Succession of copepod species in a Middle Atlantic estuary

A study of the seasonal succession of dominant copepod species was conducted during the period May, 1972 to June, 1973 in the Navesink River estuary, a tributary of the New York Bight. The replacement of the copepod Acartia tonsa by Acartia clausi, a phenomenon well-documented in the middle Atlantic estuaries for the late winter and early spring seasons, was not observed during this study, indicating that this succession may not take place in the Navesink. Instead, the more brackish-water calanoids, Pseudodiaptomus coronatus and Eurytemora affinis replaced A. tonsa, increasing in numbers markedly as the A. tonsa population declined. Although A. clausi is known to occur in temperatures and salinities comparable to those of the Navesink, this study supports the results of Yamazi (1966) that the occurrence of A. clausi in the Navesink is a rarity.     

Macrozooplankton and micronekton of the lower San Francisco estuary: Seasonal, interannual, and regional variation in relation to environmental conditions

Macrozooplankton and micronekton are intermediaries linking lower trophic levels (e.g., phytoplankton and mesozooplankton) to higher ones (e.g., fishes and birds). These organisms have not been extensively studied in the San Francisco Estuary (SFE), California. The objective of this study was to determine the distribution and abundance of macrozooplankton and micronekton in the SFE and to describe how these vary seasonally, interannually, and regionally in relation to environmental variables. Water column macrozooplankton and micronekton were sampled monthly from September 1997 to December 2000 at 6 stations spanning North, Central, and South Bays using a Methot Trawl. The macrozo oplankton and micronekton in the lower SFE were dominated by 4 fishes and 7 invertebrates that comprised 98% of the total catch. Correspondence analyses revealed 4 groups of species that exhibited similar patterns of distribution and abundance. The assemblages changed between the wet and dry seasons and with distance from the coastal ocean. Based on abundance patterns, the dominant taxa in the lower SFE can be classified as: organisms spawned from common members of neritic assemblages that use mostly North Bay and that are abundant during the dry season (Clupea pallasi, Spirinchus thaleichthys, Porichthys notates); estuarine-dependent organisms with broad distributions in the estuary year-round (Crangon franciscorum, Crangon nigricauda, Engraulis mordax); resident species remaining within the estuary but occurring mostly in South Bay during the wet season (Palaemon macrodactlyus, Synidotea laticauda, Neomysis kadiakensis); and gelatinous species (Pleurobrachia bachei, Polyorchis spp.) occuring in all three bays with a single peak in abundance in December and January in North and South Bays. The variation in distribution, abundance, and composition of macrozooplankton and micronekton was related to life history strategies, distance from the coastal ocean, and season.     

Variability in drift macroalgal abundance in relation to biotic and abiotic factors in two seagrass dominated estuaries in the Western Gulf of Mexico

We examined the spatial and temporal variability in drift macroalgal abundance in two seagrass dominated estuarine systems on the Texas coast: Redfish Bay (in the Copano-Aransas Estuary) and Lower Laguna Madre. Measurements of benthic macroalgal variability were made in conjunction with a suite of biotic (seagrass biomass, percent cover, blade width and length, shoot density, epiphyte biomass, seagrass blade C:N ratios, and drift macroalgal abundance and composition) and abiotic (inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, chlorophylla, total suspended solids, light attenuation, salinity, temperature, total organic carbon and porewater NH₄ ⁺) indicators. All parameters were measured at 30 sites within each estuary semiannually from July 2002 to February 2004. Principal components analysis (PCA) was used to examine relationships between drift macroalgal abundance and biotic and abiotic parameters. In both Redfish Bay and Lower Laguna Madre, drift macroalgal distribution was widespread, and during three of four sampling periods, abundance was equal to abovegro und biomass ofThalassia testudinum, the dominant seagrass. Drift macro algal abundance was highly variable within sites, between sites, and between seasons in both estuaries. No significant differences in drift macroalgal abundance were found between Redfish Bay and Lower Laguna Madre. In Redfish Bay, drift macroalgae (90.1±10.2 gm⁻²) tended to accumulate in bare patches within seagrass beds. In Lower Laguna Madre, drift macroalgae (72.7±10.7 gm⁻²) tended to accumulate in areas of dense seagrass cover rather than in bare areas. We found no relationship between drift macroalgal abundance and low (<2μM) water column nutrient concentrations, and although several of our measured parameters were related to drift macroalgal abundance, none alone sufficiently explained the variability in abundance noted between the two estuarine systems. The contrasting patterns of macroalgal accumulation between Redrish Bay and Lower Laguna Madre likely reflect differences in water circulation characteristics between the two regions as dictated by local physiography, in cluding the shape and orientation of the lagoons, with seasonal variations in macroalgal abundance related to changes in freshwater inflow and nutrient loading.     

