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Release and supplement of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus from jellyfish (Nemopilema nomurai) decomposition in seawater.

QU Chang-feng1,2, SONG Jin-ming1,2*, LI Ning1,2, LI Xue-gang1,2, YUAN Hua-mao1,2, DUAN Li-qin1,2   

  1. (1Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, Shandong, China; 2Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, Shandong, China)
  • Online:2016-01-18 Published:2016-01-18

Abstract: Jellyfish bloom has been increasing in Chinese seas and decomposition after jellyfish bloom has great influences on marine ecological environment. We conducted the incubation of Nemopilema nomurai decomposing to evaluate its effect on carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus recycling of water column by simulated experiments. The results showed that the processes of jellyfish decomposing represented a fast release of biogenic elements, and the release of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus reached the maximum at the beginning of jellyfish decomposing. The release of biogenic elements from jellyfish decomposition was dominated by dissolved matter, which had a much higher level than particulate matter. The highest net release rates of dissolved organic carbon and particulate organic carbon reached (103.77±12.60) and (1.52±0.37) mg·kg-1·h-1, respectively. The dissolved nitrogen was dominated by NH4+-N during the whole incubation time, accounting for 69.6%-91.6% of total dissolved nitrogen, whereas the dissolved phosphorus was dominated by dissolved organic phosphorus during the initial stage of decomposition, being 63.9%-86.7% of total dissolved phosphorus and dominated by PO43--P during the late stage of decomposition, being 50.4%-60.2%. On the contrary, the particulate nitrogen was mainly in particulate organic nitrogen, accounting for (88.6±6.9)% of total particulate nitrogen, whereas the particulate phosphorus was mainly in particulate inorganic phosphorus, accounting for (73.9±10.5)% of total particulate phosphorus. In addition, jellyfish decomposition decreased the C/N  and increased the N/P  of water column. These indicated that jellyfish decomposition could result in relative high carbon and nitrogen loads.