Daniela Unger

Natural and human influences on nutrient transport through a small subtropical Chinese estuary.

Global understanding of land-ocean nutrient fluxes increasingly recognizes the disproportionate importance of small rivers. We studied nutrient fluxes from a small catchment in fast developing southern China to uncover effects of land-use. Water was sampled in the macro-tidal estuary of Nanliu River and adjacent Lianzhou Bay in spring and summer of investigate spatial and temporal variations of dissolved nutrients. High riverine concentrations of nitrate (NO3; up to 220 μM) and phosphate (PO4; up to 3.7 μM) mainly originated from agricultural fertilizer input. Riverine dissolved silica (Si; up to 47 μM) increased in the oligosaline part of the estuary through human disturbance of bottom sediments. Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON; up to 194 μM) and ammonium (NH4; up to 40 μM) concentrations increased within the estuary due to inputs from livestock and mussel beds, respectively. Aquaculture ponds contained high concentrations of NH4 (up to 355 μM) and DON (up to 151 μM) but are not an important source to the estuary due to rare wastewater discharge and low absolute nutrient amounts relative to river export. Nutrient concentrations in Lianzhou Bay were low because tidal currents disperse land-derived nutrients offshore into the adjacent Beibu Gulf. A high proportion of regenerated nitrogen in the bay suggests that primary production is sustained by rapid in situ nutrient cycling between primary producers and benthic consumers. High nutrient export makes the Nanliu River an important nutrient source for the north-western South China Sea, despite its proportionately small size. Macro-tide induced short-term concentration changes exceed variability on seasonal and sub-seasonal scales. All nutrients vary inter-annually and between seasons, depending on precipitation-driven river runoff. Total nutrient export to Beibu Gulf coastal waters is stronger during the high discharge period in summer and autumn. In recent years changing nitrogen to phosphorus ratios have alleviated phosphorus limitation in Lianzhou Bay, permitting increased primary productivity.

Impact of pond aquaculture effluents on seagrass performance in NE Hainan, tropical China

The impact of pond aquaculture effluents on the distribution and performance of seagrasses was examined in NE Hainan, tropical China. Samples were taken along transects in three back-reef areas with different extent of aquaculture production in their hinterland. High δ(15)N in seagrass leaves and epiphytes (6-9‰) similar to values in pond effluents documented aquaculture as dominant nitrogen source in the back-reefs with decreasing impact with distance from shore. Seagrass species abundance, shoot density and biomass were lower and concentrations of nutrients, chlorophyll and suspended matter were higher at nearshore sites with high and moderate pond abundance than at the control site. High epiphyte loads and low δ(34)S in seagrass leaves suggest temporal shading and sulphide poisoning of the nearshore seagrasses. Observed gradients in environmental parameters and seagrass performance indicate that the distance from the pond outlets and size of the adjacent pond agglomeration are major determinants of seagrass degradation.

Impact of Regional Indian Ocean Characteristics on the Biogeochemical Variability of Settling Particles

The Asian monsoon system governs seasonality and fundamental environmental characteristics in the study area from which two distinct peculiarities are most notable: upwelling and convective mixing in the Arabian Sea and low surface salinity and stratification in the Bay of Bengal due to high riverine input and monsoonal precipitation. The respective oceanography sets the framework for nutrient availability and productivity. Upwelling ensures high nitrate concentration with temporal/spatial Si limitation; freshwater-induced stratification leads to reduced nitrogen input from the subsurface but Si enrichment in surface waters. Ultimately, both environments support high abundance of diatoms, which play a central role in the export of organic matter. It is speculated that, additional to eddy pumping, nitrogen fixation is a source of N in stratified waters and contributes to the low-δ 15 N signal in sinking particles formed under riverine impact. Organic carbon fluxes are best correlated to opal but not to carbonate, which is explained by low foraminiferal carbonate fluxes within the river-impacted systems. This observation points to the necessity of differentiating between carbonate sources for carbon flux modeling. As evident from a compilation of previously published and new data on labile organic matter composition (amino acids and carbohydrates), organic matter fluxes are mainly driven by direct input from marine production, except the site off Pakistan where sedimentary input of (marine) organic matter is dominant during the NE monsoon. The explanation of apparently different organic carbon export efficiency calls for further investigations of, for example, food web structure and water column processes.