Do benthic biofilters contribute to sustainability and restoration of the benthic environment impacted by offshore cage finfish aquaculture?

Benthic biofilters were deployed under a cage fish farm and in two reference locations to assess the influence of the farm on the biofilters and the surroundings, as well as to verify the usefulness of this technology as a mitigation tool. The biofilters underneath the farm recruited a fouling community practically identical to that of the control biofilters, which included a variety of trophic strategies. The former showed a higher ¹⁵N enrichment, indicating that fouling beneath the farm was benefiting from the farm waste. The waste retention efficiency was low (0.02 g N m⁻² month⁻¹) beneath the farm. Benthic biofilters aggregated demersal wild fish around and within them. Pelagic wild fish also frequently used the biofilters beneath the farm, forming compact shoals around them. The increased complexity of the habitat below the fish farm enhanced biodiversity, but this improvement did not lead to the recovery of the sediments around the biofilters.     

A regression model using sediment chemistry for the evaluation of marine environmental impacts associated with salmon aquaculture cage wastes

This study was undertaken to develop an approach for modelling changes of sediment chemistry related to the accumulation of aquaculture waste. Metal composition of sediment Al, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, and Zn; organic carbon and < 63 microm particles were used to determine the extent of detectable effects around the cage. This study showed marked differences in the sediment chemistry between aquaculture sites and the natural background: (1) negative correlations between sediment Cu and Zn with Al, (2) poor correlations between metals and Li, and (3) concentrations of Fe and Mn decreased with increased accumulation of organic carbon. There is a trend among normalised metals, organic carbon and particles related to normal, hypoxic and anoxic sediment conditions. The trends are useful for detecting and assessing the cumulative effects from aquaculture wastes to the marine environment. Lithium is less interactive with other metals in aquaculture sediments compared with the natural background sediments. Principal components analysis (PCA) was carried out on the metals, organic carbon, and particles to cluster the similarities of the variables so as to establish the predicted or adjusted environmental monitoring program (EMP) ratings. This approach, using the adjusted EMP rating based on sediment chemistry, yields a regression model with R2 = 0.945 compared to R2= 0.653 for the regression model using unadjusted EMP for assessing the environmental conditions.     

A trophic model for the Danshuei River Estuary, a hypoxic estuary in northern Taiwan

The estuary of the Danshuei River, a hypoxic subtropical estuary, receives a high rate of untreated sewage effluent. The Ecopath with Ecosim software system was used to construct a mass-balanced trophic model for the estuary, and network analysis was used to characterize the structure and matter flow in the food web. The estuary model was comprised of 16 compartments, and the trophic levels varied from 1.0 for primary producers and detritus to 3.0 for carnivorous and piscivorous fishes. The large organic nutrient loading from the upper reaches has resulted in detritivory being more important than herbivory in the food web. The food-chain length of the estuary was relatively short when compared with other tropical/subtropical coastal systems. The shortness of food-chain length in the estuary could be attributed to the low biomass of the top predators. Consequently, the trophic efficiencies declined sharply for higher trophic levels due to low fractions of flows to the top predators and then high fractions to detritus. The low biomass of the top predators in the estuary was likely subject to over-exploitation and/or hypoxic water. Summation of individual rate measurements for primary production and respiration yielded an estimate of −1791 g WW m⁻² year⁻¹, or −95 g C m⁻² year⁻¹, suggesting a heterotrophic ecosystem, which implies that more organic matter was consumed than was produced in the estuary.     

