Skip to main content

Advertisement

Springer Nature Link
Log in

Macrobenthic assemblages of the Changjiang River estuary (Yangtze River, China) and adjacent continental shelf relative to mild summer hypoxia

  • Biology
  • Published:
Chinese Journal of Oceanology and Limnology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

To assess the effects of hypoxia, macrobenthic communities along an estuarine gradient of the Changjiang estuary and adjacent continental shelf were analyzed. This revealed spatial variations in the communities and relationships with environmental variables during periods of reduced dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration in summer. Statistical analyses revealed significant differences in macrobenthic community composition among the three zones: estuarine zone (EZ), mildly hypoxic zone (MHZ) in the continental shelf, and normoxic zone (NZ) in the continental shelf (Global R =0.206, P =0.002). Pairwise tests showed that the macrobenthic community composition of the EZ was significantly different from the MHZ (pairwise test R =0.305, P =0.001) and the NZ (pairwise test R =0.259, P =0.001). There was no significant difference in macrobenthic communities between the MHZ and the NZ (pairwise test R =0.062, P =0.114). The taxa included small and typically opportunistic polychaetes, which made the greatest contribution to the dissimilarity between the zones. The effects of mild hypoxia on the macrobenthic communities are a result not only of reduced DO concentration but also of differences in environmental variables such as temperature, salinity, and nutrient concentrations caused by stratification.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+
from $39.99 /Month
  • Starting from 10 chapters or articles per month
  • Access and download chapters and articles from more than 300k books and 2,500 journals
  • Cancel anytime
View plans

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Explore related subjects

Discover the latest articles, books and news in related subjects, suggested using machine learning.

References

  • Bray J R, Curtis J T. 1957. An ordination of the upland forest communities of southern Wisconsin. Ecological Monographs, 27 (4): 25–349.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clarke K R. 1993. Non-parametric multivariate analyses of changes in community structure. Australian Journal of Ecology, 18(1): 117–143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Conley D J, Björck S, Bonsdorff E, Carstensen J, Destouni G, Gustafsson B G, Hietanen S, Kortekaas M, Kuosa H, Meier H E M, Müller-Karulis B, Nordberg K, Norkko A, Nürnberg G, Pitkänen H, Rabalais N N, Rosenberg R, Savchuk O P, Slomp C P, Voss M, Wulff F, Zillén L. 2009. Hypoxia-related processes in the Baltic Sea. Environmental Science & Technology, 43 (10): 412–3420.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dauer D M, Rodi A J, Ranasinghe J A. 1992. Effects of low dissolved oxygen events on the macrobenthos of the Lower Chesapeake Bay. Estuaries, 15 (3): 84–391.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diaz R J, Rosenberg R. 1995. Marine benthic hypoxia: a review of its ecological effects and the behavioural responses of benthic macrofauna. Oceanography and Marine Biology: An Annual Review, 33: 45–303.

