Inter-annual variations of dissolved oxygen and hypoxia off the northern Changjiang River(Yangtze River) Estuary in summer from 1997 to 2014

Hypoxia off the Changjiang River Estuary has been the subject of much attention,yet systematic observations have been lacking,resulting in a lack of knowledge regarding its long-term change and drivers.By revisiting the repeated surveys of dissolved oxygen(DO) and other relevant hydrographic parameters along the section from the Changjiang River Estuary to the Jeju-do in the summer from 1997 to 2014,rather different trends were revealed for the dual low-DO cores.The nearshore low-DO core,located close to the river mouth and relatively stable,shows that hypoxia has become more severe with the lowest DO descen ding at a rate of -0.07 mg/(L·a) and the thickness of low-DO zone rising at a rate of 0.43 m/a.The offshore core,centered around 40-m isobath but moving back and forth between 123.5°-125°E,shows large fluctuations in the minimum DO concentration,with the thickness of low-DO zone falling at a rate of -1.55 m/a.The probable factors affecting the minimum DO concentration in the two regions also vary.In the nearshore region,the decreasing minimum DO is driven by the increase in both stratification and primary productivity,with the enhanced extension of the Changjiang River Diluted Water(CDW) strengthening stratification.In the offshore region,the fluctuating trend of the minimum DO concentration indicates that both DO loss and DO supplement are distinct.The DO loss is primarily attributed to bottom apparent oxygen utilization caused by the organic matter decay and is also relevant to the advection of low-DO water from the nearshore region.The DO supplement is primarily due to weakened stratification.Our analysis also shows that the minimum DO concentration in the nearshore region was extremely low in 1998,2003,2007 and 2010,related to El Ni?o signal in these summers.

Stability of the Stratification of Water Bodies in the North Passage of the Yangtze River Estuary Based on the EFDC Model

To study the stratified stability of a water column in the North Passage of the Yangtze River Estuary,a numerical model of the hydrodynamics of this estuary is established using the EFDC model.On the basis of EFDC results,this paper derives and pro-vides the discriminative index of water body stability caused by salinity and analyzes the along-range variation in water body strati-fication stability in the North Passage of the Yangtze River Estuary and the periodic variation at a key location(bend area)based on the simulation results of the numerical model.This work shows that the water body in the bend area varies between mixed and strati-fied types,and the vertical average flow velocity has a good negative correlation with the differential velocity between the surface and bottom layers of the water body.The model simulation results validate the formulae for the stratified stability discriminant during spring tides.

Effects of phosphorus limitation on sinking velocities of phytoplankton during summer in the Changjiang River Estuary

The sinking of phytoplankton is critical to organic matter transportation in the ocean and it is an essential process for the formation of coastal hypoxic zones.This study was based on a field investigation conducted during the summer of 2022 in the Changjiang River(Yangtze River) Estuary(CJE) and its adjacent waters.The settling column method was employed to measure the sinking velocity(SV) of different size fractions of phytoplankton at the surface of the sea and to analyze their environmental control mechanisms.The findings reveal significant spatial variation in phytoplankton SV(-0.55-2.41 m/d) within the CJE.High-speed sinking was predominantly observed in phosphate-depleted regions beyond the CJE front.At the same time,an upward trend was more commonly observed in the phosphate-rich regions near the CJE mouth.The SV ranges for different sizefractionated phytoplankton,including micro-(>20 μm),nano-(2-20 μm),and picophytoplankton(0.7-2 μm),were-0.50-4.74 m/d,-1.04-1.59 m/d,and-1.24-1.65 m/d,respectively.Correlation analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between SV and dissolved inorganic phosphorus(DIP),implying that the influence of DIP contributes to SV.The variations in phytoplankton alkaline phosphatase activity suggested a significant increase in SV across all size fractions in the event of phosphorus limitation.Phytoplankton communities with limited photo synthetic capacity(maximum photochemical efficience,Fv/Fm <0.3) were found to have higher SV than that of communities with strong capacity,suggesting a link between sinking and alterations in physiological conditions due to phosphate depletion.The findings from the in situ phosphate enrichment experiments confirmed a marked decrease in SV following phosphate supplementation.These findings suggest that phosphorus limitation is the primary driver of elevated SV in the CJE.This study enhances the comprehension of the potential mechanisms underlying hypoxic zone formation in the CJE,providing novel insights into how nearshore eutrophication influences organic carbon migration.

