Coulometric total carbon dioxide analysis for marine studies: Automation and calibration

An automated instrument for the coulometric detection of total carbon dioxide (TCO₂) was developed from the manual prototype of Johnson et al. Pure CO₂ was used to calibrate the detector, the whole analytical procedure was controlled by a microcomputer, and the unit was compact enough for field and shipboard use. Some 67 samples from the Askö field station on the Baltic Sea (salinity = 6; TCO₂ ranging from 1224.3 to 1276.1 μmol l⁻¹ with a mean of 1245.6 μmol l⁻¹) and 31 samples from Swedish lakes (TCO₂ ranging from 19.5 to 252.3 μmol l⁻¹ with a mean of 72.9 μmol l⁻¹) were analyzed. The pooled standard deviation of these analyses was ± 1.0 μmol l⁻¹ (% CV of 0.08 and 1.3%, respectively). Precisions of < 0.1% were routine for waters exceeding 1000 μmol l⁻¹ TCO₂. At Askö on the Baltic Sea, the mean absolute difference between coulometric and pH-alkalinity determinations of TCO₂ on 22 parallel samples was 6.7 μmol kg⁻¹ or 0.5% of the mean. Community metabolism studies gave maximum rates of net production (TCO₂ uptake) and respiration (TCO₂ production) of 0.9-1.2 and 0.3-0.5 μmol l⁻¹ b⁻¹, respectively. The results of this study provide solutions to the problems observed with the earlier manual prototype.     

Recovery of added 15N-labelled ammonium-N from Louisiana Gulf Coast estuarine sediment

The loss of added ¹⁵N-labelled NH₄⁺ from bottom sediment was studied in situ in a shallow saline Louisiana Gulf Coast lake. ¹⁵N-labelled NH₄⁺ was uniformly mixed with sediment at the level of 35 μg N g^?1 dry sediment for 24 h before being weighed into polyethylene containers. The ¹⁵N-enriched sediment was incubated on the lake bottom for periods up to 337 days. At intervals, triplicate samples were taken and analyzed for inorganic NH₄⁺, organic N, and denitrification rates. Concentrations of NH₄⁺ in the ¹⁵NH₄⁺ enriched sediment samples were at levels similar to those measured in vertical intact cores removed from the lake at each sampling date. The initial and final isotopic compositions of NH₄⁺ in the incubated sediments were 44.26 and 0.521 atom % ¹⁵N excess, respectively. ¹⁵N enrichment in the organic N fraction increased rapidly during the first 15 days of incubation and then increased slowly from 15 to 123 days. Denitrification, estimated by the acetylene blockage technique, ranged from 0.994 to 0.079 ng N g^?1 dry sediment per hour. The mean denitrification rate for the 337-day period was 0.28 ng N g^?1 h^?1. There was no statistical difference in the recovery of ¹⁵N between 15 and 337 days of incubation. When the added ¹⁵N became incorporated into the organic N pool, little or no further ¹⁵N was lost.     

Bacterial populations,heterotrophic potentials,and water quality in three New Zealand Rivers

Abstract

Thirty sites were sampled in three New Zealand rivers (Waikato, Maitai, and Wakapuaka) during late summer 1977. Samples were collected from just below the surface at mid river or in the tailraces below hydro‐electric dams.

Parameters measured included bacterial numbers (direct counts), heterotrophic potential (V_max ), adenosine triphosphate (ATP), chlorophyll a (Chi a), and concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds.

Bacterial populations per millilitre fluctuated threefold (6.4–19.4 × 10⁵) along the Waikato River and were lower and more consistent in the two South Island rivers (1.46–2.55 × 10⁵). In contrast, V_max varied 5000‐fold in the Waikato River, from a characteristically oligotrophic value of 0.0035 μg. l^?1·h^?1 (Lake Taupo outlet) to a eutrophic value of 18.4 μg. l^?1·h^?1 at the Mihi bridge. V_max for the two South Island rivers ranged from 0.0091 to 0.189 μg. l^?1 · h^?1.

