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Seasonal variations of particulate silicon in the Changjiang (Yangtze River) Estuary and its adjacent area

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Abstract

Temporal and spatial distribution of biogenic (BSi) and lithogenic (LSi) silica were studied in the Changjiang (Yangtze River) Estuary and its adjacent area. The annual average BSi and LSi concentrations were (1.71±1.79) µmol/L and (0.56±1.41) mmol/L, respectively. Both BSi and LSi were high in the inshore areas, where they received terrigenous discharge from the Changjiang, and decreased towards the offshore region. BSi and LSi were most abundant at the near bottom layer due to the high sedimentation rates and resuspension of sediment. Diatom blooms occurred in summer with high Chl a concentration in the surface layer, which induced that BSi in the surface layer during summer was obviously higher than that in the surface layer of other seasons. LSi concentration was maximal in autumn and spring and minimum in summer, associated with the seasonal variation of SPM values. Drifting investigation and mesocosm experiments were conducted during dinoflagellate bloom, aiming to understand the effect of nutrients on BSi by changing the phytoplankton composition. The results show that the low dissolved inorganic phosphorus concentration and high molar ratio of N/P (dissolved inorganic nitrogen vs. dissolved inorganic phosphorus), were the important factors for decreasing diatombiomass in the study area, and it would subsequently decrease the BSi concentration in aquatic ecosystem.

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  1. Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China

    Lu Cao, Sumei Liu & Jingling Ren

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  1. Lu Cao
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  2. Sumei Liu
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Correspondence to Sumei Liu.

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Foundation item: The National Natural Sciences Foundation of China under contract Nos 40925017 and 40876054; the Ministry of Science & Technology of P.R. China under contract Nos 2011CB409802 and 2001CB409703.

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Cao, L., Liu, S. & Ren, J. Seasonal variations of particulate silicon in the Changjiang (Yangtze River) Estuary and its adjacent area. Acta Oceanol. Sin. 32, 1–10 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13131-013-0293-5

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