Seasonal and tidal monthly patterns of particulate matter dynamics in the Columbia River estuary

We investigated seasonal and tidal-monthly, suspended particulate matter (SPM) dynamics in the Columbia River estuary from May to December 1997 using acoustic backscatter (ABS) and velocity data from four long-term Acoustic Doppler Profiler (ADP) moorings in or near the estuarine turbidity maximum (ETM). ABS profiles were calibrated and converted to total SPM profiles using pumped SPM samples and optical backscatter (OBS) data obtained during three seasonal cruises. Four characteristic settling velocity (W _s) classes were defined from Owen Tube samples collected during the cruises. An inverse analysis, in the form of a non-negative least squares minimization, was used to determine the contribution of the four,W _s-classes to each, total SPM profile. The outputs from the inverse analyses were 6–8 mo time-series ofW _s-specific SPM concentration and transport profiles at each mooring. The profiles extended from the free surface to 1.8–2.7 m from the bed, with 0.25–0.50 m resolution. These time series, along with Owen Tube results and disaggregated size data, were used to investigate SPM dynamics. Three non-dimensional parameters were defined to investigate how river flow and tidal forcing affect particle trapping: Rouse numberP (balance between vertical mixing and settling) trapping efficiencyE (ratio of maximum SPM concentration in the estuary to fluvial source concentration), and advection numberA (ratio of height of maximum SPM concentration to friction velocity). The most effective particle trapping (maximum values ofE) occurs on low-flow neap tides. The location of the ETM and the maximal trapping migrated seasonally in a manner consistent with the increase in salinity intrusion length after the spring freshet. Maximum advection (high values ofA) occurred during highly stratified neap tides.     

Seasonal occurrence of larval and juvenile fishes in a Virginia Atlantic coast estuary with emphasis on drums (Family sciaenidae)

The seasonal occurrence and relative abundance of larval and juvenile fishes, particularly members of the family Sciaenidae, from a Virginia Atlantic coast estuary were determined from ichthyoplankton and otter trawl collections made from March 1979 to March 1980. The larvae of 19 species in 14 families were identified in the ichthyoplankton. Larvae of the engraulid, Anchoa mitchilli (bay anchovy), and the atherinid, Menidia menidia (Atlantic silverside), dominated the samples and made up 13 and 22%, respectively, of the 9,440 larvae collected. Peak occurrence of all larvae was from May to August. The juveniles of 28 species in 19 families were identified from otter trawl collections. Juvenile sciaenids numerically dominated the trawl collecions and made up 68% of the trawl catch. Juvenile density peaked during September through December.     

Seasonal and spatial distribution of planktonic crustacea in the lower Saint John River,a multibasin estuary in New Brunswick,Canada

Five stations on the lower Saint John River, a complex multibasin estuary, were sampled semiquantitatively for zooplankton at biweekly intervals for one year, and qualitatively over a 4-year period. Planktonic Crustacea were dominated by the true estuarine copepods,Acartia tonsa andEurytemora affinis and the euryhaline marine copepodsOithona similis andPseudocalanus minutus. Atypical estuarine forms, confined to a lower fiord-like basin with salinity of 20‰, were the amphipod,Parathemisto abyssorum and the mysidErythrops erythrophthalma. River flows were highly variable from year to year. Certain basins function as lakes in some years and estuaries in other years, causing extreme zooplankton community fluctuations, and succession patterns dependent on salinity rather than season. On occasion freshwater zooplankters maintained viable populations at unusually high salinities (ca. 5‰). Vertical and horizontal distributions of zooplankters indicate that the estuary in fact comprises two systems: a true estuary in the upper reaches and the surface waters at the lower end, and a fiord in a subsidiary basin in the lower end.     

