Deep CTD Casts in the Challenger Deep,Mariana Trench

On 1 December 1992, CTD (conductivity-temperature-depth profiler) casts were made at three stations in a north-south section of the Challenger Deep to examine temperature and salinity profiles. The station in the Challenger Deep was located at 11°22.78′ N and 142°34.95′ E, and the CTD cast was made down to 11197 db or 10877 m, 7 m above the bottom by reeling out titanium cable of 10980 m length. The southern station was located at 11° 14.19′ N and 142°34.79′ E, 16.1 km from the central station, where water depth is 9012 m. CTD was lowered to 7014 db or 6872 m. The northern station was located at 11°31.47′ N and 142° 35.30′ E, 15.9 km from the central station, and CTD was lowered to 8536 db or 8336 m, 10 m above the bottom. Below the thermocline, potential temperature decreased monotonously down to 7300–7500 db beyond a sill depth between 5500 m and 6000 m, or between 5597 db and 6112 db, of the trench. Potential temperature increased from 7500 db to the bottom at a constant rate of 0.9 m°C/1000 db. Salinity increased down to 6020–6320 db, and then stayed almost constant down to around 9000 db. From 9500 db to the bottom, salinity increased up to 34.703 psu at 11197 db. Potential density referred to 8000 db increased monotonously down to about 6200 db, and it was almost constant from 6500 db to 9500 db. Potential density increased from 9500 db in accordance with the salinity increase. Geostrophic flows were calculated from the CTD data at three stations. Below an adopted reference level of 3000 db, the flow was westward in the north of Challenger Deep and eastward in the south, which suggests a cyclonic circulation over the Challenger Deep. Sound speed in Challenger Deep was estimated from the CTD data, and a relation among readout depth of the sonic depth recorder, true depth, and pressure was examined.     

Celtic and Armorican slope and shelf residual currents

Current meter data collected over the last 20 years are presented and used to describe the residual currents on the Celtic and Armorican slope and shelf regions. On the slopes, a poleward current of about 6cm s⁻¹ exists at the 500m depth contour. At mid depths, these currents are directed onslope, whereas near the bottom the flow in markedly downslope, reaching mean speeds of about 15cm s⁻¹ near 6°40′W. The downslope currents are thought to be largely tidally induced and balanced by Stokes transports. The total slope transport near 48°N is about 4Sv. On the upper slopes (<1000m depth) the transport increases poleward. On the outer Celtic shelf, a weak (2 cm s⁻¹) counter-current flowing southeastwards was observed. On the Armorican shelf, the residual flow is again nothwestwards and this coastal flow appears to continue northwards across the mouth of the English Chanel and past the Isles of Scilly with typical mean upper layer speeds of about 2cm s⁻¹. Southwest of Ireland the flow is again northwesterly. Numerical model simulations show that the eastern slope boundary current of the NE Atlantic can be driven by realistic distributions of seawater density. The simulations also show only a small wind driven barotropic response on the Celtic and Armorican shelf region and that a component of the residual shelf flows, like the slope current, may be driven by pressure distributions arising from regional differences in the distribution of seawater density, or from non local wind stress.     

Transport Through the Contraction Area in the Little Belt

The Great Belt, the Øresund and the Little Belt connect the central Baltic Sea and the Kattegat. A fixed station was moored in the contraction area in the Little Belt during the period 18–28 July 1995, measuring temperature, salinity and current in two levels, while discharge was measured by the RVDana. The composite Froude number calculated at the fixed station shows that the two layer flow through this area was most often supercritical. The discharges were satisfactorily related to the currents measured at the fixed station, and time-series of transports through the Little Belt were established. When compared to the transports through the Øresund the water transport ratio (Øresund:Little Belt) was found to be 4·4, while the salt transport ratio was found to be 3·0. The resistance of the Little Belt, when considering the differences in sea level from Gedser to Hornbæk, was 1839×10⁻¹² s² m⁻⁵. On the basis of water level and surface salinity measurements made during the period 1931–76, a net discharge of 2300 m³ s⁻¹and a net salt transport of 36 tonnes s⁻¹through the Little Belt from the central Baltic Sea were found.     

