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Article: Temporal and spatial variations in nutrient stoichiometry and regulation of phytoplankton biomass in Hong Kong waters: Influence of the Pearl River outflow and sewage inputs

TitleTemporal and spatial variations in nutrient stoichiometry and regulation of phytoplankton biomass in Hong Kong waters: Influence of the Pearl River outflow and sewage inputs
Authors
KeywordsHong Kong waters
Monsoon
Pearl River discharge
Sewage effluent
Stoichiometric nutrient limitation
Issue Date2008
PublisherPergamon. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/marpolbul
Citation
Marine Pollution Bulletin, 2008, v. 57 n. 6-12, p. 335-348 How to Cite?
AbstractIn 2001, the Hong Kong government implemented the Harbor Area Treatment Scheme (HATS) under which 70% of the sewage that had been formerly discharged into Victoria Harbor is now collected and sent to Stonecutters Island Sewage Works where it receives chemically enhanced primary treatment (CEPT), and is then discharged into waters west of the Harbor. The relocation of the sewage discharge will possibly change the nutrient dynamics and phytoplankton biomass in this area. Therefore, there is a need to examine the factors that regulate phytoplankton growth in Hong Kong waters in order to understand future impacts. Based on a historic nutrient data set (1986-2001), a comparison of ambient nutrient ratios with the Redfield ratio (N:P:Si = 16:1:16) showed clear spatial variations in the factors that regulate phytoplankton biomass along a west (estuary) to east (coastal/oceanic) transect through Hong Kong waters. Algal biomass was constrained by a combination of low light conditions, a rapid change in salinity, and strong turbulent mixing in western waters throughout the year. Potential stoichiometric Si limitation (up to 94% of the cases in winter) occurred in Victoria Harbor due to the contribution of sewage effluent with high N and P enrichment all year, except for summer when the frequency of stoichiometric Si limitation (48%) was the same as P, owing to the influence of the high Si in the Pearl River discharge. In the eastern waters, potential N limitation and N and P co-limitation occurred in autumn and winter respectively, because of the dominance of coastal/oceanic water with low nutrients and low N:P ratios. In contrast, potential Si limitation occurred in spring and a switch to potential N, P and Si limitation occurred in eastern waters in summer. In southern waters, there was a shift from P limitation (80%) in summer due to the influence of the N-rich Pearl River discharge, to N limitation (68%) in autumn, and to N and P co-limitation in winter due to the dominance of N-poor oceanic water from the oligotrophic South China Sea. Our results show clear temporal and spatial variations in the nutrient stoichiometry which indicates potential regulation of phytoplankton biomass in HK waters due to the combination of the seasonal exchange of the Pearl River discharge and oceanic water, sewage effluent inputs, and strong hydrodynamic mixing from SW monsoon winds in summer and the NE monsoon winds in winter. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Persistent Identifierhttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/58529
ISSN
2023 Impact Factor: 5.3
2023 SCImago Journal Rankings: 1.445
ISI Accession Number ID
References

 