ATP, Chi a, Kjeldahl nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, and total phosphorus concentrations for the 20 sites on the Waikato River varied in a similar way to the V_max and bacterial data. There were large peaks at the Mihi bridge, lower values for the dam tailraces and significant increases for the sites below Hamilton. Concentrations for these parameters were lower and more consistent along the lengths of the two South Island rivers.

Most parameters were significantly correlated with each other for the Waikato River samples. The strongest correlations were between V_max and bacterial numbers and between V_max and nitrate nitrogen. In the Maitai and Wakapuaka River series these correlations were also significant, but the only other significant correlations recorded there were between ATP and nitrate nitrogen, and between ATP and bacterial numbers.     

Coulometric TCO2 analyses for marine studies; an introduction

Progress in the introduction of coulometry for the analysis of total carbon dioxide (TCO₂) in marine waters is described. An extractor—stripper removes CO₂ that is measured coulometrically by the quantity of electricity (coulombs) used to electrogenerate OH^? ions for the titration of the acid formed by the reaction of CO₂ and ethanolamine. The equivalence point is detected photometrically with thymolphthalein as the indicator, and Faraday's Law relates coulombs to equivalents of titrant generated and CO₂ determined so that there are no standard curves needed or titrants to standardize or store. Accuracy was determined by adding gelatin capsules containing 100–1500 μg C of pure CaCO₃ into the stripper, and accuracies of better than ± 1 μg C were achieved. The best precision for natural seawater (± 1 standard error) of ± 0.5 μmol l^?1 was found for 17 samples of Bermuda coastal waters having a mean TCO₂ of 2007.2 μmol l^?1 (0.05% CV). Sources of error and precautions are discussed. This method, which has been used successfully at sea, can be used to study a variety of marine phenomena involving TCO₂.     

Benthic fluxes of nitrogen in the tidal reaches of a turbid, high-nitrate sub-tropical river

Benthic fluxes of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (NO₃⁻ and NH₄⁺), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), N₂ (denitrification), O₂ and TCO₂ were measured in the tidal reaches of the Bremer River, south east Queensland, Australia. Measurements were made at three sites during summer and winter. Fluxes of NO₃⁻ were generally directed into the sediments at rates of up to −225 μmol N m⁻² h⁻¹. NH₄⁺ was mostly taken up by the sediments at rates of up to −52 μmol N m⁻² h⁻¹, its ultimate fate probably being denitrification. DON fluxes were not significant during winter. During summer, fluxes of DON were observed both into (−105 μmol m⁻² h⁻¹) and out of (39 μmol m⁻² h⁻¹) the sediments. Average N₂ fluxes at all sampling sites were similar during summer (162 μmol N m⁻² h⁻¹) and winter (153 μmol N m⁻² h⁻¹). Denitrification was fed both by nitrification within the sediment and NO₃⁻ from the water column. Sediment respiration rates played an important role in the dynamics of nitrification and denitrification. NO₃⁻ fluxes were significantly related to TCO₂ fluxes (p<0.01), with a release of NO₃⁻ from the sediment only occurring at respiration rates below 1000 μmol C m⁻² h⁻¹. Rates of denitrification increased with respiration up to TCO₂ fluxes of 1000 μmol C m⁻² h⁻¹. At sediment respiration rates above 1000 μmol C m⁻² h⁻¹, denitrification rates increased less rapidly with respiration in winter and declined during summer. On a monthly basis denitrification removed about 9% of the total nitrogen and 16% of NO₃⁻ entering the Bremer River system from known point sources. This is a similar magnitude to that estimated in other tidal river systems and estuaries receiving similar nitrogen loads. During flood events the amount of NO₃⁻ denitrified dropped to about 6% of the total river NO₃⁻ load.     

