西北冰洋表层沉积物黏土矿物分布特征及物质来源

西北冰洋表层沉积物黏土矿物分析结果显示其黏土矿物组成的区域分布和变化具有明显的规律性:从楚科奇海到北冰洋深水区,随着水深的增加,蒙皂石和高岭石含量增高,绿泥石和伊利石含量降低。自西往东,伊利石结晶度值降低,化学指数升高。根据Q型聚类分析获得的黏土矿物组合特征,结合周缘陆地的地质背景、河流及洋流情况,对研究区进行了黏土矿物组合分区,讨论了其黏土矿物来源。楚科奇海表层沉积物黏土矿物组合在靠近阿拉斯加一侧海域以Ⅰ类为主,靠东西伯利亚海一侧主要有Ⅱ类、Ⅲ类和Ⅳ类,中部主要为Ⅵ类,主要是西伯利亚和阿拉斯加的火山岩、变质岩以及一些含高岭石的沉积物以及古土壤等,经风化、河流搬运入海,在北太平洋的3股洋流及西伯利亚沿岸流的作用下沉积形成的。西北冰洋深水区表层沉积物的黏土矿物组合以Ⅰ类和Ⅴ类为主,表明其沉积物来源为欧亚陆架和加拿大北极群岛周缘海域的海冰沉积和大西洋水体的搬运以及加拿大马更些河的河流物质输入。     

Nannoplankton of the Atlantic Ocean from sediment trap samples

Calcareous nannoplankton from sediment trap samples collected at six sites in the Atlantic Ocean from 23° S to 73° N (cruise 20 of R/V Vityaz’ and cruise 33 and 34 of R/V Akademik Mstislav Keldysh). Those samples were studied with a scanning electron microscope. In the coastal and open-sea regions of the North and South Atlantic and in the subarctic region of the Norwegian Sea, the conditions are significantly different. In the shelf area of the Benguela upwelling, 11 species were recognized; some of them were agglutinated by diatoms and tintinnides or covered the surface of pellets. The Broken Spur and TAG pelagic areas of the North Atlantic contained up to 43 coccolith species. They included holococcoliths, large pelagic, and delicate easily soluble species distributed over the entire water column. The presence of coccoliths in the high-latitude area of the Norwegian Sea is related to their supply with the warmer North Atlantic waters. These assemblages are distinguished by a low species diversity and an enhancement of the coccolith solubility with the depth increase.     

Ecological aspects of fin whale and humpback whale distribution during summer in the Norwegian Sea

The Norwegian Sea is a migration and feeding ground for fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) and humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in summer. During the last decade, significant structural changes in the prey community, including northerly expansion and movement in the distribution of pelagic fish species, have been reported from this ecosystem. However, little information on whale feeding ecology exists in the Norwegian Sea and surrounding waters. A total of 59 fin whales and 48 humpback whales were sighted during 864 h of observation over an observation distance of about 8200 nmi (15,200 km) in the Norwegian Sea from 15 July to 6 August 2006 and 2007. The fin whale group size, as mean (±SD), varied between one and five individuals (2.1 ± 1.2 ind.) and humpback whale group size varied between one and six individuals (2.5 ± 1.7 ind.). Fin‐ and humpback whales were observed mainly in the northern part of the study area, and were only found correlated with the presence of macro‐zooplankton in cold Arctic water. Humpback whales were not correlated with the occurrence of adult Norwegian spring‐spawning herring (Clupea harengus) except for the northernmost areas. Despite changes in the whale prey communities in the Norwegian Sea, no apparent changes in fin‐ or humpback whale distribution pattern could be found in our study compared to their observed summer distribution 10–15 years ago.     

