Ecological anomalies in the East China Sea: impacts of the Three Gorges Dam?
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.
Jiao
Nianzhi
N
State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China. jiao@xmu.edu.cn
Zhang
Yao
Y
Zeng
Yonghui
Y
Gardner
Wilford D
WD
Mishonov
Alexey V
AV
Richardson
Mary Jo
MJ
Hong
Ning
N
Pan
Delu
D
Yan
Xiao-Hai
XH
Jo
Young-Heon
YH
Chen
Chen-Tung Arthur
CT
Wang
Pinxian
P
Chen
Yiyu
Y
Hong
Huasheng
H
Bai
Yan
Y
Chen
Xihan
X
Huang
Bangqin
B
Deng
Hong
H
Shi
Yang
Y
Yang
Dechao
D
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
D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D002734:Chlorophyll; D000077194:Chlorophyll A