    Google Scholar 

  • Diaz R J, Rosenberg R. 2008. Spreading dead zones and consequences for marine ecosystems. Science, 321 (5891): 26–929.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diaz R J. 2001. Overview of hypoxia around the world. Journal of Environmental Quality, 30 (2): 75–281.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gray J S, Wu R S, Or Y Y. 2002. Effects of hypoxia and organic enrichment on the coastal marine environment. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 238: 49–279.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gu H K. 1980. The maximum value of dissolved oxygen in its vertical distribution in Yellow Sea. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 2 (2): 0–79. (in Chinese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hansen H P, KoroleffF. 1983. Determination of nutrients. In: Grasshoff K, Ehrhardt M, Kremling K eds. Methods of Seawater Analysis. 2nd edn. Verlag Chemie, Weinheim.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kemp W M, Boynton W R, Adolf J E, Boesch D F, Boicourt W C, Brush G, Cornwell J C, Fisher T R, Glibert P M, Hagy J D, Harding L W, Houde E D, Kimmel D G, Miller W D, Newell R I E, Roman M R, Smith E W, Stevenson J C. 2005. Eutrophication of Chesapeake Bay: historical trends and ecological interactions. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 303: 1–29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knap A, Michaels A, Close A, Ducklow H, Dickson A. 1996. Protocols for the Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS) Core Measurements. JGOFS Report No. 19, Reprint of the IOC Manuals and Guides No. 29. UNESCO, Paris, France.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kodama K, Lee J H, Oyama M, Shiraishi H, Horiguchi T. 2012. Disturbance of benthic macrofauna in relation to hypoxia and organic enrichment in a eutrophic coastal bay. Marine Environmental Research, 76: 0–89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li D J, Zhang J, Huang D J, Wu Y, Liang J. 2002. Oxygen depletion offthe Changjiang (Yangtze River) estuary. Science in China Series D: Earth Sciences, 45 (12): 137–1146.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Long W C, Seitz R D. 2009. Hypoxia in Chesapeake Bay tributaries: worsening effects on macrobenthic community structure in the York River. Estuaries and Coasts, 32 (2): 87–297.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nilsson H C, Rosenberg R. 1994. Hypoxic response of two marine benthic communities. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 115: 09–217.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nilsson H C, Rosenberg R. 2000. Succession in marine benthic habitats and fauna in response to oxygen deficiency: analysed by sediment profile-imaging and by grab samples. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 197: 39–149.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oguz T, Ducklow H W, Malanotte-Rizzoli P. 2000. Modeling distinct vertical biogeochemical structure of the Black Sea: dynamical coupling of oxic, suboxic, and anoxic layers. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 14 (4): 331–1352.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rabalais N N, Turner R E, Sen Gupta B K, Boesch D F, Chapman P, Murrell M C. 2007. Hypoxia in the northern Gulf of Mexico: does the science support the Plan to Reduce, Mitigate, and Control Hypoxia? Estuaries and Coasts, 30 (5): 53–772.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rabalais N N, Turner R E, Wiseman W J. 2002. Gulf of Mexico hypoxia, A.K.A. “The dead zone”. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 33 (1): 35–263.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rabouille C, Conley D J, Dai M H, Cai W J, Chen C T A, Lansard B, Green R, Yin K, Harrison P J, Dagg M, Mc Kee B. 2008. Comparison of hypoxia among four riverdominated ocean margins: the Changjiang (Yangtze), Mississippi, Pearl, and Rhône rivers. Continental Shelf Research, 28 (12): 527–1537.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenberg R, Nilsson H C, Diaz R J. 2001. Response of benthic fauna and changing sediment redox profiles over a hypoxic gradient. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 53 (3): 43–350.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seitz R D, Dauer D M, Llansó R J, Long W C. 2009. Broadscale effects of hypoxia on benthic community structure in Chesapeake Bay, USA. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 381: S4–S12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sturdivant S K, Díaz R J, Llansó R, Dauer D M. 2014. Relationship between hypoxia and macrobenthic production in Chesapeake Bay. Estuaries and Coasts, 37 (5): 219–1232.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ter Braak C J F, Smilauer P. 1998. CANOCO Reference Manual and User’s Guide to Canoco for Windows: Software for Canonical Community Ordination (Version 4). Microcomputer Power, Ithaca, NY, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tyson R V, Pearson T H. 1991. Modern and ancient continental shelf anoxia: an overview. Geological Society, London, Special Publication s, 58 (1): 1–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vaquer-Sunyer R, Duarte C M. 2008. Thresholds of hypoxia for marine biodiversity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 105 (40): 5452–15457.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang B D. 2009. Hydromorphological mechanisms leading to hypoxia offthe Changjiang estuary. Marine Environmental Research, 67 (1): 3–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wei H, He Y C, Li Q J, Liu Z Y, Wang H T. 2007. Summer hypoxia adjacent to the Changjiang estuary. Journal of Marine Systems, 67 (3-4): 292–303.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wei Q S, Wang B D, Chen J F, Xia C S, Qu D P, Xie L P. 2015. Recognition on the forming-vanishing process and underlying mechanisms of the hypoxia offthe Yangtze River estuary. Science China Earth Sciences, 58 (4): 28–648.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang J, Gilbert D, Gooday A J, Levin L, Naqvi S W A, Middelburg J J, Scranton M, Ekau W, Peña A, Dewitte B, Oguz T, Monteiro P M S, Urban E, Rabalais N N, Ittekkot V, Kemp W M, Ulloa O, Elmgren R, Escobar-Briones E, Van der Plas A K. 2010. Natural and humaninduced hypoxia and consequences for coastal areas: Synthesis and future development. Biogeosciences, 7 (5): 443–1467.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang J, Zhang Z F, Liu S M, Wu Y, Xiong H, Chen H T. 1999. Human impacts on the large world rivers: would the Changjiang (Yangtze River) be an illustration? Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 13 (4): 099–1105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu Z Y, Zhang J, Wu Y, Zhang Y Y, Lin J, Liu S M. 2011. Hypoxia offthe Changjiang (Yangtze River) estuary: oxygen depletion and organic matter decomposition. Marine Chemistry, 125 (1-4): 108–116.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgement

The authors gratefully acknowledge CHEN Jianfang, LI Hongliang, and WANG Kui for their assistance in the laboratory and fi eld, as well as the two anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments on the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Marine Ecosystem and Biogeochemistry, Second Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Hangzhou, 310012, China

    Yibo Liao  (廖一波), Lu Shou  (寿鹿), Yanbin Tang  (汤雁滨), Jiangning Zeng  (曾江宁), Aigen Gao  (高爱根) & Quanzhen Chen  (陈全震)

  2. Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Marine College of Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China

    Yibo Liao  (廖一波) & Xiaojun Yan  (严小军)

Authors
  1. Yibo Liao  (廖一波)
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lu Shou  (寿鹿)
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yanbin Tang  (汤雁滨)
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jiangning Zeng  (曾江宁)
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Aigen Gao  (高爱根)
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Quanzhen Chen  (陈全震)
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Xiaojun Yan  (严小军)
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lu Shou  (寿鹿).

Additional information

Supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) (No. 2010CB428903), the National Marine Public Welfare Research Project of China (Nos. 201505004-3, 201305043), the Scientific Research Fund of the Second Institute of Oceanography, SOA (No. JG1312), and the National Special Fund of Chinese Offshore Investigation and Assessment (No. 908-01-ST04)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Liao, Y., Shou, L., Tang, Y. et al. Macrobenthic assemblages of the Changjiang River estuary (Yangtze River, China) and adjacent continental shelf relative to mild summer hypoxia. Chin. J. Ocean. Limnol. 35, 481–488 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-017-5285-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-017-5285-4

Keywords