Zooplankton distribution and abundance in the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta in relation to certain environmental factors

The dominant members of the freshwater zooplankton in the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta were those typical of temperate zone rivers—Bosmina andCyclops among the crustaceans andKeratella, Polyarthra, Trichocerca andSynchaeta among the rotifers. The estuarine or brackish component of the plankton was represented by the copepodEurytemora affinis and the rotiferSynchaeta bicornis. Abundace of freshwater zooplankton was highest in the San Joaquin River near Stockton, the region with the highest chlorophylla concentrations and highest temperatures. This was also the region least affected by water project operations, which alter the normal river flow patterns and bring large volumes of zooplankton-deficient Sacramento River water into the San Joaquin River and south delta chanels. Over a seven-year period, abundance of most zooplankton genera was positively correlated with chlorophylla concentrations and temperature but not with net flow velocity. OnlyBosmina had a significant and negative correlation with abundance of a predacious shrimp,Neomysis mercedis. Extreme salinity intrusion in 1977 reduced freshwater zooplankton abundance throughout most of the delta to seven-year lows. All zooplankton groups showed a long-term abundance decline from 1972 to 1978. In the cases of rotifers and copepods, this deciline was significantly correlated with a decline in chlorophylla.     

Seasonal distributions of suspended particulate material and dissolved nutrients in a coastal plain estuary

The temporal and spatial distributions of salinity, dissolved oxygen, suspended particulate material (SPM), and dissolved nutrients were determined during 1983 in the Choptank River, an estuarine tributary of Chesapeake Bay. During winter and spring freshets, the middle estuary was strongly stratified with changes in salinity of up to 5‰ occurring over 1 m depth intervals. Periodically, the lower estuary was stratified due to the intrusion of higher salinity water from the main channel of Chesapeake Bay. During summer this intrusion caused minimum oxygen and maximum NH₄ ⁺ concentrations at the mouth of the Choptank River estuary. Highest concentrations of SPM, particulate carbon (PC), particulate nitrogen (PN), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorous (TP) and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) occurred in the upper estuary during the early spring freshet. In contrast, minimum soluble reactive phosphate (SRP) concentrations were highest in the upper estuary in summer when freshwater discharge was low. In spring, PC:PN ratios were >13, indicating a strong influence by allochthonous plant detritus on PC and PN concentrations. However, high concentrations of PC and PN in fall coincided with maximum chlorophyll a concentrations and PC:PN ratios were <8, indicating in situ productivity controlled PC and PN levels. During late spring and summer, DIN concentrations decreased from >100 to <10 μg-at l^?1, resulting mainly from the nonconservative behavior of NO₃ ^?, which dominated the DIN pool. Atomic ratios of both the inorganic and total forms of N and P exceeded 100 in spring, but by summer, ratios decreased to <5 and <15, respectively. The seasonal and spatial changes in both absolute concentrations and ratios of N and P reflect the strong influence of allochthonous inputs on nutrient distributions in spring, followed by the effects of internal processes in summer and fall.     

Spatial and temporal patterns of factors influencing phytoplankton in a salt wedge estuary, the Swan River, Western Australia

During 1995 the phytoplankton in the Swan River were intensively sampled to assess biomass and species composition. Continuous measurements of fluorescence, salinity, and temperature were made weekly during 40 km sampling trips along the estuary and used to map the seasonal progression of the algal biomass. Weekly measurements of primary production were made and used to model net primary production from the vertical distribution of biomass, irradiance, and phytoplankton species composition. Potential nutrient limitation was assessed with “all but one” nutrient bioassays. The results indicate a complex mixture of potentially limiting factors, which vary in time and space. Although the data sequence is short, it suggests a annual succession pattern of diatoms, chlorophytes, diatoms, and finally dinoflagellates and cryptophytes in late summer-autumn. Peak seasonal biomass was observed during January to April. Mean annual chlorophylla biomass was greatest in upstream stations (5–9), where estimates of net primary production rates averaged 1.55 g C m^?2 d^?1 and gross primary production was 800–1000 g C m^?2 yr^?1. Potential nutrient limitation was most severe from November to May, although not during January 1995. Based on bioassay results, during the period of greatest potential for nutrient limitation, nitrogen was 15 to 30 times more limiting to biomass development than phosphate. Runoff due to consistent rainfall during winter eventually breaks down stratification and flushes the estuary with low-salinity, nutrient-rich water, producing, a light-limited, nutrient-rich aquatic ecosystem. Timing and magnitude of physical forcing events, mainly rainfall, appear critical in determining the susceptibility of this ecosystem to summer and autumn algal blooms.     