Coastal hypoxia response to the coupling of catastrophic flood,extreme marine heatwave and typhoon:a case study off the Changjiang River Estuary in summer 2020

Massive bodies of low-oxygen bottom waters are found in coastal areas worldwide,which are detrimental to coastal ecosystems.In summer 2020,the response of coastal hypoxia to extreme weather events,including a catastrophic flooding,an extreme marine heatwave,and Typhoon Bavi,is investigated based on multiple satellite,four cruises,and mooring observations.The extensive fan-shaped hypoxia zone presents significant northward extension during July-September 2020,and is estimated as large as 13 000 km^(2) with rather low oxygen minimum(0.42 mg/L) during its peak in 28-30 August.This severe hypoxia is attributed to the persistent strong stratification,which is indicated by flood-induced larger amount of riverine freshwater input and subsequent marine heatwave off the Changjiang River Estuary.Moreover,the Typhoon Bavi has limited effect on the marine heatwave and coastal hypoxia in summer 2020.

Spatiotemporal changes of biogenic elements in the Changjiang River Estuary and adjacent waters in summer over the last decade

The long-term spatiotemporal changes of surface biogenic elements in the Changjiang River Estuary and adjacent waters during the summer of 2008–2016 were analyzed in this study.The concentrations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen(DIN),soluble reactive phosphate(PO_(4)^(3−))and silicate(SiO_(3)^(2−))were generally stable,with a slight decrease of DIN and PO_(4)^(3−),and a slight increase of SiO_(3)^(2−),which mainly occurred in the estuarine waters.The grey correlation analysis was carried out between biogenic elements and chlorophyll a(Chl-a).Results showed that compared with the absolute values of biogenic elements,the correlations between the concentration ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus(N/P),ratio of silicon to nitrogen(Si/N)and Chl-a were closer,indicating the important influence on phytoplankton by the structure of biogenic elements.The study area was generally in a state of potential P limitation,and could have potential impact on the phytoplankton community,triggering the shift of red tide dominant species from diatoms to dinoflagellates.

Diel,seasonal,and annual variations of fish assemblages in intertidal creeks of the Changjiang River estuary

The use patterns of salt marsh habitats by fish assemblages were investigated in two welldeveloped intertidal creeks in the Changjiang(Yangtze)River estuary on spatial and temporal scales.Samples were collected using fyke nets at two sites during day and night in each season throughout four years.Notable changes in fish assemblages were detected over seasonal and interannual cycles,with many more marine species present in winter assemblages,whereas freshwater and estuarine species characterized the other seasonal samplings.The appearance of catadromous species in intertidal creeks mainly depended upon their specific physiological requirements,such as spawning migration.No significant diel shifts were observed in fish assemblages.This diel pattern may be a combined consequence of avian predation pressure and other drivers(i.e.,inherent living behaviors,food availability,and predation by piscivorous fishes).The spatial difference in fish community was insignificant even though the two intertidal creeks were different in size.Intertidal creeks with different size could possess similar ecological value for fish fauna.Redundancy analysis(RDA)showed that biological factors exerted greater effects on fish assemblages than physical variables.Temporal variations were strongly facilitated by food availability,but negatively impacted by avian predation.Salinity,water temperature,and river runoff had weak influence on temporal variations of fish communities.The lengthfrequency distribution showed that the fish collected in these two sites mainly consisted of young-of-year and juvenile fish,which confirmed that the creeks provided important nursery and forage roles in the process of fish ontogenetic development.Further,we proposed that salt marsh conservation management should be equally applied to all well-developed intertidal creeks regardless of creek size.

