Effect of Hydrological Conditions on Zooplankton Formation in the Lower Reaches of the Pregolya R. (Baltic Sea Basin)

The study is focused on the species composition, distribution, population dynamics, biomass, and production of zooplankton in the lower reaches of the Pregolya R., subject to the effect of specific hydrological conditions. The characteristics of the seasonal dynamics of zooplankton population, biomass, and production in autumn (October, November) were found to be high because of euryhaline crustaceans Eurytemora affinis and Acartia sp., which enter the river with water setups from the bay. The total zooplankton production over the vegetation season in river medial and riparian zones were similar (8.3 and 7.1 kcal/m³, respectively), the production rates were at the level typical of the riparian systems.     

Transient upwelling in the central Baltic Sea

The paper presents a theoretical study to explain the regular occurrence of a cold water upwelling cell at the southern east coast of the Gotland island in the central Baltic Sea. While for a circular island up- and downwelling patterns would rotate around the island, the responses around the elongated Gotland island with narrow tips at its southern and northern ends are different. The study uses the example of the response of a coastal ocean to a wind band to develop an understanding of important aspects of generation of Kelvin waves and how the waves change the response patterns.     

Tar balls in Baltic Sea beaches

The results of studying tar balls on Baltic Sea beaches (the summer of 2008) are given with their comparison with other coastal areas. Tar balls in concentrations of 0.01–1.2 g/running m on the beaches of Sambiiskii Peninsula are found to correspond to a mean level of beach pollution. It is shown that, in addition to weathering, even high-molecular homologues in the composition of tar balls are rapidly decaying. Therefore, the molecular markers currently in use are not unequivocal indicators to the origin of hydrocarbons.     

PAH-profiles in sediment cores from the Baltic Sea

To document the historical input the PAH-profiles of sediment cores in two different basins of the Baltic Sea, the Gotland Basin (GB) and Arkona Basin (AB), were analysed by means of GC-MS. 35 PAHs were quantified in all samples, and additionally, several marker PAHs, like Cyclopenta[cd]phenanthrene (CCP) for combustion processes and retene for terrigenous input, were quantified in selected samples. The preindustrial sediments (older than 200-250 years) in the GB core illustrate concentrations <100 ng PAH15 g(-1) d.w. Calculated PAH-ratios indicated combustion processes as the main sources for both basins. The Perylene concentrations within the sediment cores decrease with increasing depth, along with an increase in relative percentage, indicating slow diagenetic processes. The preservation and enrichment of the introduced PAHs was more pronounced in the GB core.     

Anthropogenic nutrient load of the Baltic Sea

The discharge of nutrients is investigated in relation to their sources and effects in two case studies. The reduction of 47% in the phosphorus load from Denmark to marine areas between 1989 and 1993 has resulted in significantly lower phosphorus concentrations in most Danish coastal waters, and tendency to decrease can be seen in the Belt Sea and Kattegat as well. No general changes in nitrogen concentrations have been observed. This is due to the fact that more than 80% of the nitrogen load in Danish waters originate from diffuse agricultural sources.In the Pomeranian Bight strong nutrient gradients are generated by the mixing of Odra river water and coastal water. The spreading of the river plume could be exactly observed especially in winter, when biological activity is low. In general, different types of distribution, transport and modification patterns can be described.The annual input of nutrients from the catchment area to the Baltic Sea was estimated to be around 1000 kt N and 46 kt P. As a result, winter concentrations of phosphate and nitrate are characterized by positive overall trends in the surface layer in all subregions of the Baltic Proper for the period 1969 to 1993. These trends stem mainly from the strong increase in the 1970ies and early 1980ies. Thereafter, the concentrations of both nutrients fluctuate strongly around a high level. The drastic decrease in fertilizer consumption since the late 1980ies mainly caused by the great economic changes in the countries of the former East Bloc is not yet significantly reflected in decreasing winter concentrations, but first signs already have been found in the decrease in averaged phosphate concentrations in winter, especially in the Arkona and Bornholm Seas.     

Hydrocarbons in the Suspension and Sediments of the Baltic Sea

The article gives the results of studying the concentration and composition of aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in suspension in surface waters at sections from the English Channel and Skagerak Strait to various regions of the Baltic Sea (2010–2015) and in water and bottom sediments of the southeastern part of the sea in the water area of the Kravtsovskoe field (2008–2015). In recent years, the surface waters of open areas of the Baltic Sea showed a decrease in hydrocarbon concentrations down to background levels (12–33 μg/L). The maximal concentration of hydrocarbons (in excess of the MAC) was recorded in different seasons in navigation areas, including the English Channel and Pregola R. mouth. In the zone of the Kravtsovskoe field, the concentration and composition of hydrocarbons in water depends on their inflow from the bank, and the same characteristics in bottom sediments, on the rate of their leakage from sediment stratum. A decline in these processes have led to a decrease in hydrocarbon concentrations in the sediments of a local area near D-6 platform to background levels (5–7 μg/g) and to the predominance of terrigenous, rather than petroleum, alkanes in hydrocarbon compositions.     

