that the main factor controlling the primary production is Si; that water temperature affects the composition of the structure of phytoplankton assemblage; that the different populations of the phytoplankton assemblage occupy different ecological niches for C , the apparent ratio of conversion of silicate in seawater into phytoplankton biomas and D , the coefficient of water temperature’s effect on phytoplankton biomass. The authors researched the silicon source of Jiaozhou Bay, the biogeochemical sediment process of the silicon, the phytoplankton predominant species and the phytoplankton structure. The authors considered silicate a limiting factor of primary production in Jiaozhou Bay, whose decreasing concentration of silicate from terrestrial source is supposedly due to dilution by current and uptake by phytoplankton; quantified the silicate assimilated by phytoplankton, the intrinsic ratio of conversion of silicon into phytoplankton biomass, the proportion of silicate uptaken by phytoplankton and diluted by current; and found that the primary production of the phytoplankton is determined by the quantity of the silicate assimilated by them. The phenomenon of apparently high plant nutrient concentrations but low phytoplankton biomass in some waters is reasonably explained in this paper.

Regime shift in Lake Dianchi(China) during the last 50 years

Lake Dianchi has undergone accelerated alternations resulting from human activities during the last 50 years, and provides an exceptional example for the study of regime shift in a shallow lake. Focusing on regime shift, we systematically studied and analysed alternations of key components of its ecosystem, including water parameters, phytoplankton and zooplankton biomass, macrophyte composition and fish populations. We found that the shifting course of Lake Dianchi went through three major phases, corresponding to three distinct states: Phase I clean, stable state during the 1950 s; Phase II transitional state during the 1970 s–1980 s; and phase III stable, turbid state since 1993. We analysed all data and samples, identifying the threshold concentrations at which regime shift occurred: total nitrogen(TN) and phosphorus(TP) reaching 1.2 mg/L and 0.13 mg/L, respectively. Results from this study strongly suggest that the increasing input of external nutrients, reclaiming land from the lake and foreign fish invasion were major inducements to the accelerated shift of Lake Dianchi to its turbid, stable state. These findings provide valuable guidelines for potential efforts to reverse this unnatural process in Lake Dianchi. The restoration may need to:(1) thoroughly and accurately identify pollution sources to control and reduce excessive external nutrients flowing into the lake;(2) return reclaimed land to the lake and recover the littoral zone to its natural state to facilitate increased restoration of macrophytes; and(3) strategically adjust fish populations by reducing benthivorous and filter-feeding fish populations that prey on zooplankton, while enlarging zooplankton populations to control phytoplankton biomass.

Distribution of nutrients and eutrophication assessment in the Bohai Sea of China

Water samples were collected in 120 stations in the Bohai Sea of China to analyze the distribution of dissolved nutrients and assess the degree of eutrophication in August 2002. The result shows that the average concentration of DIN increased and the PO4-P concentration sharply decreased compared to the previous data of corresponding period. The high concentrations of DIN and PO4-P occurred in coastal waters, especially in the bays and some river estuaries, while the high concentrations of SiO3-Si in the surface and middle depth occurred in the central area of the Bohai Sea. The average ratio of DIN/PO4-P was much higher than the Redfield Ratio （16：1）. Apparently, PO4-P was one of the limiting nutrient for phytoplankton growing in the sea. The average concentrations of DON and DOP were higher than their inorganic forms. The results of eutrophication assessment show that 22.1% of all stations were classified as violating the concentration levels of the National Seawater Quality Standard （GB 3097-1997） for DIN and only 3.9% for PO4-R The average eutrophication index in the overall area was 0.21±0.22 and the high values occurred in Bohai Bay, Liaodong Bay and near the Yellow River estuary. This means that the state of eutrophication was generally mesotrophic in the Bohai Sea, but relatively worse in the bays, especially some river estuaries.