Exploration of the Mechanisms for the Low Sensitivity of Deposition Flux to Upstream Sediment Reduction in the North Passage, Yangtze Estuary

Deltas are densely populated industrialized regions,and home to important ports and navigation channels.Due to human interferences,the Yangtze Estuary has experienced a significant reduction in sediment load caused by the Three Gorges Dam(TGD),as well as adjustment to local morphodynamics by the Deep-water Navigation Channel(DNC).While the dramatic reduction in sediment triggers the increased channel erosion,the deposition flux of the DNC located at the estuary mouth has little change.To explore the physical mechanism of this phenomenon,a two-dimensional model is used to establish the relationship between sediment load and the sediment budget of channels based on the bathymetry in 2016.Model results show that the tidal reach and the inner estuary have a negative sediment budget.And the seasonal characteristics of water and sediment fluxes become less obvious downstream.Sensitivity analysis shows that the influence of upstream sediment load on deposition flux decreases along the channel,with a transition from deposition to erosion occurring in the tidal reach.For the last-level bifurcation,the annual siltation of sediment in the North Passage(NP)decreases by 4.5%with low sensitivity.This is attributed to the reduction of sediment load partially mitigated by riverbed erosion and cascade bifurcations.In addition,the lateral sediment supply,which accounts for 68%of the sediment input in the NP,is stable.Overall,this study strengthens the understanding of the relationship between sediment load and artificially deepened systems,thus allowing for better management of estuarine sediment and navigation channel.

Mechanism of the Impact of Floods and Typhoons on the Morphological Evolution of the Yangtze Estuary

In the last two decades,the Yangtze Estuary has undergone significant changes under the influence of reduced sediment inflow and estuary engineering.This study investigates the influence of floods and typhoons on sediment concentration and the morphological evolution of shoals and channels in the Yangtze Estuary.The analysis is conducted through the utilization of topographic data measured pre-and post-flood events and observations of hydro-sedimentary changes during typhoons.By using a generalized estuary mathematical model,this study examines the interplay between varying tidal ranges,tidal divisions,runoff volumes,and regulation projects on the erosion and deposition of shoals and channels in bifurcated estuaries.The results show that due to the implementation of river and waterway regulation projects,the impact of the 2020 flood on the main channel and shoal was significantly less than that of the1998 flood.The swing amplitude of the South Branch main channel decreased.However,local river sections such as the Southern Waterway of Baimao Shoal exhibited erosion.During typhoons,sediment concentration in the 20 cm above the bottom increased significantly and was closely related to wave processes,with a weakened correlation to tidal dynamics.After typhoons,high shoals in South Passage above 0 m were silted up,while the terrain on one side of the tail of Jiuduan Shoal in the downstream deep-water area was generally scoured due to strong wave action.The generalized mathematical model of the bifurcated estuary revealed that M2 tidal component contributed most to the ero sion and deposition evolution of estuary shoals and channels,with floods exhibiting characteristics of sedime ntation on shoals and erosion on channels.With the implementation of a branch rectification project,branch resistance increased,diversion decreased,and the riverbed changed from pre-project erosion to post-project sedimentation,with an increase in erosion in non-project branches.

Study on Volume Variation and Stability of Riverbed in the Yangtze Estuary

In recent years,regional floods and typhoons have occurred in the Yangtze Estuary.Changing dynamic conditions and dramatic reduction of sediment discharge in the basin are affecting the dynamic equilibrium pattern of the Yangtze Estuary.Based on the field measurement data and theoretical derivation,this paper analyzed the changing process of runoff-sediment discharge into the sea after the operation of the Three Gorges Project(TGP),and the tidal dynamics and sediment variation characteristics of the Yangtze Estuary.The erosion of South Branch mainly occurs in the channel below-10 m contour,and the riverbed volume below contours 0 m and-10 m has a good correlation with the sediment discharge of Datong Station in the previous year.On this basis,the ratio of the horizontal distance from the starting point to the section centroid below the average water level(B_c)and the water depth at the section centroid(H_c)was proposed to describe the change of the section shape.The relationships between the water-diverting ratio,the sediment-diverting ratio and the water-diverting angle,the conditions of runoff and sediment discharge from the upper reach and the characteristics of the riverway section were established,and the theoretical calculation equations of the water-diverting ratio,the sediment-diverting ratio and the diverting angle of each bifurcation were also established.

