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On the basis of compiled multidisciplinary historical data in 2006-2007 and incorporation of relevant simulation results and remote sensing data, we performed an in-depth study of the generation and dissipation process of the hypoxic zone and its distribution morphology and structure off the Yangtze River estuary. Based on the hydrological circulation dynamics, reproduction of phytoplankton (leading to the decomposition of organic matter), and other factors, we comprehensively and systematically investigated the generation and dissipation of the hypoxic zone and underlying mechanisms for the seasonal variation in its position, explored the multi-factorial synergistic reactions during the generation and dissipation process of the hypoxic zone, and revealed the controlled mechanism for the morphology and structure of the hypoxic zone's distribution. Our studies indicate that in the winter and spring seasons, the hydrological environment off the Yangtze River estuary provides a water body with relatively low contents of dissolved oxygen (DO), which is the background for the formation of a hypoxic zone. After entering into the summer season, the hypoxic zone gradually develops towards the north and becomes mature. Because of the impact of the terrain, local decomposition of organic matter, and upwelling of the Kuroshio subsurface water in July-August, the hypoxic zone off the Yangtze River estuary exhibits the characteristics of discontinuous distribution in space and has a south and north 'dual-core' structure in the inner continental shelf. In addition, there is a hypoxic core in the eastern outer continental shelf. The degrees of hypoxia vary for different areas; they are strongest overall in the north, next strongest in the south; they are weakest on the outer continental shelf. In summer, the hypoxic zone in the north is related to the northward differentiation of the southern hypoxic zone and results from local development and intensification. In August, the hypoxic zone in the north reaches its peak, and after September, it rapidly retreats southward and disappears because of weakening stratification. In the fall, there is hypoxic zone along the coast of Zhejiang in the south, and there is also a low-DO area to the southwest of Jeju Island, with both zones disappearing rapidly. In addition, the change of dynamic environment also causes the low-DO area of the outer continental shelf to move outward in the fall. The variation in the intensity of the stratification and its cumulative effects as a barrier of vertical DO transportation over long periods of time have a significant impact on the degree of hypoxia in the hypoxic zone. In addition, the seasonal variations in the size of the stratified region, intensity of each current system/water mass, upwelling, front, and high-value area of phytoplankton biomass jointly restrict the extension of the hypoxic zone in the inner continental shelf and latitudinal (south-north direction) movement of its location off the Yangtze River estuary. The combined effect of dynamic factors, such as that of the Kuroshio subsurface water, causes a low-DO core in the outer continental shelf. The bottom cold water to the north of the East China Sea is the dynamic basis for the formation of the low-DO area to the southwest of Jeju Island during the fall season. The special seabed topography and mud area distribution off the Yangtze River estuary have a certain degree of influence on the development of the hypoxic zone. The generation and dissipation of the hypoxic zone and its distribution morphology off the Yangtze River estuary, and seasonal variation of its structure and position are a result of the synergistic effects of various factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the seasonal surveying data and long-term data, the annual changes in the geographical locations, occurrence frequency, affected areas and the minimum oxygen level as well as the formation mechanism of the summer hypoxia off the Changjiang estuary are summarized and discussed in this paper. The historical data indicates that there were episodes of hypoxia in the past 50 years but not every year, and the event of summer hypoxia could be traced back to as early as late 1950s off the Changjiang estuary. The minimum oxygen levels in the hypoxia zone did not show any decline in the past 50 years, but all the events with large size of affected area (>5000km2) were observed after the late 1990s, suggesting an enlarging trend. The author argues that the development of summer hypoxia off the Changjiang estuary was related not only to stratification and input of suspended particulate matter, but also to the inflow of Taiwan warm current water as well as the bottom topography. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Changjiang (Yangtze River) is known to contribute significantly to the eutrophication that has caused drastic changes to the ecosystem of the East China Sea. However, evidence for historical changes in nutrient concentrations and composition and the consequent effects on the ecosystem in the coastal water is sparse. In this paper we present some long-term data for nutrient concentrations and Si:N:P ratios in the freshwater and the river plume and the long-term response of the ecosystem structure in the river plume. These data reveal increases in the dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphate concentrations in the Changjiang freshwater by a factor of five from the1960s to the end of the 1990s and a reduction in dissolved silicate by two thirds over the same period. Concomitantly, an increase in DIN concentration and a reduction in silicate concentration both by a factor of two were observed in the surface water of the Changjiang plume. As an ecological consequence to such nutrient changes, the chlorophyll a concentration increased by a factor of four since the 1980s and harmful algal blooms increased rapidly since 1985 in the Changjiang estuary and adjacent sea areas. The macrozoobenthic biomass decreased sharply from the mid 1980s to the present, suggesting that the Changjiang estuary has been in a high eutrophication state since that time. We predict that, due to the continuously increasing nutrient pressure, the symptoms of eutrophication associated with nutrients will worsen in the Changjiang plume in the near future. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]