Toxic harmful algal blooms (HABs) can cause deleterious effects in marine organisms, threatening the stability of marine ecosystems. It is well known that different strains, natural populations and growth conditions of the same toxic algal species may lead to different amount of phycotoxin production and the ensuing toxicity. To fully assess the ecological risk of toxic HABs, it is of great importance to investigate the toxic effects of phycotoxins in marine organisms. In this study, the short-term toxicity of 14 common phycotoxins (alone and in combination) in the marine zooplankton Artemia salina was investigated. The 48 h LC₅₀ of the 14 phycotoxins varied from 0.019 3 µg/mL to 2.415 µg/mL. The most potent phycotoxin was azaspiracids-3 (AZA3; with a LC₅₀ of 0.019 3 µg/mL), followed by azaspiracids-2 (AZA2; 0.022 6 µg/mL), pectenotoxin-2 (PTX2; 0.046 0 µg/mL) and dinophysistoxin-1 (DTX1; 0.081 8 µg/mL). For the binary exposure, okadaic acid (OA) induced potential additive effects with DTX1, probably due to their similar structure (polyether fatty acid) and mode of action (attacking the serine/threonine phosphoprotein phosphatases). On the other hand, OA showed potential antagonistic effects with PTX2, which might be accounted for by their activation on the detoxification activity of cytochrome P450 activity. In addition, DTX1 induced potential synergetic effects with saxitoxin (STX), yessotoxin (YTX) or PTX2, suggesting the hazard potency of the mixtures of DTX1 and other phycotoxins (like STX, YTX and PTX2) with regard to the ecological risk. These results provide valuable toxicological data for assessing the impact of phycotoxins on marine planktonic species and highlight the potential ecological risk of toxic HABs in marine ecosystems.

The shallow-water temperature profile is typically parameterized using a few empirical orthogonal function (EOF) coefficients. However, when the experimental area is poorly known or highly variable, the adaptability of the EOFs will be significantly reduced. In this study, a new set of basis functions, generated by combining the internal-wave eigenmodes with the average temperature gradient, is developed for characterizing the temperature perturbations. Temperature profiles recorded by a thermistor chain in the South China Sea in 2015 are processed and analyzed. Compared to the EOFs, the new set of basis functions has higher reconstruction accuracy and adaptability; it is also more stable in ocean regions that have internal waves.

The Chinese marine dynamic environment satellite HY-2B was launched in October 2018 and carries a Ku-band scatterometer. This paper focuses on the accuracies of HY-2B scatterometer wind data during the period from November 2018 to May 2021. The HY-2B wind data are validated against global moored buoys operated by the U.S. National Data Buoy Center and Tropical Atmosphere Ocean, numerical model data by the National Centers for Environmental Prediction, and the Advanced Scatterometer data issued by the Remote Sensing System. The results showed that the wind speeds and directions observed by the HY-2B scatterometer agree well with these buoy wind measurements. The root-mean-squared errors (RMSEs) of the HY-2B wind speed and direction are 0.74 m/s and 11.74°, respectively. For low wind speeds (less than 5 m/s), the standard deviation of the HY-2B-derived wind direction is higher than 20°, which implies that the HY-2B wind direction for low wind speeds is less accurate than that for moderate to high wind speed ranges. The RMSE of the HY-2B wind speed is slightly larger in high latitude oceans (60°–90°S and 60°–90°N) than in low latitude regions. Furthermore, the dependence of the residuals on the cross-track location of wind vector cells and the stability of the HY-2B scatterometer wind products are discussed. The wind stability assessment results indicate that a clear yearly oscillation is observed for the HY-2B wind speed bias which is due to seasonal weather variations. In general, the accuracy of HY-2B winds meets the operational precision requirement and is consistent with other wind data.

The internal energy distribution of waves can be described using ocean-wave spectra. In many ways, obtaining wave spectra on a global scale is critical. Surface waves investigation and monitoring onboard the Chinese-French oceanography satellite is the first space-borne instrument for detecting wave spectra specially, which was launched on October 29, 2018. It can avoid the shortage of synthetic aperture radar detection results while still having some problems, especially with the effects of speckle noise. In this study, a method to suppress the speckle noise is proposed. First, the empirical formula for background speckle noise is established. Second, many spatio-temporal representative fluctuation spectra are classified and averaged. Third, rational transfer function filtering is used to obtain speckle noise close to the along-track direction. Finally, a signal-to-noise ratio threshold is used to suppress the abnormal speckle noise. This method solves the problems existing in previous denoising methods, such as excessive denoising in the along-track direction and the inability of some abnormal noises to be denoised in the two-dimensional directional wave spectra.

