Vitamin B12 transudation from marine bottom muds

Transudation of vitamin B₁₂ from the surface layer of bottom muds in Maizuru Bay and in the Sea of Hiuchi was investigated in this report. The total counts of heterotrophs and bacteria producing vitamin B₁₂ in the bottom muds in these coastal regions were also examined. Results obtained were as follows:

1. In the marine bottom in these coastal regions, vitamin B₁₂ is continuously transuded from the surface layer of bottom muds to sea water. Accordingly, it is reasonably supposed that the surface layer of bottom muds, in which vitamin B₁₂ is produced and accumulated, is a source of provision of the vitamin in the coastal regions.
2. On an average, the quantity of transudation of vitamin B₁₂ from the surface layer of bottom muds to sea water is 2.6 μμg/cm²/hr and 5.2μμg/cm²/hr in Maizuru Bay and in the Sea of Hiuchi respectively.
3. In the surface layer of bottom muds in these coastal regions, the quantity of transudation of vitamin B₁₂ is correlated with the content of the vitamin and the counts of bacteria producing the vitamin.

     

Alkylbenzenesulfonate (ABS) in the bottom muds of the inner part of Tokyo Bay

The contents of alkylbenzenesulfonate (ABS) in the bottom sediments were analyzed for the inner part of Tokyo Bay and five inflowing rivers. Methylene blue active substances (MBAS) was extracted from the dired sample with methanol-benzene mixture.After the concentration of MBAS was determined by colorimetry, the ratio ABS/MBAS was estimated by an infrared spectrum of MBAS-MB complex. The net content of ABS was calculated from these two values.The ABS contents in the surface of the bottom sediments of the rivers and sea ranged 1.959g/g and 014.1g/g dry weight, respectively. The contents of ABS in the river sediments reflected the degree of pollution of each river by urban waste waters. From the results of the analysis of the core samples of sea sediment at two points containing ABS only in the upper layer, the average rate of sedimentation of the bottom muds in the inner part of Tokyo Bay since the usage of ABS began was estimated as 3 cm/year and 7 cm/year respectively.     

A numerical experiment of the M2 tide in the Yellow sea

Semi-diurnal tides in the Yellow Sea are calculated by integrating the shallow water wave equations with frictional and inertial terms.It is found that the results depend on the bottom friction. In the frictionless case the tidal range is unstably amplified because of the occurrence of resonance of the semi-diurnal tidal component in Inchon Bay. When the bottom friction is in the form of the square of velocity, the results agree fairly well with the observations.The following results are obtained. First, the tidal range is larger at the coast of the Korean Peninsula than at the China Coast. Second, resonance of the semi-diurnal tide occurs in Inchon Bay. Third, bottom friction is very important in the shallow ocean,i.e., when the bottom friction become large, the phase lag is retarded and the tidal range decreases.The amplitude and the phase lag calculated in this study agree well with the observations in the case of _b =_b ² V¦V¦, _b ²=0.0026, especially in the coast of the Korean Peninsula.     

Accumulation rate and heavy metal pollution in Osaka Bay sediments

The accumulation rates of sediment cores in Osaka Bay have been determined by using²¹⁰Pb dating technique. In the upper 10 cm²¹⁰Pb_ex contents show a constant value with depth. The accumulation rates below the homogeneous layer of sediments ranging from 0.12 to 0.61cm y^–1 (0.067–0.34 g cm^–2 y^–1) were obtained. The higher contents of Zn, Cu, Pb and Cr were observed in the upper 10 to 30 cm of sediments. Assuming that the increment of heavy metal content in sediments is due to anthropogenic origin, the amount of anthropogenic input of heavy metals into sediments were estimated to be 1,300–2,700g cm^–2 for Zn, 150 – 480 for Cu, 360 – 410 for Pb and 320 – 480 for Cr. The increment appears to start about 100 years ago. In surfical sediments most of heavy metal contents exceeded the background content, and then most part of Osaka Bay is polluted by heavy metals.     

Vertical distribution of heavy metals and its seasonal variations in Beppu Bay

From July to November, the thermocline which has strong temperature gradient (0.7C m^–1) is formed in the bottom water of Beppu Bay, and it prevents the downward mixing of surface water. This has caused the bottom water of the basin to become depleted in oxygen, and in November the bottom water below about 60 m depth becomes anoxic. Accordingly manganese and iron are reduced and more soluble under the anoxic condition, those concentrations are high relative to surface water, and the maximums are 1,240g l^–1 and 80g l^–1. Under the anoxic condition, the flux of dissolved manganese from the sediment is about 10g cm^–2 day^–1.     