The distribution of several organochlorine compounds in the Baltic Sea

Summary On a cruise, covering the whole Baltic Sea area, in May/June 1983, from the Kattegat through the Belt Sea, the Baltic Proper, and the Gulfs of Finland and Bothnia, investigations concerning the distribution of several organochlorine compounds were made. In accordance with the water exchange in the Kattegat and Belt Sea, a vertical stratification can be seen for -, -, -HCH and DDT — with higher concentrations in the outflowing surface water with low salinity and lower values in the inflowing bottom water with high salinity. The bottom water concentrations in the Kattegat and Belt Sea are increasing from North to South by mixture with surface water. East of the Darss Sill, the distribution pattern becomes more homogeneous with only slight differences in the average mean concentrations between the various basins forming the Baltic Sea.

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Über die Verteilung einiger Organochlorverbindungen in der Ostsee

Zusammenfassung Im Wasser des Kattegats, der Beltsee, der zentralen Ostsee, des Finnischen Meerbusens und der Bottensee wurden im Mai und Juni 1983 Untersuchungen auf Organochlorverbindungen vorgenommen. In Übereinstimmung mit den Verhältnissen des Wasseraustausches im Kattegat und der Beltsee kann man für -, -, -HCH und DDT eine vertikale Schichtung erkennen — mit höheren Konzentrationen im abfließenden Oberflächenwasser mit niedrigem Salzgehalt und niedrigeren Werten im einströmenden Bodenwasser mit hohem Salzgehalt. Durch Vermischung mit dem Oberflächenwasser steigen die Konzentrationen im Bodenwasser im Kattegat und der Beltsee von Norden nach Süden hin an. Östlich der Darsser Schwelle ergibt sich eine gleichmäßigere Verteilung mit nur geringen Unterschieden in den mittleren Konzentrationen innerhalb der einzelnen Becken, die die Ostsee bilden.

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De la distribution de quelques composants organochlorés dans la mer Baltique

Résumé En mai et juin 1983 des recherches sur la distribution de plusieurs composants organochlorés furent effectuées durant une campagne couvrant le Kattegat, les Belts, la mer Baltique centrale, les Golfes de Finlande et de Bothnie. En accord avec les échanges des eaux dans le Kattegat et les Belts, une stratification verticale de l'-, -, -HCH et DDT fut mise en évidence, avec une concentration plus forte dans les eaux superficielles sortantes et des valeurs plus faibles dans les eaux de fond entrantes. A l'Est du seuil de Drss, la répartition des échantillons devient plus homogène avec seulement de légères différences des concentrations moyennes entre les différents bassins qui forment la mer Baltique.

     

Investigations on the Urea Uptake by Phytoplankton in the Baltic Sea

Urea uptake by the planktonic community was studied in the central Baltic Sea in July/August 1987, in March 1988 and in August 1988. Uptake was measured with ¹⁴C-urca incubations. Uptake rates were determined in the range of 0.8 … 5.7 nmol/dm³ · h urea in March and 25.6 … 48.0 nmol/dm³ · h urea in August. Respired CO₂ was found to represent 98 to 99 = of total uptake. Light stimulated urea uptake; parallel dark incubations showing usually 4.5 to 80.0 = of the uptake in the light. These results and size fractionation studies indicated that phytoplankton was dominating urea uptake. Urea proved to be an important nitrogen source for phytoplankton during the regenerated phase of the phytoplankton succession.     

Distribution and activity of petroleum hydrocarbon degrading bacteria in the North Sea and Baltic Sea

Summary Data were collected in 1988 and 1989 on the distribution and activity of petroleum hydrocarbon degrading bacteria in the North Sea and Baltic Sea. Crude oil degrading bacteria and the number of bacteria which in particular degrade naphthalene were quantified using a modified dilution method (MPN). Crude oil degrading bacteria were present in all of about 100 water samples, with as many as 10³ ml^–1 in some samples. Numbers of naphthalene degrading bacteria were at least tenfold lower. There is obviously a greater connection between this bacteria group and petroleum hydrocarbon (PHC) contamination than between the more nonspecific group of crude oil degrading bacteria and PHC contamination. Data from the North Sea show an extremely high abundance of hydrocarbon degrading bacteria, even in winter, while in the southern Baltic Sea low numbers of bacteria were found and slower crude oil degradation was observed.

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Verteilung und Aktivität von erdölkohlenwasserstoffabbauenden Bakterien in Nord- und Ostsee

Zusammenfassung 1988 und 1989 wurden Daten über Verteilung und Aktivität von erdölkohlenwasserstoffabbauenden Bakterien in Nord- und Ostsee gesammelt. Rohölabbauende Bakterien und die Zahl von Bakterien, die insbesondere Naphthalen abbauen, wurden mit einer modifizierten Lösungsmethode (MPN) bestimmt. Rohölabbauende Bakterien wurden in allen ca. 100 Wasserproben nachgewiesen; in einigen Proben mit nicht weniger als 10³/ml. Die Zahl der naphthalenabbauenden Bakterien war mindestens um den Faktor 10 kleiner. Ein stärkerer Zusammenhang zwischen dieser Bakteriengruppe und der Belastung des Meerwassers durch Erdöl-Kohlenwasserstoffe als zwischen der eher unspezifischen Gruppe der rohölabbauenden Bakterien und dieser Belastung ist wahrscheinlich. Daten aus der Nordsee zeigen, selbst im Winter, eine sehr hohe Zahl von kohlenwasserstoffabbauenden Bakterien, während in der südlichen Ostsee eine niedrigere Anzahl von Bakterien bestimmt und ein langsamerer Rohölabbau beobachtet wurde.