Spatial and temporal variations of Synechococcus and picoeukaryotes in the Taiwan Strait,China

The size-fractionated phytoplankton biomass, and the spatial and temporal variations in abundance of Synechococcus (SYN) and picoeukaryotes (PEUK) were measured in the Taiwan Strait during three cruises (August 1997, February-March 1998, and August 1998). The results show that picophytoplankton and nanophytoplankton dominate the phytoplankton biomass, in average of 38% and 40%, respectively. SYN and PEUK varied over time in abundance and carbon biomass, greater in summer than in winter, in range of (7.70–209.2)×106 and (0.75–15.4)×106 cells/cm2 in the abundance, and 1.93–52.3 and 1.57–32.4 μgC/cm2 in the carbon biomass, for SYN and PEUK, respectively. The horizontal distributions of both groups were diurnal but heterogeneous in abundance, depending on the groups and layer of depths. Temperature is the key controlling factor for picophytoplankton distribution (especially in winter) in the Strait.

Spatial distribution of dimethylsulfide and dimethyl-sulfoniopropionate in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea during summer

The distributions of dimethylsulfide （DMS） and its precursor dimethylsulfoniopropionate （DMSP） in surface water of the Yellow Sea and the Bohai Sea were studied during June 2011. The mean concentrations and ranges of DMS, dissolved DMSP （DMSPd）, and particulate DMSP （DMSPp） in surface waters were 6.85 （1.60-12.36）, 7.25 （2.28-19.05） and 61.87 （6.28-224.01） nmol/L, respectively. There were strong correlations between DMSPp and chlorophyll a in the Bohai Sea and the North Yellow Sea, respectively, and concentrations of DMS and DMSP were high, with a relatively high proportion of dinoflagellates, in the region of the South Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass. Results show that phytoplankton biomass and species composition were important factors that controlled the distribution of DMS and DMSP. Complex environmental factors, including nutrients, transparency, and terrestrial runoff, might also influence the variability in DMS and DMSP. Biological production and consumption rates of DMS in the Bohai Sea were higher than those in the Yellow Sea. DMS production rates were closely correlated with DMSPd concentrations. DMS and DMSP exhibited obvious diel variations, with high concentrations occurring in the late afternoon （16：00-19：00） and low concentrations occurring during the night, implying that the intensity of solar radiation had a significant influence on these variations. Size distributions of chlorophyll a and DMSPp were also investigated and large nanoplankton （5-20 μm）, mainly diatoms, contributed significantly to chlorophyll a and DMSPp at most stations. The average sea-to-air flux of DMS in the study area was estimated to be 11.07 μmol/（m^2·d） during the summer.

Characteristics of nutrients in the Jiulong River and its impact on Xiamen Water, China

Water samples were collected at 20 sites on 4 occasions in 2009 （twice in May, and once in both August and November） along the Jiulong River, South China to examine how nutrient inputs from the Jiulong River could affect the nutrient status of the Xiamen Water. Samples were analyzed for nitrite （NO2-N）, nitrate （NO3-N）, ammonium （NH4-N）, phosphate （PO4-P）, silicate （SiO3-Si）, salinity, and temperature, to determine the nutrient and trophic status of the river. The results indicate that nutrients are derived mainly from river runoff. NO3-N was the main form of DIN in most parts of the river. In addition, NO3-N, DIN, and SiO3-Si behave conservatively. There is a surplus of DIN and SiO3-Si in the river, and PO4-P is a limitation on phytoplankton growth. The concentration of DIN is typically above 0.60 mg/dm3, and higher than 1.00 mg/dm3 in most parts of the river. The concentration of PO4-P is typically above 0.02 mg/dm3, while the concentration of SiO3-Si is higher than 1.00 rag/din3. Between 2003 and 2008, samples were collected 3 times per year （May, August and November） at 27 sites in the Xiamen Water and analyzed for NO2-N, NO3-N, NH4-N, PO4-P, salinity, and temperature. We discovered that the Jiulong River was the key source of DIN into the Xiamen Water, but not PO4-P, indicating the reason of the N/P molar ratio imbalance in the Xiamen Water. In the future, the effects of high DIN concentrations on the phytoplankton communities and marine ecosystems of the Xiamen Water shall be studied.

