Shuji Hino

Seasonal dynamics of primary production in the pelagic zone of southern Lake Baikal

Abstract We measured primary production by phytoplankton in the south basin of Lake Baikal, Russia, by in situ 13C-bicarbonate incubations within the period March–October in two consecutive years (1999 and 2000). Primary production was highest in the subsurface layer, possibly due to near-surface photoinhibition of photosynthesis, even under 0.8 m of ice cover in March. Areal primary production varied from 79 mg C m−2 day−1 (March) to 424 mg C m−2 day−1 (August), and annual primary production was roughly estimated as 75 g C m−2 year−1, both of which are within the lower range of previous estimates. Size fractionation measurements revealed that phytoplankton in the <20 μm fraction accounted for 72%, 96%, and 85% of total primary production in March, August, and October, respectively. The contribution of picophytoplankton (<2 μm) to total primary production ranged from 41% to 62%. A large fraction (82%–98%) of particulate organic carbon was associated with particles in the <20 μm fraction. These results suggest that nano- and picophytoplankton play an important role as primary producers in the pelagic ecosystem of Lake Baikal.

Causation of reversal simultaneity for diatom biomass and density of Phormidium tenue during the warm season in eutrophic Lake Barato, Japan

The diatom biomass of Lake Barato, as measured from July to September, decreased simultaneously with an increase in filament density of Phormidium tenue after 1997. There was a high negative correlation between the diatom biomass and the densities of P. tenue (r2 = 0.928). Although total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations decreased from 1996, TN : TP ratio increased from 1997 because the TP concentration became markedly lower. The decrease in diatom biomass might have been due to the loss in phosphorus available for algae. Because the increase in density of P. tenue might have been due to the decrease in diatom biomass, experiments using a growth inhibitor for diatoms were performed to examine whether the density of cyanobacteria increases without diatom growth. Samples of the lake water collected in three seasons (August and October 1998, May 1999) were incubated with and without germanium (Ge) as a growth inhibitor of diatoms. The increase in density of P. tenue was inhibited concurrent with the increase in diatom biomass in the first and middle stages of incubation without the addition of Ge in August 1998 and May 1999. In contrast, a higher density of P. tenue was observed in the incubation with diatom growth inhibited by Ge over the same period. These results suggest that diatoms have an effect in restraining the growth of P. tenue.

Variations in environmental factors and their effects on biological characteristics of meromictic Lake Abashiri

Abstract To clarify the variations in environmental factors and biological characteristics of eutrophic, brackish, meromictic Lake Abashiri, Japan, we studied long-term variations in concentrations of chloride and nutrients in lake water and characteristics of their supply. This lake has an anoxic layer containing much chloride, nutrients, and sulfide. Although a dense Anabaena bloom appeared in the lake every summer before 1986, the bloom did not appear after upwelling from the bottom layer (a blue tide) occurred in spring 1987. A dense layer of photosynthetic bacteria (Chlorobium sp.) formed at the top of the anoxic layer from 1989 to May 1992. The concentrations of nutrients and chloride in the oxygenic layer were determined by the balance between nutrients from influent rivers, including dissolved inorganic nitrogen, and matter supplied from the anoxic layer, including chloride and dissolved inorganic phosphorus. These influences controlled the dominant phytoplankton species and their biomass. The appearance of an Anabaena bloom in Lake Abashiri is promoted by nitrogen limitation caused by decreased loading from influent rivers and/or by a stable supply of phosphorus from the anoxic layer (no formation of photosynthetic bacterial layer and small upwelling), but the appearance is inhibited by a high chloride ion concentration with large upwelling. The main reason for the formation of a photosynthetic bacterial layer from 1989 to May 1992 was that sunlight reached the top of the anoxic layer because of the increase in transparency due to inhibition of the Anabaena bloom with upwelling. The dense layer of photosynthetic bacteria blocked nutrient diffusion from the anoxic layer to the oxygenic layer by uptake, and decreased the biomass of phytoplankton in the oxygenic layer.

Effect of temperature and soluble reactive phosphorus on abundance of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (Cyanophyceae)

Filament density of Aphanizomenon flos‐aquae (Lemmerm.) Ralfs, water temperature and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) were measured from April to August in 1993–1996 in Lake Barato, Hokkaido, Japan. In addition, growth characteristics and internal phosphorus (P) utilization of Aph. flos‐aquae were evaluated under P limitation at three temperatures (15, 20 and 25†C) to clarify the role of internal accumulated P for its growth in the incubation experiment. The filament density was highest in early July 1994, when SRP concentration had not yet decreased and the water temperature was high. These are important factors favoring an increase in abundance of this species in L. Barato. During batch culture, the time course of the stationary phase was shortest at 25†C and longest at 15†C; the cellular C:P molar ratio was 111 under P sufficiency and increased eight‐ to 12‐fold under P limitation. As the C:P ratio was significantly higher in the decreasing phase at 15†C, Aph. flos‐aquae may be more adaptable to Plimitation at 15†C than at 20†C and 25†C. However, the low temperatures did not favor the abundance of Aph. flos‐aquae in 1996. This indicates that the filament density of Aph. flos‐aquae decreases before it reaches the maximum value for some reason under P limitation in L. Barato.