Phosphorus in Bottom Sediments of Pomeranian Bay (Southern Baltic—Poland)

The paper presents the results of determination of inorganic and organic forms of phosphorus in bottom sediments of Pomeranian Bay. The sediments were collected in March and July of 1996. The following characteristics of the sediments were determined: organic matter content, forms of inorganic phosphorus: loosely adsorbed phosphorus and phosphorus bound to aluminium, calcium and iron, as well as total inorganic phosphorus. Pomeranian Bay is a shallow basin, with depth averaging between 12 and 15 m and sandy sediments prevailing. Smaller silt fractions occur only in the vicinity of the wina River estuary and in deeper northern regions of the Bay. Calcium-bound phosphorus is the dominant form of inorganic phosphorus in the Pomeranian Bay. Iron-bound phosphorus is the second most prevailing form, and aluminium-bound phosphorus the third. Loosely bound phosphorus was present in the lowest amounts. Total inorganic phosphorus in the Bay consisted of the four forms listed above, except in estuarine regions where an additional form of phosphorus occurred, most probably occluded phosphorus. High organic phosphorus concentrations were found at the wina River estuary and in the northern part of the Bay (Saßnitz Deep) corresponding to the higher organic matter content of these sediments. Sediments of Pomeranian Bay contained less phosphorus than those from the Gulf of Gda sk or Puck Bay and other parts of the Baltic Sea, suggesting that the amount of phosphorus in the sediments was determined by a number of inter-related factors, such as sediment type, amount of organic matter, the chemical composition of the sediment and oxygen content of near-bottom water.     

Methylmercury production in sediments of Chesapeake Bay and the mid-Atlantic continental margin

Methylmercury (MeHg) concentration and production rates were studied in bottom sediments along the mainstem of Chesapeake Bay and on the adjoining continental shelf and slope. Our objectives were to 1) observe spatial and temporal changes in total mercury (HgT) and MeHg concentrations in the mid-Atlantic coastal region, 2) investigate biogeochemical factors that affect MeHg production, and 3) examine the potential of these sediments as sources of MeHg to coastal and open waters. Estuarine, shelf and slope sediments contained on average 0.5 to 1.5% Hg as MeHg (% MeHg), which increased significantly with salinity across our study site, with weak seasonal trends. Methylation rate constants (k_meth), estimated using enriched stable mercury isotope spikes to intact cores, showed a similar, but weaker, salinity trend, but strong seasonality, and was highly correlated with % MeHg. Together, these patterns suggest that some fraction of MeHg is preserved thru seasons, as found by others [Orihel, D.M., Paterson, M.J., Blanchfield, P.J., Bodaly, R.A., Gilmour, C.C., Hintelmann, H., 2008. Temporal changes in the distribution, methylation, and bioaccumulation of newly deposited mercury in an aquatic ecosystem. Environmental Pollution 154, 77] Similar to other ecosystems, methylation was most favored in sediment depth horizons where sulfate was available, but sulfide concentrations were low (between 0.1 and 10 μM). MeHg production was maximal at the sediment surface in the organic sediments of the upper and mid Bay where oxygen penetration was small, but was found at increasingly deeper depths, and across a wider vertical range, as salinity increased, where oxygen penetration was deeper. Vertical trends in MeHg production mirrored the deeper, vertically expanded redox boundary layers in these offshore sediments. The organic content of the sediments had a strong impact on the sediment:water partitioning of Hg, and therefore, on methylation rates. However, the HgT distribution coefficient (K_D) normalized to organic matter varied by more than an order of magnitude across the study area, suggesting an important role of organic matter quality in Hg sequestration. We hypothesize that the lower sulfur content organic matter of shelf and slope sediments has a lower binding capacity for Hg resulting in higher MeHg production, relative to sediments in the estuary. Substantially higher MeHg concentrations in pore water relative to the water column indicate all sites are sources of MeHg to the water column throughout the seasons studied. Calculated diffusional fluxes for MeHg averaged  1 pmol m^− 2 day^− 1. It is likely that the total MeHg flux in sediments of the lower Bay and continental margin are significantly higher than their estimated diffusive fluxes due to enhanced MeHg mobilization by biological and/or physical processes. Our flux estimates across the full salinity gradient of Chesapeake Bay and its adjacent slope and shelf strongly suggest that the flux from coastal sediments is of the same order as other sources and contributes substantially to the coastal MeHg budget.     