Distributions of Picophytoplankton and Phytoplankton Pigments Along a Salinity Gradient in the Changjiang River Estuary, China

We investigated the abundance of different picophytoplankton groups and the phytoplankton pigment ratio in relation to environmental factors such as nutrients and suspended solids along a salinity gradient in the Changjiang River Estuary.The average numbers of Synechococcus spp.（Syn） and picoeukaryotes （Euk） were （2.7 ±5.1）×l03 and （1.1±1.4）×l03 cells mL-1,respectively.Prochlorococcus spp.（Pro） was only found in the high-salinity brackish water with the concentration of 3.0× 10^3 cells mL-1.Syn and Euk numbers both tended to increase offshore and Syn showed a larger variation in cell abundance than Euk.The contribution of picophytoplankton to total phytoplankton biomass increased with increasing salinity and decreasing nutrient concentrations from the estuary to the open ocean.The response of different picophytoplankton groups to environmental variables was different.Water temperature was more important in its control over Euk than over Syn,while nutrients were more important in their influence over Syn than over Euk.Phytoplankton pigment ratios were different in the three different ecological zones along the salinity gradient （i.e.,freshwater zone with 0-5 range,fresh and saline water mixing zone with 5-20 range,and high-salinity brackish water zone with 20-32 range）,where three different phytoplankton communities were discovered,suggesting that phytoplankton pigment ratios can be considered as a complementary indicator of phytoplankton community structure in the Changjiang River Estuary.

Silicon limitation on primary production and its destiny in Jiaozhou Bay, China VI: The ecological variation process of the phytoplankton

The combination effect of light, water temperature and nutrients on phytoplankton growth in Jiaozhou Bay is studied in this paper. The order of importance of the influence on phytoplankton growth is de- termined as nutrients, water temperature, and light. The influence of these factors unveiled the mechanism of the influence, and revealed the variation process of the nutrients limiting phytoplankton primary production, and of the water temperature influencing the phytoplankton reproduction capacity, and hence influencing the structure of phytoplankton assemblage. Temporal and spatial quantification shows different stages of the influence by wa- ter temperature and nutrients on the phytoplankton growth. Moreover, the authors expatiated the ideal state of the phytoplankton growth and the reason of red tide occurrence. People should consider in their activity the input of nutrient Si first, and then the variation of water temperature, advocating sustainable development manner.

Study of phytoplankton community in the channel from Dongting Lake to Changjiang River, China

Phytoplankton cell density, biomass, chl-α concentration and their seasonal fluctuations at five stations in the channel between Dongting Lake and the Changjiang （Yangtze） River were studied from May 1995 to December 1997. The seasonal fluctuations had two peaks in a year in general. The annual patterns of total cell density and biomass indicated that diatoms contributed more than 70 percent of the total biomass （except from June to October） during the investigation period. Twenty-one dominant species contributed about 60--80 percent of the biomass in various months. The cell density, biomass and seasonal fluctuation were similar at Stations 1-4, but at Station 5 connected directly with the Changjiang River, the annual mean values （127.34×10^4cells/L and 0.46 mg/L in 1996, 41.98×10^4ceUs/L and 0.2 mg/L in 1997 respectively） were lower than those （ 195.92× 10^4 cells/L and 0.5 mg/L in 1996, 132.96 ×10^4 cells/L and 0.57 mg/L in 1997 respectively） at Station 1-4; and the curve of the seasonal fluctuation sometimes did not coincide with those at Stations 1-4. Based on criteria for evaluating trophic status, the dominant species, annual average cell density values of 114.86× 10^4-179.57× 10^4 cells/L, biomass of 0.48-0.5 mg/L, chl-αconcentration of 0.42-0.51 μg/L respectively recorded at five stations in 1996 and 1997, and values associated with the physico-chemical properties of the waterbody indicated that the water in the channel could be characterized as oligo-mesotrophic.