Assessing the influence and distribution of shrimp pond effluent in a tidal mangrove creek in north-east Australia

Effluent from a land based shrimp farm was detected in a receiving creek as changes in physical, chemical and biological parameters. The extent and severity of these changes depended on farm operations. This assessment was conducted at three different stages of shrimp-pond maturity, including (1) when the ponds were empty, (2) full and (3) being harvested. Methods for assessing farm effluent in receiving waters included physical/chemical analyses of the water column, phytoplankton bioassays and nitrogen isotope signatures of marine flora. Comparisons were made with an adjacent creek that served as the farms intake creek and did not directly receive effluent. Physical/chemical parameters identified distinct changes in the receiving creek with respect to farm operations. Elevated water column NH(4)(+) (18.5+/-8.0 microM) and chlorophyll a concentrations (5.5+/-1.9 microg/l) were measured when the farm was in operation, in contrast to when the farm was inactive (1.3+/-0.3 microM and 1.2+/-0.6 microg/l, respectively). At all times, physical/chemical parameters at the mouth of the effluent creek, were equivalent to control values, indicating effluent was contained within the effluent-receiving creek. However, elevated delta(15)N signatures of mangroves (up to approximately 8 per thousand) and macroalgae (up to approximately 5 per thousand ) indicated a broader influence of shrimp farm effluent, extending to the lower regions of the farms intake creek. Bioassays at upstream sites close to the location of farm effluent discharge indicated that phytoplankton at these sites did not respond to further nutrient additions, however downstream sites showed large growth responses. This suggested that further nutrient loading from the shrimp farm, resulting in greater nutrient dispersal, will increase the extent of phytoplankton blooms downstream from the site of effluent discharge. When shrimp ponds were empty water quality in the effluent and intake creeks was comparable. This indicated that observed elevated nutrient and phytoplankton concentrations were directly attributable to farm operations.     

Acute hypoxic exposure affects gamete quality and subsequent fertilization success and embryonic development in a serpulid polychaete

Hypoxia likely compromises the reproductive success of those marine organisms carrying out external fertilization because their gametes and embryos are inevitably exposed to the external environment. Hydroides elegans, a dominant serpulid polychaete in Hong Kong waters, can spawn throughout the year but the number of recruits drops during summer when hypoxia commonly occurs. This study attempted to explain such observation by investigating the gamete quality, including sperm motility, egg size, complexity and viability, after 1-h hypoxic exposure (1 mg O₂ l⁻¹). In addition, how gamete quality affects fertilization success and embryonic development was examined. After 1-h hypoxic exposure, sperm motility was significantly reduced, compromising fertilization success. Although the eggs remained viable, more malformed embryos and retarded embryonic development were observed. We interpreted that the harmful effect of hypoxia on embryonic development was attributed to the teratogenicity and induced oxidative stress, ultimately causing the reduction in recruitment during summer.     

Maintenance of estuarine water quality by mangroves occurs during flood periods: A case study of a subtropical mangrove wetland

Seasonal changes in water quality were measured in samples taken at various distances from shallow water across mudflat to mangroves during flood period and from mangroves across mudflat to shallow water during ebb period in a subtropical mangrove estuary (Zhangjiang Estuary, Fujian, China). The TN (total dissolved nitrogen), TP (total dissolved phosphorus), COD (chemical oxygen demand), and DOC (dissolved organic carbon) contents during the flood period were significantly higher than those during the ebb period. In contrast, the opposite was true for the POC (particulate organic carbon) content and transparency. The mangroves at Zhangjiang Estuary may trap nutrients at rates of 90.5 g N/m²/yr, 2.2 g TP/m²/yr, and 13.7 g C/m²/yr in the form of DOC, and export POC at a rate of 81.8 g/m²/yr. Our results support the hypothesis that the maintenance of estuarine water quality by mangroves occurs during flood periods.     

