A historical overview of coastal eutrophication in the China Seas

Wang, Baodong; Xin, Ming; Wei, Qinsheng; Xie, Lian

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.09.044

Cited by 192 publications

(112 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Accordingly, the space‐time domain of interest can be symbolically presented as

D = ((), A, T),

where A is the geographical area along China's near seas and T is year 2015. The annual frequency and area of harmful algal blooms along Chinese seas increased rapidly in the 21st century and peaked in the mid‐2000s (Wang et al, ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…With the rapid economic development and growing population in China's coastal cities, various anthropogenic activities have led to substantially increased nutrient inputs to coastal waters from different sources, such as agricultural fertilizer usage, domestic/industrial wastewater, and aquaculture (Qu & Kroeze, ; Strokal et al, ; Wang et al, ). Nutrients are very important to marine primary productivity and marine environmental health.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Space‐Time Characterization and Risk Assessment of Nutrient Pollutant Concentrations in China's Near Seas

Jiang

et al. 2019

JGR Oceans

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Human activities interacting with coastal waters lead to large amounts of nutrient loading and severe water pollution in China's near Seas. In this context, a comprehensive quantitative characterization of the spatiotemporal variation of nutrient pollutant concentrations is a key component of any reliable seawater quality assessment and integrated coastal management plan. The present work combines the Bayesian maximum entropy method with stochastic site indicators to estimate monthly nitrate and phosphate concentrations in China's near seas during 2015, explore their spatiotemporal variation, and provide an explicit quantitative assessment of seawater quality in conditions of in situ uncertainty. This makes it the first study of space‐time nutrient pollutant characterization at a national‐scale in a coastal seawater environment. The results showed that nitrate and phosphate distributions exhibit the same spatial trends along China's near seas, whereas high nutrient pollution levels are found in the Yangtze River, Liaohe River, and Pearl River estuaries. Local differences of temporal trends exist between nitrate and phosphate distributions, which suggest that distinct remediation strategies are needed to properly satisfy the required seawater quality standards. The average nitrate and phosphate concentrations across space‐time were found to be equal to 0.271 and 0.015 mg/L, respectively. The nitrate and phosphate concentrations exceeding the fourth grade seawater quality standard during 2015 were about 11% and 2.6%, respectively. The study of both the seasonal changes in human activities along the coastal cities and the temporal marine hydrodynamics can offer a better understanding of the seawater quality and the biogeochemical process of nutrient transport and distribution.

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“…Accordingly, the space‐time domain of interest can be symbolically presented as

D = ((), A, T),

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Space‐Time Characterization and Risk Assessment of Nutrient Pollutant Concentrations in China's Near Seas

Jiang

et al. 2019

JGR Oceans

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“…The total nitrogen discharge to the Yellow Sea and East China Sea by the Yangtze River increased from 0.3 Tg N year −1 in 1900 to 5.9 Tg N year −1 in 2010 (Liu, Beusen, et al, 2018). The nitrogen concentration in Chinese coastal seas has been increasing over the past four decades (Jiang et al, 2010; Ning et al, 2009; Wang et al, 2018; Wang et al, 2019; Wei et al, 2015; Yang et al, 2018). Many negative impacts may be associated with nitrogen pollution, such as the frequent occurrence of eutrophication‐related harmful algal blooms (HABs) (Liu, Pang, et al, 2013; Wang et al, 2008; Wang et al, 2018; Xiao et al, 2019; Yu et al, 2018), loss of biodiversity (Chang et al, 2012; Li et al, 2010), hypoxia (Chen et al, 2007; Wang et al, 2016), and acidification (Cai et al, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The world's largest green tide occurred in the Yellow Sea every year since 2007 (Liu, Keesing, et al, 2013; Wang et al, 2015). The HAB frequency in Chinese seas increased from almost 0 to over 100 events year −1 in the early 2000s and remained high since then (Wang et al, 2018; Xiao et al, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatially Explicit Inventory of Sources of Nitrogen Inputs to the Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and South China Sea for the Period 1970–2010