Distribution of yttrium and rare earths in Florida Bay sediments

The distribution of yttrium and rare earth elements (YREEs) in surface sediments was measured on samples collected from 40 stations in Florida Bay (June 2000 and February 2001). Florida Bay is the largest shallow carbonate estuary in South Florida with nearly pristine conditions. It receives fresh waters from some rivers and several canals from the Everglades which contribute rare earth elements and metals to the Bay. This paper is the first extensive study of YREEs in Florida Bay. Concentrations of YREEs (Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu) were determined by ICP-MS. The YREEs show a similar distribution pattern for the two months studied. The maximum concentrations were found in the western and north-central zones (near the Everglades) and the minimum concentrations were found in the south-central zone near the Florida Keys. The pattern of YREEs in Florida Bay sediments correlated strongly with those in the North American Shale Composite, indicating a dominant crustal source for these elements. However, the REE concentrations in Florida Bay sediments are depleted with respect to NASC. All REEs exhibited a strong correlation with Fe and Al from continental input and river runoff from the Everglades. The heavy REEs and Y showed a strong correlation with Al (R² > 0.84). The light and medium REEs showed a strong correlation with Fe (R² > 0.9). Correlations of all the YREEs with Mn were slightly lower (R²  0.7–0.75). The concentration of all the YREEs, Al and Fe are dependent on the bottom types and zones in the Bay, except Mn which decreases as it moves from the land to the sea.     

The distribution of suspended particles in the Southern Beaufort Sea

The Mackenzie River estuary serves as an avenue for suspended particles to pass seaward. The horizontal distribution of surface suspended particles is compartible with the distribution of low-salinity surface waters. The water structure in the shelf area is highly stratified in summer due to a thin upper layer of low-salinity which has a high concentration of suspended particles. The concentration of suspended particles decreases with depth, but near the bottom a turbid layer had often been observed. It is likely that bottom current energy high enough to erode and maintain in suspension the bottom sediments below 15m in diameter does occur over this shelf area.     

Formation of the vertical salinity profile in the Black Sea

The vertical distribution of salts brought by the Bosphorus undercurrent is numerically evaluated. By multiplying the average vertical salinity gradient by the diffusion coefficient,K _z , and the cross-section of the sea at the appropriate depth, we can determine the total vertical salt flux,Q(z). The derivative ofQ with respect toz depicts the salt source intensity distribution over depth. The highest intensity, Q/z, matches the 200 m depth level, i.e. the shelf edge. Below 1500 m, Q/z equals merely 0.1% of the value observed at a depth of 200 m. Above 37 m, salts are noted to sink, which corresponds to their outflow with the Bosphorus current. The distribution of Q/z and the respective values of mineral phosphorus and hydrogen sulphide are matched up.Translated by Vladimir A. Puchkin.     

Vertical mixing in the bottom mixed layer near the continental shelf break in the East China Sea

The strength of the vertical mixing in the bottom mixed layer near the continental shelf break in the East China Sea was directly measured with the Micro-Scale Profiler (MSP). It has been shown that there is no significant statistical relation between the turbulent energy dissipation and the degree of the stratificationN ². It seems that the vigorous turbulence occurs not constantly but intermittently in the bottom mixed layer so that a large variation of is found depending on the time. In contrast to , the coefficient of the vertical eddy diffusivityK _z is mostly determined byN such thatK _z is large in the bottom mixed layer and small in the thermocline. Large value ofK _z in the bottom mixed layer is also found in the time series ofK _z estimated in terms of Richardson number calculated from the data obtained with electromagnetic current meters. The value ofK _z more than 10 cm²s^–1 frequently occur in the layer of 20–25 m thick just above the bottom.     

Algal Growth Potential and the limiting nutrient in Mikawa Bay

The Algal Growth Potential (AGP) of water samples collected off Gamagori in Mikawa Bay was measured from May 1978 through February 1979, and the limiting nutrient was determined using regression analysis and enrichment bioassays. The surface and bottom water samples had AGP that produced increments of chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 2.1 mg l^–1 and 3.1 mg l^–1, respectively, on average. These values ofCOD correspond to 46% and 97% of the average COD values of the raw water samples at the surface and bottom, respectively. Seasonal changes of AGP showed a close correlation with those of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) concentration. Enrichment bioassays showed that DIN was the most deficient nutrient. The DIN:phosphate-phosphorus (PO₄ ^3–-P) ratios and DIN: dissolved phosphorus (DP) ratios in the water samples were below the cellular N:P ratios of the natural algal populations. These results suggest that AGP was mainly limited by DIN concentration.     