Mudflats play a vital role in maintaining the dynamic balance between sea and land. To understand the characteristics, sources, and pollution risks of six heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, and Pb) in the coastal mudflats on the Leizhou Peninsula, 257 surface sediment samples were studied using mathematical statistics, correlation analysis, and factor analysis. The results show that the overall concentrations of these heavy metals are low although there are several high abnormal points in the local areas. The strong correlation between these heavy metals indicates that the sources of some of the metals are similar, yet their elemental combinations in different cities (counties) varied. According to the calculated enrichment factor (EF), anthropogenic activity-induced heavy metals were determined in order of decreasing influence: As, Cd, Pb, Cr, Cu, and Hg. The low EF values of Hg indicate that it does not present as a contaminant in the study area, while low values of Cr and Cu from the Lianjiang City suggest that these two metals were also attributed to natural sources. The presence of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, and Pb from the remaining cities (counties) should be influenced by anthropogenic activities. The overall potential ecological risk index indicates that the ecological risks posed by the six analyzed heavy metals to the Leizhou Peninsula mudflats, in order of decreasing risk, are Cd, As, Hg, Pb, Cu, and Cr. It is noteworthy that only Cd in Lianjiang City demonstrated substantial ecological risk. Other examined heavy metals in other cities of the study area showed slight ecological risk.

Marine sediments represent a major carbon reservoir on Earth. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) in pore waters accumulates products and intermediates of carbon cycling in sediments. The application of excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy (EEMs) in the analysis of subseafloor DOM samples is largely unexplored due to the redox-sensitive matrix of anoxic pore water. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the interference caused by the matrix on EEMs and propose a guideline to prepare pore water samples from anoxic marine sediments. The parameters determined by fluorescence spectra include 3D-index derived from EEMs after parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC), fluorescence index (FI) (contribution of terrigenous DOM), biological index (BIX) and humification index (HIX) derived from 2D emission spectra. First, we investigated the impacts of extensively-presented ions as typical electron acceptors, which are utilized by anaerobic microbes and stratified in marine sediments: Fe(II), Fe(III), Mn(II) and sulfide in anoxic pore water resulted in biases of fluorescent signals. We proposed threshold concentrations of these ions when the interference on EEMs occurred. Effective removal of sulfide from sulfide-rich samples could be achieved by flushing with N₂ for 2 min. Second, the tests based on DOM standard were further verified using pristine samples from marine sediments. There was a significant change in the fluorescence spectra of DOM in anoxic sediments from the Rhône Delta. This study demonstrated that the change was caused by oxidation of the matrix rather than the intrinsic alteration of DOM. It was confirmed by extracted DOM via both EEMs analysis and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS). Slight oxidation of sulfur-containing compounds (e.g., sulfhydryl) and polyphenol-like compounds occurred. Finally, a sample preparation sequence is proposed for pore water from anoxic sediments. This method enables measurement with small volumes of the sample (e.g., 50 µL in this study) and ensures reliable data without the interference of the redox-sensitive matrix. This study provides access to the rapid analysis of DOM composition in marine sediments and can potentially open a window into examining the carbon cycling of the marine deep biosphere.

Sediment collapse and subsequent lateral downslope migration play important roles in shaping the habitats and regulating sedimentary organic carbon (SOC) cycling in hadal trenches. In this study, three sediment cores were collected using a human-occupied vehicle across the axis of the southern Yap Trench (SYT). The total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) contents, δ¹³C, radiocarbon ages, specific surface areas, and grain size compositions of sediments from three cores were measured. We explored the influence of the lateral downslope transport on the dispersal of the sediments and established a tentative box model for the SOC balance. In the SYT, the surface TOC content decreased with water depth and was decoupled by the funneling effect of the V-shaped hadal trench. However, the sedimentation (0.002 5 cm/a) and SOC accumulation rates (~0.038 g/(m²·a) (in terms of OC)) were approximately 50% higher in the deeper hadal region than in the abyssal region (0.001 6 cm/a and ~0.026 g/(m²·a) (in terms of OC), respectively), indicating the occurrence of lateral downslope transport. The fluctuating variations in the prokaryotic abundances and the SOC accumulation rate suggest the periodic input of surficial sediments from the shallow region. The similar average TOC (0.31%–0.38%), TN (0.06%–0.07%) contents, and SOC compositions (terrestrial OC (11%–18%), marine phytoplanktonic OC (45%–53%), and microbial OC (32%–44%)) of the three sites indicate that the lateral downslope transport has a significant mixing effect on the SOC composition. The output fluxes of the laterally transported SOC (0.44–0.56 g/(m²·a) (in terms of OC)) contributed approximately (47%–73%) of the total SOC input, and this proportion increased with water depth. The results of this study demonstrate the importance of lateral downslope transport in the spatial distribution and development of biomes.

