Relationship between nutrients and plankton biomass in the turbidity maximum zone of the Pearl River Estuary

Zhen Shi; Jie Xu; Xiaoping Huang; Xia Zhang; Zhijian Jiang; Feng Ye; Ximei Liang

doi:10.1016/j.jes.2016.11.013

Relationship between nutrients and plankton biomass in the turbidity maximum zone of the Pearl River Estuary

J Environ Sci (China). 2017 Jul:57:72-84. doi: 10.1016/j.jes.2016.11.013. Epub 2016 Dec 21.

Authors

Zhen Shi¹, Jie Xu², Xiaoping Huang³, Xia Zhang⁴, Zhijian Jiang⁴, Feng Ye⁵, Ximei Liang⁶

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China; State Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China. Electronic address: shizhen@scsio.ac.cn.
² State Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China.
³ Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China. Electronic address: xphuang@scsio.ac.cn.
⁴ Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China.
⁵ Key Laboratory of Marginal Sea Geology, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
⁶ College of Animal Science and Technology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China.

PMID: 28647267
DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2016.11.013

Abstract

Nutrients, dissolved and particulate organic carbon and plankton (bacterio-, phyto- and zoo-) were compared in the turbidity maximum zone (TMZ) and adjacent areas (non-TMZ) in the Pearl River estuary. Our results showed that high levels of suspended substances had marked effect on dynamics of nutrients and plankton in the TMZ. Based on the cluster analysis of total suspended solids (TSS) concentrations, all stations were divided into two groups, TMZ with average TSS of 171mg/L and non-TMZ of 45mg/L. Suspended substances adsorbed PO₄^3- and dissolved organic carbon, resulting in higher particulate phosphorus and organic carbon (POC) and lower PO₄^3- and DOC in the TMZ, compared to the non-TMZ. However, suspended substances had limited effect on nitrogenous nutrients. Phytoplankton growth was light-limited due to high concentrations of suspended substances in the TMZ and a peak of phytoplankton abundance appeared in the non-TMZ. In contrast, the highest bacterial abundance occurred in the TMZ, which was likely partly responsible for low DOC levels. Two peaks of zooplankton abundance observed in the TMZ and non-TMZ in the Pearl River estuary were primarily supported by bacteria and phytoplankton, respectively. Our finding implied that high levels of suspended solids in the TMZ affect the trophic balance.

Keywords: Nutrient; Pearl River estuary; Plankton; Turbidity maximum zone.

MeSH terms

Biomass
China
Environmental Monitoring*
Estuaries*
Eutrophication
Nitrogen / analysis*
Phosphorus / analysis*
Phytoplankton
Plankton / growth & development*
Rivers / chemistry
Seasons

Substances

Phosphorus
Nitrogen