Minimum Dissolved Oxygen Concentration Research Articles

Hypoxia Triggered by Expanding River Plume on the East China Sea Inner Shelf During Flood Years

AbstractThe frequency of riverine floods is predicted to increase in East Asia. However, the response of coastal hypoxia (<63 μmol L−1) to floods has not been well understood. In the summer of 2020, characterized by one of the most significant Changjiang water fluxes in three decades, we conducted a cruise during the flood period on the East China Sea inner shelf. Our observations revealed severe bottom hypoxia with a maximum spatial coverage of ∼11,600 km2 and a minimum dissolved oxygen concentration (DO) of 21 μmol L−1. In the surface layer, the relationships between salinity and nitrate, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) indicated significant organic matter production, validated by a high‐Chlorophyll‐a (Chl a) patch (>5 μg L−1). Furthermore, the significant relationship between apparent oxygen utilization and DIC of deep waters reveals that the organic matter decomposition primarily drove the hypoxia during the flood period. Episodic wind events also influenced bottom DO and DIC, by transporting surface waters to the deep. Multiple‐years data set shows that the average Changjiang nitrate flux during flood years is about 1.4 times that during non‐flood years. The flood waters mix with estuarine waters, forming the high‐nutrient plume waters, which expanded farther offshore during the flood period. While high turbidity remained confined to the inner estuary. Consequently, the high‐Chl a area significantly expanded, which significantly exacerbated the hypoxia.

Optimized submerged batch fermentation for metabolic switching in Streptomyces yanglinensis 3-10 providing platform for reveromycin A and B biosynthesis, engineering, and production.

The cultivation system requires that the approach providing biomass for all types of metabolic analysis is of excellent quality and reliability. This study was conducted to enhance the efficiency and yield of antifungal substance (AFS) production in Streptomyces yanglinensis 3-10 by optimizing operation conditions of aeration, agitation, carbon source, and incubation time in a fermenter. Dissolved oxygen (DO) and pH were found to play significant roles in AFS production. The optimum pH for the production of AFS in S. yanglinensis 3-10 was found to be 6.5. As the AFS synthesis is generally thought to be an aerobic process, DO plays a significant role. The synthesis of bioactive compounds can vary depending on how DO affects growth rate. This study validates that the high growth rate and antifungal activity required a minimum DO concentration of approximately 20% saturation. The DO supply in a fermenter can be raised once agitation and aeration have been adjusted. Consequently, DO can stimulate the development of bacteria and enzyme production. A large shearing effect could result from the extreme agitation, harming the cell and deactivating its products. The highest inhibition zone diameter (IZD) was obtained with 3% starch, making starch a more efficient carbon source than glucose. Temperature is another important factor affecting AFS production. The needed fermentation time would increase and AFS production would be reduced by the too-low operating temperature. Furthermore, large-scale fermenters are challenging to manage at temperatures that are far below from room temperature. According to this research, 28°C is the ideal temperature for the fermentation of S. yanglinensis 3-10. The current study deals with the optimization of submerged batch fermentation involving the modification of operation conditions to effectively enhance the efficiency and yield of AFS production in S. yanglinensis 3-10.

Explainable machine learning models for estimating daily dissolved oxygen concentration of the Tualatin River

ABSTRACT Monitoring the quality of river water is of fundamental importance and needs to be taken into consideration when it comes to the research into the hydrological field. In this context, the concentration of the dissolved oxygen (DO) is one of the most significant indicators of the quality of river water. The current study aimed to estimate the minimum, maximum, and mean DO concentrations (DO min, DO max, DO mean) at a gauging station located on Tualatin River, United States. To that end, four machine learning models, such as support vector regression (SVR), multi-layer perceptron (MLP), random forest (RF), and gradient boosting (GB) were established. Root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), coefficient of correlation (R), and Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) metrics were employed to better assess the accuracies of these models. The modeling results demonstrated that the SVR and MLP surpassed the RF and GB models. Despite this, the SVR was concluded to be the best-performing method when used to estimate the DO min, DO max, and DO mean. The best error statistics in the testing phase were related to the SVR model with full (four) inputs to estimate DO mean concentration (RMSE = 0.663 mg/l, MAE = 0.508 mg/l, R = 0.945, NSE = 0.875). Finally, the explainability of the superior models (i.e. SVR models) was conducted using SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) for the first time to estimate DO concentration. In fact, evaluating the explainability of machine learning models can provide useful information about the impact of each of the input estimators used in the procedure of models development. It was concluded that the specific conductance (SC) and followed by water temperature (WT) could provide the most contributions for estimating the DO min, DO max, and DO mean concentrations.