Nitrogen fixation in polluted intertidal sediments of Waimea Inlet,Nelson

Abstract

Nitrogen fixing potential was measured in summer 1975 by acetylene reduction in situ at 5 stations on the intertidal flats of the Waimea Inlet, Nelson, New Zealand, which receive nutrients from several sources. Highest values (644 μmol?m^?2.d^?1) were obtained on sediments near an apple cannery effluent discharge and were linear through at least two tidal cycles. The cannery waste had the highest carbon to nitrogen ratio (10.3 : 1.0) of all the effluents examined and exhibited the highest rate of acetylene reduction (14.0 μmol?_‐l^?1.d^?1). Sizeable populations of the nitrogen fixing bacteria Klebsiella pneumoniae were isolated from the cannery effluent (2 × 10⁴ per millilitre) and also from the mud adjacent to the discharge pipe (5 × 10⁵ per millilitrc). The stimulatory effect of the cannery effluent on nitrogen fixation in the sediment was shown to be restricted to close to the discharge point. Sediments in areas affected by slaughterhouse and sewage effluents exhibited the second and third highest rates of acetylene reduction, (130 &; 28 μmol?m^?2.d^?1 respectively). In both places, the activities were not restricted to the immediate vicinity of the effluent channels. Nitrogen fixation was lowest in sediments fronting a catchment of grazed pasture. Fixation was low also in sediments affected by effluents from the hydraulic debarker of a woodchip mill.     

Opposite diel patterns of nitrogen fixation associated with salt marsh plant species (Spartina foliosa and Salicornia virginica) in southern California

In marine wetlands, nitrogen fixation is a potentially important nutrient source for nitrogen‐limited primary producers, but interactions between nitrogen fixers and different vascular plant species are not fully understood. Nitrogen fixation activity was compared in sediments vegetated by three plant species, Spartina foliosa, Salicornia virginica, and Salicornia bigelovii in the Kendall Frost Reserve salt marsh in Mission Bay (CA). This study addressed the effects of plant type, day and night conditions, and sediment depths on nitrogen fixation. Higher rates of nitrogen fixation were associated with S. foliosa than with either of the two Salicornia spp., which are known to compete more effectively than Spartina for exogenous nitrogen in the salt marsh environment. Rates of nitrogen fixation, determined by acetylene reduction, in sediments vegetated by S. virginica were low during the day (7.7 ± 1.2 μmol C₂H₄ m⁻² h⁻¹) but averaged 13 ± 6.6 μmol C₂H₄ m⁻² h⁻¹ at night, with particularly high rates in samples from locations with visible cyanobacterial mats. The opposite diel pattern was found for sediments containing S. foliosa plants, in which average daytime and nighttime rates of nitrogen fixation were 62 ± 23 and 21 ± 15 μmol C₂H₄ m⁻² h⁻¹, respectively. For S. foliosa, nitrogenase activity of rinsed roots and different sediment sections (0–1, or 4–5 cm depths) were measured. Although nitrogen fixation rates in vegetated sediment samples were substantial, all but one of rinsed S. foliosa root samples (n = 12) and subsurface sediments at 4–5 cm depths failed to show nitrogen fixation activity after 2 h, suggesting that the most active nitrogen fixers in these systems likely reside in surface sediments. Further, nitrogenase activity in shaded and unshaded S. foliosa samples did not differ, suggesting that nitrogen fixers may not rapidly respond to changes in plant photosynthetic activity. Average nitrogen fixation rates in S. foliosa‐vegetated samples from the Mission Bay salt marsh were on the same order as those of highly productive Atlantic coast marshes, and this microbially‐mediated nitrogen source may be similarly substantial in other Mediterranean wetlands. Sediment abiotic variables seem to exert greater control upon nitrogen fixation activity than the effects of particular plant species. Nonetheless, dominant plant species may differ substantially in their reliance on nitrogen fixation as a nutrient source, with potentially important consequences for wetland conservation and restoration.     

Effect of solid to solution ratio on biogenic silica determination in coastal sediments

The method of DeMaster (1981) for measuring biogenic silica (BSi) in marine sediments was modified. We found a considerable effect of the solid to solution (S/S) ratio on BSi determination in coastal sediments. The BSi contents determined by DeMaster’s method were overestimated due to the contribution of clay mineral-derived extractable Si at a low S/S ratio (<1 g l⁻¹), and incomplete recovery of BSi was observed due to incomplete extraction when using a high S/S ratio (>2 g l⁻¹). For BSi analysis of coastal sediment samples, the BSi content of representative samples must be measured using various S/S ratios to determine the appropriate S/S ratio in order to minimize the contribution of extractable Si derived from clay minerals and to obtain sufficiently efficient extraction with 1% Na₂CO₃ before actual sample measurement. One way to determine the appropriate S/S ratio is to use artificial sediment which has a theoretical Si and clay mineral content similar to the sediment sample composition. Using artificial sediment, the S/S ratio of 2 g l⁻¹ seems appropriate for measuring the BSi content of the coastal sediments investigated in this study, because 99.6% recovery can be achieved.     