Tempo-spatial Variation of Nutrient and Chlorophyll-a Concentrations From Summer to Winter in the Zhangzi Island Area (Northern Yellow Sea)

Nutrient and Chlorophyll-a （Chl-a） concentrations were investigated monthly along three transects extending from a mariculturc area to open waters around the Zhangzi Island area from July to December 2009. The objective of this study is to illus- trate food availability to the bottom-sowed scallop Patinopecten yessoensis under the influences of the Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass （YSCWM）, freshwater input and feedbacks of cultivated scallops. Significant thermal stratification was present in open waters from July to October, and salinity decreased in July and August in surface layers in the mariculture area. Nutrient concentrations increased with depth in both areas in summer, but were similar through water column in November and December. On average, nutrient in- creased from summer to autumn in all components except ammonia. Nutrient concentrations lower than the minimum thresholds for phytoplankton growth were present only in upper layers in summer, but stoichiometric nitrogen limitation existed in the entire inves- tigation period. Column-averaged Chl-a concentration was lower in open waters than in mariculture area in all months. It increased significantly in mariculturc area in August and October, and was less variable in open waters. Our results show that nutrients limita- tion to phytoplankton growth is present mainly in upper layer in association with stratification caused by YSCWM in summer. Freshwater input and upwelling of nutrients accumulated in YSCWM can stimulate phytoplankton production in mariculture area. Farming activities may change stoichiometric nutrient ratios but have less influence on Chl-a concentration.

Temporal and spatial distribution of phytoplankton functional groups and role of environment factors in a deep subtropical reservoir

Phytoplankton and environment factors were investigated in 2015 and phytoplankton functional groups were used to understand their temporal and spatial distribution and their driving factors in Wanfeng Reservoir. Seventeen functional groups(B, D, E, F, G, J, Lo, MP, P, S1, T, W1, W2, X1, X2, Xph, Y) were identified based on 34 species. The dominant groups were: J/B/P/D in dry season, X1/J/Xph/G/T in normal season and J in flood season. Phytoplankton abundance ranged from 5.33×10~4 cells/L to 3.65×10~7 cells/L, with the highest value occurring in flood season and lowest in dry season. The vertical profi le of dominant groups showed little differentiation except for P, which dominated surface layers over 20 m as a result of mixing water masses and higher transparency during dry season. However, the surface waters presented higher values of phytoplankton abundance than other layers, possibly because of greater irradiance. The significant explaining variables and their ability to describe the spatial distribution of the phytoplankton community in RDA diff ered seasonally as follows: dry season, NH4-N, NO_3-N, NO_2-N, TN:TP ratio and transparency(SD); normal season, temperature(WT), water depth, TN, NH4-N and NO_3-N; flood season, WT, water depth, NO_3-N and NO_2-N. Furthermore, nitrogen, water temperature, SD and water depth were significant variables explaining the variance of phytoplankton communities when datasets included all samples. The results indicated that water physical conditions and hydrology were important in phytoplankton community dynamics, and nitrogen was more important than phosphorus in modifying phytoplankton communities. Seasonal differences in the relationship between the environment and phytoplankton community should be considered in water quality management.

The Influence of Key Environmental Variables on Phytoplankton Community Structure in the Estuary of Tidal Rivers Around Luoyuan Bay,China

A total of 348 species belonging to 8 phyla and 125 genera were observed in seasonally sampled phytoplankton of tidal rivers from 13 sampling sites around Luoyuan Bay, and all field samplings were carried out in productive period(March/June/August/December) at ebb tide. Bacillariophyta species were the most abundant species, followed by Chlorophyta, Cyanophytes, Euglenophyta, Cryptophyta, Dinophyta, Xanthophyta and Chrysophytas. Seasonal distribution index(SDI) value ranged from 0.63 to 0.86, which meant that species found at those sites in 4 seasons tended to be largely different. Phytoplankton individuals ranged from 5.939×10~4 ind L^(-1) in winter to 75.31×10~4 ind L^(-1) in autumn. Phytoplankton biomass ranged from 0.620 mg L^(-1) in summer to 2.373 mg L^(-1) in autumn. The grey correlation analysis(GCA) showed that the nutrient variables played an important role in the influence on phytoplankton community in every season. The canonical correspondence analysis(CCA) revealed impact of environmental variables on the different species, most of Bacillariophyta species were negative correlation with nutrients(TP and NH_3-N) in the four seasons, Chlorophyta species and Cyanophyta species did not show obvious correlation with environment variables in every season. The combination of GRA analysis and CCA analysis provided a method to quantitatively reveal the correlation between phytoplankton community and environmental variables in water body of tidal rivers at this region.

