Characterization of the development stages and roles of nutrients and other environmental factors in green tides in the Southern Yellow Sea, China

Abstract

Large-scale floating green tides in the Southern Yellow Sea (SYS) caused by the macroalgal species Ulva prolifera have been recurring for 13 years and have become one of the greatest marine ecological disasters in the world. In this study, we attempt to explore the development pattern of green tides and find its key environmental influencing factors. The satellite remote sensing data of the development process of green tides fit the logistic growth curve (R2 = 0.93, P < 0.01) well, showing three distinct growth phases (lag, exponential growth, and short plateau phases). Correspondingly, the green tide-drifting area from the coast of Jiangsu to the nearshore waters of the Shandong Peninsula was divided into three sections: the lag phase zone (A), the exponential growth phase zone (B), and the plateau phase zone (C). Zone A in the south of Jiangsu coastal waters had abundant inorganic nutrients that were indispensable to the green tide initiation. Zone B was mainly located out of Haizhou Bay, south of 34.5° N and north of 35.5° N, where approximately 80% of the green tide biomass was generated. The rich bioavailable nutrient sources, suitable temperature, and irradiance in this area were the main promotion factors for the rapid growth and scale expansion of green tides. Wet precipitation in zone B in May and June also played an important role in the final scale of green tides. Zone C had poor nutrients, increasing temperature, and irradiance (high transparency), which limited the continued expansion of green tides, and organic nutrients might be an important support to green tides development in this region. The study based on the growth phases of green tides could help us further understand the eutrophication mechanism in the green tide outbreaks in SYS.