Large scale northward expansion of warm water species Skeletonema tropicum (Bacillariophyceae) in China seas

Skeletonema tropicum is regarded as a species with an affinity to warm waters and it has never been reported in seas where temperatures drop below 11℃ in winter. Previous studies in China reported that S. tropicum was restricted to subtropical and warm temperate seas （East and South China Seas）, but the species was recently found during August cruises of 2009 and 2010 in Jiaozhou Bay, Yellow Sea, located several hundred kilometers to the north. Here, winter water temperatures often drop below 5℃. Identification of S. tropicum was confirmed under light and scanning electronic microscopes and maximum cell abundance in Jiaozhou Bay was estimated as 1.73× 10^4 celI/L. This record of S. tropicum in Jiaozhou Bay represents a significant northward expansion in the geographic range of the species. Ship ballast water was identified as a possible carrier of S. tropicum from southern places along Chinese coastline, and in addition, thermal pollution from local power stations and seawater desalination plants may provide suitable conditions for species over-wintering.

Distribution and pollution assessment of trace metals in seawater and sediment in Laizhou Bay

Selected trace metals （Pb, Cd, Cu, Hg） and arsenic in seawater and surface sediments of Laizhou Bay were determined, to evaluate their spatial distribution, pollution risk and potential ecological risk. Concentrations of the elements were 0.56-2.07, 0.14-0.38, 12.70-18.40, 0.014-0.094, and 1.13- 2.37 μg/L in the seawater and 8.94-32.2, 0.18-0.67, 4.51-30.5, 0.006-0.058, and 5.75-15.3 mg/kg in sediments for Pb, Cd, Cu, Hg and As, respectively. High concentrations of the trace metals and arsenic in seawater and surface sediments were generally observed near the fiver estuary. The pollution risk result of the elements showed that Cu was the prominent trace metal pollutant in seawater, followed by Hg, Pb, Cd and As. The metal complex pollution index in seawater was at a medium level. The most important trace metal pollutant in sediments was Cd, followed by As, Cu, Pb, and Hg. Our pollution assessment suggests that trace metal pollution in Laizhou Bay sediments was at a low level. The potential ecological risk was also low in surface sediment.

Taxonomic description of a new marine ciliate,Euplotes qingdaoensis n. sp.(Ciliophora:Euplotida)

The characteristics and infraciliature of a new euplotid ciliate, Euplotes qingdaoensis n. sp., discovered from the coastal waters of Jiaozhou Bay, northern China, were studied using live observation and silver impregnation. The new marine species is characterized by a slightly flattened body （90-110 um×70- 80 um, in vivo）, an adoral zone of 26-29 membranelles, 10 strong frontoventral and five transverse cirri, two caudal cirri, a single left marginal cirrus, seven dorsal kineties, a middle kinety with about 15 pairs of basal bodies, a silverline system of the double-eurystomus type, and a C-shaped macronucleus.

Water quality and eutrophication in the Guangzhou Sea Zone of the Pearl River estuary

To gain a better understanding of water quality and eutrophication, we investigated the seasonal and spatial distribution of water quality at 17 stations in the Guangzhou Sea Zone （GZSZ）. Nutrients, chlorophyll-a （Chl-a）, salinity, chemical parameters were determined in February, May, oxygen demand, and other physical and chemical August and October from 2005 to 2007. The concentrations showed ranges of 93.2-530.4 μmol/L for dissolved inorganic nitrogen （DIN）, 0.62-3.16 μmol/L for phosphate （PO4-P） and 50-127 μmol/L for silicate （SiO3-Si）, The results indicated that DIN was strongly influenced by domestic sewage coming from Guangzhou City and NO3-N was the main form of DIN in most areas, while concentrations of phosphate and silicate were generally controlled by Pearl River runoff, land-based sources along the land or islands, and algae assimilation. N/P ratios were very high in both dry season and wet season, and varied from 57 to 667, suggesting that P was potentially the most limiting nutrient in the GZSZ. The concentrations of Chl-a were 3-96 μg/L, and were highly correlated with the distribution characteristics of COD, The concentrations of nutrients have increased over the past two decades （1982-2007）. This means it is necessary to control the input of nutrients to the GZSZ, especially that of phosphate.

