Summer distribution patterns of Trichodesmium spp. in the Changjiang (Yangtze River) Estuary and adjacent East China Sea shelf

SummaryTo examine the distribution of Trichodesmium relative to physicochemical factors during summer in the Changjiang (Yangtze River) Estuary and adjacent East China Sea shelf, three cruises were conducted separately in June 2009, July 2011, and August 2009. Trichodesmium species found were T. thiebautii, T. erythraeum, and T. hildebrandtii. The population was dominated by T. thiebautii, which accounted for >85% of the samples found. Most of them were free trichomes. Colonial forms were rarely observed (approximately 10% of our samples), occurring only in offshore waters. The depth integrated abundances of Trichodesmium were 308 × 103, 1709 × 103, and 3448 × 103 trichomes m−2 in June, July, and August, respectively. Trichodesmium was distributed abundantly in the southern or southeastern part of our study area, where nutrients were low and light penetration, temperature, and salinity were high, which were influenced by the Taiwan Warm Current (TWC) and Kuroshio. Trichodesmium was found in low abundance in inshore, eutrophic, low-salinity waters, which were mainly controlled by the Changjiang Diluted Water (CDW) and coastal current. These results suggest that spatiotemporal changes in the summer Trichodesmium distribution correlate highly with the variations in physicochemical properties that are primarily controlled by the TWC, Kuroshio, and CDW. The summer N2 fixation rate of Trichodesmium was estimated at 12.3 μmol N m−2 d−1 in our study area, contributing >50% of biological N2 fixation.