Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
6.7
3.5
Journals
Water
Special Issues
Advances in Biogeochemistry of Estuaries
water-logo
Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Water Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Advances in Biogeochemistry of Estuaries

A Special Issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441) belonging to the section "Oceans and Coastal Zones".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 February 2027 | Viewed by 2447

Editors

Dr. Jianwei Xing

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
Interests: organic carbon; nutrients; trace elements; marine biogeochemical cycling; atmospheric deposition; primary productivity; ecological effects; carbon sequestration
Dr. Bin Yang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Coastal Salt Marsh Ecosystems and Resources, Ministry of Natural Resources/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang 222005, China
Interests: nutrients; biogenic elements; phosphorus cycling; chemical speciation; eutrophication; biogeochemical processes; heavy metals; nitrogen dynamics; sedimentary organic matter; dissolved organic matter

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As a critical transition zone between rivers and oceans, biogeochemical processes in estuaries—particularly the transport, migration, transformation, and burial of biogenic elements—play a vital role in the global carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycles and their sequestration. During the transport of terrestrial materials to coastal zones via estuaries, they undergo the unique hydrodynamic and biochemical modification processes specific to estuarine ecosystems, thus exhibiting biogeochemical characteristics that are distinctly different from those of coastal and open oceans.

Large river deltas are typically densely populated and economically developed areas. Ever-intensifying human activities and global changes have imposed unprecedented pressure on estuarine ecological environments, exacerbating serious environmental issues including eutrophication, harmful algal blooms, coastal hypoxia, and seawater acidification. Accordingly, understanding how the biogeochemical characteristics of estuarine regions respond to such long-term changing trends has become a key scientific question that has attracted widespread attention and demands urgent resolution.

This Special Issue highlights (but is not limited to) the following research themes:

  • Key biogeochemical cycling processes of marine biogenic elements and eutrophication assessment;
  • Microbial diversity, as well as the sources and mineralization of organic matter;
  • Biomarker identification and application;
  • Construction and application of biogeochemical cycle models.

This Special Issue adopts an interdisciplinary perspective, and we cordially invite scholars and practitioners engaged in marine science, environmental science, ecology, and statistics to submit their original research manuscripts.

Dr. Jianwei Xing
Dr. Bin Yang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Water is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • river–sea continuum
  • eutrophication
  • heavy metals
  • organic matter
  • biomarker
  • anthropogenic activities
  • migration and transformation
  • degradation of organic pollutants
  • hypoxia
  • acidification