Variability in duration and intensity of euphausiid spawning off central Oregon, 1996–2001

We tracked the duration and intensity of the euphausiid spawning season through biweekly sampling along a transect off Newport, OR (latitude 44°40′N) over a six year period from 1996 to 2001. Our sampling consisted of vertical plankton tows, CTD casts, and collection of water for determination of chlorophyll a. Here, we report on data collected from two stations, 5 and 15 nautical miles (9.3 and 27.8 km) offshore. The density of euphausiid eggs in our samples was highly variable spatially and temporally; we saw the most striking differences in egg densities and length of the spawning season, when we compared spawning before and after 1999. This year corresponded to the time when the Pacific Decadal Oscillation switched from warm phase (pre-1999) to cool phase (1999–present). The years 1996 and 1997 were characterized by one large, late summer peak in egg density at our inshore station. 1998, an El Niño year, followed this pattern for our offshore station, but eggs were nearly absent at our inshore station. Starting in 1999, we saw multiple peaks in egg density and found that the spawning season extended from spring through early fall. For example, in spring (March–May) at the inshore station, the abundance of eggs increased from an average of 0.4 m⁻³ (1996–1998) to 51.3 m⁻³ (1999–2001), and for summer (July–September), 27.8 m⁻³ to 132.6 m⁻³ for the same time period. At the offshore station, egg abundances doubled over the same two time periods: 7 m⁻³ versus 11 m⁻³ (spring) and 55 m⁻³ versus 186 m⁻³ (summer). Peaks in egg densities were often associated with phytoplankton blooms, but not in a predictable way. Peaks in egg densities often followed cold-water upwelling events, especially at the inshore station. It is not yet clear whether this connection is due to changes in advection or changes in upwelling-induced productivity.     

Spatial and temporal variability of particulate matter in the benthic boundary layer at the N.W. European Continental Margin (Goban Spur)

Near bottom water samples and sediments were taken during five cruises to 6 stations forming a transect across the N.W. European Continental Margin at Goban Spur. Flow velocity spot measurements in the benthic boundary layer (BBL) always increased from the shelf to the upper slope (1470 m) from 5 to 9 cm s⁻¹ in spring/summer and from 15 to 37 cm s⁻¹ in autumn/winter. Decreasing values were detected at the lower slope (2000 m) and the lowest values of ca. 2 cm s⁻¹ at the continental rise at 4500 m water depth. Long term measurements with a benthic lander at 1470 m show that currents have a tidal component and reach maximum velocities up to 20 cm s⁻¹, sufficiently high periodically to resuspend and transport phytodetritus. During these long-term observations, currents were always weaker in spring/summer than in autumn/winter. Critical shear velocities of shelf/slope sediments increased with depth from 0.5 to 1.7 cm s⁻¹ and major resuspension events and Intermediate Nepheloid Layers (INLs) should occur around 1000 m. Chloroplastic Pigment Equivalents (CPE) ranged from 0.0 to 0.21 μg dm⁻³, Particulate Organic Carbon (POC) from 12 to 141 μg dm⁻³ and Total Particulate Matter (TPM) from 0.2 to 10.0 mg dm⁻³. Aggregates in the BBL occurred with a median diameter of 152 to 468 μm. Data on suspended particulate matter in the near-bottom waters showed that hydrodynamic sorting within the particulate organic fraction occurred. Phytodetritus was packaged in relatively large aggregates and contributed little to the total organic carbon pool in nearbottom waters (CPE/POC ca.0.2%). The main organic fraction has low settling velocities and high residence times within the benthic boundary layer. As POC was not concentrated in the near bed region the degree to which carbon is accessible to the benthic community depends on aggregate formation, subsequent settling and/or biodeposition of the POC. Close to the sea bed downslope transport may dominate. Under flow conditions high enough to resuspend fresh phythodetritus from sediments at the productive shelf edge, this could be transported to 1500 m (Goban Spur) or abyssal depth (Canyon site between Meriadzek and Goban Spur) within 21 days.     

A Continuous Mapping of Tidal Current Structures in the Kanmon Strait

Tidal current structures at the Hayatomono-Seto of the Kanmon Strait are mapped continuously during March 17 to 20, 2003, including a spring tide, by the eight coastal acoustic tomography (CAT) systems distributed on both the sides of the strait. Detailed structures of strong tidal currents and their associated vortices are well reconstructed by the inverse analysis of travel-time difference data obtained from the reciprocal sound transmission between the paired CAT systems located at both sides of the strait mainly. The results are well compared to the shipboard acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) data at the correlation rate of 0.84/0.82 and the RMS difference of 0.47/0.48 ms⁻¹ for the east-west/north-south current after the selection of good data. During the observation period, the maximum hourly mean volume transport for the upper 7 m layer across the strait reached 13,314 m³ s⁻¹ for the eastward and 5,547 m³ s⁻¹ for the westward. The daily mean transport is directed to the eastward and estimated 1,470 m³ s⁻¹ and 2,140 m³ s⁻¹ for March 18 and 19, respectively, when a spring tide occurs.     

