Seasonal influence of freshwater discharge on spatio-temporal variations in primary productivity, sea surface temperature, and euphotic zone depth in the northern Bay of Bengal

Ocean productivity is the foundation of marine food web,which continuously removes atmospheric carbon dioxide and supports life at sea and on land.Spatio-temporal variability of net primary productivity(NPP),sea surface temperature(SST),sea surface salinity(SSS),mixed layer depth(MLD),and euphotic zone depth(EZD) in the northern B ay of Bengal(BoB) during three monsoon seasons were examined in this study based on remote sensing data for the period 2005 to 2020.To compare the NPP distribution between the coastal zones and open BoB,the study area was divided into five zones(Z1-Z5).Results suggest that most productive zones Z2 and Zl are located at the head bay area and are directly influenced by freshwater discharge together with riverine sediment and nutrient loads.Across Z1-Z5,the NPP ranges from 5 315.38 mg/(m^(2)·d) to 346.7 mg/(m^(2)·d)(carbon,since then the same).The highest monthly average NPP of 5 315.38 mg/(m^(2)·d) in February and 5 039.36 mg/(m^(2)·d) in June were observed from Z2,while the lowest monthly average of 346.72 mg/(m^(2)·d) was observed in March from Z4,which is an oceanic zone.EZD values vary from 6-154 m for the study area,and it has an inverse correlation with NPP concentration.EZD is deeper during the summer season and shallower during the wintertime,with a corresponding increase in productivity.Throughout the year,monthly SST shows slight fluctuation for the entire study area,and statistical analysis shows a significant correlation among NPP,and EZD,overall positive between NPP and MLD,whereas no significant correlation among SSS,and SST for the northern BoB.Long-term trends in SST and productivity were significantly po sitive in head bay zones but negatively productive in the open ocean.The findings in this study on the distribution of NPP,SST,SSS,MLD,and EZD and their seasonal variability in five different zones of BoB can be used to further improve the management of marine resources and overall environmental condition in response to climate changes in BoB as they are of utmost relevance to the fisheries for the three bordering countries.

Temporal-spatial variations of euphotic depth of typical lake regions in Lake Taihu and its ecological environmental significance

By using the data of underwater irradiance measured in the different lakeregions of Lake Taihu during 1998—2004 and total suspended solids (TSS), wind speeds of the total13 stations in typical lake regions during 1993—2003, this paper analyzes the factors ofinfluencing on PAR (pho-tosynthetically available radiation) attenuation, euphotic depth, andpresents the temporal and spatial variations of euphotic depth of typical lake regions in LakeTaihu, and the spectral distributions of euphotic depth at station 2. The results show that theconcentration of TSS is the most important factor impacting PAR attenuation, followed by chlorophylla; chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) has little impact on the PAR euphotic depth. During1993—2003, the mean yearly PAR euphotic depths of the typical lake regions ranged from 1.04 to1.95 m with a mean value of 1.35±0.23 m. The PAR euphotic depth fell into 3 spatial zone types:Type Ⅰ, the lowest, including the lake center and the inflows of rivers; Type Ⅱ, intermediate,including Meiliang Bay, Wulihu Lake and Gonghu Bay; Type Ⅲ, the greatest, including the East LakeTaihu; corresponding mean depths were approximately 1.1, 1.4, 2.0 m, respectively. The seasonalvariations of euphotic depths were not quite the same in different lake regions. In the lake center,the mean values of PAR euphotic depth in summer and autumn were significantly greater than those inwinter and spring; in the Meiliang Bay, winter means were significantly greater than in the otherthree seasons; in the East Lake Taihu, winter means were significantly less than in the other threeseasons. However, no distinct seasonal change was recorded in the Wulihu Lake, Gonghu Bay and theinflows of rivers. The spectral distributions of euphotic depth present a minimal value at the bluelight wave band of 400 nm, and a peak at the green light wave band of around 580 nm. In 1998 and1999, based on the seasonal many-day continuous measurements, the PAR euphotic depths at station 2were recorded 2.00±0.21, 2.52±0.45, 1.58±0.24, 2.00 ±0.15 m in spring, summer, autumn andwinter, respectively. The peak value of 440 nm absorbed by phytoplankton corresponded to a euphoticdepth of only 0.81—1.47 m (mean 1.07±0.29 m), which was much lower than the mean PAR euphoticdepth of 1.98±0.41 m.

Seasonal and spatial distributions of euphotic zone and longterm variations in water transparency in a clear oligotrophic Lake Fuxian, China

To assess the seasonal and spatial variations and long-term trends in water optical properties in Lake Fuxian, investigations based on field work in four seasons and a long-term analysis of data from 1980 to 2014 were conducted. The results show that there was no significant variation in the euphotic depth（Z（eu）） across the four seasons, and no significant correlations between Z（eu） and potential influencing factors in seasons other than summer, suggesting that the water itself may be a major factor regulating the Z（eu）in general. Nevertheless, significant differences in Z（eu） between the north region（NR） and the south region（SR） were observed in all seasonal tests except spring. This finding relates to a higher abundance of chromophoric dissolved organic matter（CDOM） in the NR due to runoff, especially in the rainy seasons（summer and autumn）.CDOM and its terrigenous component had an important impact on Z（eu）in summer, with the highest precipitation, and impacts from suspended solids and non-algal particles were also found in the NR in summer. The Secchi disk depth in the lake decreased clearly over the years,with significantly negative correlations with the increasing permanganate index and air temperature, implying that organic contaminants（CDOM and/or phytoplankton） are important regulators of water transparency. We estimate that the combined effects of climate warming and changes in land use and land cover are also indirect regulating factors. These findings should be considered in the protection of Lake Fuxian, owing to the importance of light penetration in aquatic ecosystems.