Temporal variability in zooplankton community in the western Yellow Sea and its possible links to green tides

Abstract

Large-scale macro-algal blooms ofUlva prolifera(also called green tides) have appeared each summer since 2008 in the western Yellow Sea. In this study, we investigated the temporal variability in zooplankton community in the western Yellow Sea and its possible links to green tides using data from a long-term plankton survey off the coast of Qingdao, China. Environmental conditions observed in the study area during the green tide period (GTP: June–August, 2008–2013) were compared to the non-green tide period (NGTP: June–August, 2005–2007), to support the contention that variations observed in zooplankton community may be attributed to the green tides, as opposed to natural climatic or environmental variations. Zooplankton assemblage structure observed during the GTP was then compared to the NGTP. Significant variations were detected both in zooplankton abundance and assemblage structure between the two defined periods. The abundance of zooplankton, mainly copepods, was significantly decreased during the GTP. Meanwhile, the relative abundance of copepods decreased by approximately 10% and that of gelatinous zooplankton, including appendicularians, chaetognaths, and medusae, almost doubled (ca. increased by 6.4%). The dominant species of meroplankton completely changed, specifically, polychaeta, and echinoderm larvae were more dominant than decapod and bivalve larvae. With regard to zooplankton size structure, the NGTP showed a higher size diversity with more small-sized organisms, while the GTP showed a lower size diversity in the community. According to general linear models, the interannual variation in summer zooplankton abundance was significantly correlated with green tides. These results indicate that the temporal changes in zooplankton community may have a close link to the green tides.

Incorporating egg-transporting pathways into conservation plans of spawning areas: An example of small yellow croaker (Larimichthys polyactis) in the East China Sea zone

“…Chl hotspots are distributed in a long curving band near 123°E and a northward boundary around 32°N. Wang et al (2019) reported that the Chl concentration surged in late April and peaked in mid-June, consistent with our findings. Although the Chl concentration in the spawning sites in southern Jiangsu is lower than that at hotspots (29-30°N), salinity is a limiting factor in the reproductive activities of the small yellow croaker.…”

“…The influential process of the green tide outbreak on fishery resources was extremely complex. The green tide was reported to mainly affect the primary production process in the ocean and endanger the survival rate of the fish larvae through the food chain (Wang et al, 2019;Sun et al, 2022). Sun et al (2022) regarded the outbreak of U. prolifera as an event to simulate the natural death of the small yellow croaker and indicated at least 10% of biomass and catch loss of the small yellow croaker in the case of the surging natural death.…”

Variations in Marine Bacterial and Archaeal Communities during an Ulva prolifera Green Tide in Coastal Qingdao Areas

“…U. prolifera generally floats on the surface of seawater, posing a serious threat to coastal tourism, fishery and environment [3,4]. The outbreak of U. prolifera green tide affects not only the nutrient contents of seawater but also the interactions among marine organisms, and further influences the marine biogeochemical cycles [5][6][7][8]. During the decomposing process of U. prolifera, it can consume dissolved oxygen resulting in water hypoxia or even anoxia, and also release hydrogen sulfide into seawater, which is hazardous to marine organisms [9,10].…”

Research on the dissipation of green tide and its influencing factors in the Yellow Sea based on Google Earth Engine

“…Finally, a million tons of green tide biomass accumulated in the coastal waters of the Shandong Peninsula in late June and July (Liu et al, 2016). The resources available to artificially collect algae are limited, and as the green tide enters the dissipation phase, some of the algae from the green tide will be washed ashore by waves and tides, and affect the ecological environment and human activities in the coastal areas, Some of it will decompose naturally in the sea, releasing a large amount of nutrients and changing the ecology of the marine environment (Chimney and Pietro, 2006;Wang et al, 2012), affecting other biological groups in the water body (Wang et al, 2019), affecting other biological groups in the water body and increasing the likelihood of secondary marine disasters such as red tides (Kong et al, 2018).…”