Observation of temperature and velocity from a surface buoy moored in the Shikoku Basin (OMLET-88) —An oceanic response to a Typhoon

A surface buoy was moored from 20 April to 2 November 1988 at 28°48 N and 135°01 E where the water depth was 4900 m to measure temperature and velocity in the upper 150 m. The Typhoon 8824 passed at 0300 (JST) on 8 October about 50 km north to the mooring station with a maximum wind speed of 43.5 m s^–1. The buoy was shifted about 30 km to southwest, and the instruments were damaged. The records of temperature at 0.5 m and velocity at 50 m were obtained. The inertial oscillation caused by the typhoon is described using the current record. The oscillation endured for about 20 days. Deep mixing and vertical, heart transport by the typhoon are discussed based on the data from the Ocean Data Buoy of the Japan Meteorological Agency moored at 29°N and 135°E.     

Rip current charactersitics and their role in the exchange of water and surf diatoms between the surf zone and nearshore

Photogrammetric measurements of dye dispersion in a high-energy surf zone provided semi-quantitative measurements of the pattern and flux of water exchange between the surf zone and nearshore. The intensity of current flow, the rip morphology and its position within the surf zone have important ecological implications for the surf zone and nearshore biota. A variety of water-movement patterns was found, ranging from currents which remained confined to the beach terrace to those which involved substantial exchange across the breaker line. In considering rips as exchange mechanisms, two rip types are recognized. Depending on the exchange of water across the breaker line, a rip may be classified as ‘exchange’ or ‘non-exchange’. The ecological significance of these current types is discussed and a classification scheme for rip currents is proposed. Offshore fluxes across the breaker line by rip currents ranged from negligible to 80 m³s⁻¹ rip⁻¹. The estimated maximum flux per running meter of the Sundays River Beach was calculated as 0·0.32m ³ s⁻¹. The half-residence period of surf-zone water ranged from as little as 22 min t0 5 days, averaging 3·6 h.A dichotomy of current patterns found between the water column and surface layers is used to explain the build up of a concentration gradient in cell numbers of the surf diatom Anaulus birostratus within the surf zone despite extensive flushing by surf circulation.     

Resuspension of benthic fluff by tidal currents in deep stratified waters, northern North Sea

Suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentration and properties (particle size and settling velocity), water column and boundary layer dynamics were measured during a 60-d period at a site in 110 m water depth in the northern North Sea. The site was in stratified waters and measurements were made during September–November as the seasonal thermocline was progressively weakening. SPM concentration was low, c. 1 mg dm⁻³ in the surface mixed layer and maximum values of 2 mg dm⁻³ in the bottom mixed layer. The bottom layer was characterised by larger mean particle size. SPM signals in the two layers were decoupled at the start of the period, when the thermocline was strong, but were increasingly coupled as the thermocline progressively weakened. A spring-neap cycle of resuspension and deposition of SPM was observed in the bottom mixed layer. Bed shear stresses were too small to entrain the bottom sediment (a fine sand) but were competent to resuspend benthic fluff: threshold bed shear stress and threshold current velocity at 10 mab were 0.02–0.03 Pa. and 0.18 m s⁻¹, respectively. Maximum SPM concentration in the bottom layer preceded peak spring tide currents by 3 d. Simulation of fluff resupension by the PROWQM model confirms that this was due to a finite supply of benthic fluff: the fluff layer was stripped from the seabed so that fluff supply was zero by the time of peak spring flow. SPM was redeposited over neap tides. Fluff resuspension must have been enhanced by intermittent inertial currents in the bottom layer but unequivocal evidence for this was not seen. There was some resuspension due to wave activity. Settling velocity spectra were unimodal or bimodal with modal values of 2×10⁻⁴–2×10⁻³ mm s⁻¹ (long-term suspension component) and 0.2–5.7 mm s⁻¹ (resuspension component). The slowest settling particles remained in suspension at peak spring tides after the fluff layer had been exhausted. There was evidence of particle disaggregation during springs and aggregation during neaps.     