Environmental Parameters Related to Hypoxia Development and Persistence in Jinhae Bay from 2011 to 2016 and Their Potential for Hypoxia Prediction

Jinhae Bay, a semi-enclosed bay on the southern coast of Korea, is a major aquaculture area that forms a spawning ground and nursery for commercially important fishes. Since the late 1960s, industrial and domestic waste from adjacent cities and industrial complexes has been released into the region, resulting in chronic hypoxia and red tides. As a central site of environmental monitoring efforts for aquaculture and fisheries in southeastern Korea, Jinhae Bay was surveyed every 2 months usually, and every 2–3 weeks during the hypoxia season, with the seawater properties observed at approximately 31–34 stations. The maximum area and duration of hypoxia in Jinhae Bay occurred in 2016 (316 km2 and 26 weeks, respectively), with minima of area in 2013 (213 km2) and duration in 2011 (15 weeks). Correlation analyses of the seawater properties, weather parameters, and hypoxia indices showed that the hypoxic area was positively correlated with the surface-water temperature, air temperature, and rainfall; the minimum dissolved oxygen concentrations were negatively correlated with the air and water temperatures and bottom-water nutrient levels; and the water stability was negatively correlated with the surface-water salinity and positively correlated with both the surface- and bottom-water nitrate and silicate concentrations. These findings imply that the air temperature and precipitation may be important factors in the development and persistence of hypoxia in Jinhae Bay via the control of the stratification intensity and eutrophication of the water column. Therefore, we tested these parameters for their potential to predict hypoxia. Based on our results, we propose the following trends of hypoxia in Jinhae Bay: the initial hypoxia development generally depends on the criteria of an air temperature ≥ 19.5 °C for 1 week and total precipitation > 100 mm over 4 weeks, and it becomes more severe (≥50% coverage) under strong eutrophication, mainly due to organic matter discharge following heavy rainfall, based on the logarithmic correlation with the 4-week rainfall (R2 = 0.6). Therefore, the hypoxic area index can be predicted using its linear regression relationships with the 1-week air temperature and 4-week precipitation (R2 = 0.56). This study tested the prediction of the hypoxic area based on a simple calculation method and weather parameter criteria, and it demonstrated the potential of this method for precisely forecasting hypoxia in combination with biogeochemical models or other mathematical solutions to prevent massive fishery damage.

Effect of hypoxia duration and pattern on channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) neuropeptide gene expression and hematology.

Commercial aquaculture production of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) occurs in shallow ponds with daily cycling of dissolved oxygen concentration ranging from supersaturation to severe hypoxia. Once daily minimum dissolved oxygen concentration falls below 3.0mg O2/L, channel catfish have a reduced appetite, leading to reduced growth rates. In other fishes, upregulation of the neuropeptides corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and urotensin I (UI) have been implicated as initiating the mechanism responsible for decreasing appetite once an environmental stressor is detected. Channel catfish maintained at 27°C in aquaria were subjected to varying durations and patterns of hypoxia (1.75 ± 0.07mg O2/L) to evaluate underlying physiological responses to hypoxia and determine if hypothalamic CRF and UI are responsible for hypoxia-induced anorexia in channel catfish. During a short exposure to hypoxia (12h), venous PO2 was significantly lower within 6h and was coupled with an increase of hematocrit and decrease of blood osmolality, yet all responses reversed within 12h after returning to normoxia. When this pattern of hypoxia and normoxia was repeated cyclically for 5days, these physiological responses repeated daily. Extended periods of hypoxia (5days) resulted in similar hematological responses, which did not recover to baseline values during the hypoxia exposure. This study did not find a significant change in hypothalamic transcription of CRF and UI during hypoxia challenges but did identify multiple physiological adaptive responses that work together to reduce the severity of experimentally induced hypoxia in channel catfish.