Modelling Nitrogen and Phosphorus Dynamics in a Mesocosm Pelagic Ecosystem in Laizhou Bay in China

A model of nitrogen and phosphorus dynamics in mesocosm experiments was established on the basis of a summary and synthesis of the existing models. The established model comprised seven state variables(DIN,PO4-P,DON,DOP,phytoplankton,zooplankton and detritus) and five modules - phytoplankton,zooplankton,dissolved inorganic nutrients,dissolved organic nutrients and detritus. Comparison with the in situ experimental data in Laizhou Bay at the end of August 2002 showed that this model could properly simulate the variations of DIN,PO4-P,and phytoplankton biomass in a mesocosm pelagic ecosystem. It was found that not only the model structure but also the parameters adopted were fit for simulation. The sensitivity of the main state variables to the parameter change was assessed by sensitivity analysis. All these results are useful for studying the control mechanism of biogeochemical cycling of nutrients in Laizhou Bay and other Chinese coastal waters.

Temporal dynamics of phytoplankton communities in a semi-enclosed mariculture pond and their responses to environmental factors

Variations in physical-chemical factors, species composition, abundance and biomass of nano-and micro-phytoplankton assemblages, as well as their responses to environmental factors, were investigated over a complete cycle (6 months) in a semi-enclosed shrimp-farming pond near Qingdao, northern China. The aim was to establish the temporal patterns of phytoplankton communities and to evaluate protists as suitable bioindicators to water quality in mariculture systems. A total of 34 taxa with nine dominant species were identified, belonging to six taxonomic groups (dinoflagellates, diatoms, cryptophyceans, chlorophyceans, euglenophyceans and chrysophyceans). A single peak of protist abundance occurred in October, mainly due to chlorophyceans, diatoms and chrysophyceans. Two biomass peaks in July and October were primarily due to dinoflagellates and diatoms. Temporal patterns of the phytoplankton communities significantly correlated with the changes in nutrients, temperature and pH, especially phosphate, either alone or in combination with NO3-N and NH3-N. Species diversity, evenness and richness indices were clearly correlated with water temperature and/or salinity, whereas the biomass/abundance ratio showed a significant correlation with NO3-N. The results suggest that phytoplankton are potentially useful bioindicators to water quality in semi-enclosed mariculture systems.

The Impact of Atmospheric Deposition of Cadmium on Dominant Algal Species in the East China Sea

Cadmium(Cd) mainly derived from anthropogenic emissions can be transported through atmospheric pathway to marine ecosystem,affecting the phytoplankton community and primary productivity.In this study,we identified the toxicity threshold of Cd for phytoplankton under seawater conditions of the coastal East China Sea(ECS) through both laboratory and in situ mesocosm incubation experiments.The mesocosm experiment showed that Cd in low concentration(0.003 μg per μg chl a) was conducive to the growth of natural community and increased chl a productivity.In high concentration(0.03 μg per μg chl a) Cd acted as an inhibiting factor which decreased the total chl a productivity.The diatom community was found to be more sensitive to Cd toxicity than dinoflagellate,as the low concentration Cd showed toxicity to diatom but enhanced dinoflagellate growth.We noticed that the soluble Cd estimated from atmosphere deposition to the coastal ECS was below the toxicity threshold and the Cd deposition might promote phytoplankton growth in this region.In our laboratory experiments,adding Cd,similar to aerosol deposition,stimulated the growth of both dominant algal species Prorocentrum donghaiense Lu(dinoflagellate) and Skeletonema costatum(diatom).Adding Cd on a higher level inhibited the growth of both the species,but Skeletonema costatum seemed obviously more sensitive to toxicity.This indicates the potential impact of atmospheric deposition Cd on phytoplankton community succession in the ECS.