Structure and Variability of the Lena River Plume in the South-Eastern Part of the Laptev Sea

Oceanology - This work is focused on structure and seasonal variability of the most freshened part of the Lena plume in the south-eastern part of the Laptev Sea, namely, at sea area adjacent to the...     

Distribution of trace and major elements in sediment and pore waters of the Lena Delta and Laptev Sea

Sediment cores collected during the SPASIBA expedition in 1991 were analysed for their trace- and major element concentrations. Leachable (0.1 N HCl) as well as residual concentrations were determined. Fe and Mn were measured in the interstitial waters to characterize redox conditions. Lateral distribution patterns of solid phase Cu, Cd, Ni, Pb and Zn show a small increase in concentration from the Lena Delta in seaward direction. In general concentrations of these metals are very low and similar to natural background values. With some exceptions, solid phase profiles with depth of all investigated elements do not show strong variations. No enrichment of Pb and Zn in surface layers was found. Remobilization processes and transport of particles enriched in Mn are responsible for Mn accumulation in a particular area. Pore-water concentrations of dissolved Mn in the latter sediments are very high (> 700 μM) and suggest strong Mn reduction directly below the sediment-water interface. In contrast to Mn, the depth profiles of Cd show a surface layer with lower concentrations and an increase deeper down the sediment. The C/N ratio in the sediment decreases from 13 in the Lena mouth to 9 in the more marine part of the Laptev Sea. Surface sediments in the Laptev Sea are very uniform and homogeneous and show only small concentration gradients.     

O abundance and dissolved silicate in the Lena delta and Laptev Sea (Russia)

Water samples from the Lena River and stratified Laptev Sea (northeastern Siberia) have been analyzed to determine their stable oxygen isotope composition (¹⁸O/¹⁶O). Measurements at the Lena River reference station give a δ¹⁸O value of −18.9‰ in both surface and bottom waters. In the brackish water surface plume, a nearly perfect correlation is found between δ¹⁸O and chlorinity

δO=−18.9+0.7C1⁻(n=15; r=0.999)

A few values lie distinctly below this correlation; they all correspond to surface samples collected in the semi-enclosed Buorkhaya Gulf, and they most likely reveal the occurrence of ‘old’ water masses. Some of the δ¹⁸O values in the deep waters collected in the same zone also fall below the surface-plume correlation line.Dissolved silicate concentrations exhibit a large variability. However, when they are related to the different water masses identified using oxygen isotope data, a more coherent picture is obtained. Concentrations in the surface plume decrease more or less regularly from 50 to 72 μmol in the Lena River, to 7 μmol at the ‘marine’ end-member (Cl⁻ = 14 g l⁻¹). Dissolved silicate results in the Buorkhaya Gulf are quite distinct, with a clear deficiency in the surface waters, and an excess in the deep waters.These δ¹⁸O and dissolved silicate variations are discussed in relation to the hydrology and the biological productivity of the investigated area.     

Distribution and sinking rates of phytoplankton, detritus, and particulate biogenic silica in the Laptev Sea and Lena River (Arctic Siberia)

Concentrations and sinking rates of particulate biogenic silica (BSi), chlorophyll a (chl a) and phaeopigments (phae) (< 3 μm, 3–10 μm, > 10 μm and total), as well as the abundances of the major phytoplankton species, were studied during September 1991 in the Eastern Laptev Sea and the lower Lena River (Siberian Arctic). The highest chl a concentrations were found in two major “new” production regimes of the study area: (1) a deep chl a maximum (5.8 mg chl a m⁻³) (formed by the diatom Chaetoceros socialis) at 30 m depth on the outer shelf of the northern Laptev Sea, and (2) in the Lena River, where the phytoplankton community was dominated by fresh water diatoms (1.5 to 4.5 mg chl a m⁻³). Elevated chl a concentrations were also found in the river plume phytoplankton community (dominated by brackish water diatoms), NE of the Lena delta. In the Laptev Sea, the low chl a (0.1 to 3 mg chl a m⁻³) and high phae concentrations (0.5 to 14 mg phae m⁻³) indicated that the phytoplankton community (dominated by picoplanktic algae and nanoflagellates) was already senescent and affected by grazing losses. Biogenic silica values were highest in the Lena River (4 to 17 μM) as compared to the low values found in the Laptev Sea (0.3 to 4 μM). The large chl a size fraction, phae and BSi in the Lena River samples revealed the highest measured sinking rates (1.4, 2.3, and 1.5 m d⁻¹, respectively). The formation of a strong halocline, decreasing turbulence, and possible nutrient deficiency resulted in death, disintegration and rapid sedimentation of fresh water diatoms. This was accompanied by a decrease in the BSi concentration and growth of the picoplanktic size fraction (< 3 μm) in the estuarine mixing zone (Gulf of Buorkhaya). Only a minor part of BSi was bound to intact diatom cells (< 3%) in the surface layer, most of which being apparently associated with detrital particles. In the Lena River, approximately 12% of the total silica was bound to BSi fraction, yet elsewhere in the Laptev Sea and in the estuarine mixing zone the BSi:total silica ratio was ≤ 5%. Thus, the results reflected the successional stage of a late summer phytoplankton community, characterized by dominance of small autotrophs and patchy distribution of senescent diatoms no longer able to affect the relative high levels of dissolved silica supplied by the Lena River.     

