Determination of cadmium(II), copper(II), manganese(II) and nickel(II) species in Antarctic seawater with complexing resins

The strong species of cadmium(II), copper(II), manganese(II) and nickel(II) in an Antarctic seawater sample are investigated by a method based on the sorption of metal ions on complexing resins. The resins compete with the ligands present in the sample to combine with the metal ions. Two resins with different adsorbing strengths were used. Very stable metal complexes were investigated with the strong sorbent Chelex 100 and weaker species with the less strong resin, Amberlite CG-50. Strong species were detected for three of the considered metal ions, but not for Mn(II). Cu(II) is completely linked to species with a side reaction coefficient as high as log α_M(I) = 11.6 at pH = 7.3. The ligand concentration was found to be similar to that of the metal ion, and the conditional stability constant was around 10²⁰ M^− 1. In the considered sample, only a fraction of the metal ions Cd(II) and Ni(II) is bound to the strong ligands, with side reaction coefficients equal to log α_M(I) = 5.5 and 6.5 at pH = 7.3 for Cd(II) and Ni(II), respectively. These findings were confirmed by the test with the weaker sorbent Amberlite CG-50. It can be calculated from the sorption equilibria that neither Mn(II) nor Ni(II) is adsorbed on Amberlite CG-50 under the considered conditions and, in fact, only a negligible fraction of Mn(II) and Ni(II) was adsorbed. A noticeable fraction of Cd(II) was adsorbed on Amberlite CG-50, meaning that cadmium(II) is partially linked to weak ligands, possibly chloride, while no copper(II) was adsorbed on this resin, confirming that copper(II) is only combined in strong species. These results are similar, but not identical, to those obtained for other seawater samples examined in previous investigations.     

Sequence stratigraphy of the Mississippi fan (Plio-Pleistocene), Gulf of Mexico

The Mississippi Fan is a large, mud-dominated submarine fan over 4 km thick, deposited in the deep Gulf of Mexico during the late Pliocene and Pleistocene. Analysis of 19,000 km of multifold seismic data defined 17 seismic sequences, each characterized by channel, levee, and associated overbank deposits, as well as mass transport deposits. At the base of nine sequences are a series of seismic facies consisting of mounded, hummocky, chaotic, and subparallel reflections, which constitute 10–20% of the sediments in each the sequences. These facies are externally mounded and occur in two general regions of the fan: (1) in the upper and middle fan they are elongate in shape and mimic the channel's distribution; (2) in the middle fan to lower fan they are characterized by a fan-shaped distribution, increasing in width downfan. These facies are interpreted to have formed as disorganized slides, debris flows, and turbidites (informally called “mass transport complexes”). Overlying this basal interval, characteristic of all sequences, are well-developed channel-levee systems that constitute 80–90% of the fan's sediments. Channels consist of high amplitude, subparallel reflections, whereas the flanking levee sediments appear as subparallel reflections that have high amplitudes at the base changing upward to low amplitude. The vertical change in amplitude may reflect a decrease in grain size and bed thicknesses. Overbank sediments are characterized by interbedded subparallel to hummocky and mounded reflections, suggesting both turbidites from the channel, as well as slides and debris flows derived both locally and from the slope updip.     

Ecology of Vibrios in the Oliveri-Tindari Lagoon (Messina), Two-Year Study

Abstract. A two-year ecological study in the Oliveri-Tindari (Messina) brackish water ponds evaluated the quantitative and qualitative distribution of Vibrio species in relation to the physicochemical conditions of the ponds.
The evaluation of 204 samples shows a general relationship between the halophilic vibrios and water temperature. In particular this relationship is stronger for the Vibrio fraction able to grow at 37°C, i. e. , those species related to human infections. On the other hand, the halophilic vibrios show no relation with the index of fecal contamination.
The ecology of V. parahaemolyticus is discussed in relation to the salinity of Marinello pond.
The distribution of V. cholerae non O1, isolated from all ponds, shows that this microorganism can be considered as autochthonous in coastal environments.     

Sedimentary and structural evolution of the Eastern South Korea Plateau (ESKP), East Sea (Japan Sea)

