title: Ecological anomalies in the East China Sea: impacts of the Three Gorges Dam?
abstract: In this study, we examined possible impacts of the Yangtze River Three Gorges Dam (TGD), the world largest hydroelectric construction, on the adjacent marine ecosystem of the East China Sea (ECS) during its initial water storage period. The TGD filled the first one-third of its storage capacity of 39 billion m3 in 10 days in June 2003, causing an abrupt reduction in the river flow into the ECS. Noticeable changes in the microbial community structure including pico-sized autotrophs, heterotrophic bacteria and microbial diversity in the estuary and the ECS were observed 2 months later. Although causes for these changes could be multiple, the sudden decrease of river runoff and an ensuing intrusion of ECS ocean currents were postulated to be among the major ones.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China. jiao@xmu.edu.cn
authors.forename: Nianzhi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jiao
authors.forename: Yao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yonghui
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Wilford D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Gardner
authors.forename: Alexey V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Mishonov
authors.forename: Mary Jo
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Delu
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Xiao-Hai
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Young-Heon
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Jo
authors.forename: Chen-Tung Arthur
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Pinxian
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yiyu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Huasheng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Xihan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Bangqin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Dechao
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000032:analysis; D000077194:Chlorophyll A; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D004463:Ecology; D005618:Fresh Water; D011210:Power Plants; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000032:analysis; D045483:Rivers / Q000382:microbiology; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014872:Water Movements
chemical_list: D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D002734:Chlorophyll; D000077194:Chlorophyll A