The geochemistry of trace metals in the Brazos River estuary

A seasonal study of trace metal behavior and transport in the Brazos River estuary was conducted in the winter, spring and fall of 1981. Surface water was analyzed for total dissolved Pb, Cu, Mn and Fe, and particulate Cd, Pb, Cu, Mn and Fe. Ancillary data included river discharge, total suspended matter, pH, major ions, nutrients, dissolved and particulate organic carbon and humic acid.The major ions were generally conservative across the river water-seawater mixing zone; however, a significant input of alkalinity and Ca was measured in the spring, attributable to cation exchange on clays and sediment diagenetic processes. Distinct concentration maxima were found in the 3–10‰ chlorinity range for dissolved Pb (0·06–0·9 nm), Cu (6–42 nm), Mn (2–290 nm) and Fe (5–80 nm). Particulate metal concentrations showed significant seasonal and spatial variations: Cd, 0·09–0·57 ppm; Pb, 15–43 ppm; Cu, 12–32 ppm; Mn, 250–1990 ppm and Fe 0·5–5·4%. Reducing conditions leading to diagenetic remobilization in estuarine sediments are proposed to be an important source of dissolved metals for estuarine water. Calculations of dissolved riverine metal transport to the ocean that include estuarine metal input are as much as 40 times greater than when estuarine processes are ignored.     

Stoichiometry among bioactive trace metals in seawater on the Bering Sea shelf

The distribution of Al, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb in seawater was investigated on the Bering Sea shelf (56–64°N, 165–169°W) in September 2000. The unfiltered and filtered seawater samples were used for determination of total dissolvable (TD) and dissolved (D) metals (M), respectively. The TD-M concentrations were generally higher than in the Pacific Ocean. TD-Cd was highest in deep water of the outer shelf domain and dominated by dissolved species. The other TD-M were highest at stations close to the Yukon River delta and had higher fractions of labile particulate (LP) species that were obtained as the difference between TD-M and D-M. Dissolved Al, Ni, and Cu were characterized by input from the Yukon River. Dissolved Mn and Co showed maximums on the bottom of the coastal domain, suggesting influence of sedimentary Mn reduction. The correlations of D-Zn, D-Cd, and macronutrients indicated their distributions were largely controlled through uptake by microorganisms and remineralization from settling particles. All these three processes (river input, sedimentary reduction, and biogeochemical cycle) had an influence on the distribution of D-Fe. D-Pb was fairly uniformly distributed in the study area. The stoichiometry of D-M in the Bering Sea shelf showed enrichment of Co and Pb and depletion of Ni, Cu, Zn, and Cd compared with that in the North Pacific. The LP-M/LP-Al ratio revealed significant enrichment of the other eight metals relative to their crustal abundance, suggesting importance of formation of Fe–Mn oxides and adsorption of trace metals on the oxides.     