The East Sea (Japan Sea) is a semi-enclosed back-arc basin that is thought to preserve a significant record of tectonic evolution and paleo-climatic changes of Eastern Asia during the Neogene. We use here 2-D regional multi-channel seismic reflection profiles and borehole data from Expedition 346 of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) to provide new constraints on the geological history of the Eastern South Korea Plateau (ESKP). The ESKP represents a structurally-complex basement high in the southwestern East Sea which formed during rifting of the back-arc basin. Our new observations show that the ESKP is composed of numerous horsts and grabens controlled by NE-trending normal faults. The acoustic basement is blanketed by Oligocene to recent sediments that have preferentially accumulated in topographic lows (up to 1.5 km thick) and have been cored during Expedition 346 at Site U1430 close to the southern margin of the ESKP. Seismic profiles in the ESKP reveal three units separated by regional unconformities. These seismic units closely correspond to IODP lithostratigraphic units defined at Site U1430, where biostratigraphic data can be used to constrain the timing of three main evolutionary stages of the ESKP. Stage 1 was related to rifting in the late Oligocene and middle Miocene, terminated by a regional uplift leading to an erosional phase in the middle Miocene. Stage 2 was associated with subsidence in the middle and late Miocene and uplift and accompanying erosion or non-deposition in the latest late Miocene. Stage 3 (Pliocene to present) recorded overall uniform hemipelagic-pelagic subsidence of the ESKP with short-lived tectonically-induced uplifts in the late middle Miocene and latest Miocene-early Pliocene. The three stages of evolution of the ESKP closely correlate to sedimentary changes since the Oligocene and suggest a direct control of regional/local tectonics on sedimentation patterns in the southwestern East Sea, with secondary influence of regional climatic and paleo-oceanographic processes.     

Astrothrombus rugosus clark,new to New Zealand,with notes on ophioceres huttoni (farquhar), hemilepis norae (benham), and ophiuroglypha irrorata (lyman) (echinodermata: Ophiuroidea)

Astrothrombus rugosus (Clark), hitherto known only from eastern Australia, is recorded here from off Kaikoura. Hemilepis abernethyi (Fell) and Ophioceres marginata (Fell) are here regarded as junior subjective synonyms of Hemilepis norae (Benham) and Ophioceres huttoni (Farquhar) respectively. Some New Zealand specimens of the cosmopolitan species Ophiuroglypha irrorata (Lyman) differ in some respects from the “typical” form; they may prove to represent a new species.     

Harmful algal blooms (HABs), dissolved organic matter (DOM), and planktonic microbial community dynamics at a near-shore and a harbour station influenced by upwelling (SW Iberian Peninsula)

The surface microalgal community, including harmful species, dissolved organic matter (DOM), and bacterial and viral populations were studied during an annual cycle (November 2007–October 2008) in a Near-shore (NS) and a Harbour (H) station located in an upwelling area (Sagres, SW Iberian Peninsula). The higher water residence time, water stability and shallowness of harbours in comparison with open waters likely contributed to the differences found between stations regarding chemical variables, statistical correlations and harmful algal proliferations. Also, several differences were noticed from a previous assessment (Loureiro et al., 2005) including higher SST, lower nitrate and chlorophyll a concentrations, along with a shift in the microplankton community structure from diatom to nanoflagellate predominance. These variations feasibly reflect the response of this dynamic system to regional environmental modifications contributing to the understanding of common patterns in environmental change trends. The division of the sampling period into (1) non-upwelling (Non-Uw), (2) “spin-up” of upwelling (SU-Uw), and (3) “spin-down” and relaxation-downwelling (SD-Rel) stages allowed the identification of natural groupings of microplankton samples by Multi Dimensional Scaling (MDS) analysis. Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and viruses were the most significant abiotic and biotic variables, respectively, contributing to the dissimilarities between these stages (SIMPER analysis) and, therefore, potentially affecting the microplankton community structure. Harmful algal species and a stable viral community appeared to be favoured by SD-Rel conditions. Data seem to indicate that both Gymnodinium catenatum and Heterosigma akashiwo, the most abundant potentially harmful species, have been imported into the sampling area. Also, the H location, together with potential retention sites developing around the Cabo de São Vicente upwelling centre, may contribute to the local accumulation of harmful species. The associations found between harmful algal species and bacterioplankton and virioplankton call for detailed studies in order to evaluate species-specific interactions.     

重金属离子(Cu~(2 )、Pb~(2 )、Hg~(2 )、Cd~(2 ))对日本鳃丝和肝胰脏显微结构的影响

在实验生态条件下研究了重金属离子(Cu2 、Pb2 、Hg2 、Cd2 )对日本鳃丝和肝胰脏显微结构(15d)的影响。观察结果表明:在2 mg/L Cu2 处理组,日本鳃叶不规则增厚,鳃腔相对扩大,其中血细胞明显增多;上皮层出现破坏:角质膜(CU)呈波状拱起,部分上皮细胞脱离角质膜形成大的空泡(VA);上皮细胞排列不规则,并与数目众多的血细胞充挤于血腔;肝胰脏中构成肝管的细胞发生严重崩解,只残留包被在外周的一层结缔组织的被膜。10mg/L Pb2 处理组鳃丝角质膜明显呈波状突起;肝管结构紊乱,开始出现大量空泡(VA)。0.1 mg/L Hg2 暴露下,鳃丝上皮层偶有溶解现象;肝胰脏肝细胞空泡化(VA)现象更为严重,细胞间界限不明显,肝细胞溶解,有些细胞核固缩;被膜中的结缔组织充血,出现血细胞浸润现象。1 mg/L Cd2 暴露下,鳃丝上皮层严重解体,只剩一层角质层,鳃腔相对扩大,部分区域有充血现象;肝胰脏出现细胞质溶解,细胞间界限不明显,血细胞浸润等现象。     