Chlorinated hydrocarbons in the seawater and surface sediments of Blanca Bay,Argentina

In order to characterize our study area and to provide reference values to be used in the future to measure the changes produced by an increase in contamination, the concentrations of chlorinated hydrocarbons have been investigated in fifty-one samples of seawater, taken at four different depths: air-sea interface, surface, one metre and bottom waters, and in twenty-three samples of surface sediments from Blanca Bay, Argentina. Of eleven organochlorine compounds we were looking for (α BHC, lindane, heptachlor, δ BHC. aldrin, heptachlor epoxide, dieldrin, o-p′DDD, p-p′DDD, o-p′DDT and p-p′DDT), seven could be detected in seawater and three in surface sediments with the following mean concentrations: α-BHC=48·2 ng l^?1; lindane=54·2 ng l^?1; heptachlor=45·0 ng l^?1; δ BHC=12·5 ng l^?1; aldrin=61·8 ng l^?1 and ΣDDT=67·0 ng l^?1; and δ BHC=3·2 ng g^?1; lindane=4·2 ng g^?1 and heptachlor=1·0 ng g^?1 for seawater, regarding the surface waters, and sediment samples, respectively.Concentration factors among the different water layers were also studied to see if there was any correlation between chlorinated hydrocarbon contents and the water depths from which the samples were taken. As a mean value, the air-sea interface water contains 18 times more of these compounds than that of the water near the bottom. A comparison of the values corresponding to seawater and surface sediments from our study area with those levels measured in samples from other geographic locations is also presented.With the purpose to detect a relationship between chlorinated hydrocarbon concentrations and the contents of particulate matter (PM) on the one hand, and particulate organic material (POM) on the other hand, four groups of samples containing different amounts of PM and POM, respectively were formed. From a comparison of the results obtained, lindane, heptachlor and δ BHC showed a tendency to lower concentrations in those samples containing little PM whereas α BHC and aldrin remained without important changes. No significant correlation was found between organochlorine levels and contents of POM.     

Seasonal dynamics of elemental sulfur in two coastal sediments

A spectrophotometric method for elemental sulfur (S⁰) analysis without interference from other reduced sulfur compounds was adapted for the use in reducing sediments. The S⁰ distribution in two coastal sediments was studied regularly from summer to winter and compared to factors regulating the S⁰ accumulation, such as redox potentials, the rate of bacterial sulfide production and the general sulfur chemistry. Dense coatings of sulfur bacteria developed on the sediment surface of a sulfuretum which had an S⁰ concentration of up to 41 μmol S cm^?3. The 2·5-mm thick bacterial coating contained 40% of all S⁰ in the sediment. A more typical marine sediment with a few cm thick oxidized surface layer had an S⁰ maximum of 1–3 μmol S cm^?3 at 2–4 cm depth. The S⁰ maximum in both sediments increased from summer to winter as the sediments gradually became more oxidized. The deeper layers maintained a low S⁰ concentration. Most of the S⁰ in the upper few mm of a laboratory sulfuretum was present inside sulfur bacteria and actively migrated up and down with the bacteria depending upon the changing light and oxygen conditions.     

Sedimentological parameters and erosion behaviour of submarine coastal sediments in the south-western Baltic Sea