Trophic pathways and carbon flux patterns in the Laptev Sea

The Laptev Sea is a high-Arctic epicontinental sea north of Siberia (Russia) that is one of the least understood regions of the world’s ocean. It is characterized by a shallow and broad shelf plateau, high influx of river water, sediments and nutrients during summer, long-lasting sea-ice cover from October to May, and the formation of a narrow flaw-lead polynya off the fast-ice edge during winter.Here, we describe results of a German–Russian research project (1993-present), presenting the distribution patterns and dynamics of its marine flora and fauna, as well as pathways and processes of coupling between sea-ice, water-column and sea-floor biota.Three ecological zones are distinguished along a combined east–west and Lena-impact gradient, differing in the composition of pelagic and benthic communities. In general, high Chl a concentrations in the sediments indicate a tight coupling between sympagic and pelagic primary production and nutrient supply to the benthos throughout the entire Laptev Sea. However, there were pronounced regional differences between the ecological zones in magnitude of primary production and trophic dynamics. Primary production during the ice-free summer was highest in the estuarine zone most strongly influenced by the Lena River (210 mg C m⁻² day⁻¹). The western and northeastern Laptev Sea yielded 55 and 95 mg C m⁻² day⁻¹, respectively. Moreover, the zones differed in the partitioning of carbon flux between zooplankton and benthic food webs. In the Lena zone zooplankton carbon demand was about 31 mg C m⁻² day⁻¹ whereas in the western zone it was 21 mg C m⁻² day⁻¹ and in the eastern zone 4 mg C m⁻² day⁻¹. Total benthic carbon demand was 32 mg C m⁻² day⁻¹ for the Lena zone, 56 mg C m⁻² day⁻¹ in the western zone and 100 mg C m⁻² day⁻¹ in the northeastern zone.A carbon budget constructed for the Laptev Sea indicates that (1) a high proportion of primary production is channelled through the benthic trophic web, bypassing the pelagic trophic web, and (2) autochthonous primary production in the northeastern and western Laptev Sea might not be sufficient to fuel both pelagic and benthic secondary production and, hence, input of allochthonous organic carbon is required to balance the overall carbon demand.     

Distribution of trace metals in anchialine caves of Adriatic Sea,Croatia

This study presents results of the first comprehensive research on ecotoxic trace metals (Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn) in aquatic anchialine ecosystems. Data show the influence of hydrological and geological characteristics on trace metals in highly stratified anchialine water columns.     

Distribution and Feeding of Herbivorous Zooplankton in the Laptev Sea

Sampling was conducted along the quasi meridional transect at 130° E from the Lena River estuary to northern deep-sea regions of the Laptev Sea in September 2015. The latitudinal zonality and the impact of river runoff are manifested in the temperature and salinity distribution, concentration of particulate organic matter, and the structure of plankton communities. The differences in the chl a concentration and primary production along the transect are insignificant. The feeding rate of mesozooplankton herbivores was assessed by a fluorescence technique. The total consumption of phytoplankton biomass and primary production are estimated based on the feeding rate, abundance of zooplankton species, and their diel migrations. The daily grazing impact of zooplankton on phytoplankton biomass increases from 2% on the inner shelf to 3% on the mid-shelf, 5% on the outer shelf, and 10% in the deep-sea part of the basin. The consumption of primary production also increases: 1, 4.5, 5.7, and 13.9%, respectively. In the fall, the consumption of phytoplankton does not compensate the energy demands for respiration. The latitudinal zonality of the Laptev Sea appears not only in the hydrophysical water parameters and the structure of plankton communities, but also in their functional characteristics.     

Hydrochemical Conditions at the Lena River in August 2018

Oceanology - The information is presented on hydrochemical studies performed in August 2018 at the middle and lower reaches of the Lena River from Yakutsk to Kyusyur settlements. The studies...     

Distribution and contamination of trace metals in surface sediments of the East China Sea

The distributions, contamination status and annual sedimentation flux of trace metals in surface sediments of the East China Sea (ECS) were studied. Higher concentrations of the studied metals were generally found in the inner shelf and the concentrations decreased seaward. The sequences of the enrichment factor (EF) of the studied metals are Cu > Mn > Ni > Zn > Pb > Fe. The values of EF suggest that the metals contamination in the middle and outer shelves of the ECS is still minor. The annual sedimentation fluxes of trace metals in the ECS were: Fe, 3.48 × 10⁷ t/y; Mn, 9.07 × 10⁵ t/y; Zn, 1.08 × 10⁵ t/y; Ni, 4.48 × 10⁴ t/y; Pb, 4.32 × 10⁴ t/y and Cu, 3.1 × 10⁴ t/y, respectively. Approximately 55–70% and 10–17% of the sedimentation fluxes of trace metals were deposited in the inner shelf and the Changjiang estuarine zone.     

Mineral composition of sediments from the Eastern Laptev Sea shelf and East Siberian Sea

The mineral composition of the heavy fraction in surface sediments of the Laptev and East Siberian seas has been analyzed. The multivariate statistics methods were used to define the main heavy mineral assemblages with outlining regional differences in their compositions and principal factors responsible for the formation of sediment mineral affinity in the study areas. It is shown that the distribution of the determined heavy mineral assemblages is controlled by the geostructural positions of sedimentation basins.     