Observed water current and transport through Qiongzhou Strait during August 2010

The velocity structure of the residual current across an entire section of the Qiongzhou Strait(QS) in summer is presented for the fi rst time. Shipboard Acoustic Doppler Current Profi le measurements, from the mid-region of the QS(110.18°E), were collected on 1–4 August 2010. The diurnal tidal currents had their maximum amplitudes between 4.24 and 20.24 m. Their amplitude along the major axis ranged from approximately 0.55 m/s in the middle part of the strait(20.15°N) to 0.84 m/s in the north part of the strait(20.20°N). Both anticlockwise and clockwise tidal current rotations exist in the QS. During the observation period(neap tide), a signifi cant westward residual current occupied almost the entire study section. Two velocity cores of westward current were observed at the northern part and near the deepest trough, although an eastward current appeared in the middle part of the transect. The deepest core was located near 62 m at 20.13°N, with a maximum velocity of-0.34 m/s. The shallower core was located at approximately 16 m at 20.20°N, with a maximum velocity of-0.33 m/s. The estimated total volume of water transported through the QS was-0.16 Sv. This value is an important boundary condition, applicable to numerical models studying coastal ocean circulation in the northwestern South China Sea.

Mercury distribution in the Jiaozhou Bay

The Jiaozhou Bay is a semi-enclosed bay, Qingdao, China. More than 10 rivers enter the bay, of which most take wastes from industrial and household discharges. According to historical seasonal investigations in May, August, November 1979, the content, distribution, and development of heavy metal mercury are analyzed as a historical reference. Water samples were taken from the surface and bottom. The results revealed clear seasonal and regional changes in both horizontal and vertical directions, and close relation with major discharging rivers and plankton production. The seawater was polluted more seriously in spring than in any other seasons. However, it was the cleanest in winter during which least waste was input with low plankton production. According to historical data, the state of mercury pollution in seawater was worsening in the period, and has been improving in recent years. Terrestrial contamination was the main reason for mercury pollution in the bay.

Study on the Cause and Dynamics of Seawater Intrusion in Laizhou Bay

In this paper, we conduct research on the cause and dynamics of seawater intrusion in the Laizhou bay. To consider modelling the Laizhou bay, we should then take the listed tools into consideration. In actual engineering, wave is a complicated stochastic process. If the numerical value of wave model is a little too large, the wave attenuation should be considered sufficiently, such as wave refraction caused by terrain change, wave attenuation due to submarine friction, wave into the very shallow waters of the broken and small wind area. We integrate the current conition of the Laizhou bay and the further model the seawater intrusion steps. The uncertainty research of ground water solute migration is at present a ground water research area quite popular topic, but the seawater intrusion is the variable density class solute migration issue, applies the uncertainty analysis of seawater intrusion simulation also to have certain difficulty the existing research results. In the future, more simulation will be down to verify the effectiveness.

Taxonomic Distinctness of Macrofauna as an Ecological Indicator in Laizhou Bay and Adjacent Waters

In this paper, we assessed the ecological and biodiversity status in the Bohai Sea through a quantitative survey on mac-rofaunal community at 25 stations in Laizhou Bay and adjacent waters in the autumn of 2006.We tested the robustness and effectiveness of taxonomic distinctness as an ecological indictor by analyzing its correlation with species richness and natural environmental variables and by analyzing other ecological indicators (Shannon-Wiener H' and W statistics from Abundance Biomass Comparison curve).Results so obtained indicated that the benthic environment of the study waters in general is not under major impact of anthropogenic disturbance, but some stations in Laizhou Bay and along the coast of the Shandong Peninsula and even in the central Bohai Sea might be moderately disturbed and showed signs of ecological degradation.The taxonomic distinctness measures △+ and Λ+ were independent of sampling effort and natural environment factors and were compliant to other ecological indicators.Further application of the taxonomic distinctness indicator to assess marine biodiversity and ecosystem health on a larger regional scale with historical data seems promising.

Estimation of Extreme Marine Hydrodynamic Variables in Western Laizhou Bay

Laizhou Bay and its adjacent waters are of great importance to China＇s marine oil and gas development. It is therefore crucial to estimate retttrn-period values of marine environmental variables in this region to ensure the safety and success of maritime engineering and maritime exploration. In this study, we used numerical simulations to estimate extreme wave height, sea current velocity and sea-level height in westem Laizhou Bay. The results show that the sea-level rise starts at the mouth of the bay, increases toward west/southwest, and reaches its maximum in the deepest basin of the bay. The 100-year return-period values of sea level rise can reach 3.4-4.0m in the western bay. The elevation of the western part of the Qingdong Oil Field would remain above the sea sur- face during extreme low sea level, while the rest of the oil field would be 1,6-2.4m below the sea surface. The return-period value of wave height is strongly affected by water depth; in fact, its spatial distribution is similar to the isobath＇s. The 100-year return-period values of effective wave height can be 6m or higher in the central bay and be more than 1 m in the shallow water near shore. The 100-year return-period values of current velocity is about 1.2-1.8 ms-1 in the Qingdong Oil Field. These results provide scientific basis for ensuring construction safety and reducing construction cost,