The aim of this study was to evaluate the erodibility of submarine coastal sediments for the purpose of modelling sediment dynamics in Mecklenburg Bay, south-western Baltic Sea. Erosion thresholds derived from experiments with a device microcosm on cores of fine sand (n=5, mean grain size=132 µm) and mud (n=5, medium silt size, mean=21 µm), collected at different times of the year, were compared to theoretical critical shear stress velocities based on grain-size measurements. For this purpose, a sedimentological map of natural surface sediments was constructed for the study area. Calculated values for critical shear stress velocities (u* _{cr-Hjulström} ) are 1.2 cm s^?1 for fine sand, and 3.75 cm s^?1 for cohesive mud. At the mud station, erosion experiments showed an initial transport of the fluffy surface layer (u* _cr-initial ) at a mean critical shear stress velocity of 0.39 cm s^?1. Initial rolling transport at the fine sand station for single sand grains was recorded at values of 0.5 cm s^?1. At higher shear stress velocities, the two sediment types showed diverging erosion behaviour. Measurable erosion (ε>5.0×10^?6 kg m^?2 s^?1) of fine sand starts at a mean critical shear stress velocity (u* _cr-erosion ) of 1.15 cm s^?1 whereas fluffy surface material on mud cores was eroded at mean u* _cr-erosion of 0.62 cm s^?1. This indicates that measured erosion thresholds at the fine sand site fit well to calculated critical shear stress velocities whereas calculated erosion thresholds for cohesive mud are roughly 6 times higher than measured values. As erosion behaviour at the mud station was dominated by fluffy surface material, the comparability of measured and calculated threshold values may be reduced. The underlying silt-sized sediment itself was stable due to cohesive effects. This behaviour has to be taken into consideration by using sediment types instead of mean grain sizes for mapping and modelling sediment dynamics. A comparison of the near-bottom hydrodynamic conditions in the study area and experimentally derived critical shear stress velocities suggests that particle transport is controlled by storm events whereas under calm conditions shear stress velocities do not exceed the critical values.     

Dissolution kinetics of biogenic silica collected from the water column and sediments of three Southern California borderland basins

Understanding biogenic silica (bSi) dissolution kinetics in margin environments is important in assessing the global silicon cycle, a cycle closely linked to the global carbon cycle. This understanding is also essential to answer the question of whether bSi content in marine sediment is a valid indicator of productivity in the overlying surface ocean. In this study, plankton tow, sediment trap, and sediment samples were collected at sites in three Southern California borderland basins. Batch dissolution experiments with plankton tow and sediment trap materials (conducted in the laboratory at 22 °C) showed linear dissolution kinetics, from which mean dissolution rate constants of 0.05 d^? 1 for plankton tow samples and 0.07 d^? 1 for sediment trap samples could be calculated. The dissolution rate constants for both types of samples showed seasonal variability but not the same seasonal patterns. Faster dissolution was observed with sediment trap samples collected at 800 m than at 550 m. With sediment multi-core samples, non-linear dissolution kinetics was observed, which complicates the direct comparison of dissolution rates. Nonetheless, dissolution appeared to be slower for the sediments samples than for samples collected from the water column and to decrease with depth in the sediments. Rate constants for surface sediment (0–0.5 cm) were at least 3–5 times less, and sediments at depths > 2 cm had rate constants at least 6–13 times less than those for material sinking to the sediment surface at these sites. Dissolution experiments conducted with Santa Barbara Basin surface sediment samples amended with dissolved aluminum (Al) and San Pedro Basin trap samples amended with enriched detrital materials (obtained by leaching bSi from sediment samples) suggested that dissolution was inhibited by Al and that the sediments from the different basins varied in the extent of Al release.     

Sound speed dispersion characteristics of three types of shallow sediments in the southern yellow sea

To accurately characterize sound speed dispersion of shallow sediments in the Southern Yellow Sea, three types of sediments, i.e., silt, clayey silt, and silty clay, were selected to measure the sound speeds at 25–250?kHz. Over the frequency range, the sound speeds vary approximately from 1,536 to 1,565?m?s^?1 in silt sediment, from 1,511 to 1,527?m?s^?1 in clayey silt sediment, and from 1,456 to 1,466?m?s^?1 in silty clay sediment. The sound speed exhibits a slow increase with frequency in a nearly linear gradient, but these three types of sediments have different sound speed dispersion characteristics. The silt sediment with relatively coarse grains has the most significant sound speed dispersion, while the sound speed dispersions of the two others are relatively weak. Comparison between the measured dispersions and the model predictions shows that the grain-shearing model can match the measured data at most of frequencies. Nevertheless, when the grain bulk modulus was assigned 3.2?×?10¹⁰?Pa according to relevant references, the Biot–Stoll model predictions were higher than the measured values at high frequencies; when it was assigned a relatively small value of 2.8?×?10¹⁰?Pa, the model predictions achieved optimal matching with the measured values.     