The importance of autotroph distribution to mussel growth in a well-mixed,temperate estuary

In this study, we explored the extent to which secondary production in a well-mixed estuary reflects local differences in biotic and physical characteristics of habitats, or larger-scale, estuary-wide characteristics governed by a freshwater-marine gradient. We addressed the following questions: To what extent do organic components of seston within habitats in an estuary reflect distributions of local autotrophs and to what extent do estuarine consumers such as sessile filter-feeders, respond to small-scale, local differences in habitat characteristics in a wellmixed estuary? We contrasted habitat quality and consumer growth at four sites within Padilla Bay estuary, Washington, representing the major autotrophic sources of organic carbon in Pacific Northwest estuaries (i.e., phytoplankton, eelgrass (Zostera marina), epibenthic and macro-algal species, and marsh macrophytes.) The natural abundances of stable carbon isotopes {ie898-1} were used to resolve origins of organic carbon in diets of blue mussels (Mytilus edulis), a representative suspension feeder. To assess consumer responses to habitat, quality, we combined measures of sestonic food quantity and quality and physical parameters with in situ determination of mussel growth. We used measures of food quality {ie898-2} and consumer response (growth of transplanted mussels) to integrate the effects of high variability in estuarine physical and biological characteristics on primary and secondary production. Using ANOVA, we detected significant differences in the concentrations of sestonic food, seston composition as indicated by {ie898-3}, and mussel {ie898-4} values and growth rates among the four representative habitats. That significant differences in {ie898-5} values of mussel tissue corresponded to the significant differences in {ie898-6} values of local autotrophs and seston among habitats suggests that mussels in Padilla Bay rely primarily on local sources of carbon for food. Mussel growth throughout, the estuary was significantly correlated with both sestonic {ie898-7} and salinity. We conclude that differences in local seston composition and mussel growth rates reflect in part the heterogeneous, distribution of benthic primary producer habitats in Padilla Bay, despite its well-mixed nature. In addition, local differences in salinity levels, as opposed to the bay-wide freshwater-marine, gradient, explained a significant proportion of the variance in mussel growth within the bay. Our results counter the prediction that seston quality and consumer production are comparable throughout well-mixed estuaries, and suggest that the paradigm of physically and chemically determined gradients in estuarine secondary production needs to be broadened to include local biotic factors as well.     

Geologic and human factors in the decline of the tidal salt marsh lithosome: the Delaware estuary and Atlantic coastal zone

Two to three thousand years ago, the fringing tidal salt marsh wetlands (including brackish and freshwater marsh) of the Delaware coastal zone were three to four times wider than at present. Observed variations in rates of marsh surface aggradation suggest that some areas are undergoing inundation whereas many other areas are undergoing aggradation at rates greater than sea-level rise as measured by a local tidal gauge (average 33 cm/ century based on a 70-year record) and may be undergoing floral succession. Accompanying these sedimentary processes are coastal erosion rates up to 6.9 m/yr along the Delaware estuary, up to 2.8 m/yr along the Delaware Atlantic coast, and ranging from 0.1 m/yr to 0.6 m/yr along the Delaware Atlantic coastal lagoons. Human development has destroyed nearly 9% of Delaware's fringing salt marshes between 1938 and 1975. The rapidly growing trend toward hardening the edge of the adjacent landward uplands leads us to the conclusion that much of the fringing salt marsh of Delaware will disappear over the next two to three centuries with only small remnants declining to extinction ca. 1500–1700 years into the future. Impacts on the State of Delaware, comprised of 13% fringing salt marshes 1/4 century ago, will be profound in terms of destruction of a large segment of the Atlantic coastal or eastern North American migratory bird flyway, and an eventual forced accommodation of the inhabitants of Delaware to these naturally ongoing geological processes.     