我国东南近岸海域表层沉积硅藻组合

对采自我国东南近岸海域18个站位78个表层沉积样品进行了硅藻鉴定分析,根据硅藻优势种和次优势种的分布特征,划分出3个组合和两个亚组合,其较好地对应分布于南海、台湾海峡和东海等3个近岸海域。统计数据表明,近岸海域表层沉积硅藻的分布受大陆入海径流的影响微乎其微,随着水深的增加,我国东南近岸海域海洋初级生产力减小,底栖种、潮间带种减少而浮游种增加;组合Ⅰ的分布表明南海东北部海域明显受黑潮流等外洋水团的影响,可应用组合Ⅱ1和组合Ⅱ2中优势种和特征种硅藻来指示水深,两亚组合面貌的差异是对冬夏两季海峡两侧受不同性质海流控制的响应;组合Ⅲ受沿岸流控制比较明显,而遭受黑潮等外洋水团的影响很弱。     

Hydrochemical structure of the waters in the eastern part of the Laptev Sea in autumn 2015

The study of the Laptev Sea was a part of a comprehensive program for investigating Arctic seas during the cruise 63 of the R/V Akademik Mstislav Keldysh. On a transect along 130° E (September 8–14, 2015) from the estuary area of the Lena River on the traverse of the city of Tiksi to the continental slope (over 700 km), water samples were taken to study the hydrochemical structure of waters and the influence of the Lena River flow. From the obtained data, it was found that the effect of fresh water on the sea surface layer was very high and can be traced to a great distance from the river delta. An unconservative distribution of some hydrochemical parameters in the mixing zone was recorded. The concentration of nutrients in the surface layer, and a high turbidity can serve as limiting factors in the development of the phytoplankton community.     

Upper layer cooling and freshening in the Norwegian Sea in relation to atmospheric forcing

Several time series in the Norwegian Sea indicate an upper layer decrease in temperature and salinity since the 1960s. Time series from Weather Station “M”, from Russian surveys in the Norwegian Sea, from Icelandic standard sections, and from Scottish and Faroese observations in the Faroe–Shetland area have similar trends and show that most of the Norwegian Sea is affected. The reason is mainly increased freshwater supply from the East Icelandic Current. As a result, temperature and salinity in some of the time series were lower in 1996 than during the Great Salinity Anomaly in the 1970s. There is evidence of strong wind forcing, as the NAO winter index is highly correlated with the lateral extent of the Norwegian Atlantic Current. Circulation of Atlantic water into the western Norwegian and Greenland basins seems to be reduced while circulation of upper layer Arctic and Polar water into the Norwegian Sea has increased. The water-mass structure is further affected in a much wider sense by reduced deep-water formation and enhanced formation of Arctic intermediate waters. A temperature rise in the narrowing Norwegian Atlantic Current is strongest in the north.     

Ventilation time and anthropogenic CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> in the Bering Sea and the Arctic Ocean based on carbon tetrachloride measurements

The Arctic Ocean is connected to the Pacific by the Bering Sea and the Bering Strait. During the 4th Chinese National Arctic Research Expedition, measurements of carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) were used to estimate ventilation time-scales and anthropogenic CO₂ (C_ant) concentrations in the Arctic Ocean and Bering Sea based on the transit time distribution method. The profile distribution showed that there was a high-CCl₄ tongue entering through the Canada Basin in the intermediate layer (27.6?<?σ_θ?<?28), at latitudes between 78 and 85°N, which may be related to the inflow of Atlantic water. Between stations B09 and B10, upwelling appeared to occur near the continental slope in the Bering Sea. The ventilation time scales (mean ages) for deep and bottom water in the Arctic Ocean (~?230–380 years) were shorter than in the Bering Sea (~?430–970 years). Higher mean ages show that ventilation processes are weaker in the intermediate water of the Bering Sea than in the Arctic Ocean. The mean C_ant column inventory in the upper 4000 m was higher (60–82 mol m^?2) in the Arctic Ocean compared to the Bering Sea (35–48 mol m^?2).     