Zonation and species diversity of smaller macrobenthos in the westernmost part of Wakasa Bay (the Sea of Tango)

Grab samples of the smaller macrobenthos (>1 mm, <1g wet weight) were obtained seasonally at fourteen stations along two transects in the shallow coastal waters of the westernmost part of Wakasa Bay. According to Morisita's similarity index (C _i , two faunal groups were recognized to be present throughout the year. The boundary between them was found to lie between depths of 10 and 20 m where the silt-clay fraction increased abruptly in the sediment, although the boundary was less obvious in summer. Statistics on community structure (species diversity, species richness, and evenness) also showed marked differences between the two assemblages. The change in faunal features was found to be roughly parallel to changes in sediment characteristics. On the nearshore sandy bottom, the influence of wave action is considered to be the major factor affecting the fauna as it results in a decrease in evenness and species richness. On the other hand, on the offshore muddy bottom, stagnant conditions cause the benthic fauna to decrease in density and to bear some resemblance to those of enclosed bays. The highest species diversity was found on the silty sand bottom (20 m deep). This can be understood as an edge effect of an ecotone.     

Effect of seasonal changes in bottom water oxygenation on sediment N oxides and N2O cycling in the coastal upwelling regime off central Chile (36.5°S)

An intensive and seasonal coastal upwelling process, which attains maximal expression during late austral spring and summer, drives well-known changes in organic matter production and, therefore, in O₂ content in the water column. These variables have a concomitant effect on N sediment processes over the continental shelf off central Chile (36.5°S), which, in turn, can affect the , , and N₂O content in the bottom water. Hydrographic characteristics, benthic and fluxes, and denitrification rates were measured from 1998 to 2001 (with at least seasonal frequency). In order to elucidate how benthic N₂O recycling responds to different O₂ and nutrient levels and how it affects the bottom water N₂O content, net N₂O cycling was measured in December 2001 in sediment slurry incubations under different manipulated dissolved O₂ levels (anoxic: 0 μM; hypoxic: 22.3 μM; oxic: 44.6 μM) and without (natural) and with the addition of and (enriched experiments). Dissolved O₂ and contents (and also ) showed clear seasonal patterns according to the oceanographic regime, i.e., from hypoxic waters rich in nutrients during the upwelling season to oxic waters with less nutrient contents during the non-upwelling season. The bottom water, on the other hand, was influenced by benthic organic mineralization, which consumes O₂ as well as other electron acceptor N-species such as . Benthic fluxes (2.62-5.08 mmol m⁻² d⁻¹) were always directed into the sediments, whereas denitrification rates varied from 0.6 to 2.9 mmol m⁻² d⁻¹. N₂O was also consumed at rates of 5.53 and 4.56 μmol m⁻² d⁻¹ under anoxia and hypoxia, but N₂O consumption rates were reduced to almost half under oxic conditions in both natural and a -enriched experiments. With the -enriched experiments, however, N₂O consumption was very high (up to 24.25 μmol m⁻² d⁻¹) under anoxic and hypoxic conditions, suggesting that high levels induce more N₂O reduction to N₂ by denitrification. N₂O production rates were only measured when oxic conditions were observed in the -enriched experiment, suggesting some role of nitrification. Thus, N cycling in the sediments seems to affect the observed , NO²⁻, and N₂O content in the bottom water and, therefore, in the entire water column due to vertical advection associated with coastal upwelling.     

On the relation between the growth rate of water waves and wind speed

Various wind velocitiesu _*,U _/2,U andU ₁₀ are correlated to the measured growth rate of water waves , whereu _* is the friction velocity of the wind, andU _/2,U andU ₁₀ are the wind speeds respectively at the heights /2, and 10m above sea surface (: wave length). It is shown that within a range of the dimensionless wind speed, 0.1<u _* /C<0.6, there are no appreciable differences in the correlations, whereC is the phase velocity of water waves. The present relation between andU shows qualitatively similar properties as the one obtained by Al'Zanaidi and Hui (1984); the growth rate for waves with rough surface is larger than that with smooth surface. However, our present relations give, for the both waves with different surface roughness, larger values by factors 1.71.8 than those given by Al'Zanaidi and Hui's relation.     

Benthic boundary layer processes in coastal environments: An introduction

This special issue ofGeo-Marine Letters Benthic Boundary Layer Processes in Coastal Environments includes 20 papers devoted to results of recent near-shore experiments supported by the Coastal Benthic Boundary Layer (CBBL) program. Experiments were conducted in gas-rich muddy sediments of Eckernförde Bay of the Baltic Sea and on relict sandy sediments of the West Florida Sand Sheet. In this introductory paper we present scientific justification for experiments and summarize preliminary results.     