西沙群岛造礁石珊瑚群落结构的再分析

近几年来,我们多次对西沙群岛珊瑚礁作了生态调查,对西沙群岛的岛、礁有了一定的认识,对造礁石珊瑚群落结构也进行了概括的报导[1],为了进一步认识和了解西沙群岛,我们又于1976年4—5月选择处于西沙群岛西南隅的沙岛——中建岛,和位于西沙群岛东北面绿树成林的赵树岛作重点解剖,对造礁石珊瑚群落结构做了进一步的分析,以期为发展和利用珊瑚礁做一点有用的工作。     

秋季东海二甲基硫和二甲巯基丙酸内盐浓度分布及降解速率研究

于2013年10~11月现场测定了东海中二甲基硫(DMS)及其前体物质二甲巯基丙酸内盐(DMSP,分为溶解态DMSPd和颗粒态DMSPp)的含量,研究其水平分布特征、DMSPp的粒径分布及DMSPd的降解速率,并对DMS的海-气交换通量进行了探讨。研究结果表明,表层海水中DMS、DMSPd和DMSPp的浓度平均值分别为(4.84±0.40)、(5.84±0.93)和(13.01±0.52)nmol·L-1。海水中DMSPd的降解速率在2.59~16.36nmol·L-1·d-1之间,平均值为(6.78±0.84)nmol·L-1·d-1。调查海域范围内,小型浮游植物(20μm)是DMSPp和叶绿素a(Chl a)重要贡献者。此外,秋季东海表层海水DMS的海-气交换通量为0.66~31.73μmol·m-2·d-1,平均值为(11.63±0.71)μmol·m-2·d-1。     

Food preferences and rhythms of feeding activity of two co‐existing demersal fish,the longspine snipefish,Macroramphosus scolopax (Linnaeus, 1758), and the boarfish Capros aper (Linnaeus, 1758), on the Mediterranean deep shelf

The feeding behaviour of two potentially competing species, the longspine snipefish, Macroramphosus scolopax, and the boarfish Capros aper was examined. While both species are very abundant along the Mediterranean coast and are regularly caught by demersal trawlers, they are of no commercial value. The diets of boarfish and longspine snipefish were investigated from samples collected between January 2001 and May 2002. Variations in the diet with fish size and season, as well as diet overlap and diversity were explored. Mysid shrimps, amphipods and gastropods were the most important food items in the diet of longspine snipefish. During ontogenetic development, M. scolopax occupies different trophic levels: the diet shifts from being predominantly composed of mysids (Anchialina agilis, Lophogaster typicus, Erythrops sp., Leptomysis spp.) in the smaller longspine snipefish [<6.5 cm total length (TL)] towards decapods (Anapagurus laevis) and amphipods (Leucothoe incisa, Eusirus longipes, Hyperidea) in the larger individuals (>6.5 cm TL). Crustacean decapods and copepods were the most important prey in the stomachs of boarfish. Mysids (Lo. typicus), euphausiids and nematodes were present in the larger individuals (>8 cm TL). A more generalist diet, still containing copepods, crustacean decapods, gastropods (Limacina retroversa) and a large variety of amphipods (e.g. Phtysica marina, Stenotoe bosphorana) and mysids (e.g. A. agilis, Leptomysis spp., Erythrops sp.), dominated the diet of C. aper between 2 and 8 cm TL. Diet overlap between longspine snipefish and boarfish was very low and the differences in stomach species diversity were explained by season and fish size.     

Hydrography and dynamics of the Ría de Ribadeo (NW Spain), a wave driven estuary

The Ría de Ribadeo, a small embayment in NW Spain, was observed for the first time using three months of ADCP (Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler) current meter records and three CTD (Conductivity Temperature Depth) surveys. A wave driven circulation pattern arises from the observations, instead of the shelf wind driven circulation of other Galician Rias. Based on ADCP records, a unidirectional flow in the horizontal velocity field coexists with the classic two-layer circulation (bidirectional flow). The proposed horizontal circulation pattern can then be explained as a wave driven inflow. This flow enters the ria through the west side, describes an anticlockwise gyre inside of it, and flows out through the east side. Numerical simulations run with the HAMSOM (Hamburg Shelf Ocean Model) agreed with observations, confirming the proposed pattern.