Effects of boundary hydraulics, dissolved oxygen, and dissolved organic carbon on growth and death dynamics of aerobic microbes in riverbed dune-induced hyporheic zones

Surface and groundwater interact in the hyporheic zone beneath and adjacent to rivers in the presence of a diverse microbial community. Heterotrophic bacteria mediate a range of environmentally important reactions, yet few studies have quantified bacterial growth and death dynamics in the hyporheic zone, and none have systematically analyzed their response to variations in hydraulic or chemical conditions. We used MODFLOW and SEAM3D to simulate hydraulics; dissolved oxygen (DO) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) transport; and aerobic microbial metabolism, growth, and death in hyporheic zones induced by riverbed dunes. We ran simulations both with and without growth/death processes, and varied hydraulic parameters and DO/DOC boundary concentrations. Microbial biomass reached steady state (t = 3 days) in every simulation, at which time there was greater biomass and DOC biodegradation rates in the hyporheic flowcell (300 % and 85 % higher for the base case, respectively) when accounting for microbial growth dynamics. This occurred as microbial biomass tailored its spatial distribution to the availability of DO and DOC, demonstrating the importance of simulating growth/death processes. Biomass generally increased with hyporheic flow cell area as upwelling groundwater decreased. When varying surface water DO and DOC source concentrations relative to the base case, the greatest effect on biomass occurred when increasing DOC and decreasing DO. We determined minimum DO and DOC steady-state concentrations required for microbial growth, but the minimums were not absolute or related by stoichiometry. Increasing DOC created a smaller area of microbes with higher concentrations relative to the base case. Increasing DO slightly increased the area occupied by microbes while keeping the total biomass nearly constant. Overall, microbial growth and death dynamics depend on DO and DOC availability in the hyporheic zone, which is dependent on DOC/DO boundary concentrations and hyporheic flow paths, and in turn the hydraulic interaction between surface water and groundwater.

Temporal and spatial evolution of bottom-water hypoxia in the St Lawrence estuarine system

Abstract. Persistent hypoxic bottom waters have developed in the Lower St Lawrence Estuary (LSLE) and have impacted fish and benthic species distributions. Minimum dissolved oxygen concentrations decreased from ∼ 125 µmol L−1 (38 % saturation) in the 1930s to ∼ 65 µmol L−1 (21 % saturation) in 1984. Minimum dissolved oxygen concentrations remained at hypoxic levels (< 62.5 µM = 2 mg L−1 or 20 % saturation) between 1984 and 2019, but in 2020, they suddenly decreased to ∼ 35 µmol L−1. Concurrently, bottom-water temperatures in the LSLE have increased progressively from ∼ 3 ∘C in the 1930s to nearly 7 ∘C in 2021. The main driver of deoxygenation and warming in the bottom waters of the Gulf of St Lawrence and St Lawrence Estuary is a change in the circulation pattern in the western North Atlantic, more specifically a decrease in the relative contribution of younger, well-oxygenated and cold Labrador Current Waters to the waters of the Laurentian Channel, a deep valley that extends from the continental shelf edge, through Cabot Strait, the gulf and to the head of the LSLE. Hence, the warmer, oxygen-depleted North Atlantic Central Waters carried by the Gulf Stream now make up nearly 100 % of the waters entering the Laurentian Channel. The areal extent of the hypoxic zone in the LSLE has varied since 1993 when it was first estimated at 1300 km2. In 2021, it reached 9400 km2, extending well into the western Gulf of St Lawrence. Severely hypoxic waters are now also found at the end of the two deep channels that branch out from the Laurentian Channel, namely, the Esquiman Channel and Anticosti Channel.

Temperature explains the formation of a metalimnetic oxygen minimum in a deep mesotrophic lake

ABSTRACT Green Lake, a deep mesotrophic lake located in a primarily agricultural watershed in central Wisconsin, USA, has experienced annual metalimnetic oxygen minima since the early 20th century. However, the severity of the phenomenon has increased over time, and late-summer dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations have typically been <3 mg L−1 in recent years. In situ, high-frequency observations of oxygen depletion at multiple depths reveal that while DO consumption during stratification occurs most rapidly in the metalimnion, there is synchrony between DO time series extending into the hypolimnion. A biochemical oxygen demand-based modeling approach suggests that much of the relationship between water depth and respiration rates can be explained by differences in water temperature. The amount of labile organic matter present throughout the water column at the onset of stratification seems to be a primary determinant of the severity of the annual metalimnetic DO minimum in late summer. Productivity has increased in the lake as a result of increased nutrient loading and is the likely driver of the decrease in minimum DO concentrations. In addition, the onset and duration of stratification is an important factor in determining the severity of the DO minimum.

