Browsing by Author "Jackson, Sue"

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    Assessment of a pond for oyster hatchery development in South Africa
    (2015) Simmons, Aron; Jackson, Sue; Bolton, John J
    This study assessed a man-made salt-water pond (saltwater pond 1 SP1) as a potential site for the development of an oyster hatchery in Velddrif, South Africa. Over the study period it was observed that the site was not suitable for oyster larvae culture due to the following factors: temperature spikes during the summer months, low dissolved oxygen levels, high salinity levels, and the proliferation of the filamentous green algae (FGA), mainly the sp. Rhizoclonium implexum. Widespread patches of R. implexum were observed within SP1 and increased in biomass over the study period. Biomass patterns were not measured within this study, however microcosm experiments directed at nutrient depletion rates caused by FGA proliferation assessed the effect of the FGA on the system. Within microcosm experiments with and without FGA, nitrite within the system was significantly lower in the FGA inclusion treatment. Pond nutrient dynamics within the system indicated that widespread nutrient depletion occurred between the incoming water and the rest of the pond, and it was clear that the inflow station had significantly higher nutrient concentrations than all the other stations within SP1. Phytoplankton concentrations were extremely low and could be attributed to the FGA dominated state within SP1. Taken together with the fact the water levels within SP1 were not stable, the data suggested that SP1 was not an optimal source of seawater for either algal or larval oyster culture, and an alternative oyster hatchery site should be assessed.
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    Scales of variability of phytoplankton composition and biomass in Algoa Bay, South Africa
    (2014) Mbambo, Sifiso Walter; Moloney, Coleen; Pitcher, Grant C; Jackson, Sue
    This study investigated the variability of environmental drivers of phytoplankton communities and biomass at different time scales in Algoa Bay. This research was motivated by Pacific oyster culturing at an Algoa Bay oyster farm. Time series of winds, sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and fluorescence were presented for the period from September/October 2010 to May/June 2012. The time series showed strong seasonal and interannual variability in the winds and SSTs. SSTs ranged from 12.5–25.5°C with a mean (±S.D.) of 18.4 ± 2.3°C. The dominance of south-easterly and south-westerly winds in summer of 2010/11 resulted in cooler temperatures and higher chlorophyll-a concentrations than were found in 2011/12. The summer of 2011/12 had non-persistent south-westerly winds that lead to warm temperatures and low chlorophyll-a concentrations. Two short field trips in early summer 2011 and early autumn 2012 sampled physical, chemical and biological variables. There was minor variability in the winds during these sampling periods and little spatial variability in SST. However, there were spatial differences in nutrient concentrations and chlorophyll-a distributions. The sampling trip in early summer 2011 found a strong thermocline at a depth of approximately 15 m, and SST ranged between 13.5 and 21°C. In early autumn 2012, deep water mixing was evident when the thermocline dropped to about 30 m, with a range of SSTs from 16.5–21°C. Temperature and nutrient values were significantly correlated (at p < 0.001) for NO3, PO4, and SiO4 in both field trips. Phytoplankton community structure in early summer 2011 showed a 30% level of similarity in grouping of species for stations closest to the shore, which had depleted NO3 concentrations. There was a dominance of dinoflagellates of Gonyaulax polygramma and other species, which are known for creating hypoxic conditions in the water column, leading to shellfish mortalities. In early autumn 2012 there was a strong grouping of samples at a 50% level of similarity alongshore, at stations with high NO3 concentrations. In this period pennate diatoms of Pseudo-nitzschia sp. were abundant; this genus has been reported to produce the neurotoxin, domoic acid. Variable environmental conditions with low chlorophyll-a concentrations at Algoa Bay’s marine culture site indicate unsuitable conditions for Pacific oyster production.