DC FieldValueLanguage
dc.contributor.authorXu, Jen_HK
dc.contributor.authorHo, AYTen_HK
dc.contributor.authorYin, Ken_HK
dc.contributor.authorYuan, Xen_HK
dc.contributor.authorAnderson, DMen_HK
dc.contributor.authorLee, JHWen_HK
dc.contributor.authorHarrison, PJen_HK
dc.date.accessioned2010-05-31T03:32:01Z-
dc.date.available2010-05-31T03:32:01Z-
dc.date.issued2008en_HK
dc.identifier.citationMarine Pollution Bulletin, 2008, v. 57 n. 6-12, p. 335-348en_HK
dc.identifier.issn0025-326Xen_HK
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/58529-
dc.description.abstractIn 2001, the Hong Kong government implemented the Harbor Area Treatment Scheme (HATS) under which 70% of the sewage that had been formerly discharged into Victoria Harbor is now collected and sent to Stonecutters Island Sewage Works where it receives chemically enhanced primary treatment (CEPT), and is then discharged into waters west of the Harbor. The relocation of the sewage discharge will possibly change the nutrient dynamics and phytoplankton biomass in this area. Therefore, there is a need to examine the factors that regulate phytoplankton growth in Hong Kong waters in order to understand future impacts. Based on a historic nutrient data set (1986-2001), a comparison of ambient nutrient ratios with the Redfield ratio (N:P:Si = 16:1:16) showed clear spatial variations in the factors that regulate phytoplankton biomass along a west (estuary) to east (coastal/oceanic) transect through Hong Kong waters. Algal biomass was constrained by a combination of low light conditions, a rapid change in salinity, and strong turbulent mixing in western waters throughout the year. Potential stoichiometric Si limitation (up to 94% of the cases in winter) occurred in Victoria Harbor due to the contribution of sewage effluent with high N and P enrichment all year, except for summer when the frequency of stoichiometric Si limitation (48%) was the same as P, owing to the influence of the high Si in the Pearl River discharge. In the eastern waters, potential N limitation and N and P co-limitation occurred in autumn and winter respectively, because of the dominance of coastal/oceanic water with low nutrients and low N:P ratios. In contrast, potential Si limitation occurred in spring and a switch to potential N, P and Si limitation occurred in eastern waters in summer. In southern waters, there was a shift from P limitation (80%) in summer due to the influence of the N-rich Pearl River discharge, to N limitation (68%) in autumn, and to N and P co-limitation in winter due to the dominance of N-poor oceanic water from the oligotrophic South China Sea. Our results show clear temporal and spatial variations in the nutrient stoichiometry which indicates potential regulation of phytoplankton biomass in HK waters due to the combination of the seasonal exchange of the Pearl River discharge and oceanic water, sewage effluent inputs, and strong hydrodynamic mixing from SW monsoon winds in summer and the NE monsoon winds in winter. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.en_HK
dc.languageengen_HK
dc.publisherPergamon. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/marpolbulen_HK
dc.relation.ispartofMarine Pollution Bulletinen_HK
dc.subjectHong Kong watersen_HK
dc.subjectMonsoonen_HK
dc.subjectPearl River dischargeen_HK
dc.subjectSewage effluenten_HK
dc.subjectStoichiometric nutrient limitationen_HK
dc.titleTemporal and spatial variations in nutrient stoichiometry and regulation of phytoplankton biomass in Hong Kong waters: Influence of the Pearl River outflow and sewage inputsen_HK
dc.typeArticleen_HK
dc.identifier.openurlhttp://library.hku.hk:4550/resserv?sid=HKU:IR&issn=0025-326X&volume=57&spage=335&epage=348&date=2008&atitle=Temporal+and+spatial+variations+in+nutrient+stoichiometry+and+regulation+of+phytoplankton+biomass+in+Hong+Kong+waters:+influence+of+the+Pearl+River+outflow+and+sewage+inputsen_HK
dc.identifier.emailLee, JHW: hreclhw@hku.hken_HK
dc.identifier.authorityLee, JHW=rp00061en_HK
dc.description.naturelink_to_subscribed_fulltext-
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.marpolbul.2008.01.020en_HK
dc.identifier.pmid18313698-
dc.identifier.scopuseid_2-s2.0-46549088506en_HK
dc.identifier.hkuros154911en_HK
dc.relation.referenceshttp://www.scopus.com/mlt/select.url?eid=2-s2.0-46549088506&selection=ref&src=s&origin=recordpageen_HK
dc.identifier.volume57en_HK
dc.identifier.issue6-12en_HK
dc.identifier.spage335en_HK
dc.identifier.epage348en_HK
dc.identifier.isiWOS:000257816300016-
dc.publisher.placeUnited Kingdomen_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridXu, J=7407002498en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridHo, AYT=23667369600en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridYin, K=7101985944en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridYuan, X=23669442900en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridAnderson, DM=7410018378en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridLee, JHW=36078318900en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridHarrison, PJ=9533159800en_HK
dc.identifier.issnl0025-326X-

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