Here, we report the results of high-resolution nitrate measurements using an optical nitrate profiler (in situ ultraviolet spectrophotometer, ISUS) along transect across a high-turbidity shelf (East China Sea) and a low-turbidity shelf (Chukchi Sea). The ISUS-measured nitrate concentrations closely reproduced the results measured by conventional bottle methods in low-turbidity waters. However, for high-turbidity waters of the East China Sea (salinity<30), a correction factor of 1.19 was required to match the standard bottle measurements. The high-resolution ISUS data revealed subtle spatial variability (e.g., a subsurface nitrate minimum) that may have been missed if based solely on bottle results. Four main structures of the nitracline on the East China Sea are apparent from the ISUS nitrate profile. High-resolution nitrate data are important for studying nitrate budgets and nutrient dynamics on continental shelves.

The dual isotopes (N and O) of nitrate were measured using a denitrifier bacterial method in the western South China Sea (WSCS) during September 2015 to elucidate key information during N transformation in the lower euphotic zone (LEZ)-upper mesopelagic zone (UMZ, down to 500 m in this study) continuum, which is a vital sub-environment for marine N cycle and sequestration of atmospheric CO₂ as well. The N isotopic composition (δ¹⁵N) of nitrate generally decreased from 500 m toward the base of the euphotic zone (~100 m), reaching a value of ~4.6‰ (vs. air N₂) at the base of the LEZ, suggesting the imprint of remineralization (nitrification) of isotopically light N from atmospheric source. The δ¹⁵N and δ¹⁸O of nitrate only generally conform to a 1:1 line at 50 m and 75 m, suggesting that nitrate assimilation is a dominant process to shape nitrate isotope signature in this light-limited and relatively N-replete lower part of the euphotic zone. The fractionation factors of N and O isotopes during nitrate fractionation (¹⁵ε_ASSIM, ¹⁸ε_ASSIM) using a steady-state model were estimated to be 4.0‰±0.3‰ and 5.4‰±0.3‰, respectively. The occurrence of nitrification at the base of the LEZ and most of the UMZ is corroborated by the decoupling of δ¹⁵N and the oxygen isotopic composition (δ¹⁸O) of nitrate. Our results will provide insights for better understanding N cycle in the South China Sea from a perspective of present and past.

Nitrogen fixation is one of the most important sources of new nitrogen in the ocean and thus profoundly affects the nitrogen and carbon biogeochemical processes. The distribution, controlling factors, and flux of N₂ fixation in the global ocean remain uncertain, partly because of the lack of methodological uniformity. The ¹⁵N₂ tracer assay (the original bubble method → the ¹⁵N₂-enriched seawater method → the modified bubble method) is the mainstream method for field measurements of N₂ fixation rates (NFRs), among which the original bubble method is the most frequently used. However, accumulating evidence has suggested an underestimation of NFRs when using this method. To improve the availability of previous data, we compared NFRs measured by three ¹⁵N₂ tracer assays in the South China Sea. Our results indicate that the relationship between NFRs measured by the original bubble method and the ¹⁵N₂-enriched seawater method varies obviously with area and season, which may be influenced by incubation time, diazotrophic composition, and environmental factors. In comparison, the relationship between NFRs measured by the original bubble method and the modified bubble method is more stable, indicating that the N₂ fixation rates based on the original bubble methods may be underestimated by approximately 50%. Based on this result, we revised the flux of N₂ fixation in the South China Sea to 40 mmol/(m²·a). Our results improve the availability and comparability of literature NFR data in the South China Sea. The comparison of the ¹⁵N₂ tracer assay for NFRs measurements on a larger scale is urgently necessary over the global ocean for a more robust understanding of the role of N₂ fixation in the marine nitrogen cycle.