Seasonal Variability and Annual Primary Production of Phytoplankton in the Laptev Sea Assessed by MODIS-Aqua Data

Izvestiya, Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics - The seasonal variability of primary production in the Laptev Sea has been studied and its annual values have been determined using the data of a...     

Dissolved trace metals in the Western Mediterranean Sea: total concentration and fraction isolated by C18 Sep-Pak technique

An investigation of trace metal distributions in the Western Mediterranean Sea was carried out during the RRS Discovery cruise (July 1993) in which a transect from the Strait of Gibraltar to the Strait of Sicily was conducted. Organically complexed dissolved trace metals and their total concentrations were measured to investigate the end-members and to predict the environmental capacity of the Mediterranean for potential toxic metals. The distribution of trace metals can be accounted for by the mixing of several end-members and by some atmospheric inputs to the surface water. For Pb and Fe, the effects of the atmospheric inputs are more pronounced than for the other metals. Due to the rapid exchange of water masses, the Western Mediterranean may have the ability to assimilate the increased external inputs for some trace metals such as Cu, Cd, Ni and Zn. But the external inputs for Pb and Fe exceed the removal capacity of the Western Mediterranean and these elements may accumulate in the water column of the western basin. The C18 Sep-Pak technique and direct determination by DPASV were used to determine the amount of trace metal–organic complexes. The C18 Sep-Pak column isolates only a small fraction of trace metals except for Cu. The maximum hydrophobic fractions for the studied trace metals, except for Cd and Pb, which are not detectable, were found in the subsurface layer at all stations. This maximum may well be linked to picoplankton activity and the picoplankton, prochlorophytes may have an important role in the speciation of dissolved Cu as well as Synechococcus. These organic ligands for Cu were produced at the maximum of biological activity in the Western Mediterranean basin and seem to be accumulated at halocline level by Mediterranean hydrodynamic characteristics. However, direct determination by DPASV showed that the major part of Cu, Cd and Pb, complexed by organic materials, was not isolated by C18 Sep-Pak technique.     

Chemical speciation of trace metals in seawater: Implication of particulate trace metals

Chemical speciation of particulate metals in seawater was examined theoretically. Mass balance considerations showed that the apparent conditional stability constant, defined for organically binding metals in suspended particles, coincides with the conditional stability constant determined for the corresponding metal-organic complexes dissolved in seawater. This hypothesis suggests that some metals, which are present as organic complexes (e.g. copper), are directly associated with particulate organic matter. Metals, whose free ion is buffered by organic and/or inorganic ligands, may be used as indicators of the presence of particulate organic matter in the marine environment.     

The structure of phytoplankton communities in the eastern part of the Laptev Sea

Studies have been performed on a transect along 130°30′ E from the Lena River delta (71°60′ N) to the continental slope and adjacent deepwater area (78°22′ N) of the Laptev Sea in September 2015. The structure of phytoplankton communities has distinct latitudinal zoning. The southern part of the shelf (southward of 73°10′ N), the most desalinated by riverine discharge, houses a phytoplankton community with a biomass of 175–840 mg/m², domination of freshwater Aulacoseira diatoms, and significant contribution of green algae (both in abundance and biomass). The northern border for the distribution range of the southern complex of phytoplankton species lies between the 8 and 18 psu isohalines (~73°10′ N). The continental slope and deepwater areas of the Laptev Sea (north of 77°30′ N), with a salinity of >27 psu in the upper mixed layer, are populated by the community prevalently composed of Chaetoceros and Rhizosolenia diatoms, very abundant in the Arctic, and dinoflagellates. The phytoplankton number in this area fall in the range of 430–1100 × 10⁶ cell/m², and the biomass, in the range of 3600 mg/m². A moderate desalinating impact of the Lena River discharge is observed in the outer shelf area between 73°20′ and 77°30′ N; the salinity in the upper mixed layer is 18–24 psu. The phytocenosis in this area has a mosaic spatial structure with between-station variation in the shares of different alga groups in the community, cell number of 117–1200 × 10⁶ cells/m², and a biomass of 1600–3600 mg/m². As is shown, local inflow of “fresh” nutrients to the euphotic layer in the fall season leads to mass growth of diatoms.     

Heterotrophic Nanoflagellates in the Pelagic Zone and Sediments of the Eastern Laptev Sea

Oceanology - For the first time, the species composition of heterotrophic nanoflagellates, their quantitative characteristics, and abundance and biomass of their main food objects—bacteria...