Performance of Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor Treating Beverages Wastewater Using Cosmo Ball Coated With and Without Activated Carbon

Beverages industry producing large amount of wastewater during production and the cleaning process. The effluent discharge needs to be treated as it is harmful to the environment due to its high concentration of organic substances. In this study, the aim is to investigate the moving bed biofilm reactor’s performance in treating beverages wastewater with (CMBAC) and without activated carbon (CMB). The surface of cosmo ball was coated with granular activated carbon used as the attached growth media in the reactor. 18 L of MBBR using cosmo ball as media was setup at flowrate and hydraulic retention time of 1.5 L/hr and 8 hours, respectively. The reactor was maintained at pH 7 with minimum dissolved oxygen concentration of 2 mg/L. Experiment was repeated by using CMBAC as media. The best percentage removal achieved for chemical oxygen demand and total suspended solid was by MBBR using CMBAC with 92.7% and 83.4%, respectively. It should be noted that absorption of contaminant by activated carbon absorption enhanced the organic removal in the reactor.

The Impact of Granular Activated Carbon Coated On The Surface of Cosmo-ball In Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor

A substantial amount of beverages wastewater from production and the cleaning process that is not treated properly contain high amount of organic substances that will cause an environmental destruction. This research aim to investigate the performance of the moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) treating beverages wastewater with (CMBAC) and without activated carbon (CMB). Cosmo balls as an attached growth media placed inside the reactor were coated with granular activated carbon on its surface. 18L of MBBR using cosmo ball was set to operate at hydraulic retention time and flowrate of 8 hours and 1.5 L/hr, respectively. The reactor parameters retained at pH 7 with minimum dissolved oxygen concentration of 2 mg/L. MBBR using CMBAC attained the best result with the highest percentage removal for chemical oxygen demand and total suspended solid of 92.7% and 83.4%, respectively. The efficiency of organic removal in the reactor increase due to the activated carbon absorption.

An assessment of the predictability of column minimum dissolved oxygen concentrations in Chesapeake Bay using a machine learning model

Subseasonal to seasonal forecasts have the potential to be a useful tool for managing estuarine fisheries and water quality, and with increasing skill at forecasting conditions at these time scales in the atmosphere and open ocean, skillful forecasts of estuarine salinity, temperature, and biogeochemistry may be possible. In this study, we use a machine learning model to assess the predictability of column minimum dissolved oxygen in Chesapeake Bay at a monthly time scale. Compared to previous models for dissolved oxygen and hypoxia, our model has the advantages of resolving spatial variability and fitting more flexible relationships between dissolved oxygen and the predictor variables. Using a concise set of predictors with established relationships with dissolved oxygen, we find that dissolved oxygen in a given month can be skillfully predicted with knowledge of stratification and mean temperature during the same month. Furthermore, the predictions generated by the model are consistent with expectations from prior knowledge and basic physics. The model reveals that accurate knowledge or skillful forecasts of the vertical density gradient is the key to successful prediction of dissolved oxygen, and prediction skill disappears if stratification is only known at the beginning of the forecast. The lost skill cannot be recovered by replacing stratification as a predictor with variables that have a lagged correlation with stratification (such as river discharge); however, skill is obtainable in many cases if stratification can be forecast with an error of less than about 1 kg m−3. Thus, future research on hypoxia forecasting should focus on understanding and forecasting variations in stratification over subseasonal time scales (between about two weeks and two months).

Hypoxic water mass in the highly turbid well-mixed macrotidal Rokkaku River Estuary, Ariake Sea, Japan