Water and nutrient fluxes off Northwest Africa

A historical data set is used to describe the coastal transition zone off Northwest Africa during spring 1973 and fall 1975, from 17° to 26°N, with special emphasis on the interaction between subtropical (North Atlantic Central Waters) and tropical (South Atlantic Central Waters) gyres. The near-surface geostrophic circulation, relative to 300 m, is quite complex. Major features are a large cyclonic pattern north of Cape Blanc (21°N) and offshore flow at the Cape Verde front. The large cyclone occurs in the region of most intense winds, and resembles a large meander of the baroclinic southward upwelling jet. The Cape Verde frontal system displays substantial interleaving that may partly originate as mesoscale features at the coastal upwelling front. Property–property diagrams show that the front is an effective barrier to all properties except temperature. The analysis of the Turner angle suggests that the frontal system is characterized by large heat horizontal diffusion as a result of intense double diffusion, which results in the smoothing of the temperature horizontal gradients. Nine cross-shore sections are used to calculate along-shore geostrophic water-mass and nutrient transports and to infer exchanges between the coastal transition zone and the deep ocean (import: deep ocean to transition zone; export: transition zone to deep ocean). These exchanges compare well with mean wind-induced transports and actual geostrophic cross-shore transport estimates. The region is divided into three areas: southern (18–21°N), central (21–23.5°N), and northern (23.5–26°N). In the northern area geostrophic import is roughly compensated with wind-induced export during both seasons. In the central area geostrophic import is greater than wind-induced export during spring, resulting in net import of both water (0.8 Sv) and nitrate (14 kmol s⁻¹), but during fall both factors again roughly cancel. In the southern area geostrophy and wind join to export water and nutrients during both seasons, they increase from 0.6 Sv and 3 kmol s⁻¹ during fall to 2.9 Sv and 53 kmol s⁻¹ during spring.     

Radon as an indicator of limited cross-shelf mixing of submarine groundwater discharge along an open ocean beach in the South Atlantic Bight during observed hypoxia

Hypoxic conditions (dissolved oxygen (DO)<2 mg l⁻¹) have been documented in the nearshore coastal waters of Long Bay, South Carolina, United States of America, during summer months over the past several years. Hypoxia was documented in August 2009 in the nearshore (<500 m offshore) for ten consecutive days and four days in September 2009 corresponding with spring tides. This study measured radon activities of shallow beachface groundwater and nearshore bottom waters to estimate mixing rates and submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) in the nearshore waters of central Long Bay. Statistical analyses demonstrate significant correlations between high bottom water radon activities, low DO, and cooler bottom water temperatures during hypoxic conditions. Elevated radon activities during hypoxia were significantly influenced by upwelling favorable conditions which severely limited cross-shelf mixing. Model results indicate mixing of nearshore and offshore waters was limited by up to 93% (range: 43-100%) relative to non-hypoxic conditions. Data suggests previously overlooked natural phenomena including limited cross-shelf mixing and SGD can significantly influence nearshore water quality.     

Numerical modeling of a long-term in situ chemical osmosis experiment in the Pierre Shale,South Dakota

We have numerically modeled evolving fluid pressures and concentrations from a nine-year in situ osmosis experiment in the Pierre Shale, South Dakota. These data were obtained and recently interpreted by one of us (C.E.N.) as indicating a potentially significant role for chemical osmosis in media like the Pierre Shale. That analysis considered only the final pressure differentials among boreholes that were assumed to represent osmotic equilibrium. For this study, the system evolution was modeled using a recently developed transient model for membrane transport. The model simulates hydraulically and chemically driven fluid and solute transport. The results yield an estimate of the thickness of the water film between the clay platelets b of 40 Å, which corresponds to an osmotic efficiency σ of 0.21 for the ambient pore water salinity of 3.5 g/l TDS. These values largely confirm the results of the earlier equilibrium analysis. However, the new model analysis provides additional constraints suggesting that intrinsic permeability k = 1.4 × 10⁻¹⁹ m², specific storage S_s = 1.7 × 10⁻⁵ m⁻¹, and diffusion coefficient D* = 6 × 10⁻¹¹ m²/s. The k value is larger than certain independent estimates which range from 10⁻²¹ to 10⁻²⁰; it may indicate opening of microcracks during the experiments. The fact that the complex transient pressure and concentration behavior for the individual wells could be reproduced quite accurately, and the inferred parameter values appear to be realistic for the Pierre Shale, suggests that the new model is a useful tool for modeling transient coupled flows in groundwater systems.     