Measurements of the water-following capability of holey-sock and TRISTAR drifters

Since 1985, a number of measurements have been made in deep water to determine the water-following characteristics of mixed layer drifters with both holey-sock and TRISTAR drogues at 15 m depth. The measurements were done by attaching two neutrally buoyant vector measuring current meters (VMCMs) to the top and the bottom of the drogues and deploying the drifters in different wind and upper ocean shear conditions for periods of 2–4 h. The average velocity of the VMCM records was taken to be a quantitative measure of the slip of the drogue through the water, observed to be 0.5-3.5 cm s⁻¹. The most important hydrodynamic design parameter which influenced the slip of the drogue was the ratio of the drag area of the drogue to the sum of the drag areas of the tether and surface floats: the drag area ratio R. The most important environmental parameters which affected the slip were the wind and the measured velocity difference across the vertical extent of the drogue. A model of the vector slip as a function of R, vector wind and velocity difference across the drogue was developed and a least squares fit accounts for 85% of the variance of the slip measurements. These measurements indicated that to reduce the wind produced slip below 1 cm s⁻¹ in 10 m s⁻¹ wind speed, R > 40. Conversely, if the daily average wind is known to 5 m s⁻¹ accuracy, the displacement of the R = 40 drifter can be corrected to an accuracy of 0.5 km day⁻¹.     

Estimates of Energy Dissipation Rates in the Three-Dimensional Deep Ocean Internal Wave Field

Using the “Eikonal Approach” (Henyey et al., 1986), we estimate energy dissipation rates in the three-dimensional Garrett-Munk internal wave field. The total energy dissipation rate within the undisturbed GM internal wave field is found to be 4.34 × 10⁻⁹ W kg⁻¹. This corresponds to a diapycnal diffusivity of about 0.3 × 10⁻⁴ m²s⁻¹, which is less than the value 10⁻⁴ m²s⁻¹ required to sustain the global ocean overturning circulation. Only when the high vertical wavenumber, near-inertial current shear is enhanced can diapycnal diffusivity reach ∼10⁻⁴ m²s⁻¹. It follows that the energy supplied at low vertical wavenumbers and low frequencies is efficiently transferred to high vertical wavenumbers and near-inertial frequencies in the mixing hotspots in the real ocean.     

Nocdap results: On the relationship of extreme waves and currents for design of offshore structures

Simultaneous wind, wave, and current data during 21 storms spanning four winters at Tromsøflaket (230 m depth) were analysed to determine joint probabilities of occurrence. Waves were measured with a Waverider Buoy, winds with a recording anemometer onboard a vessel and currents at up to five depths with Aandera RCM-4 current meters. Measured currents were filtered to separate tidal currents from residual currents. In most of the statistical analyses, the actual current profiles were replaced with a simplified “equivalent” profile (constant above 50 m depth) whose magnitude was chosen to give the same drag load on a single pile as the actual profile when both profiles were combined with wave orbital velocities. The data suggest that the equivalent current is weakly correlated with the wave height. Within the range of the data analysed, an in-line equivalent residual current of 30 cm sec⁻¹ is adequate for design drag force calculations.The data presented here are used to illustrate a procedure for data analysis and are not suitable for use as design criteria.     

Water masses and currents of deep circulation southwest of the Shatsky Rise in the western North Pacific