Oligocene to Lower Pliocene deposits of the Norwegian continental shelf,Norwegian Sea,Svalbard, Denmark and their relation to the uplift of Fennoscandia: A synthesis

This study provides the results of the first integrated study of Oligocene–Pliocene basins around Norway.Within the study area, three main depocentres have been identified where sandy sediments accumulated throughout the Oligocene to Early Pliocene period. The depocentre in the Norwegian–Danish Basin received sediments from the southern Scandes Mountains, with a general progradation from north to south during the studied period. The depocentre in the basinal areas of the UK and Norwegian sectors of the North Sea north of 58°N received sediments from the Scotland–Shetland area. Because of the sedimentary infilling there was a gradual shallowing of the northern North Sea basin in the Oligocene and Miocene. A smaller depocentre is identified offshore northern Nordland between Ranafjorden (approximately 66°N) and Vesterålen (approximately 68°N) where the northern Scandes Mountains were the source of the Oligocene to Early Pliocene sediments. In other local depocentres along the west coast of Norway, sandy sedimentation occurred in only parts of the period. Shifts in local depocentres are indicative of changes in the paleogeography in the source areas.In the Barents Sea and south to approximately 68°N, the Oligocene to Early Pliocene section is eroded except for distal fine-grained and biogenic deposits along the western margin and on the oceanic crust. This margin was undergoing deformation in a strike-slip regime until the Eocene–Oligocene transition. The Early Oligocene sediments dated in the Vestbakken Volcanic Province and the Forlandssundet Basin represent the termination of this strike-slip regime.The change in the plate tectonic regime at the Eocene–Oligocene transition affected mainly the northern part of the study area, and was followed by a quiet tectonic period until the Middle Miocene, when large compressional dome and basin structures were formed in the Norwegian Sea. The Middle Miocene event is correlated with a relative fall in sea level in the main depocentres in the North Sea, formation of a large delta in the Viking Graben (Frigg area) and uplift of the North and South Scandes domes. In the Norwegian–Danish Basin, the Sorgenfrei-Tornquist Zone was reactivated in the Early Miocene, possibly causing a shift in the deltaic progradation towards the east. A Late Pliocene relative rise in sea level resulted in low sedimentation rates in the main depositional areas until the onset of glaciations at about 2.7 Ma when the Scandes Mountains were strongly eroded and became a major source of sediments for the Norwegian shelf, whilst the Frigg delta prograded farther to the northeast.     

Dinoflagellate cysts in the surface sediments of the White Sea

Dinoflagellate cysts were studied in 42 samples from the surface sediments of the White Sea. The total concentration of dinocysts varies from single cysts to 25 000 cyst/g of dry sediments, which reflects the biological productivity in the White Sea waters and the regional particular features of the sedimentation processes. The highest concentrations are observed in silts; they are related to the regions of propagation of the highly productive Barents Sea waters in the White Sea. Generally, the spatial distribution of dinocysts species in the surface sediments corresponds to the distribution of the major types of water masses in the White Sea. The cysts of the relatively warm-water species (Operculodinium centrocarpum, Spiniferites sp.) of North Atlantic origin that dominate in the sediments indicate an intensive intrusion of the Barents Sea water masses to the White Sea along with hydrological dwelling conditions in the White Sea favorable for the development of these species during their vegetation period. The cold-water dinocyst assemblage (Islandinium minutum, Polykrikos sp.) is rather strictly confined to the inner parts of shallow-water bays, firstly, those adjacent to the Onega and Severnaya Dvina river mouths.     

On the relationship between dense water formation and the “Meridional Overturning Cell” in the North Atlantic Ocean

We analyze the three-dimensional structure of the Meridional Overturning Cell (MOC) in a numerical model of the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. The MOC is found to consist of several downward branches: some associated with dense water formation driven by surface buoyancy forcing (Labrador Sea, northern Norwegian Sea and Barents Sea), and some associated with interior mixing processes in the model (most notably entrainment of thermocline waters into the dense overflows at the Greenland–Scotland Ridge). Two experiments with altered surface buoyancy conditions are performed, both resulting in a change in the dense water formation rate in the Labrador Sea. A change of the same sign is observed in the strength of the MOC (and thus in the meridional heat flux); however, the change is less (20–50%) than would be expected from the change in the dense water formation rate. The MOC and the rate of dense water formation at higher latitudes seem not to be tightly linked on the decadal time scale. Instead, significant changes in the volume of water masses may take place. Taking this phenomenon into account may improve the interpretation of the chain of events that constitutes a climate oscillation, whether it be observed in models or in nature.     

