Pospelova Vera, Chmura Gail L, Boothman Warren S, Latimer James S
Department of Geography (and Centre for Climate and Global Change Research), McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Sci Total Environ. 2002 Oct 21;298(1-3):81-102. doi: 10.1016/s0048-9697(02)00195-x.
The dinoflagellate cyst records in sediments from New Bedford Harbor and Apponagansett Bay demonstrate sensitivity to environmental change caused by human activity in the watersheds over the last 500 years. Changes in the species richness, as well as absolute and relative abundance of dinoflagellate cyst taxa reflect recent periods of development around the estuaries. Cyst taxa sensitive to these changes include Dubridinium spp., Polykrikos schwartzii, Lingulodinium machaerophorum, Operculodinium israelianum and Selenopemphix quanta. The greatest changes in the dinoflagellate cyst record occur during the 20th century, when New Bedford Harbor was exposed to both toxic pollution and heavy nutrient loading from point and non-point sources. Apponagansett Bay was not subject to industrial pollution and nutrient enrichment has been lower (from non-point sources). In Apponagansett Bay there is an increase in the dinoflagellate cyst species richness while species richness first increased, then declined in New Bedford Harbor. During the same period, the total dinoflagellate cyst concentration in New Bedford Harbor fluctuated over a wide range. The decline of species richness and the large fluctuations in the total cyst abundances signal the intensified anthropogenic disturbance in the watershed, notably a high degree of eutrophication and toxic pollution.
新贝德福德港和阿波纳甘西特湾沉积物中的甲藻孢囊记录显示，在过去500年里，它们对流域内人类活动引起的环境变化很敏感。甲藻孢囊类群的物种丰富度以及绝对和相对丰度的变化反映了河口周围近期的发展阶段。对这些变化敏感的孢囊类群包括杜氏藻属、施氏多沟藻、具刺鳍藻、以色列圆筛藻和量子硒甲藻。甲藻孢囊记录中最大的变化发生在20世纪，当时新贝德福德港受到了来自点源和非点源的有毒污染和大量营养物负荷。阿波纳甘西特湾没有受到工业污染，营养物富集程度较低（来自非点源）。在阿波纳甘西特湾，甲藻孢囊物种丰富度增加，而在新贝德福德港，物种丰富度先增加后下降。同一时期，新贝德福德港甲藻孢囊的总浓度在很大范围内波动。物种丰富度的下降和孢囊总丰度的大幅波动表明流域内人为干扰加剧，特别是高度富营养化和有毒污染。