Evaluation of heavy metals and arsenic speciation discharged by the industrial activity on the Tinto-Odiel estuary, SW Spain

This study reports the annual amount of heavy metals discharged by industrial activity into the estuary of the Ría of Huelva (SW Spain). The findings showed that the discharged metals found in highest amounts were Fe (11 t y⁻¹), Zn (3.4 t y⁻¹) and Mo (0.88 t y⁻¹). There were other metals with high pollutant charge, such as Ti (232 kg y⁻¹), As (228 kg y⁻¹), Ni (195 kg y⁻¹), Pb (100 kg y⁻¹), Cr (39 kg y⁻¹) and Cd (33 kg y⁻¹). These results were compared with pollutants transported via the Tinto and Odiel rivers from abandoned mining activities in the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB), and it was deduced that the amounts spilled exclusively by industries were less than 1% in relation to the total discharge. Hence, the treatment of residues from the IPB should be the priority goal to improve water quality in the estuary.     

Diel variation of dissolved organic carbon during large flow events in a lowland river

Diel variation in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) within lotic systems has been reported on numerous occasions. However, to our knowledge there has been no published work on diel DOC variation within lowland rivers during high flow events. We sampled DOC at 4 h intervals from two sites across two distinct flow regimes in the regulated lower Namoi River, Australia. This included a large flood (mean flow 224 m³ s⁻¹ and a peak flow of 376 m³ s⁻¹) sampled every 4 h for 10 consecutive days. DOC concentrations were significantly greater at night than during the day (P < 0.05) and the mean DOC concentration was 23.4 mg L⁻¹ at night compared to 18.9 mg L⁻¹ during daylight hours. The magnitude and duration of flow within this lowland river system and the mobilisation of large quantities of allochthonous carbon appeared to play a role in increasing DOC concentration and the diel difference.     

Pelagic production and respiration in the Gulf of Papua during May 2004

The metabolic balance between production and respiration in plankton communities of the Gulf of Papua was investigated in May 2004. Water samples taken at 19 stations were allocated to groups on the basis of physico-chemical characteristics. Oxygen consumption and production in flasks incubated in the dark and in the light was determined by micro-Winkler titration. Dark bottle respiration in samples influenced by the estuarine plume averaged 3.09±1.92 (SD) mmol O₂ m⁻³ d⁻¹ and production within surface light bottles averaged 7.63±3.36 (SD)  mmol O₂ m⁻³ d⁻¹. Corresponding values in stations more typical of the central Gulf of Papua were 1.68±1.30 (SD) mmol O₂ m⁻³ d⁻¹ and 1.08±2.25 (SD) mmol O₂ m⁻³ d⁻¹. Despite a shallow (<10 m) euphotic zone within the plume stations, phytoplankton production in the surface layers was sufficiently high to subsidise total water column respiration. Integrating production and respiration over the water column resulted in a calculation of net community production (NCP) of 626±504 (SD) mg C m⁻² d⁻¹, and community respiration (CR) of 712±492 mg C m⁻² d⁻¹ at the plume stations, with an average P:R ratio of 1.97. In the offshore group NCP was 157±450 (SD) mg C m⁻² d⁻¹ and CR was 1620±1576 mg C m⁻² d⁻¹. The average P:R ratio was 1.27. Three of the 7 stations allocated to the offshore group were net heterotrophic. In contrast to earlier studies in the area indicating that the Gulf of Papua waters is heterotrophic [Robertson, A.I., Dixon, P., Alongi, D.M., 1998. The influence of fluvial discharge on pelagic production in the Gulf of Papua, Northern Coral Sea. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 46, 319–331], our data indicate that in May 2004 the Gulf was in positive metabolic balance, but by only ∼120 mg C m⁻² d⁻¹. We conclude that waters of the Gulf of Papua under riverine influence are net autotrophic, but that within the central Gulf there is a fine metabolic balance alternating between autotrophy and heterotrophy.     