白令海大型底栖动物群落结构及其空间分布格局

Due to its unique geological location, the Bering Sea is an ideal place to investigate the water exchange and ecosystem connectivity of the Pacific Ocean–Arctic Ocean and subarctic–Arctic region. Based on a number of summer surveys(July to September, 2010, 2012 and 2014), macrobenthic communities and their spatial-temporal patterns are exhibited for the majority of the Bering Sea(53°59′–64°36′N). The results show that the macrobenthic communities were dominated by northern cold-water species and immigrant eurythermic species, and the communities assumed a dispersed and patchy distribution pattern. Polychaetes(Scoloplos armiger), crustaceans(Ceradocus capensis) and sea urchins(Echinarachnius parma) were the main dominant groups in the shallow shelves; the sea star(Ctenodiscus crispatus) and the brittle star(Ophiura sarsii) were the main dominant groups in the continental slope; whereas small polychaetes(Prionospio malmgreni) dominated the basin area. Sediment type, water depth, and currents were the major factors affecting the structure and spatial distribution of the macrobenthic communities. Compared with other seas, the shallow areas of the Bering Sea showed an extremely high-standing biomass. In particular, the northern shelf area(north of St. Lawrence Islands and west of 170°W),which is primarily controlled by Anadyr Water, is an undersea oasis. In contrast, a deficiency in the downward transport of particulate organic carbon has resulted in a desert-like seabed in the basin area. By comparing our results to previous studies, we found that macrobenthic communities of the Bering Sea have undergone significant structural changes in recent decades, resulting in a decrease in abundance and an increase in biomass.In addition, populations of amphipods and bivalves in the northern shelves have decreased significantly and have been gradually replaced by other species. These changes might be associated with advanced seasonal ice melting,changes in organic carbon input, and global warming, indicating that large-scale ecosystem changes have been occurring in the Bering Sea.     

Physico-chemical study of Dead Sea waters: II. Density measurements and equation of state of Dead Sea waters at 1 atm

The densities (p) of artificial solutions of Dead Sea waters have been measured at 20°, 25°, 30°, 35° and 40°C using a vibrating tube densimeter. The resulting relative densities (p — p_o, where p_o is the density of water) have been used to determine an equation of state for Dead Sea waters. The average deviation between experimental values and those calculated from the obtained equation was 0.000020 g ml^?1. A thermal expansion coefficient and the coefficients characterizing the influence of the changes in salt or ionic concentrations on the density of Dead Sea waters were calculated, and they were shown to be temperature and concentration dependent. The densities of Dead Sea waters were found to be very sensitive to any changes in ionic composition. The partial molal volumes of salt components were calculated and discussed.     

白令海和楚科奇海表层沉积中的有孔虫及其沉积环境

通过对白令海和北冰洋楚科奇海39个表层沉积样品中有孔虫的定量分析,发现表层沉积中浮游有孔虫稀少可能与该区表层生产力低、碳酸盐溶解作用较强有关,而底栖有孔虫的分布则主要受表层初级生产力以及与水深相关的碳酸盐溶解作用和水团性质所控制,其中北冰洋楚科奇海陆架区有孔虫以Elphidium spp.组合和Nonionella robusta组合为主,丰度和分异度低,受北冰洋沿岸水团控制;白令海陆坡区有孔虫以Uvigerina peregrina-Globobulimina affinis组合为主,含N.robusta较多,丰度和分异度相对高,受太平洋中层和深层水团控制,但该区碳酸盐溶跃层和补偿深度(CCD)相对浅,约分别位于2000和3800m处.此外,白令海陆坡上部表层沉积中含有北冰洋陆坡区典型深水底栖有孔虫种Stetsonia arctica,说明白令海峡两侧的海区曾有深部水交流.     

