Distribution of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in seasonal low-oxygen marine ranching in northern Yellow Sea, China.

Abstract

Seasonal low-oxygen in marine ranching in the northern Yellow Sea has been one of the major environmental problems in coastal waters in recent years. Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are important nutrients, which are susceptible to the concentration of dissolved oxygen (DO). This article studied the effects of low-oxygen on nutrients represented by N and P fractions in marine ranching in the northern Yellow Sea. The results showed that there were significant layer differences in temperature and salinity during the low-oxygen period. In the seawater, the nutrient distribution in the death disaster zone of sea cucumbers and the non-disaster zone was similar, and DO had a strong positive correlation with dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN). In the sediment, significant regional differences existed in nutrient concentration, and the concentration of total phosphorus (TP) decreased significantly with the increase in DO content. The results showed that the sources and sinks of nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients were inconsistent in this zone, and migration and transformation of the existing form of nitrogen with the seasonal changes in the water environment was a main factor for N distribution. This study extended the understanding of the effects of seasonal low-oxygen on N and P.