The organic carbon in the water,the particulate matter,and the upper layer of the bottom sediments of the west Kara Sea

In three sections in the Kara Sea, the contents of the dissolved and particulate organic carbon (the DOC and POC, respectively), as well as of the organic carbon of the bottom sediments (C_org) were determined. The contents of varied from 6.3 to 2400 μg/l for the DOC and from 0.84 to 12.2 mg of C/l for the POC. The average concentrations for all the samples tested amounted to 200 μg/l for the DOC (n = 78, σ = 368) and 2.7 mg/l for the POC (n = 92, σ = 2.7). The concentrations of Corg in the samples of the upper layer of the bottom sediments of the area treated varied from 0.13 to 2.10% of the dry substance at an average value of 0.9% (n = 21, σ= 0.49%). It is shown that the distribution of the different forms of organic matter (OM) is an indicator of the supply and spreading of the particulate matter in the Kara Sea and that the DOC and POC of the Kara Sea are formed under the impact of the runoff of the Ob and Yenisei river waters. It is found that the distribution of the OM of the bottom sediments in the surveyed area of the Kara Sea is closely related to their grain-size composition and to the structure of the currents in the area studied. The variations in the Corg content in the bottom sediment cores from the zone of riverine and marine water mixing represent the variability of the OM burial.     

The evolution of isolated vortices interacted with steep slope

Numerical solutions are examined for isolated, intense vortices as influenced by western bounding bottom topography through the use of a rigid-lid, two-layer primitive -plane numerical model. Systematic studies are made of the sense of rotation (cyclonic/anticyclonic), the consequence of varying the gradient of bottom slope, and the different vertical shear in a two layer ocean. In the basin with a bottom slope, the nearly barotropic anticyclonic vortex forms a modon-like vortex for S with fixedRo ₂<O(1) (where is the ratio between the variation of the Coriolis parameter across the eddy to the Coriolis parameter in the center, S the topographic effect and,Ro ₂ the Rossby number in the lower layer) and its generation is due to a compound effect of the planetary beta, topographic beta, avvection, and mirror image. The formation of the modon-like vortex and the propagation of the original vortex onto the bottom slope depends on the strength of slope gradient and the baroclinicity of the vortex. The nearly barotropic anticyclonic vortex evolves into the stronger upper ocean one with increasing S: the gradient of the bottom slope becomes steeper. Then the original vortex lives longer because the barotropic component of the energy is converted to the baroclinic one and it moves toward southeast in forming a modon-like vortex in the lower layer. The evolution of a vortex in the model results are compared to observational results of a Kuroshio warm core ring (KWCR) obtained from hydrographic data (June, 1985) and from NOAA satellite infrared images (April, 1985 to July, 1985). It is shown that a KWCR (June, 1985) is influenced by the western continental slope/shelf of the East Japan.     

Effects of temperature and chlorinity on the microdistribution ofFavella taraikaensis Hada (Ciliata) in Maizuru Bay

Continuous sampling of the plankton with a pump sampler was carried out along a 960 m straight-line course in Maizuru Bay. The 25 collections of plankton were successively obtained at a depth of 1.5 m along the course, each of the collections covering a horizontal distance of 38 m. Vertical samplings of the plankton were done at five different depths (90, 120, 150, 180 and 210 cm) at 13 stations along the course. In both kinds of samplings temperature and chlorinity were measured.In the horizontal distribution ofF. taraikaensis, it was demonstrated that the counts of plankton had no correlation with the temperature and chlorinityin situ. There was a correlation between the counts and the differences of temperature and chlorinity between two successive sampling stations. It seemed thatF. taraikaensis was most abundant in the locations where the temperature difference was greater than +0.2C and the chlorinity difference was greater than +0.04 . This species was more abundant around the steep thermocline and the steep halocline. When the vertical profiles of temperature and chlorinity did not show steep gradients, this species was more abundant near the surface.     

Occurrence of coprostanol, 24-ethylcoprostanol and 5α-stanols in the marine sediments

The present study deals with the elucidation of sterol composition of the marine sediments in Kagoshima Bay. The identification of each sterol was performed by gas-liquid chromatography, Ag⁺ impregnated column chromatography, mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry. The sediment obtained near the estuary of River Koutsuki contained large portions of 5-stanols such as coprostanol and 24-ethylcoprostanol basides 5-stanols such as cholestanol, 24-methylcholestanol, and 24-ethylcholestanol in the sterol fraction. These 5-stanols in the marine sediment may be derived from the fecal contamination by domestic sewages.