Functions of Mud in Estuarine and Coastal Ecosystems
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FunctionsFunctions andand behaviourbehaviour ofof mudmud inin estuarineestuarine andand coastalcoastal ecosystemsecosystems Prof.Prof. Dr.Dr. VictorVictor N.N. dede JongeJonge DScDSc Dept. Ocean Ecosystems, University of Groningen, The Netherlands Dept. Biological Sciences, University of Hull, UK [email protected] to keep 1 warf at place …. 1. A ‘storm surge barrier’ was built, (mainly to dam up Ems river water when a newly built giant cruiser had to float to the sea…) 2. river deepening and canalisation was executed & 3. river dredging takes place continuously Resulting in 3. a tremendous change in the river and estuarine light climate SPM concentration Salinity 1200 35 …. (mg/l) (PSU) 1000 2005-2006 30 25 800 20 600 1975-1976 15 400 10 200 5 0 0 0 20406080100120 distance from Herbrum (km) SPM 1975-1976 SPM 2005-2006 salinity 1975-1976 salinity 2005-2006 Oxygen 10.0 concentration (mg/l) 8.0 6.0 No fish species 4.0 can take this barrier 2.0 2.5 mg/l 0.0 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 Thanks to N-Ports Emden, (Rewert Wurpts) for help in sampling! River Ems: ‘Yellow river’ Power failure hits Europe [04-11-2006] Danna Avsec Created: 11/5/2006 2:20:56 PMUpdated:11/5/2006 2:21:34 PM 4. About half of W Europe without power for 1 hour because this high voltage power cable over the river Ems was shut down BERLIN (AP) -- A German electric company says it may know the cause of yesterday's chain-reaction blackout that hit parts of Europe. The company says systems may have become overloaded after a high-voltage transmission line was shut down over a river to let a ship pass. ‘The river’ was the river Ems and ‘a ship’ was a giant cruiser ‘Norwegian Pearl’ [01-11-2006] 305 cm (+ 2m) 410 cm (+ 3m) 483 cm (+ 3.5m) ‘Ems Sperrwerk’ was needed! Highest water level ever measured in the Ems estuary: 01-11-2006 Groningen Together with the channel maintenance dredging in the Ems estuary, the scale of the activity and its impact is large + Meyer warf WhyWhy thisthis exampleexample ?? 1.1.LightLight isis aa resourceresource forfor algaealgae whichwhich areare responsibleresponsible forfor creatingcreating thethe foodfood forfor thethe aquaticaquatic systemsystem 2.2.LightLight isis easilyeasily andand heavilyheavily influencedinfluenced byby humanhuman activitiesactivities 3.3.LightLight isis anan emergingemerging problemproblem!!!! OtherOther functionsfunctions ofof mudmud •• SuspendedSuspended ‘‘particlesparticles’’ // ‘‘solidssolids’’ •• ExtinctingExtincting lightlight •• SubstrateSubstrate •• HabitatHabitat •• SourceSource ofof compoundscompounds •• AdsorbanceAdsorbance forfor chemicalchemical compoundscompounds •• SubstrateSubstrate forfor benthicbenthic diatomsdiatoms andand bacteriabacteria •• CarrierCarrier forfor transportingtransporting micromicro--organismsorganisms •• ByBy--productproduct ofof foodfood •• ResourceResource forfor brickbrick productionproduction TheThe underwaterunderwater lightlight climateclimate inin transitionaltransitional ANDAND coastalcoastal waterswaters isis anan emergingemerging issueissue whichwhich isis insufficientlyinsufficiently recognizedrecognized byby WFDWFD && MSDMSD atat presentpresent tootoo muchmuch acknowledgedacknowledged asas aa naturalnatural boundaryboundary conditioncondition WhatWhat mattersmatters basicallybasically inin anyany ecosystemecosystem andand forfor modellingmodelling it:it: 1.1. Resources:Resources: 106CO2 + 106H2O + 16NH4 + 1PO4 (CH2O)106(NH4)16PO4 + 106O2 + 16 (SiO4) a. Light a. System functioning b. Nutrients: N, P, Si b. Species structure c. Species interactions 2.2. EnvironmentalEnvironmental conditionsconditions:: Related to spiritspirit ofof WFD & MS a. temperature b. dilution rate (τf ) 3.3. BalanceBalance betweenbetween channelschannels && intertidalintertidal flatsflats a. sediment - water interaction We understand part of the general functioning level: e.g. the primary production process We do not understand the general structure level: e.g. systems quality by its species composition HowHow doesdoes (systems(systems ecology)ecology) thethe combinationcombination ofof e.g.e.g. lightlight,, nutrientsnutrients,, temperaturetemperature regulateregulate 1.1. functioningfunctioning ofof thethe systemsystem 2.2. speciesspecies structurestructure ofof thethe systemsystem CanCan wewe explain,explain, eveneven predict,predict, thethe temporaltemporal developmentdevelopment ofof a.a. SpeciesSpecies compositioncomposition ?? b.b. StructureStructure ofof thethe ecosystemecosystem foodfood webweb ?? underunder varyingvarying conditionsconditions ofof -- lightlight intensityintensity -- lightlight qualityquality FocusFocus onon speciesspecies--richrich partpart ofof ecosystemecosystem representedrepresented byby fastfast developingdeveloping micromicro--algaealgae asas cancan bebe foundfound inin thethe WaddenWadden SeaSea Kingston upon Hull Groningen Variation in what is available 1990 – 2003 = 14 years O = Monitoring stations 30 km apart Shallow c R oastal Deep e la (Z t u iv id e Hu oos c e ib ll e t d r La coastal tg e a uw n t si O e ty o r s s/ t) 4. 