Hypoxic water masses are usually formed in the bottom layer of stratified water columns. However, we found that hypoxia was formed throughout the water column in a well-mixed macrotidal estuary, the Rokkaku River Estuary, Japan. There was a spring-neap variation in the dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration where hypoxia developed during spring tides. Minimum DO concentration was observed 1 or a few days after the spring tide. When hypoxia developed, all the water column from bottom to surface became hypoxic (<2 mg l−1 or < 30% saturation). The hypoxic water mass was associated with the estuarine turbidity maximum (ETM). Oxygen demand of water in this area was very large (>2 mg l−1 day−1). Potential oxygen consumption by microorganisms was positively correlated with turbidity. Concentration of suspended solid (SS) at the ETM exceeded 1000 mg l−1. Furthermore, particulate organic carbon (POC) concentration in the estuary increased in spring tides. C/N ratio and δ13C of organic matter suggested that POC was transported from the sea into the estuary. These results suggest that the active resuspension of organic matter caused by the strong tidal current during spring tides enhanced the respiratory activity of microorganisms and the main source of the organic matter was detrital material from the sea. Such a large amount of organic matter should fuel microbial respiration effectively. Since microbial oxygen consumption was larger than the oxygen supply from the water surface even in the well mixed condition, a hypoxic water mass was formed in this estuary.

Current status of emerging hypoxia in a eutrophic estuary: The lower reach of the Pearl River Estuary, China

We examine the current status of dissolved oxygen (DO) and its trend over the past 25 years in the lower Pearl River Estuary, a large eutrophic estuary located in Southern China and surrounded by large cities including Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou. Monthly cruises conducted from April 2010 to March 2011 clearly show that DO depletion began to emerge in the bottom layer of the lower estuary off Hong Kong in June, and became fully developed in July and August when oxygen-deficient water occupied ∼1000 km2 before gradually becoming re-oxygenated in September and October. The development of the low oxygen zone was closely coupled with phytoplankton blooms in the surface water, which was supersaturated with respect to DO suggesting the importance of autochthonous organic matter in fueling bottom DO consumption after settling through the pycnocline. Long-term monitoring data collected in the study area adjacent to Hong Kong by the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department showed a decreasing trend of ∼2 ± 0.9 μmol kg−1 yr−1 in the annual minimum DO concentration in bottom water over the past 25 years. Associated with the decrease in DO was an increase in the annual maximum surface concentration of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) at a rate of ∼1.4 ± 0.3 μmol kg−1 yr−1, suggesting again that eutrophication is the most plausible driver of oxygen deficiency in this region. Therefore, our monthly cruises, along with the decadal monitoring data, reveal a large low oxygen zone, likely developing into a large hypoxic zone driven primarily by anthropogenic eutrophication. This new development suggests environmental stressors such as eutrophication may have a cascading effect, with important and expensive consequences for the regional environment.

Application of QUAL2K for Water Quality Modeling and Management in the lower reach of the Diyala river

The current study includes application of QUAL2K model to predict the dissolved oxygen (DO) and Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5) of lower reach of the Diyala River in a stretch of 16.90km using hydraulic and water quality data collected from Ministry of Water Resources for the period (January-April 2014). Google Earth and Arc-GIS technique were used in this study as supported tools to provide some QUAL2K input hydro-geometric data. The model parameters were calibrated for the dry flow period by trial and error until the simulated results agreed well with the observed data. The model performance was measured using different statistical criteria such as mean absolute error (MAE), root mean square error (RMSE) and relative error (RE). The results showed that the simulated values were in good agreement with the observed values. Model output for calibration showed that DO and CBOD concentration were not within the allowable limits for preserving the ecological health of the river with range values (2.51 - 4.80 mg/L) and (18.75 – 25.10 mg/L) respectively. Moreover, QUAL2K was used to simulate different scenarios (pollution loads modification, flow augmentation and local oxygenation) in order to manage the water quality during critical period (low flow), and to preserve the minimum requirement of DO concentration in the river. The scenarios results showed the pollution loads modification and local oxygenation are effective in raising DO levels. While flow augmentation does not give significant results in which the level of DO decrease even with reduction in the BOD5 for point sources. The combination of wastewater modification and local oxygenation (BOD5 of the discharged effluent from point sources should not exceed 15 mg/L and weir construction at critical positions 6.67km from the beginning of the study region with 1m height) is necessary to ensure minimum DO concentrations.

A model for determination of operational conditions for successful shortcut nitrification.