Distribution and Controlling Factors of Dissolved Gaseous Mercury and Reactive Mercury in Seawater Near Yangtze River Estuary

Complex hydrocultural conditions in the estuary affect the migration and transformation of mercury.Using two voyages in July and October 2018,Dissolved Gaseous Mercury(DGM)and Reactive Mercury(RHg)were determined to explore the source,transformation and influence of DGM content in the adjacent waters of Yangtze River Estuary in summer and autumn.The results showed the contents of DGM and RHg in summer were higher than those in autumn,and both of them were higher than those in open sea.In summer and autumn,the Yangtze River brought a higher concentration of DGM,and different flow direction and runoff resulted in differences in the high value region of the surface.The emergence of low-oxygen zones in summer was conducive to the production of DGM.In autumn,windy weather allowed seawater disturbances to promote the release of mercury from the underlying sediments,especially in shallow sea in northwest.RHg showed a higher concentration in the offshore than in the open sea in summer,but there was no such trend in autumn,reflecting the influence of less runoff input.DGM is the main product of RHg reduction,and there was a significant positive correlation between DGM and RHg in summer(r=0.356,P<0.05),while the correlation between DGM and RHg was not significant in autumn due to the influence of light intensity,wind speed and nutrients.The exchange flux of mercury in the adjacent waters of the Yangtze River Estuary was higher than that in the open sea.There was no significant difference of the release flux of mercury in summer and autumn.This article highlighted that the input of mercury from the Yangtze River runoff promotes the release of mercury in seawater,and the hypoxic zone caused by eutrophication is conducive to the production of DGM.

Vertical structure of tidal currents in the Xuliujing Section of Changjiang River Estuary

Three long-term fixed acoustic Doppler current profilers were first used for investigating the vertical structure of tidal currents in Xuliujing Section of Changjiang River Estuary.Moreover,three different periods(spring,summer and fall)were also considered for investigating seasonal variations.The semi-diurnal tides were the most energetic,with along-channel speed of up to 80 cm/s for M_(2)constituent,which dominates at all stations with percent energy up to 65%–75%during seasons.The shape of tidal ellipses of the most energetic semi-diurnal constituent M_(2)showed obvious polarization of the flow paralleling to the riverbank,with the minor semi-axis being generally less than 20%of the major one.The maximum velocity of mean current is appeared in top layers at all the three stations,and the velocity decreased with the depth.The seasonal variations of direction are also observed,which is probably caused by complex local topography since the erosion and deposition in riverbed.Observed vertical variation of four parameters of M_(2)ellipses,agreed well with the optimally fit frictional solutions in top and middle layers.However,there was an obvious difference between frictional model and observed data in the lower water column.Discrepancies are probably on account of stratification,which strengthens in summer and fall due to the freshening influence of the Changjiang River Estuary outflow.

Diatom-based dissolved inorganic nitrogen reconstruction in the Changjiang River estuary and its adjacent areas

A five-component weighted average partial least squares(WA-PLS)calibration model was developed by analysing diatom assemblages in 34 surface sediment samples(collected in 2015)from the Changjiang River estuary(CRE)and its adjacent areas to infer dissolved inorganic nitrogen(DIN)concentrations.Eighteen additional sets of surface sediment diatoms and corresponding upper water DIN data(collected in 2012)were used to evaluate the accuracy of the model,and the relationship between observed and diatom-inferred DIN(DI-DIN)values(R2=0.85)illustrated the strong performance of the transfer function,indicating that precise reconstructions of former DIN are possible.The diatom-DIN transfer function was applied to the diatom record from a sediment core DH8-2(1962‒2012)collected in the Fujian-Zhejiang area south of the CRE.The reconstruction based on the DI-DIN model showed a significant DIN increase from 1962-2012,reflecting the influence of human activities on the very large increase in eutrophication.Three distinct periods can be seen from the changes in DIN and diatom taxa.In the 1962-1972 period,the DIN content was relatively low,with an average of 5.94μmol/L,and more than 80%of the diatom species identified were benthic taxa.In the 1972-2004 period,as the impact of human activities intensified,large nutrient inputs caused the DIN content to increase,with an average of 8.25μmol/L.The nutrient inputs also caused a significant change in the nutrient components and a distinct increase in small planktonic taxa.In the 2004-2012 period,the DIN content continued to rise,fluctuating at approximately 10μmol/L.A continuous increase in the frequency of planktonic taxa(up to 65.48%)indicated that eutrophication was further intensified,which was confirmed by the transformation from diatom-induced red tide to dinoflagellate-induced red tide during this period.