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

16 pages, 3371 KB  
Article
Acidification States and Controlling Factors in Subsurface and Bottom Water of the Beibu Gulf, China
by Tao Liu, Minxia Zhang, Zhiyao Ma, Xiaojuan Peng, Hong Tang, Guowei Luo and Chuqian Lu
Water 2026, 18(18), 2254; https://doi.org/10.3390/w18182254 - 10 Sep 2026
Viewed by 261
Abstract
Previous studies in the Beibu Gulf have documented the distributions and controlling factors of carbonate system parameters in surface waters; however, their dynamics in subsurface and bottom waters remain poorly constrained. Here, we present the first observations of pH and the aragonite saturation [...] Read more.
Previous studies in the Beibu Gulf have documented the distributions and controlling factors of carbonate system parameters in surface waters; however, their dynamics in subsurface and bottom waters remain poorly constrained. Here, we present the first observations of pH and the aragonite saturation state (Ωarag) in subsurface and bottom waters of the Beibu Gulf during spring and fall 2024. In spring, pH and Ωarag in subsurface and bottom waters off Ledong were predominantly governed by physical mixing. In contrast, their variability off Dongfang was driven jointly by biological respiration occurring outside the Dongfang oil/gas field and by respiration within the field itself. Quantitative analysis revealed that respiration outside the field increased dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentrations by ~18 ± 3 µmol kg−1, a magnitude comparable to that attributable to in-field respiration (~18 ± 7 µmol kg−1). Collectively, these two respiration sources induced only slightly declines in pH (0.03 ± 0.01 and 0.04 ± 0.01) but statistically significant reductions in Ωarag (0.18 ± 0.03 and 0.21 ± 0.08, respectively). During fall, carbonate system dynamics in subsurface and bottom waters off both Dongfang and Ledong were dominated by physical mixing. The differential influence of North Pacific Tropical Water (NPTW) resulted in a decline in Ωarag from 2.99 ± 0.10 off Dongfang to 2.75 ± 0.32 off Ledong. All observed Ωarag values remained well above the thermodynamic saturation threshold (Ωarag = 1), indicating no immediate risk of ocean acidification to calcifying organisms in the study area under current conditions. This study helps bridge a critical observational gap in the regional inorganic carbonate system. However, due to sampling constraints, carbonate system parameters are reported here for spring and fall only. Observations for summer and winter, as well as multi-year time-series measurements, are planned for the near future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biogeochemistry of Estuaries)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 10724 KB  
Article
Sediment Bacteria and Driving Factors in Intertidal Flats and Vegetated Zones of Mangrove Ecosystems in the Northern Beibu Gulf During Summer
by Jiaodi Zhou, Peng He, Zhijun Dai, Dongliang Lu, Bin Yang, Hu Huang, Zeyu Wang, Solomon Felix Dan and Wen Song
Water 2026, 18(14), 1762; https://doi.org/10.3390/w18141762 - 21 Jul 2026
Viewed by 403
Abstract
Mangrove sediments harbor complex bacterial communities that play critical roles in ecosystem functioning. In this study, we investigated the spatial patterns and environmental drivers of sediment bacterial communities across intertidal flats and vegetated zones in five representative mangrove habitats spanning the Northern Beibu [...] Read more.
Mangrove sediments harbor complex bacterial communities that play critical roles in ecosystem functioning. In this study, we investigated the spatial patterns and environmental drivers of sediment bacterial communities across intertidal flats and vegetated zones in five representative mangrove habitats spanning the Northern Beibu Gulf, South China. Utilizing high-throughput 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, we analyzed bacterial composition and diversity from sediments collected in Qinzhou, Fangchenggang, and Beihai. Results indicated that bacterial communities were dominated by Proteobacteria (37–45%), followed by Bacteroidota and Acidobacteriota; however, a considerable proportion of taxa remained unclassified, particularly in intertidal flats. Bacterial richness and diversity were generally higher in vegetated zones, where sediments were more acidic and nutrient-rich, whereas intertidal sediments were more alkaline and contained higher chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) concentrations. Beta-diversity analysis revealed distinct differences in community structures between zones and regions, which were shaped by both deterministic environmental filtering and stochastic processes. Redundancy analysis (RDA) indicated that bacterial communities assembly driven by niche differentiation influences salinity (Sal), pH, biogenic silica (BSi), total phosphorus (TP), and total nitrogen (TN), as these factors vary across sites due to differing environmental filtering intensities. These findings highlight the distinct differences in mangrove sediment bacterial communities between intertidal flats and vegetated zones, which are shaped by local sediment physicochemical conditions and regional environmental gradients. They provide critical insights for the conservation and restoration of mangrove ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biogeochemistry of Estuaries)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 3883 KB  
Article
Dynamics of Dissolved Organic Matter During Summertime Deoxygenation in a Shallow Coastal Sea
by Guisheng Song, Han Zuo, Wenzhuo Zhu, Huixiang Xie and Liang Zhao
Water 2026, 18(13), 1579; https://doi.org/10.3390/w18131579 - 28 Jun 2026
Viewed by 543
Abstract
Deoxygenation in marine ecosystems has received increasing attention. The variation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) during deoxygenation has been investigated in hypoxic and anoxic waters in coastal seas and open oceans. In the present study, the dynamics of DOM were investigated during summertime [...] Read more.
Deoxygenation in marine ecosystems has received increasing attention. The variation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) during deoxygenation has been investigated in hypoxic and anoxic waters in coastal seas and open oceans. In the present study, the dynamics of DOM were investigated during summertime deoxygenation in the bottom water of the shallow coastal Bohai Sea, China. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC), chromophoric and humic-like fluorescent DOM (CDOM and FDOM) gradually increased in the bottom water during summer, which was mainly induced by biological activities in the water column and/or the surface sediment. The estimated net accumulation rates of DOC, CDOM and humic-like FDOM from June to early August in the bottom water were 0.11 ± 0.04 µmol L−1 d−1, 0.002 ± 0.0002 m−1 d−1 and 0.0004 ± 0.0001 R.U. d−1, respectively. Moreover, the ratio of DOC to CO2 accumulations was 0.08 in this duration in the bottom water. Compared with DOM in the bottom water prior to deoxygenation, the newly accumulated DOC contained more CDOM and humic-like FDOM that are considered to be microbially refractory. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biogeochemistry of Estuaries)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 6314 KB  
Article
A Nature-Based Solution for Oyster Reef Restoration: Evaluating Biodegradable Polylactic Acid Materials for Oyster and Macroinvertebrate Enhancement in a Subtropical Bay
by Tianyun Zhang, Wei Jiang, Nian Wei, Jiafeng Fang, Nannan Li, Minghua Min, Ruiliang Fan, Longling Ouyang, Tao Zhang and Weimin Quan
Water 2026, 18(10), 1125; https://doi.org/10.3390/w18101125 - 8 May 2026
Viewed by 760
Abstract
The current approach to coastal oyster reef restoration currently relies on conventional plastics, raising concerns about plastic pollution. Therefore, developing biodegradable alternatives, such as nano-montmorillonite-modified polylactic acid materials (PLA), has become a priority. This study compared oyster recruitment on PLA substrates with that [...] Read more.
The current approach to coastal oyster reef restoration currently relies on conventional plastics, raising concerns about plastic pollution. Therefore, developing biodegradable alternatives, such as nano-montmorillonite-modified polylactic acid materials (PLA), has become a priority. This study compared oyster recruitment on PLA substrates with that on four conventional plastic substrates (polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC)) through field experiments, examining how PLA substrate thickness and surface roughness influence oyster recruitment. Additionally, we evaluated the responses of oyster populations and associated macroinvertebrate communities after ten months of restoration using PLA-based versus polyethylene (PE) shell-bag reefs. The results showed no significant difference in oyster recruitment between PLA and conventional plastic substrates (p > 0.05). However, increasing the thickness and surface roughness of the PLA substrates significantly enhanced the recruitment of juvenile oysters (p < 0.05). After ten months, there was no significant difference in oyster abundance between PLA and PE shell bag reefs; however, there was a significant difference in resident macroinvertebrate abundance, with abundances markedly higher on PLA reefs (1372 ± 220 ind./m2 vs. 545 ± 90 ind./m2; p < 0.05). This study highlights the potential of PLA as a promising alternative to conventional plastics. However, its rapid degradation limits its applicability in high-energy environments. Furthermore, given that a comprehensive assessment of the microplastic risks associated with its degradation has not yet been conducted, large-scale application is not currently recommended. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biogeochemistry of Estuaries)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-4
Back to TopTop