Behavior of Cu, Ni and Cd during nutrient depletion in a spring bloom in Funka Bay

Abstract

The concentrations of Cu, Ni and Cd were determined in Funka Bay during a spring phytoplankton bloom, consisting of diatoms. Just after the bloom, both dissolved Cd and nutrients were removed in the euphotic zone. However, the removal ratio of Cd to phosphate was very different from that in seawater. The removal of Cd took place at a Cd/phosphate ratio of 0.07×10−3, which was lower than in seawater before the bloom (0.25×10−3), leading to an increase in this ratio in seawater exceeding 0.7×10−3 at the end of the bloom. Elevated concentrations of Cd and phosphate were observed in the deeper layer after the bloom due to the decomposition of detrital materials produced in the bloom. The ratio of Cd/phosphate in the regeneration step was 0.24×10−3 which was different from the removal ratio of 0.07×10−3. These observations suggest that the high Cd/phosphate ratio in the regeneration would reflect a relatively high regeneration rate of Cd than that of phosphate. No significant decrease in Cu and Ni concentrations was observed during the development of the bloom, suggesting that biological removal of these metals was not so significant during the spring bloom. The concentrations of Cd, Cu and silicate in surface waters increased after the bloom with decreasing salinity due to the influence of a spring thaw.