We conducted full-depth hydrographic observations in the southwestern region of the Northwest Pacific Basin in September 2004 and November 2005. Deep-circulation currents crossed the observation line between the East Mariana Ridge and the Shatsky Rise, carrying Lower Circumpolar Deep Water westward in the lower deep layer (θ<1.2 °C) and Upper Circumpolar Deep Water (UCDW) and North Pacific Deep Water (NPDW) eastward in the upper deep layer (1.3–2.2 °C). In the lower deep layer at depths greater than approximately 3500 m, the eastern branch current of the deep circulation was located south of the Shatsky Rise at 30°24′–30°59′N with volume transport of 3.9 Sv (1 Sv=10⁶ m³ s⁻¹) in 2004 and at 30°06′–31°15′N with 1.6 Sv in 2005. The western branch current of the deep circulation was located north of the Ogasawara Plateau at 26°27′–27°03′N with almost 2.1 Sv in 2004 and at 26°27′–26°45′N with 2.7 Sv in 2005. Integrating past and present results, volume transport southwest of the Shatsky Rise is concluded to be a little less than 4 Sv for the eastern branch current and a little more than 2 Sv for the western branch current. In the upper deep layer at depths of approximately 2000–3500 m, UCDW and NPDW, characterized by high and low dissolved oxygen, respectively, were carried eastward at the observation line by the return flow of the deep circulation composing meridional overturning circulation. UCDW was confined between the East Mariana Ridge and the Ogasawara Plateau (22°03′–25°33′N) in 2004, whereas it extended to 26°45′N north of the Ogasawara Plateau in 2005. NPDW existed over the foot and slope of the Shatsky Rise from 29°48′N in 2004 and 30°06′N in 2005 to at least 32°30′N at the top of the Shatsky Rise. Volume transport of UCDW was estimated to be 4.6 Sv in 2004, whereas that of NPDW was 1.4 Sv in 2004 and 2.6 Sv in 2005, although the values for NPDW may be slightly underestimated, because they do not include the component north of the top of the Shatsky Rise. Volume transport of UCDW and NPDW southwest of the Shatsky Rise is concluded to be approximately 5 and 3 Sv, respectively. The pathways of UCDW and NPDW are new findings and suggest a correction for the past view of the deep circulation in the Pacific Ocean.     

Heat flux estimate of warm water flow in a low-temperature diffuse flow site, southern East Pacific Rise 17°25′ S

A low-temperature diffuse flow site associated with abundant vent fauna was found by submersible observations on the southern East Pacific Rise at 17°25′ S in 1997. This site was characterized by thin sediment covered pillow and sheet lavas with collapsed pits up to ∼15 m in diameter. There were three warm water vents (temperature: 6.5 to 10.5 °C) within the site above which the vented fluids rise as plumes. To estimate heat flux of the warm water vents, a temperature logger array was deployed and the vertical temperature distribution in the water column up to 38 m above the seafloor was monitored. A stationary deep seafloor observatory system was also deployed to monitor hydrothermal activity in this site. The temperature logger array measured temperature anomalies, while the plumes from the vents passed through the array. Because the temperature anomalies were measured in only specific current directions, we identified one of the vents as the source. Heat flux from the vent was estimated by applying a plume model in crossflow in a density-stratified environment. The average heat flux from September 13 to October 18, 1997 was 39 MW. This heat flux is as same order as those of high-temperature black smokers, indicating that a large volume flux was discharged from the vent (1.9 m³/s). Previous observations found many similar warm water flow vents along the spreading axis between 17°20′ S–30′ S. The total heat flux was estimated to be at least a few hundred mega-watts. This venting style would contribute to form effluent hydrothermal plumes extended above the spreading axis.     

Detailed current structures over the continental shelf off the San'in Coast in summer

We discussed the detailed current structures over the continental shelf off the San'in Coast in June 1988 and June 1989, using ADCP (acoustic Doppler current profiler) data, which were taken by the quadrireciprocal method (Katoh, 1988) for removing tidal currents from observed currents. In waters northwest of Hagi (Yamaguchi Pref.) and Hamada (Shimane Pref.), two mainly northeastward current cores were observed on each of transects. The offshore current core is baroclinic in relation to the bottom cold water with temperature below 10°C, and has velocities mostly between 0.5 and 0.8kt (26 and 41 cm s^–1) at 20 m depth. The onshore current core, which is barotropic, has velocities between 0.3 and 0.5 kt (15 and 26 cm s^–1) at 20 m depth. In waters northwest of Izumo (Shimane Pref.), where the width of the continental shelf is narrow, it is difficult to distinguish between the two current cores, because the offshore core tends to join the onshore one. Estimating the magnitude of each term in the diurnally averaged equation of motion for about 3.3 nautical miles (6.1 km), we found that the orders of the inertia term and the gradient of tidal stress were 10^–4 cm s^–2, and the order of the Coriolis force was 10^–3 cm s^–2. Near the bottom northwest of Hagi and Hamada, two bands of countercurrents were found; one was slightly offshore of the intersection between the continental shelf and permanent thermocline, and the other was in the water colder than 5°C ridging on the continental shelf.     

