Skip to content
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Menu
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Menu
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
agricultural and biological sciences
Influence of salt-wedge intrusion on ecological processes at lower trophic levels in the Yura Estuary, Japan
Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, Volume 139, Year 2014
Notification
URL copied to clipboard!
Description
To examine the influence of salt-wedge intrusion on ecological processes at lower trophic levels in estuaries, we investigated seasonal variability in the nutrients, phytoplankton biomass (chlorophyll a), zooplankton density, and composition in the Yura Estuary, Japan. Phytoplankton composition was determined under two discriminative regimes: salt-wedge regime (summer) and freshwater regime (winter). Phytoplankton from two groups bloomed simultaneously under the salt-wedge regime. Freshwater and brackish phytoplankton dominated the upper freshwater layer (~16,100cellsmL-1) while marine phytoplankton were dominant below the halocline (~12,200cellsmL-1). Both phytoplankton groups grew using riverine nutrients. Marine phytoplankton increased closer to the tip of the salt-wedge, indicating that marine phytoplankton grew in situ in the river. The residence time of salt water increased due to the low river discharge from spring to summer, enhancing mineralization in the salt-wedge. Regenerated nutrients in the salt-wedge contribute to subsequent marine phytoplankton blooms. Copepods were more abundant in the salt-wedge (~80.9ind.L-1) than in the upper freshwater layer (~14.2ind.L-1) during summer. Phytoplankton and zooplankton densities under the freshwater regime (winter; ~360cellsmL-1, ~39.7ind.L-1) were lower than under the salt-wedge regime (summer). The high river discharge under the freshwater regime flushes out the salt-wedge and discourages biological production in the river. Our results showed that salt-wedge intrusions change the physical conditions and nutrient dynamics, enhancing biological production in the salt-wedge estuary. © 2014 The Authors.
Authors & Co-Authors
Watanabe, K.
Japan, Kyoto
Field Science Education and Research Center
Kasai, Akihide
Japan, Kyoto
Field Science Education and Research Center
Antonio, Emily S.
Japan, Kyoto
Field Science Education and Research Center
South Africa, Grahamstown
Rhodes University
Suzuki, Kentaro
Japan, Tokyo
Idea Consultants, Inc
Ueno, Masahiro
Japan, Kyoto
Field Science Education and Research Center
Yamashita, Yoh
Japan, Kyoto
Field Science Education and Research Center
Statistics
Citations: 47
Authors: 6
Affiliations: 3
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1016/j.ecss.2013.12.018
ISSN:
02727714
Research Areas
Environmental