Prokaryotic diversity and community composition in the surface sediments of the Changjiang River Estuary in summer

Microorganisms are fundamental for the functioning of marine ecosystems and are involved in the decomposition of organic matter, transformation of nutrients and circulation of biologically-important chemicals. Based on the complexity of the natural geographic characteristics of the Changjiang River Estuary, the geographic distribution of sedimentary microorganisms and the causes of this distribution are largely unexplored. In this work, the surface sediment samples from the adjacent sea area of the Changjiang River Estuary were collected. Their prokaryotic diversity was examined by high-throughput sequencing technology, and the environmental factors of the bacterial community were investigated. The results indicated that the distribution of prokaryotic communities in the sediments of the study areas showed obvious spatial heterogeneity. The sampling sequences divided the sample regions into three distinct clusters. Each geographic region had a unique community structure, although Proteobacteria, Bacteroidota, Desulfobacterota, Acidobacteriota, and Actinobacteriota all existed in these three branches. Canonical correspondence analysis demonstrated that prokaryotic diversity and community distribution were significantly correlated with the geographic location of sediment, seawater depth, and in particular, nutrient content(e.g., total phosphorus, total organic carbon and dissolved oxygen). Moreover, it was found for the first time that the metal ions obviously affected the composition and distribution of the prokaryotic community in this area. In general, this work provides new insights into the structural characteristics and driving factors of prokaryotic communities under the background of the ever-changing Changjiang River Estuary.

Regulation of Water Masses to Hypoxia Zones in the Changjiang Estuary

The regulating ways of different water masses affecting the locations and intensities of hypoxia zones were studied based on the time-space continuum data from August 2011 to 2013–2017.The 6-year distribution of the hypoxic area in the Changjiang Estuary(CE)and its adjacent waters show that the hypoxic area can be divided into two segments.The southern segment is out of the south branch of the CE,whereas the northern segment is in the junction zone between the South Yellow Sea and the CE.The two segments were divided along the 31.5°–32°N latitude line.The northern and southern segments were dominated by the East China Sea shelf water(ECSSW)and Kuroshio subsurface water(KSW),respectively.When the KSW(salinity>34)intrusion reached the east of 123°E and south of 31°N,hypoxia zones mainly occurred in the southern segment covered by the Changjiang Diluted Water(CDW),meanwhile the Yellow Sea cold water mass may emerge in the northeastern area.When the KSW intensely invaded westward to the region between 122°and 122.5°E and northward to 31.5°N or further north,hypoxia zones appeared in the northern segment.The strength of the KSW with low dissolved oxygen concentration is the basic driving factor for the hypoxia occurrence in the CE.Moreover,the stratification is crucial for the southern segment,whereas the organic matter decomposition is dominated for the northern segment,even with severe hypoxia across the sea surface in the study area.

Yangtze River Estuary No.2 Ancient Vessel:An Important Discovery of Underwater Archaeology in China

Under the warm sun at noon in early winter,the special salvage ship loaded with Yangtze River Estuary No.2 Ancient Vessel slowly entered the No.1 dock of the former site of Shanghai Shipyard.The curved beam caisson was seated,marking the successtul completion of the overall salvage of the ancient vessel.Then came a new stage of archaeological excavation,overall protection of cultural heritage and museum construction planning.