An isopycnal view of the Nordic Seas hydrography with focus on properties of the Lofoten Basin

Few basins in the world exhibit such a wide range of water properties as those of the Nordic Seas with cold freshwaters from the Arctic in the western basins and warm saline waters from the Atlantic in the eastern basins. In this study we present a 50-year hydrographic climatology of the Nordic Seas in terms of depth and temperature patterns on four upper ocean specific volume anomaly surfaces. This approach allows us to better distinguish between change due to variations along such surfaces and change due to depth variations of the stratified water column. Depth variations indicate changes in the mass field while property variations along isopycnals give insight into isopycnal advection and mixing, as well as diapycnal processes. We find that the warmest waters on each surface are found in the north, close to where the isopycnal outcrops, a clear indication of downward mixing of the warmer, more saline waters on shallower isopycnals due to convective cooling at the surface. These saline waters come from the Norwegian Atlantic Slope Current by means of a very high level of eddy activity in the Lofoten Basin.The isopycnal analyses further show that the principal water mass boundary between the waters of Arctic origin in the west and Atlantic waters in the east aligns quite tightly with the Jan Mayen, Mohn, Knipovich Ridge system suggesting little cross-ridge exchange. Instead, the main routes of exchange between the eastern and western basins appear to be limited to the northern and southern ends of ridge system: Atlantic waters into the Greenland Sea in the Fram St and Artic waters into the southern Norwegian Sea just north of the Iceland-Faroe Ridge.Analysis of a representative isopycnal in the main pycnocline shows it to be stable over time with only small variations with season (except where it outcrops in winter in the Greenland and Iceland Seas). However, two very cold winters, 1968–1969, led to greater than average heat losses across the entire Lofoten Basin that eroded away much of the Lofoten eddy and induced the greatest temperature anomaly in the entire 50-year record. Interannual variations in isopycnal layer temperature correlate with the NAO index such that waters in the Iceland Sea become warmer than average with warming air temperatures and conversely in the Lofoten Basin.     

Coccolith distribution patterns in South Atlantic and Southern Ocean surface sediments in relation to environmental gradients

In this study, the coccolith compositions of 213 surface sediment samples from the South Atlantic and Southern Ocean were analysed with respect to the environmental parameters of the overlying surface waters. From this data set, the abundance patterns of the main species and their ecological affinities were ascertained. In general, Emiliania huxleyi is the most abundant species of the recent coccolith assemblages in the study region. However, the lower photic zone taxa, composed of Florisphaera profunda and Gladiolithus flabellatus often dominate the assemblages between 20°N and 30°S. If E. huxleyi is excluded, Calcidiscus leptoporus and F. profunda become the most abundant species, each dominating discrete oceanographic regimes. While F. profunda is very abundant in the sediments underneath warmer, stratified surface waters with a deep nutricline, Calcidiscus leptoporus is encountered in high-productivity environments. Furthermore, the results of a canonical correspondence analysis reveal affinities of Gephyrocapsa spp., Helicosphaera spp. and Coccolithus pelagicus for intermediate to higher nutrient conditions in a well-mixed upper water column. In contrast, Gladiolithus flabellatus seems to be associated with high temperatures and salinities under low-nutrient conditions. Based on the relative abundances of Calcidiscus leptoporus, F. profunda, Gladiolithus flabellatus, Helicosphaera spp., Umbilicosphaera foliosa, Umbilicosphaera sibogae and a group of subordinate subtropical species, six surface sediment assemblages have been identified, which reflect the distribution and characteristics of the overlying surface waters. Their distribution appears to be mainly a function of the relative position of the nutricline and thermocline in the overlying photic zone.     

Arctic salinity anomalies and their link to the North Atlantic during a positive phase of the Arctic Oscillation