et al. 2020

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Symptoms of eutrophication (including biodiversity loss, harmful algal blooms, and hypoxia) are an increasing problem in Chinese seas. Nutrient enrichment is primarily caused by accelerated human activities that cause nutrient pollution of the aquatic environment. In this study, the Integrated Model to Assess the Global Environment-Global Nutrient Model (IMAGE-GNM) was used to estimate nitrogen inputs from river discharge, submarine fresh groundwater discharge, and mariculture, and TM5-FAst Scenario Screening Tool (TM5-FASST) for atmospheric nitrogen deposition to the three Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs, i.e., Yellow Sea/Bohai Sea, YS/BS; East China Sea, ECS; South China Sea, SCS) bordered by China and several other countries for the period 1970-2010. China's river nitrogen export was the largest nitrogen source in YS/BS and ECS. In SCS, however, China and other countries contributed equally and although decreasing, the proportion of natural sources remain considerable. The total nitrogen inputs to YS/BS (1.0 to 4.1 Tg year −1), ECS (1.3 to 5.5 Tg year −1), and SCS (2.1 to 5.8 Tg year −1) increased rapidly during 1970-2010. River export is dominated by agriculture; nitrogen inputs from atmospheric deposition and mariculture have been increasing rapidly in recent years. Considering only the coastal zone of the three LMEs, our results show that the total nitrogen inputs are strongly concentrated spatially in areas close to river mouths and those confined regions with mariculture production. To sustain the food production and economic growth in the coming decades, nitrogen inputs may increase further, depending on future eutrophication mitigation policies. Plain Language Summary Nitrogen is a limiting nutrient for plant production. Excessive nitrogen use in agriculture and discharge from wastewater is the primary causes of eutrophication in aquatic environments. Symptoms of eutrophication (including biodiversity loss, harmful algal blooms (HABs), and hypoxia) are an increasing problem in Chinese seas. Here we quantified the nitrogen inputs from river export, atmospheric deposition, submarine fresh groundwater discharge, and mariculture to the Yellow Sea/Bohai Sea (YS/BS), East China Sea (ECS), and South China Sea (SCS) bordered by China and other countries for the period 1970-2010. Nitrogen inputs increased rapidly, mainly due to increasing land-based sources (river export and atmospheric deposition), while nitrogen from mariculture started to increase recently. River export is dominated by agriculture with growing proportions of sewage and freshwater aquaculture. Nitrogen inputs were spatially concentrated and increased faster in Chinese coastal waters than in other countries. China's contribution to nitrogen pollution exceeded that of other countries in YS/BS and ECS, while China and other countries contributed equally in SCS. Nitrogen concentrations and HAB frequency in the seas seem to be correlated as both increased substantially since 1970s. Mitigation of nitrogen pollution is therefore urgent because human ac...

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“…These changes will continue to have inevitable impacts on the long‐term burial and preservation of C org in estuarine sediments, which will likely enhance the oxidation of sedimentary C org and associated CO 2 outgassing (Bouchez et al, ). It is also important to stress that in the context of global warming, the YRE is experiencing intense eutrophication, which in turn could result in the occurrence and continuous expansion of low‐oxygen levels in the interface between bottom water and sediment (i.e., hypoxic zones; Bianchi et al, ; Wang et al, ). These changes in redox levels would impact the amount of C org sequestered in these estuarine sediments and their sources.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fate of Organic Carbon Burial in Modern Sediment Within Yangtze River Estuary

et al. 2020

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Large river‐dominated margins play a potential key role in regulating global carbon cycle and budget due to high terrestrial organic carbon (Corg) inputs and sediment accumulation rates. Here bulk elements (Corg and TN), isotopic compositions (δ13Corg and δ15N), radioisotope 210Pb, sedimentary grain size, pH, Eh, and physicochemical properties were analyzed on samples from the Yangtze River Estuary to determine the mechanism involved in transporting sedimentary Corg offshore. In addition, nine box‐cores were analyzed to further reveal the potential effects of the declining sediment load on the modern depositional pattern of Corg. The statistical analyses indicate that the hydrodynamically driven sediment composition exerts a significant control on the transport, mobilization, and accumulation of sedimentary Corg from the river to the estuary, with respect to the redistribution of fine‐grained sediments. Furthermore, X‐radiographs and 210Pb indicate that reworked environment dominates carbon burial in the Yangtze proximal deposit, while a stable sedimentary environment of Corg (3.50–5.58 g cm−2 year−1) is observed in the Yangtze distal mud. Notably, the enhanced erosional inputs that contain terrestrial plant debris (mainly the coarse fractions) have tended to become important sources for Corg. Although reworked sediments in the Yangtze River Estuary are frequently exposed to oxygen during physical and biological processes, there appears to be a high potential for long‐term sedimentary Corg storage, due to its association with sediment particles (mainly the clay fractions) that provide physical protection against its degradation.

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A historical overview of coastal eutrophication in the China Seas

Cited by 192 publications

References 23 publications

Space‐Time Characterization and Risk Assessment of Nutrient Pollutant Concentrations in China's Near Seas

Space‐Time Characterization and Risk Assessment of Nutrient Pollutant Concentrations in China's Near Seas

Spatially Explicit Inventory of Sources of Nitrogen Inputs to the Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and South China Sea for the Period 1970–2010

Fate of Organic Carbon Burial in Modern Sediment Within Yangtze River Estuary

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