Peaked abundance of Calanus sinicus earlier shifted in the Changjiang River (Yangtze River) Estuary:a comparable study between 1959,2002 and 2005

The sea surface temperature （SST） of the East China Sea （ECS） increased in the past decades, which may have a great impact on the ecosystem of the ECS, including the changes in planktonpopulation structure. In this paper, the changes in peaked abundance of Calanus sinicus in the Changjiang River （Yangtze River） Estuary were compared between 1959 and 2002, based on the data collected from the seasonally oceanographic cruises and those performed in spring of 2005. It was much higher in spring compared with that in other seasons both in 1959 and 2002. Furthermore, in spring 2005, the time for occurrence and decrease of the peaked C. sinicus abundance advanced about one month, accompanying the increase in the sea surface water temperature （SST）. It peaked in June and decreased in July in 1959, however, in 2005, it peaked in May and attenuated sharply in early June. The earlier decrease of peaked C. sinicus abundance may further deteriorate the ecosystem in the Changjiang River Estuary and north nearshore of the ECS.

The environment effect on fish assemblage structure in waters adjacent to the Changjiang(Yangtze) River estuary(1998-2001)

We collected fish abundance data in the Changjiang(Yangtze River) estuary and adjacent waters in November 1998,May 1999,November 2000,and May 2001.Using the data,we evaluated the characteristics of the fish assemblages at each site and investigated the effect of several environmental factors.We used a multivariate analysis,including community ordination methods such as detrended correspondence analysis(DCA) and canonical correspondence analysis(CCA),and two-way indicator species analysis(TWINSPAN).We analyzed the biological community structure and environmental factors to determine their spatial distributions,temporal dynamics,and seasonal variations.Among the fish species,five exceeded 5% of the total abundance:Harpodon nehereus(42.82%),Benthosema pterotum(13.85%),Setipinna taty(11.64%),Thryssa kammalensis(9.17%) and Apogonichthys lineatus(6.49%).These were separated into four ecological assemblages:hypsithermal-saline,hypsithermal-brackish,hypothermal-brackish,and hypothermal-saline.We evaluated the degree of influence of environmental factors on the fish community.Our analyses suggested that environmental factors including water depth,salinity,turbidity,transparency,nutrient,and suspended matter formed a synthetic spatial gradient between the coastal and pelagic areas.Ecological and environmental factors changed temporally from 1998 to 2001,and drove the fish community succession.The environmental factors driving the fish community structure included bottom temperature,water depth,bottom and surface pH,surface total phosphorous,and bottom dissolved oxygen.This investigation was completed before completion of the Three Gorges Dam;therefore the results of this study provide an important foundation for evaluating the influence of the human activities.

Spatial distribution and deposition history of nonylphenol and bisphenol A in sediments from the Changjiang River(Yangtze River) Estuary and its adjacent East China Sea

Nonylphenol（NP） and bisphenol A（BPA） are endocrine disruptors causing harmful effects including feminization and carcinogenesis to various organisms,and consequently,their contamination in natural environment has received wide concerns.This study reports the distribution characteristics of NP and BPA in surface sediments and their deposition history based on a dated sediment core in the Changjiang River（Yangtze River） Estuary and its adjacent East China Sea.The contents of NP and BPA in surface sediments ranged from 1.56-35.8 and 0.72-13.2 ng/g（dry mass）,respectively,with high values recorded in the two mud zones,the Changjiang River Estuarine Mud Zone and the Zhejiang Coastal Mud Zone.High values in the Zhejiang Coastal Mud Zone suggest the possibility of long distance transport of both contaminants through the Changjiang riverine plume.The contents were not correlated with the distance from the pollution source,indicating other factors including particle deposition rate and sediment grain size obviously affecting the distribution pattern.NP was also detected in a sediment core at layers deposited from the year of 1971 to 2001 with contents of up to 20.9 ng/g（dry mass）.The deposition fluxes of NP varied from 0.68 to 17.9 ng/（cm^2 · a） with peaks and valleys reflecting the traces of economic development history in China during the previous three decades.BPA was detected at sediment layers deposited from 1973 to 2001 with contents of up to 3.66 ng/g.The fluxes of BPA varied from 0.62 to 3.13 ng/（cm^2 · a） showing a similar pattern as NP.The contents of NP and BPA also indicated potential risks on benthic organisms in the study area.