Many of the changes observed during the last two decades in the Arctic Ocean and adjacent seas have been linked to the concomitant abrupt decrease of the sea level pressure in the central Arctic at the end of the 1980s. The decrease was associated with a shift of the Arctic Oscillation (AO) to a positive phase, which persisted throughout the mid 1990s. The Arctic salinity distribution is expected to respond to these dramatic changes via modifications in the ocean circulation and in the fresh water storage and transport by sea ice. The present study investigates these different contributions in the context of idealized ice-ocean experiments forced by atmospheric surface wind-stress or temperature anomalies representative of a positive AO index.Wind stress anomalies representative of a positive AO index generate a decrease of the fresh water content of the upper Arctic Ocean, which is mainly concentrated in the eastern Arctic with almost no compensation from the western Arctic. Sea ice contributes to about two-third of this salinification, another third being provided by an increased supply of salt by the Atlantic inflow and increased fresh water export through the Canadian Archipelago and Fram Strait. The signature of a saltier Atlantic Current in the Norwegian Sea is not found further north in both the Barents Sea and the Fram Strait branches of the Atlantic inflow where instead a widespread freshening is observed. The latter is the result of import of fresh anomalies from the subpolar North Atlantic through the Iceland-Scotland Passage and enhanced advection of low salinity waters via the East Icelandic Current. The volume of ice exported through Fram Strait increases by 20% primarily due to thicker ice advected into the strait from the northern Greenland sector, the increase of ice drift velocities having comparatively less influence. The export anomaly is comparable to those observed during events of Great Salinity Anomalies and induces substantial freshening in the Greenland Sea, which in turn contributes to increasing the fresh water export to the North Atlantic via Denmark Strait. With a fresh water export anomaly of 7 mSv, the latter is the main fresh water supplier to the subpolar North Atlantic, the Canadian Archipelago contributing to 4.4 mSv.The removal of fresh water by sea ice under a positive winter AO index mainly occurs through enhanced thin ice growth in the eastern Arctic. Winter SAT anomalies have little impact on the thermodynamic sea ice response, which is rather dictated by wind driven ice deformation changes. The global sea ice mass balance of the western Arctic indicates almost no net sea ice melt due to competing seasonal thermodynamic processes. The surface freshening and likely enhanced sea ice melt observed in the western Arctic during the 1990s should therefore be attributed to extra-winter atmospheric effects, such as the noticeable recent spring-summer warming in the Canada-Alaska sector, or to other modes of atmospheric circulations than the AO, especially in relation to the North Pacific variability.     

Diel vertical migration of the copepod Calanus sinicus before and during formation of the Yellow Sea Cold Bottom Water in the Yellow Sea

To understand the effects of the Yellow Sea Cold Bottom Water(YSCBW)on the diel vertical migration(DVM)of the copepod Calanus sinicus,we surveyed vertical distribution of C.sinicus at a fixed station in the Yellow Sea before(spring)and during(summer)formation of the YSCBW.Cold water(<10 C)was observed in the bottom layer when the water column was thermally stratified in summer,but the water column was thermally well-mixed in spring 2010.Samples were collected from five different layers at 3-h intervals using an opening-closing net.Adult females(1–155 ind./m3)showed a clear normal DVM pattern throughout the entire water column in spring,whereas adult males did not migrate.DVM of copepodite V(CV)individuals was not clear,but the maximum abundance of CI–CIV occurred consistently in the upper 10–20 m layer,where there was a high concentration of chlorophyll-a(Chl-a)(0.49–1.19μg/L).In summer,weak DVM was limited to cold waters beneath the thermocline for adult females(<30 ind./m3),but not for adult males.The maximum abundance of CI–CIV also occurred consistently in the subsurface layer(20–40 m)together with high concentrations of Chl-a(0.81–2.36μg/L).CV individuals(1–272 ind./m3)moved slightly upward nocturnally to the near-surface layer(10–20 m),where the average temperature was 25.74 C,but they were not found in the surface layer(0–10 m;28.31 C).These results indicate that the existence of the YSBCW affected food availability at depth and the vertical temperature distribution,leading to variation in the amplitude and shape of stage-specific vertical distributions(CI to adults)in C.sinicus before and during the formation of cold waters in the Yellow Sea during the study period.     