Accumulation of nitrite in shortcut nitrification is influenced by several factors including dissolved oxygen concentration (DO), pH, temperature, free ammonia (FA), and free nitrous acid (FNA). In this study, a model based on minimum dissolved oxygen concentration (DOmin), minimum/maximum substrate concentration (Smin and Smax), was developed. The model evaluated the influence of pH (7-9), temperature (10-35°C), and solids retention time (SRT) (5days-infinity) on MSC values. The evaluation was conducted either by controlling total ammonium nitrogen (TAN) or total nitrite nitrogen (TNN), concentration at 50mgN/L while allowing the other to vary from 0 to 1000mgN/L. In addition, specific application for shortcut nitrification-anammox process at 10°C was analyzed. At any given operational condition, the model was able to predict if shortcut nitrification can be achieved and provide the operational DO range which is higher than the DOmin of AOB and lower than that of NOB. Furthermore, experimental data from different literature studies were taken for model simulation and the model prediction fit well the experiment. For the Sharon process, model prediction with default kinetics did not work but the model could make good prediction after adjusting the kinetic values based on the Sharon-specific kinetics reported in the literature. The model provides a method to identify feasible combinations of pH, DO, TAN, TNN, and SRT for successful shortcut nitrification.

Monitoring the biodegradability of bisphenol A and its metabolic intermediates by manometric respirometry tests.

As a result of its wide usage in the production of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins, bisphenol A (BPA) is commonly detected in wastewaters. Recently, BPA became a major concern because its adverse effects as an endocrine disruptor. In this work, the biodegradation kinetics of BPA and its metabolic intermediates 4-hydroxyacetophenone (4HAP), 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (4HB) and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (4HBA) by BPA-acclimated activated sludge was studied using manometric respirometry (BOD) tests. For all the tested compounds, BOD curves exhibited two phases. In the first one, a fast increase of the oxygen consumption (OC) due to the active oxidation of the substrate was obtained. Then, when the substrate was exhausted, the endogenous respiration produced a slower increase of OC. A standard Monod-model with biomass growth was used to represent the OC profiles as a function of time. For all the tested compounds, a good agreement between the proposed model and the experimental data was obtained. According to their biodegradation rates, the tested compounds can be ordered as follows: BPA<4HAP≪4HB<4HBA. Because the oxidation rate of BPA by BPA-acclimated activated sludge limits the rate of the whole biodegradation pathway, the accumulation of metabolic intermediates 4HAP, 4HB, and 4HBA would be negligible. To calculate the dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration (C) during the BOD tests, the oxygen transfer coefficient (kLa) of the BOD bottles was obtained using the sulfite method. Finally, a simple procedure to calculate the minimum DO concentration (Cmin) based on BOD data was developed. Calculation results demonstrated that under the tested conditions, C values were high enough as not to be the limiting substrate for the microbial growth.

Trace elements influenced by environmental changes in Lake Biwa: (II) Chemical variations in the hypolimnion over the last half-century

The history of the deep north basin of Lake Biwa extends over 430,000 years. Although it has probably been oxic and oligotrophic since its formation, human impacts have been changing lake conditions. In this paper, we discuss long-term changes in the chemistry of bottom water by compiling literature and through our own data over the last half-century. Long-term records show an increase in temperature, decrease in dissolved oxygen (DO), and increase in nutrients in bottom water. The stoichiometry among oxygen and nutrients indicates that changes are basically consistent with aerobic decomposition of organic matter. These changes are most likely the result of global warming and local eutrophication. Of particular note, yearly minimum DO concentrations <50 µmol kg−1 have started to occur frequently at ~90 m depth since 1999. Manganese (Mn) concentrations in bottom water are at their minimum during the turnover period and at a maximum during the late stratification period each year. Yearly minimum Mn concentration has been within a narrow range over the last 30 years (0.25 ± 0.07 µmol kg−1, n = 12). However, abnormally high Mn concentrations (up to 9.3 µmol kg−1) were observed in 2007, caused by reductive release of a substantial amount of Mn from suboxic sediments and subsequent oxidation in bottom water. The concentration of arsenic (As) has gradually increased over the last 20 years in a similar manner, with a homologous element of phosphorus (P), resulting in an observed range of 17–29 nmol kg−1 in 2010. The accumulation rate was ~0.8 nmol kg−1 year−1 for As and ~6 nmol kg−1 year−1 for P.