0 3. 0 2. 0 1. 0 0. 0 14 year Odontella sinensis Odontella aurita var minima Paralia marina average Cylindrotheca closterium Rhizosolenia setigera Skeletonema cost atum Rhizosolenia delicatula Brockmanniella brockmannii Phaeocystis Sp e Protoperidinium c ie Actinoptychus senarius s Brockmanniella brockmannii mean abundance (cells l-1) 300000 250000 200000 150000 (13 yr average) 100000 50000 0 T ND GT OT O D D TZ W G GN RS N OL B OT A DA ID HUI O M ZU GR Skeletonema costatum mean abundance (cells l-1) 700000 600000 500000 400000 Rhizosolenia delicatula 300000 200000 mean abundance (cells l-1) 100000 0 T T T 80000 ND G O O ND D TZ W G G 70000 RS N OL IB OT A DA ID HU O 60000 M ZU GR 50000 40000 30000 20000 10000 0 T ND GT OT O D D TZ W G GN RS N OL B OT A DA ID HUI O M ZU GR Strong variations in time and space Brockmanniella brockmannii mean abundance (cells l-1) 300000 250000 200000 150000 (13 yr average) 100000 50000 0 T ND GT OT O D D TZ W G GN RS N OL B OT A DA ID HUI O M ZU GR Skeletonema costatum mean abundance (cells l-1) Options: 700000 600000 500000 400000 1. MathematicalRhizandosolenia statisticaldelicatula analysis as description300000 for what has been 200000 mean abundance (cells l-1) observed 100000 0 T T T 80000 ND G O O ND D TZ W G G 70000 RS N OL IB OT A DA ID HU O 60000 M ZU GR 2. Searching50000 for concepts with general applicability behind the observed 40000 30000 picture20000 to support 10000 - stochasticity0 T ND GT OT O D D TZ W G GN RS N OL B OT - determinismA DA (mechanisID HUI ticO explanations for observed developments in M ZU GR Strong variations in time and space space and time) HowHow dodo conceptuallyconceptually algaealgae respondrespond to:to: A.A. ResourcesResources ((sunsun,, lightlight,, nutrientsnutrients)) B.B. EnvironmentalEnvironmental conditionsconditions ((tidetide,, wind,wind, T,T, ττf )) C.C. EquilibriumEquilibrium betweenbetween channelschannels && tidaltidal flatsflats ((humanshumans)) Top specialist Top generalist Temperature fluctuations around the average The factor temperature could also have been LIGHT Average temperature or LIGHT QUALITY due to changed spectrum by humic substances or …. Fluctuations of 2 oC around 20 oC top specialist top generalist Fluctuations of 8 oC around 20 oC de Jonge & Brauer, in press. MPB Different species are in a different Surprisingly, after mixing the 2 BS species way adapted to light conditions. with a Tolypothrix species, the last one They have different pigments and adapt to the new light conditions by thus different light absorption changing its pigment composition. This spectra. ‘adaptive behaviour’ improves its competition for the new situation. Stomp, M. et al. 2004. Adaptive divergence in pigment composition promotes phytoplankton biodiversity. Nature, 432, 104 – 107. DoesDoes thisthis helphelp usus inin understanding,understanding, exploringexploring andand predicting?predicting? II thinkthink soso givengiven nextnext example.example. Predictability by external disturbances simulated by models and tested experimentally (Roelke et al. 2003) 2x3 replicates Stable conditions Additions in pulses brought under different conditions. 1. Steady input of medium. 2. Pulse-wise input of medium. Result: Series 1: unpredictable development of spp composition Series 2: predictable development of spp composition PulsePulse frequencyfrequency && pulsepulse intensityintensity maymay bothboth determinedetermine diversitydiversity developmentdevelopment PulsePulse:: lightlight,, N,N, P,P, Si,Si, tt oror riverriver dischargedischarge ThusThus atat thethe generalgeneral levellevel thethe occurrenceoccurrence ofof speciesspecies assemblagesassemblages andand theirtheir abundanceabundance mightmight bebe atat leastleast ‘‘understandableunderstandable’’ !! WeWe shouldshould taketake thethe chancechance toto integrateintegrate thethe modernmodern scientificscientific ‘state‘state ofof thethe art’art’ withwith currentcurrent environmentalenvironmental monitoringmonitoring practicepractice byby authoritiesauthorities andand thethe requirementsrequirements byby e.g.e.g. thethe WFDWFD && MS.MS. Because light is ecologically of utmost importance l move to the most important impact in coastal waters wind, dredging, sludge disposal, mining, extraction, fisheries, …as a source for changes in light climate. TheThe EmsEms estuaryestuary TheThe underwaterunderwater lightlight climateclimate inin transitionaltransitional ANDAND coastalcoastal waterswaters isis anan emergingemerging