Sphalerite composition in relation to the stress distribution of a boudinage

The content of FeS in sphalerites from different parts of a boudinage is compared with the theoretical stress pattern. The calculated differences in stress correspond to less than one mole percent FeS and are often masked by the small variations in the fugacity of sulfur.     

Seasonal patterns of nitrification and denitrification in a natural and a restored salt marsh

Seasonal patterns of microbially-mediated nitrogen cycling via the nitrification-denitrification pathway were compared between a natural and a restored salt marsh. Sedimentary denitrification rates, measured with a modification of the acetylene block technique, were approximately 44 times greater in the natural marsh relative to an adjacent transplanted marsh. Nitrification rates were similar at both sites. The difference in denitrification rates was attributed to oxygen inhibition at low tide and tidal flushing of porewater nutrients at high tide in the coarse sediments of the restored marsh. Denitrification was positively correlated with nitrification throughout the year in the natural marsh with a seasonal fall peak in denitrification corresponding to a maximum in porewater ammonia concentration. A weak correlation existed between the two processes in the restored marsh, where nitrification rates exceeded denitrification rates by a factor of 20. Transplanted marsh denitrification rates exhibited a spring peak, corresponding to elevated porewater ammonia concentrations. Our findings demonstrate functional differences in microbial nitrogen dynamics of a young (0–3 yr) restored marsh relative to a mature (>50 yr) salt-marsh system. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** A01BY070 00008     

中东地区古生界油气分布规律及成藏主控因素分析

古生界是中东地区重要的天然气和轻质原油勘探层系,阿拉伯板块构造--沉积演化为古生界油气聚集成藏提供了有利的石油地质条件。分析认为,前寒武纪—寒武纪早期Huqf群和志留纪Qusaiba段两套优质成熟的烃源岩、多套有利的储盖组合以及一系列大型基底隆起或盐拱成因背斜、断背斜圈闭控制着古生界油气的分布,构成了古生界Huqf和Qusaiba两套主要的含油气系统,每套含油气系统均包括多个油气成藏组合。受早期继承性古隆起和盐构造、有利储盖组合以及断裂通道3个主控因素的影响,古生界油气成藏以下生上储侧向+垂向断裂输导运聚成藏模式为主。     

Large- and small-mammal distribution patterns and chronostratigraphic boundaries from the Late Pliocene to the Middle Pleistocene of the Italian peninsula

Over the last 50 years the studies on terrestrial mammals of the Italian peninsula have provided a large volume of data and a more detailed knowledge of faunal events during the Late Pliocene and Quaternary. Moreover geological, sedimentological, palynological and magnetostratigraphical investigations on the Pliocene–Pleistocene continental sedimentary basins have yielded the possibility of a detailed calibration of the faunal successions. Thus, palaeontologists have been able to reconstruct faunal sequences and to propose biochronological scales based on large and small mammals, respectively. In the present contribution an integration of the two biochronological scales is proposed, and the successions of bioevents are carefully compared. This integrated approach allows the constraint of the sequence of large- and small-mammal events in a more reliable way, and therefore it results in a more detailed and consistent chronological use of mammalian assemblages. Particular attention is paid to the faunal changes that correspond to the Middle–Late Pliocene (2.6 ma), Pliocene–Pleistocene (1.8 ma) and Early–Middle Pleistocene (Gauss–Matuyama transition) chronostratigraphical boundaries.     

云南星云湖表层沉积物粒度空间分布特征及其影响因素

本文以滇中地区星云湖为研究对象,对湖区84个表层沉积物样品进行了粒度测定,并进行了参数计算和空间分布特征分析,进而探讨了星云湖表层沉积物粒度的环境及人类活动指示意义。结果表明：星云湖表层沉积物平均粒径在8.82~57.71 μm之间,粉砂为该研究区的优势粒级,平均含量达到62.48%,粘土和砂含量的平均值分别为30.68%和7.04%。研究区北部受入湖河流的影响,砂含量较高;南部由于受到盛行风、湖流和湿地的影响,呈现为舌状细粒沉积为主;在其东部螺蛳铺河入湖区,由于受到湖流的顶托作用和人类农耕和河道改造的影响,粉砂和粘土含量较高。星云湖表层沉积物除海门村附近外普遍较细、整体分选极差,而在北部湖区表现为正偏态。河流入湖口沉积物粒度参数表现出不同特征,其中北部入湖口呈单主峰和多峰态的组合特征,东部入湖口呈双峰态,西南各入湖口呈单、双峰组合特征。星云湖现代沉积物与沉积环境和物源的变化紧密相关,是研究湖泊沉积和环境变化的理想场所。