Effect of parental hypoxic exposure on embryonic development of the offspring of two serpulid polychaetes: Implication for transgenerational epigenetic effect

Sperm production and motility, fecundity, and egg size, complexity and viability of serpulid polychaetes Hydroides elegans and Hydroides diramphus after 2-week treatment to hypoxia (2 mg O₂ l⁻¹) was compared with those under normoxia (6 mg O₂ l⁻¹). Despite reduced fecundity, the effect of parental hypoxic exposure on gamete quality was not discernible for both species. However, regardless of their subsequent dissolved oxygen environment, eggs spawned by H. elegans after hypoxic exposure were found to have lower fertilization success, slower embryonic development and a significantly higher yield of malformed embryos than those with a parental normoxic treatment. In contrast, neither fertilization success nor rate of embryonic development was affected for H. diramphus. The results implied that hypoxia was a potential stress reducing the recruitment of H. elegans through non-adaptive epigenetic effect, whereas H. diramphus was a more tolerant species to survive hypoxic events.     

Depth limit of littoral vegetation in a storage reservoir: A case study of Lipno Reservoir (Czech Republic)

Controlling factors for the occurrence of littoral macrophyte species were investigated in Lipno Reservoir (area: 46.5 km²; z_mean: 6.6 m; z_max: 22 m; water residence time: 0.6 yr), a dam impoundment with moderately fluctuating water level (amplitude up to 4 m) which is used for hydropower and downstream flow augmentation. The options of supporting littoral macrophyte growth for improving the reservoir's ecological potential were evaluated according to the European Water Framework Directive's definitions. Macrophytes were examined at 115 sites, each 50 m long, along the whole reservoir perimeter at regular 1 km intervals. Sites were surveyed for their phytocoenology, shore morphometry, pedological characteristics of substrate, transparency of water, and anthropogenic impacts. Most of the sites were characterised by a wide eulittoral zone with a tenuous cover of terrestrial hydrophilic, amphibious, and/or emergent macrophytes and a low proportion of silt, clay, and organic fractions in the substrate. Infralittoral submerged and floating-leaved macrophytes were restricted to a few sites within the mouths of the main and side tributaries where transparency was maintained by clear inflow water independent of reservoir pool fluctuations. Water transparency was low (1-2 m) compared to annual changes of water level (2 to >3 m). Multivariate statistical analysis (DCA, CCA) confirmed relationships between the occurrence of macrophyte species and morphological and substrate characteristics of the shore. Improvement of macrophyte cover and establishment of vital infralittoral zones requires improvements in water transparency and changes in reservoir operation, i.e., limiting the range of water level fluctuation to less than ca. 1 m.     

Trace elements in the sediments of a large Mediterranean marina (Port Camargue,France): Levels and contamination history

The study of trace elements (Cu, Zn, Pb, As, Hg) and butyltin concentrations in the sediments of Port Camargue enabled assessment of the levels and history of the contamination of the largest European marina linked with the use of antifouling paints. Surface sediments near the boat maintenance area were heavily contaminated with up to 1497 μg g⁻¹ of Cu, 475 μg g⁻¹ of Zn, 0.82 μg g⁻¹ of Hg, 94 μg g⁻¹ of Pb and over 10,000 ngSn g⁻¹ of tributyltin (TBT). High concentrations of Hg and TBT indicate ongoing sources of these elements despite the ban on their use as biocides in paints. Sediment cores provided records of contamination since 1969. The peak concentrations of As, Hg, Pb and TBT in the sediment profile reflect their presence on boat hulls when the marina was built at the end of the 1960s. Degradation of TBT in the sediments near the boat maintenance area is slow compared to other less contaminated area of the marina.     