Physical properties of the formation of water exchange between Atlantic and Arctic Ocean

Physical regularities of water exchange between the North Atlantic (NA) and Arctic Ocean (AO) in 1958–2009 are analyzed on the basis of numerical experiments with an eddy-permitting model of ocean circulation. Variations in the heat and salt fluxes in the Greenland Sea near the Fram Strait caused by atmospheric forcing generate baroclinic modes of ocean currents in the 0–300 m layer, which stabilize the response of the ocean to atmospheric forcing. This facilitates the conservation of water exchange between the NA and AO at a specific climatic level. A quick response of dense water outflow into the deep layers of the NA through the Denmark Strait to the variations in the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index was revealed on the monthly scale. A response on a time scale of 39 months was also revealed. The quick response on the NAO index variation was interrupted in 1969–1978, which was related to the Great Salinity Anomaly. It was shown that transverse oscillations of the Norwegian Atlantic Current significantly influence the formation of intermediate dense waters in the Greenland and Norwegian seas (GNS). The dense water outflow by bottom current (BC) to the deep layers of the NA through the Faroe Channels with a time lag of 1 year correlates with the transversal oscillations of the Norwegian Current front. The mass transport of the BC outflow from the Faroe Channels to the NA can serve as an integral indicator of the formation and sink of new portions of dense waters formed as a result of mixing of warm saline Atlantic waters and cold freshened Arctic waters in the GNS.     

The impact of implanted whale carcass on nematode communities in shallow water area of Peter the Great Bay (East Sea)

In May, 2007 we sank the remains of a Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) in the East Sea, Peter the Great Bay, at 30 m of water near the coast of Big Pelis Island. In the present study we describe the nematode communities in sediments under the implanted whale carcass. Abundance of nematodes increased with the distance from the carcass. Dominant trophic group was non-selective deposit feeders. The highest values of indexes of a specific diversity and evenness were noted in sediments under the whale, while domination index occurred at the highest distance from the whale. The suggestion is made that the cause of low density of nematodes in sediments under the whale is an extreme increase in number of macrofaunal animals, and predation and food competition between macro- and meiofauna. The changes noted in nematode assemblages living in an implanted whale in shallow waters are similar to those in deep-sea assemblages.     

Origin of freshwater and polynya water in the Arctic Ocean halocline in summer 2007

Extremely low summer sea-ice coverage in the Arctic Ocean in 2007 allowed extensive sampling and a wide quasi-synoptic hydrographic and δ¹⁸O dataset could be collected in the Eurasian Basin and the Makarov Basin up to the Alpha Ridge and the East Siberian continental margin. With the aim of determining the origin of freshwater in the halocline, fractions of river water and sea-ice meltwater in the upper 150 m were quantified by a combination of salinity and δ¹⁸O in the Eurasian Basin. Two methods, applying the preformed phosphate concentration (PO^*) and the nitrate-to-phosphate ratio (N/P), were compared to further differentiate the marine fraction into Atlantic and Pacific-derived contributions. While PO^*-based assessments systematically underestimate the contribution of Pacific-derived waters, N/P-based calculations overestimate Pacific-derived waters within the Transpolar Drift due to denitrification in bottom sediments at the Laptev Sea continental margin.Within the Eurasian Basin a west to east oriented front between net melting and production of sea-ice is observed. Outside the Atlantic regime dominated by net sea-ice melting, a pronounced layer influenced by brines released during sea-ice formation is present at about 30–50 m water depth with a maximum over the Lomonosov Ridge. The geographically distinct definition of this maximum demonstrates the rapid release and transport of signals from the shelf regions in discrete pulses within the Transpolar Drift.The ratio of sea-ice derived brine influence and river water is roughly constant within each layer of the Arctic Ocean halocline. The correlation between brine influence and river water reveals two clusters that can be assigned to the two main mechanisms of sea-ice formation within the Arctic Ocean. Over the open ocean or in polynyas at the continental slope where relatively small amounts of river water are found, sea-ice formation results in a linear correlation between brine influence and river water at salinities of about 32–34. In coastal polynyas in the shallow regions of the Laptev Sea and southern Kara Sea, sea-ice formation transports river water into the shelf’s bottom layer due to the close proximity to the river mouths. This process therefore results in waters that form a second linear correlation between brine influence and river water at salinities of about 30–32. Our study indicates which layers of the Arctic Ocean halocline are primarily influenced by sea-ice formation in coastal polynyas and which layers are primarily influenced by sea-ice formation over the open ocean. Accordingly we use the ratio of sea-ice derived brine influence and river water to link the maximum in brine influence within the Transpolar Drift with a pulse of shelf waters from the Laptev Sea that was likely released in summer 2005.