     

Depositional environment of mudflats and mangroves and bioavailability of selected metals within mudflats in a tropical estuary

Four sediment cores representing adjacent mudflat and mangrove sub-environments of middle estuary (Shastri) were analyzed for sand, silt, clay, and organic carbon. Total metal concentration of iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), and lead (Pb) and chemical speciation of Fe, Mn, and Co on selected samples was also carried out on mudflat cores. The sediments in the upper middle estuary were found to be deposited under highly varying hydrodynamic energy conditions; whereas lower middle estuary experienced relatively stable hydrodynamic energy conditions with time. The tributary joining the river near the upper middle estuary is found to be responsible for the addition of enhanced organic carbon and metal concentrations. Speciation study indicated Fe and Co are from natural lithogenic origin while Mn is derived from anthropogenic sources. Higher Mn and Co than apparent effects threshold can pose a high risk of toxicity to organisms associated with these sediments.     

Seasonal and interannual variations of water chemistry in the headwater streams of the Angara River (Baikal) from 1950 to 2010

The study addressed seasonal and interannual variations in the components of the trophic status (organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus; silica; suspended matter; and chlorophyll-a) and ionic composition (bicarbonates, sulfates, chlorides, calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium) in the headwater streams of the Angara River since the 1950s. The results show that the concentrations and seasonal variations of these components and long-term trends of their mean annual concentrations resulted from the interplay of biological, hydrological, and anthropogenic processes operating in Lake Baikal and reflect the current ecological state of the lake.     

重庆市喀斯特槽谷地区农村居民点分布与地貌形态要素关系研究

选取喀斯特槽谷地区——重庆市石柱土家族自治县鱼池镇团结村农村居民点为研究对象,借助ArcGIS空间分析和地统计法,综合应用地貌-面积频度分布指数和信息熵分析了不同海拔、坡度、坡向、地形起伏度、地表粗糙度、剖面曲率和平面曲率7个地貌形态要素间农村居民点的分布特征。结果表明:①农村居民点分布的优势地形位分别为高程956.2~1000m,坡度5°~15°,坡向SW、W、NW和E,地形起伏度0~1m,地表粗糙度1.0~1.1,剖面曲率和平面曲率0°~5°的低地形位上;②在槽谷谷底,农村居民点信息熵的最大值为1.15,最小值为0.02,说明农村居民点在低地形位上分布的有序性较高。      

Fluvial archives as a framework for the Lower and Middle Palaeolithic: patterns of British artefact distribution and potential chronological implications

With the adoption of an ‘expanded chronology’ for the Middle Pleistocene, based on the greater number of warm and cold episodes evident in the marine oxygen isotope record from deep ocean cores, has come the recognition of a meaningful progression of artefact types, something that could not be achieved with reference to the previous ‘compressed chronology’. In Britain, at least, it has been established that Levallois knapping techniques appeared in MIS 9–8, that bout coupé handaxes are indicative of MIS 3 and, rather more tentatively, that assemblages with twisted ovate handaxes in significant numbers represent MIS 11 occupation. Added to these key markers, it is now possible to suggest that further tool types occur preferentially in deposits of particular age: assemblages with significant proportions of cleavers and ‘ficron’ handaxes appear to be correlated with deposits formed at around the time of the MIS 9 interglacial. This newly recognized patterning within the Lower and Middle Palaeolithic record differs markedly from the previous use, in the mid‐20th century, of archaeological typology as a means of dating Pleistocene sequences, which was based on a relative refinement of tool making that is now recognized to be unrelated to age. Indeed, the authors would wish to emphasize that, even with reference to the new scheme presented here, the archaeological record should only be seen as dating evidence ‘of last resort’.