A case study of airborne and satellite remote sensing of a spring bloom event in the Gulf of Finland

The concentrations of chlorophyll-a (chl-a), total suspended solids (TSS) and the absorption coefficient of colored dissolved organic matter (a_CDOM(400)) are estimated in Case II waters using medium resolution imaging spectrometer (MERIS) satellite (full resolution [FR] level 1b, 300 m resolution) and AISA airborne spectrometer data acquired during a spring bloom in the Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea on April 27, 2004. The accuracy of the estimation is analyzed using empirical band-ratio algorithms together with in situ observations that include water samples analyzed in a laboratory (variation ranges: 22–130 μg/l, 2.9–20 mg/l, and 1.29–2.61 m⁻¹ for chl-a, TSS and a_CDOM(400), respectively). Additional in situ estimates (transects) on these characteristics are available through absorption and scattering coefficients measured with an ac-9 absorption and attenuation meter installed in a flow-through system. The retrieval accuracy (R²) of all three water quality characteristics with MERIS data is close to or above 0.9, while the RMSE is 7.8 μg/l (22%), 0.74 mg/l (16%) and 0.08 m⁻¹ (5%), for chl-a, TSS and a_CDOM(400), respectively. The validity of the chl-a algorithm is tested using nine additional data points. The BIAS-error for these points is 5.2 μg/l and the RMSE is 10.6 μg/l. The effects of changes in the atmospheric characteristics on band-ratio algorithms in cases where no concurrent in situ reference data are available are analyzed using the MODerate spectral resolution atmospheric TRANSmittance algorithm and computer model (MODTRAN). The additional error due to these changes is estimated to be below 20% for the applied ratio algorithms. The water quality data available in the level 2 MERIS-product distributed by the European Space Agency did not include valid results for the date investigated here.     

Photocatalytic splitting of seawater effected by (Ni–ZnO)@C nanoreactors

Novel photocatalysts i.e., metallic nickel and zinc oxide nanoparticles embedded in the carbon-shell ((Ni–ZnO)@C) have been used for photocatalytic splitting of seawater to generate H₂. The (Ni–ZnO)@C core–shell nanoparticles having the Zn/Ni ratios of 0–3 were prepared by carbonization of Ni²⁺- and Zn²⁺-β-cyclodextrin at 673 K for 2 h. To increase the collision frequency of water and photoactive sites within the carbon-shell, Ni and ZnO are partially etched from the (Ni–ZnO)@C core–shell to form yolk–shell nanoparticles with a H₂SO₄ solution (2 N). By X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, mainly Ni and ZnO crystallites are observed in the core– and yolk–shell nanoparticles. The sizes of the Ni and ZnO in the (Ni–ZnO)@C nanoreactors are between 7 and 23 nm in diameters determined by TEM and small angel scattering spectroscopy. Under a 5-h UV–Vis light irradiation, 5.01 μmol/hg_cat of H₂ are yielded from photocatalytic splitting of seawater effected by (Ni–ZnO)@C nanoreactors.     

Nutrient availability in support of Karenia brevis blooms on the central West Florida Shelf: What keeps Karenia blooming?

Identifying nutrient sources, primarily nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), sufficient to support high biomass blooms of the red tide dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis, has remained problematic. The West Florida Shelf is oligotrophic, yet populations >10⁶ cells L⁻¹ frequently occur and blooms can persist for months. Here we examine the magnitude and variety of sources for N and P that are available to support blooms. Annual average in situ or background concentrations of inorganic N in the region where blooms occur range 0.02–0.2 μM while inorganic P ranges 0.025–0.24 μM. Such concentrations would be sufficient to support the growth of populations up to ∼3×10⁴ cells L⁻¹ with at least a 1 d turnover rate. Organic N concentrations average 1–2 orders of magnitude greater than inorganic N, 8–14 μM while organic P concentrations average 0.2–0.5 μM. Concentrations of organic N are sufficient to support blooms >10⁵ cells L⁻¹ but the extent to which this complex mixture of N species is utilizable is unknown. Other sources of nutrients included in our analysis are aerial deposition, estuarine flux, benthic flux, zooplankton excretion, N₂-fixation, and subsequent release of organic and inorganic N by Trichodesmium spp., and release of N and P from dead and decaying fish killed by the blooms. Inputs based on atmospheric deposition, benthic flux, and N₂-fixation, were minor contributors to the flux required to support growth of populations >2.6×10⁴ cells L⁻¹. N and P from decaying fish could theoretically maintain populations at moderate concentrations but insufficient data on the flux and subsequent mixing rates does not allow us to calculate average values. Zooplankton excretion rates, based on measured zooplankton population estimates and excretion rates could also supply all of the N and P required to support populations of 10⁵ and 10⁶ cells L⁻¹, respectively, but excretion is considered as “regenerated” nutrient input and can only maintain biomass rather than contribute to “new” biomass. The combined estuarine flux from Tampa Bay, Charlotte Harbor, and the Caloosahatchee River can supply a varying, but at times significant level of N and P to meet growth and photosynthesis requirements for populations of approximately 10⁵ cells L⁻¹ or below. Estimates of remineralization of dead fish could supply a significant proportion of bloom maintenance requirements but the rate of supply must still be determined. Overall, a combination of sources is required to maintain populations >10⁶ cells L⁻¹.     