Seasonal Cycle of Vertical Structure and Deep Water Renewal in the Clyde Sea

Two strings of moored current meters deployed between March 1993 and May 1994, together with monthly CTD surveys, provide the first comprehensive set of observations over the seasonal cycle in the Clyde Sea. In the summer, a strong thermal stratification maintained a partial isolation of the deep waters. In winter, the stratification was weaker, and a 1 °C temperature inversion was persistent from November to the end of March. Rapid inflow of dense water from the North Channel of the Irish Sea served to re-establish the strong stratification in the spring. The mean rate of exchange was estimated from the salinity (practical salinity scale) and mass budgets to be 1·1×10⁴ m³ s⁻¹, indicating an average flushing time for the Clyde Sea of 3–4 months.Episodic increases in deep water salinity indicated that bottom water renewal occurred throughout the winter. Intense renewal events were observed in March 1993 and February 1994, when the North Channel density was near its seasonal maximum, and were coincident with periods of high wind stress. In the month prior to these rapid spring inflows, the basin bottom salinity reached its seasonal minimum, indicating that the effects of mixing dominated over renewal at this time. A marked inflow in the summer was inferred from the salinity budget, and observed as a salinity increase at a depth of 90 m. A 2-layer flow was observed in the Arran Deep basin throughout the year, the surface flow forming part of a clockwise circulation about Arran, with an opposing bottom layer circulation. This surface circulation prevents freshwater from entering the Kilbrannan Sound, leaving this area relatively susceptible to deep water mixing by the wind.At a station in the north of the basin, the internal tidal current was observed to have an amplitude of 2–3 cm s⁻¹, which is half the amplitude of the barotropic tide. The energy available to mix the water column mixing associated with the internal tide at this position is estimated to be 0·01 mWm⁻², which is 2 orders of magnitude less than wind mixing. The kinetic energy density in the Clyde Sea was found to be predominantly in low frequency oscillations (<1·0 cycles per day), the seasonal variation exhibiting some correlation with the wind.     

Modelling salinity and circulation for the Columbia River Estuary

Simulations of the time and depth-dependent salinity and current fields of the Columbia River Estuary have been performed using a multi-channel, laterally averaged estuary model. The study simulated two periods. The first, in October 1980, with low riverflow of about 4,000m³s⁻¹, which showed marked changes in the salinity intrusion processes between neap and spring tides; and second, in spring 1981, with high riverflow varying between 7,000 and 15,000m³s⁻¹, which showed the rapid response of the salinity intrusion to changes in riverflow and that vertical mixing did not change character with increasing tidal energy because of the maintenance of stratification by freshwater flow. An extreme low flow simulation (riverflow of 2,000m³s⁻¹) showed a more partially mixed character of the estuary channels with tidal dispersion of salt across the Taylor Sands from the North Channel to the upper reaches of the Navigation Channel. Asymmetries in the non-linear tidal mean flows, in the flood and ebb circulations, and salinity intrusion characteristics between the two major channels were observed at all riverflows. The model confirms Jay and Smith's (1990) analysis of the circulation processes in that tidal advection of salt by the vertically sheared tidal currents is the dominant mechanism by which the salinity intrusion is maintained against large freshwater flows. An accurate finite-difference method, which minimized numerical dispersion, was used for the advection terms and was an important component in reasonably simulating the October neap-spring differences in the salinity intrusion. The simulations compare favorably with elevation, current and salinity time series observations taken during October 1980 and spring 1981.     

Seasonal variations in faunal distribution and activity across the continental slope of the goban spur area (NE Atlantic)

Density, biomass and community structure of macrofauna were estimated together with several sediment characteristics at seven stations ranging from 208 m to 4460 m water depth along the OMEX transect in the Goban Spur area (NE Atlantic) during three seasons (October 1993, May 1994, and August 1995). Median grain size decreased with increasing water depth and showed no differences between the seasons. The percentages of organic carbon and total nitrogen were highest at mid-slope depths (1000 to 1500 m), and were significantly higher in August at the upper part of the slope to a depth of 1500 m. The C:N ratio in the surface layer amounted to 7 to 8 in May, 10 to 12 in August and 14 to 17 in October at all stations (except the deepest at 4460 m, where it was 11 in May and August), indicating arrival of fresh phytodetritus in May, and therefore seasonality in food input to the benthos. Densities of macrofauna decreased exponentially with increasing water depth. Significantly higher densities of macrofauna were found in May at the upper part of the slope to a depth of 1500 m. These differences were mainly due to high numbers of postlarvae of echinoids at the shallowest station and ophiuroids at the deeper stations. Biomass values also decreased with increasing water depth, but biomass was relatively high at the 1000 m station and low at 1500 m, due to relatively high and low mean weights of the individual macrofaunal specimens. No significant differences in biomass were found between the seasons. Respiration was high (15 to 20 mgC·m⁻²·d⁻¹) in May at the upper part of the slope to a depth of 1000 m and low (1–3 mg C·m⁻²·d⁻¹) at the deeper part. At the shallowest stations to a depth of 1000 m respiration was highest in May, at the mid-slope stations (1400–2200 m) it was highest in August, whereas the deepest stations (3600 to 4500 m) did not show any differences in respiration rates. In conclusion; seasonal variation in organic input is reflected in denstiy, community structure and activity of the macrofauna along the continental slope in the NE Atlantic.     