Meiofauna distributions at the oxygen minimum zone in Changjiang (Yangtze) River Estuary waters

A quantitative study on meiofauna was carried out along a transect throughout the Changjiang Estuary＇ s oxygen minimum zone （OMZ） in the East China Sea. There exist two distinct station groups in the OMZ： the fine-grained hypoxic area and the more fine-grained anoxie area. Meiofauna abundance ranged from （ 101.5±31.0） ind./cm^2 （ hypoxie area） to （369.9±123.9） ind./cm^2（ anoxic area） along the transect. Free-living marine nematodes were the numerically dominant meiofauna at every station. The anoxic area differed significantly in meiofauna abundance and vertical distribution pattern from the hypoxic area. Within the anoxic area, nematodes abundance increased and amounted to over 90% of the total meiofauna; about 50% of nematodes were found in the 2-5 and 5-8 cm layers. At hypoxie stations, about over 85 % were restricted to the top 2 cm. Benthic eopepod abundance and dominance decreased consistently with the oxygen gradient. The pattern of meiofauna biomass was similar to that of abundance. The correlation analysis of the meiofauna numbers and environmental parameters indicated that abundance and biomass of total meiofauna and nematodes had significant or highly significant （ P 〈 0.05 or P 〈 0.01 ） correlations with Chl a and Pha a, but no significant （ P 〉 0.05 ） correlations with bottom-water oxygen （ BWO2 ）. On the other hand, there was a highly significant positive correlation between benthic eopepod abundance and bottom-water oxygen （P 〈 0.05 ）. The investigation on the nematode community structure indicated that two different nematode communities existed in hypoxic and anoxic areas. In certain way, the shift in nematode species composition distinguishes the anoxia to hypoxia. Nematode diversity was generally lower within the anoxic stations than the hypoxic ones, but the difference was not significant. Indices of the nematode community structure varied in relation to the bottom-water oxygen together with bottom-water temperature, Chl a concentration and median grain size of sediment.

A numerical study on water diversion ratio of the Changjiang(Yangtze)estuary in dry season

We studied the flood, ebb and tidal averaged along (net) water diversion ratio (WDR) during dry season in the Changjiang (Yangtze) estuary, China, along with the effects of northerly wind, river discharge, tide and their interactions on WDR using the improved version of three-dimensional numerical model ECOM. Using data for annual mean wind speed and river discharge during January, we determined that the flood, ebb, net WDR values in the North Branch of the estuary were 3.48%, 1.68%,-4.06% during spring tide, and 4.82%, 2.34%,-2.79% during neap tide, respectively. Negative net WDR values denote the transport of water from the North Branch into the South Branch. Using the same data, the corresponding ratios were 50.09%, 50.92%, 54.97%, and 52.33%, 50.15%, 43.86% in the North Channel and 38.56%, 44.78%, 103.96%, and 36.92%, 43.17%, 60.97% in the North Passage, respectively. When northerly wind speed increased, landward Ekman transport was enhanced in the North Branch, increasing the flood WDR, while the ebb WDR declined and the net WDR exhibited a significant decrease. Similarly, in the North Channel, the flood WDR is increased, the ebb WDR reduced, and the net WDR showed a marked decrease. In the North Passage, the flood WDR also increased while the ebb and net WDR declined. As the river discharge increased, the flood and ebb WDR of the North Branch increased slightly and the net WDR increased markedly. In the North Channel the flood and ebb WDR changed very slightly, while the net WDR declined during spring tides and increased during neap tides. The WDR in the North Passage changed slightly during flood and ebb tides while the net WDR showed a marked increase. The WDR values of different bifurcations and the responses to northerly wind, river discharge, and tide are discussed in comparison with variations in river topography, horizontal wind-induced circulation, and tidal-induced residual current.