Extrapolating cetacean densities beyond surveyed regions: habitat‐based predictions in the circumtropical belt

AbstractAimOur knowledge of cetacean distributions is impeded by large data‐gaps worldwide, particularly at tropical latitudes. This study aims to (1) find generic relationships between cetaceans and their habitats in a range of tropical waters, and (2) extrapolate cetacean densities in a circumtropical belt extending far beyond surveyed regions.LocationPelagic, circumtropical.MethodsAerial surveys were conducted over three regions in the tropical Atlantic (132,000 km2), Indian (1.4 million km2) and Pacific (1.4 million km2) oceans. Three cetacean guilds were studied (Delphininae, Globicephalinae and sperm and beaked whales). For each guild, a generalized additive model was fitted using sightings recorded in all three regions and 14 candidate environmental predictors. Cetacean densities were tentatively extrapolated over a circumtropical belt, excluding waters where environmental characteristics departed from those encountered in the surveyed regions.ResultsEach cetacean guild exhibited a relationship with the primary production and depth of the minimum dissolved oxygen concentration. Delphininae also showed a relationship with the dominant phytoplankton group. The prediction envelopes were primarily constrained by water temperature. Circumtropical extrapolations of Delphininae and Globicephalinae were contrasted between ocean basins, with high densities predicted in the equatorial waters of the three ocean basins. The predicted densities of sperm and beaked whales were lower and more uniform across the circumtropical belt than for the other two guilds.Main conclusionsOur modelling approach represents a good analytical solution to predicting cetacean population densities in poorly documented tropical waters. Future data collection should concentrate on areas where environmental characteristics were not encountered in our survey regions and where the predicted densities were the most uncertain. By highlighting cetacean hotspots far beyond waters under national jurisdiction, this study can provide guidance for the delimitation of Ecologically and Biologically Significant Marine Areas.

Modified tide gate management for enhancing instream habitat for native fish upstream of the saline limit

Tide and flood gates are used widely throughout the world to facilitate drainage of lowland areas and provide flood protection to valuable agricultural land and human infrastructure. However, these structures can impact on aquatic communities by disrupting connectivity and altering physical habitat conditions. Complete removal is rarely feasible in the short-term because of the competing flood mitigation and land use interests. However, in many cases it is likely that the structure and/or its operation can be modified to enhance connectivity for migratory species and reduce the severity of impacts on instream habitats.This study describes the results of a short-term trial investigating the effects of modified tide gate management on instream habitat and fish communities in a small tidal stream in the North Island of New Zealand. The study site was located upstream of the saline limit and thus does not directly address this potential limitation on managing the effects of some tide gates. The main objective of the study was to understand whether improvements in tidal flushing could mitigate the negative effects of tide gates on upstream habitats, thus improving their suitability for native fish communities.The trial demonstrated that in impacted lowland river reaches, the reintroduction of limited tidal exchange upstream of tide gates reduced negative impacts on instream habitat by restoring hydrological variability, increasing minimum dissolved oxygen concentrations and potentially also reducing water temperatures. However, it was also shown that the recovery may not be uniform and can be dependent on interactions with other stressors. The trial illustrated the potential for using modified tide gate management to mitigate the environmental effects associated with their operation, and to restore habitat conditions so that they are more favourable for the persistence of native fish species.

Trophic state responses of Onondaga Lake, New York, to reductions in phosphorus loading from advanced wastewater treatment

This study evaluated the response of previously culturally hypereutrophic Onondaga Lake, New York, to major reductions in phosphorus (P) loading from a municipal wastewater treatment plant achieved over a 35-year period. Analysis of the response was based on long-term monitoring of effluent total P concentration (TPMetro) and a robust array of in-lake metrics of trophic state, including (1) TP, (2) chlorophyll a (Chl-a), (3) Secchi disk depth, (4) areal hypolimnetic oxygen deficit (AHOD), (5) the downward flux of volatile suspended solids, and (6) the minimum dissolved oxygen concentration in the upper waters during fall turnover. Substantial positive responses, which were significantly linearly related to the decreases in TPMetro, were documented for all of the metrics over the monitoring period. For example, a 91% reduction in TPMetro resulted in reductions of 84% and 59% in Chl-a and AHOD, respectively. The changes depict a transformation from hypereutrophy to upper mesotrophy, with the exception of AHOD values that remain in the eutrophic range. The delayed response of AHOD reflects slower sediment diagenesis processes. The relationships among the metrics of trophic state are considered in the context of literature expressions, accepted paradigms, and limitations related to variations in food web effects. Empirical models that include the effects of multiple drivers on interannual variations in contemporary trophic state metrics were developed and applied to forecast variability under existing conditions. This case study contributes to the scientific literature describing lake rehabilitation through reductions in P loading.