Copper complexing capacity of phytoplanktonic cell exudates

Copper complexing capacity of cell exudates of Dunaliella salina in natural seawater culture medium was investigated in order to evaluate the influence of this organism on speciation of trace metals in seawater.Seawater samples were collected at 200 m and 2 miles off the coast and immediately filtered. Copper complexing capacity (CC_Cu) and stability constants (K′) of related cupric complexes were then measured. They were, respectively, 27.1 × 10⁻⁸ mol l⁻¹ and 0.56 × 10⁷ l mol⁻¹ for the samples collected at 200 m and 12.8 × 10⁻⁸ mol l⁻¹ and 6.10 × 10⁷ l mol⁻¹ for those collected 2 miles off the coast. A stock culture (20 ml, 10⁶ cells ml⁻¹) in log-phase was inoculated in 2 l of each sample of filtered natural seawater. The trend of cell influence was estimated on filtered culture medium by measuring CC_Cu and K′ after 1 h, 3 and 7 days. From the results it appears that CC_Cu increased with respect to time and this was related to the growth rate, indicating a certain relationship with cell metabolic activity.It can be concluded that a comparison between the culture referring to 200 m and 2 miles, respectively, shows that the former presents a CC_Cu two times higher than the latter while the K′ is ten times higher at 2 miles than that at 200 m.     

Downward fluxes of settling particles in the deep Cretan Sea (NE Mediterranean)

During the CINCS project (Pelagic–benthic Coupling IN the oligotrophic Cretan Sea—NE Mediterranean), a single mooring with two sediment traps (at 200 and 1515m water depth) and two current meters was deployed in the southern Cretan Sea margin at a depth of 1550 m. A second mooring deployed at the 500 m station was lost, as a result of fishing activities. The duration of the study was 12 months (November 1994 to November 1995) with sampling intervals of 15 or 16 days. The traps were retrieved, serviced and the sedimented material was collected every 6 months. In total, 48 samples were collected (24 from each trap) throughout the study period and fluxes of total particulate mass, opal, organic matter, carbonates, and lithogenic component were measured. Natural radionuclides (²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb) were determined for all trap samples. Total mass flux and the fluxes of four major constituents increased with depth, the total mass flux reaching values of nearly 550 mg m⁻² d⁻¹ at 1515 m and 187 mg m⁻² d⁻¹ at 200 m depth, following the same patterns observed in other experiments (ECOMARGE, SEEP-I, SEEP-II). The mean annual mass fluxes were 209 and 49.8 mg m⁻² d⁻¹ at the near bottom and near surface trap respectively. This suggests that lateral transport of particulate matter is of importance in the area. Total mass fluxes at the two depths were characterized by different seasonal fluctuations, although a general decreasing trend was observed from the I (winter) to the II (summer) deployment at both depths. This was mainly a result of reductions in aluminosilicate inputs during the summer dry period. At 200 m depth carbonates were more important during winter, because of a large carbonate input consisting mainly of coccoliths of Emiliania huxleyi, while during the summer decreased fluxes of carbonates and aluminosilicates resulted in a reduction of the mass flux. In contrast, at 1515 m depth the lithogenic component was the dominant component during the winter deployment, indicating a terrigenous input. During the summer period the decrease in mass flux was strongly effected by the decrease in aluminosilicates. There was a diminution in the organic carbon content with a concomitant increase in total mass flux, which, together with the almost negligible increase in the annual ²¹⁰Pb activity with depth and the increase of ²¹⁰Po activity with depth could be interpreted as indicating a contribution of resuspended material to the input at 1515 m. The complex mesoscale circulation of the Cretan Sea, consisting of a cyclone (east)–anticyclone (west) system, controls particle transfer in the area. This hydrodynamic system seems to move water masses towards the southern Cretan Sea margin, and consequently carry materials from the open sea to the upper slope and shelf.