Long term variation of the Bay of Brest ecosystem benthic…布列斯特湾生态系统底栖生物的长期变化.pdfVIP

MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES Vol. 200: 35-48,2000 Published July 14 Mar Ecol Prog Ser Long-term variation of the Bay of Brest ecosystem: benthic-pelagic coupling revisited Laurent Chauvaud, Frederic Jean, Olivier Ragueneau, Gerard Thouzeau* Universite de Bretagne Occidentale-Institut Universitaire Europeen dlEtudes Marines, UMR 6539 CNRS, TechnopBle Brest-Iroise, Place Copernic, 29280 Plouzane, France ABSTRACT: Observations over the last 20 yr of the development of pelagic and benthic communities of a western European coastal ecosystem (Bay of Brest) provide complementary hypotheses to the silicic acid pump hypothesis. An increase in nitrogen inputs, independent of silicic acid levels, has lowered the Si:N molar ratios during the last 20 yr in river discharges. Since 1981, maximum concen- trations of chlorophyll a during the first spring bloom of the annual cycle have decreased, in contrast to the subsequent spring and summer blooms. Concomitantly, extensive spreading of an exotic gas- tropod Crepidula fornicatahas modified the trophic structure of benthic communities by increasing suspension-feeder biomass. The following hypotheses on ecosystem functioning are made: (1) the decrease of chlorophyll biomass during the first spring bloom results from silicic acid limitation and increased suspension feeder activity, (2) benthic filtration and biodeposition activities enhance bio- genic silica retention at the sediment-water interface, and (3) recycling of trapped biogenic silica maintains diatom populations by providing silicic acid in summer and red