Cruise observation of Ulva prolifera bloom in the southern Yellow Sea, China. (20th September 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liu, Xiangqing; Li, Yan; Wang, Zongling; Zhang, Qingchun; Cai, Xiaoqing
• Is Part Of: Estuarine, coastal and shelf science. Volume 163:Part A(2015)
• Page Start: 17
• Page End: 22
• Publication Date: 2015-09-20
• Subjects: Ulva prolifera -- green tides -- distribution -- southern Yellow Sea; Estuarine oceanography -- Periodicals; Coasts -- Periodicals; Estuarine biology -- Periodicals; Seashore biology -- Periodicals; Coasts; Estuarine biology; Estuarine oceanography; Seashore biology; Periodicals; 551.461805
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ecss.2014.09.014
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0272-7714

Abstract

Abstract: Four cruises were carried out in the southern Yellow Sea from May to June of 2012 with the aim of observing the development of green tides. Free-floating patches of green algae dominated by Ulva prolifer a occurred in early May in coastal waters of the southern Yellow Sea with an average biomass of 0.05 g m −2 . The average biomass of free-floating green algae developed rapidly and reached 3.20 gm −2 in mid-May, and the affected area reached 8.7 × 10 3 km 2 with a total biomass of 1.37 × 10 5 tons. In late May, the average biomass reached 5.81 gm −2, and the affected area reached 3.2 × 10 4 km 2 with a total biomass of 2.5 × 10 5 tons. In early June, the average biomass reached 8.47 gm −2, the affected area covered 3.6 × 10 4 km 2, and the total biomass of floating green algae was 3.64 × 10 5 tons. The affected areas of green tide in our observed data were higher than those estimated from remote sensing images in the early two cruises, and basically matched the remote sensing data in the last two cruises. With the increased biomass and the expansion of the affected area, the free-floating algal patches moved progressively northward. They first appeared in coastal water of middle Jiangsu province, gradually reached 35°N in early May, and finally drifted to the southern coast of the Shandong Peninsula (36°N) after one month. This work can offer help for the early prediction and warning of a green algal bloom and provide decision-making bases for governmental departments.