Fungal infection for cyanobacterium Anabaena smithii by two chytrids in eutrophic region of large reservoir Lake Shumarinai, Hokkaido, Japan

Fungal infection of the filamentous cyanobacterium Anabaena smithii was observed in Lake Shumarinai in 2004–2006. Two fungal species were found to parasitize the specialized cells of A. smithii. These fungi might not correspond to the chytrid species that the previous studies reported as the parasites for Anabaena species. One fungus showed selective attachment to the akinete (akinete type). The filaments parasitized by this fungus increased in August 2004 and October 2006, when akinete and filament densities also increased. The maximum percentage of parasitized filaments was 3.2% of all filaments in October 2006. The other fungus was usually attached to the heterocyst (heterocyst type). The filaments parasitized by this fungus increased in October from 2004 to 2006. The maximum percentage of parasitized filaments was 20.6% in October 2004. The biomass of A. smithii was not suppressed by akinete-type fungus because of the low percentage of parasitized filaments. The heterocyst-type fungus might disturb the nitrogen fixation, but its effect was negligible due to a high concentration of available nitrogen for planktonic algae in Lake Shumarinai.

Photosynthetic potential of phytoplankton in the deep water of Lake Baikal, Russia

We examined the photosynthetic activity of the phytoplankton community collected from the surface to a depth of 1000 m in the south basin of Lake Baikal. Experiments were conducted in June (mixing period) and August (stratified period). The carbon fixation rate was measured by the use of a 13C tracer after the incubation of samples under light conditions in the upper water column. Photosynthetic fixation of 13C was detected for samples collected from a depth of 500 m, indicating the viability of phytoplankton in deep water. The community composition was dominated by Bacillariophyceae in deep water. The finding of lower activity at a depth of 200 m than that at a depth of 500 m in August suggests that the spring diatom bloom could be a significant source of viable populations at a depth of 500 m. Photosynthetic activity was not detected in samples collected at a depth of 1000 m.

Analysis of the change in dominant phytoplankton species in unstratified Lake Oshima-Ohnuma estimated by a bottle incubation experiment

Abstract The densities and growth rates of dominant phytoplankton in Lake Oshima-Ohnuma were determined during May to July 1996 to clarify the mechanism of change from spring-dominant to summer-dominant phytoplankton species, examining the influence of zooplankton grazing and nutrient limitation. The dominant phytoplankton in April and May were Asterionella gracillima and Nitzschia spp. Their growth rates were low in May and their densities fell thereafter. The bottle experiment suggests that the main reason for decreases in dominant species has been nutrient deficiency, and zooplankton (sized from 30 to 160 μm) have supported the growth of A. gracillima to recycle nutrients in May. The maximum growth rate was shown by Melosira (Aulacoseira) ambigua living at 2 m in May and June. Although the growth rate of the summer-dominant species Melosira (Aulacoseira) granulata was not as high as that of M. ambigua in May and June, the ambient density increased from late June. Survival in the lower zone of the unstratified euphotic layer might have contributed to the abundance of M. granulata, since the growth rate of this species was not so low as that of M. ambigua at 6 m in June and July. The bottle experiment suggests that the growth of M. granulata was also nutrient limited in June and July and that zooplankton grazing was partially responsible for repressing the biomass of M. granulata before it began growing rapidly in late June.

Seasonal changes in silicon content of diatoms estimated from the ratio of particulate silicon to diatom volume under silicon sufficiency in diatom-rich Lake Barato

To clarify the changes in Si content of diatoms, the particulate silicon (PSi) concentration and total diatom volume (TDV) were determined in Lake Barato, Japan, from April to July 1998–2000. The soluble reactive silicon (SRSi) concentration decreased markedly with the rapid increase in TDV in May and June in all three years, although the value did not fall below that at which diatom growth might be limited. The proliferation of small discoid diatoms contributed to the decrease in SRSi concentration each year. The Si content of diatoms may not be constant as indicated by the changes in PSi : TDV ratio. The low PSi : TDV ratio and the fact that PSi concentration was lower than diatom PSi concentration (calculated from the volume of diatom species) accompanying the decrease in TDV suggests the possibility of a disturbance in the silicification in May and June 1999. These parameter changes accompanying the increase in TDV suggest that the silicification did not catch up with the cell division in early April 1998, early May 1999, and mid-June 2000. In addition, the PSi : TDV ratio increased rapidly and showed large fluctuations in July 1998 and 1999. This may have been caused by a change in dominant species from small discoid diatoms to Aulacoseira granulata because of the differences in Si content per unit cell volume.

Variations in the Physiological State of Size-Fractionated Plankton and their Relations with Environmental Parameters in Hypertrophic Lake Barato

富栄養化の進んだ茨戸湖において微生物群集の生理活性の変化をアデニル酸の組成比を指標とし,ケイ藻およびラン藻が優占する6月および8月について調べた。>100μm,100-2μm,および2-0.2μmに分画された微生物群集において生物量を表すアデニレート総量と生理活性の指標となるAEC値は,ともに一日のうちで大きな変化を示したが,100μm以上と,100-2μmの両面分に含まれるプランクトン群集はアデニレート量の変化とAEC値の変化の間には対応が認められなかった。また,溶存無機態窒素は湖水中に多量に存在していること,およびリン酸塩の存在量にほとんど影響を受けないことから両群集の生物量や生理活性の変化はこれら栄養塩類以外の因子が関与していることが推定された。また,100-2μmと2-0.2μmの両画分に含まれる微生物群集のAEC値と湖水中の溶存蛋白質量や溶存糖類量の間には比較的高い相関が認められた。100-2μm画分中の微生物群集はAEC値が高くなると蛋白質や糖類といった有機物を体外に放出することにより,溶存有機物を増加させ,2-0.2μm画分に含まれる微生物群集を活性化したものと考えられた。