Variations in light absorption properties during a phytoplankton bloom in the Pearl River estuary

From 15 to 28 August in 2007, a Chaetoceros socialis bloom was detected in the Pearl River Estuary water with chlorophyll a concentration (Chl a) up to 30 mg m⁻³ and cell density up to 10⁶ cells L⁻¹. Time series of bio-optical measurements was obtained at a single site (114.29°E, 22.06°N) with the mooring of marine optical buoy. Light absorption properties of seawater experienced large variability throughout the algal bloom. Absorption by colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) was one of the dominant optical components of the light absorption (30–70%) especially for pre- and post-bloom waters, and it tended to decrease with Chl a during the algal bloom. Absorption by phytoplankton was another dominant optical component (18–50%) and increased rapidly with Chl a. Phytoplankton and accompanying material played dominant roles in light absorption as indicated by the relationship between absorption coefficient and Chl a. At high pigment concentrations, water samples showed significantly lower specific phytoplankton absorption, compared with pre- and post-bloom conditions, with the specific phytoplankton concentration at 443 nm varied between 0.011 and 0.022 m² mg⁻¹ and that at 676 nm between 0.007 and 0.018 m² mg⁻¹; small values of blue-to-red ratio of phytoplankton were also observed. These lower values were associated with variations in phytoplankton size structure. Spectral variability of phytoplankton absorption and total absorption (not including the fixed background absorption by pure water itself) could be expressed as simple linear functions linking absorption at one wavelength to the absorption at the other wavelengths, with the slope of the relationship changing with wavelength. The absorption coefficients by non-algal particles and CDOM follow the general exponential functions with remarkably limited variability in the exponent with means of 0.0105 and 0.0166 nm⁻¹, respectively. These spectral dependencies of absorption coefficients provide useful information for retrieving inherent optical properties from reflectance data in a remote-sensing context.     

Metal concentrations in sediments from tourist beaches of Miri City,Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo Island)

Forty-three sediment samples were collected from the beaches of Miri City, Sarawak, Malaysia to identify the enrichment of partially leached trace metals (PLTMs) from six different tourist beaches. The samples were analyzed for PLTMs Fe, Mn, Cr, Co, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sr and Zn. The concentration pattern suggest that the southern side of the study area is enriched with Fe (1821–6097 μg g⁻¹), Mn (11.57–90.22 μg g⁻¹), Cr (51.50–311 μg g⁻¹), Ni (18–51 μg g⁻¹), Pb (8.81–84.05 μg g⁻¹), Sr (25.95–140.49 μg g⁻¹) and Zn (12.46–35.04 μg g⁻¹). Compared to the eco-toxicological values, Cr > Effects range low (ERL), Lowest effect level (LEL), Severe effect level (SEL); Cu > Unpolluted sediments, ERL, LEL; Pb > Unpolluted sediments and Ni > ERL and LEL. Comparative results with other regions indicate that Co, Cr, Cu, Ni and Zn are higher, indicating an external input rather than natural process.