Response of water column to strong wind forcing,southern Brazilian inner shelf: Implications for sand ridge formation

The result of two sequential oceanographic stations of 36 hours each in the area of sand ridges are presented. One station was located in the trough between two sand ridges and the other was at the crest of a sand ridge. At these stations salinity and temperature of the sea water, currents, winds, waves, and barometric pressure were measured each hour.During the observations, a cold front passed; this generated westerly winds that grew in speed from 24 to 52 km h^?1. The average height of the wind generated waves grew from 1.0 to 1.5 m and their periods increased from 7 to 10 s, and the speed of the northeast directed surface current increased from 40 to 82 cm s^?1. A bottom current (also directed northeast) increased from 26 to 34 cm s^?1.After the cold front had passed, the wind backed to the southeast and decreased in speed from 26 to zero km h^?1. The surface current in a northwest direction decreased from 29 to 8 cm s^?1. A bottom current (also directed northwest) decreased from 22 to 3 cm s^?1. Later, swells from the southeast appeared and their periods increased from 5 to 9 s and their heights grew from 1.0 to 1.5 m. After 3 hours, the speeds of the surface and bottom currents increased from 8 to 72 cm s^?1 and 3 to 62 cm s^?1 respectively.This cold front induced strong winds and storm-wave currents able to erode sediments (assuming a threshold velocity of 20 cm s^?1) and transport them in a north-northeast direction.The origin and the maintenance of these sand ridges is thought to be a function of sediments eroded from troughs and piled up at ridge crests during a storm condition. Some eroded sediments are transported north of Verga lighthouse where they are deposited on a smooth bottom.     

Effects of organic pollutants on methanogenesis,sulfate reduction and carbon dioxide evolution in salt marsh sediments

Anaerobic salt marsh sediments were amended with a variety of organic pollutants and the effects on methanogenesis, sulfate reduction and carbon dioxide evolution were examined. Addition of 1000 μg g^?1 (dry weight sediment) Arochlor 1221, lindane, endrin, benzene and phenanthrene resulted in no significant effects on the activities studied. Methanogenesis was inhibited by 1000 μg g^?1toxaphene, PCP, chlordane, naphthalene, DDT, Kepone and heptachlor and by 100 μg g^?1 PCP and toxaphene. At 1000 μg g^?1 naphthalene and toxaphene and 100 μg g^?1 PCP, a period of initial inhibition of methanogenesis was followed by stimulation relative to controls. Arochlor 1254 (1000 μg g^?1) and Temik (500 and 10 μg g^?1) stimulated methanogenesis from the outset. Temik at 500 μg g^?1 gave the greatest stimulation of methanogenesis (900% of controls) of any of the compounds studied. Sulfate reduction was inhibited by 1000 μg g^?1 PCP, toxaphene, naphthalene and chlordane and by 500 μg g^?1 atrazine and 100 μg g^?1 heptachlor. Sustained inhibition of sulfate reduction by naphthalene, toxaphene and PCP may have contributed to the stimulation of methanogenesis. Carbon dioxide evolution was not significantly affected by most of the compounds studied except for 100 μg g^?1 PCP and 1000 μg g^?1 aphthalene, each of which gave significant inhibition in only one of three experiments.Concentrations of individual organic pollutants required to cause observable effects were high. It is concluded that, except for highly polluted sediments, methanogenesis, sulfate reduction and CO₂ evolution would not be affected by the compounds studied here at concentrations typically found in the environment.     

Particulate protein measurement in oceanographic samples by dye binding

A modified version of the Coomassie Brilliant Blue dye binding protein assay has been developed for oceanographic samples and intercalibrated with the widely used Lowry assay. Particulate protein measurements were made at seven stations in the Gulf of Maine using the method. Measurements were made on cell-free homogenates. Protein concentration ranged from 2 to 212 μg l^?1 (0.02–0.68 μg at N l^?1) and averaged 58 μg l^?1. ETS activity, chlorophyll and particulate nitrogen were significantly correlated with protein concentrations.     

Influence of water column dynamics on sulfide oxidation and other major biogeochemical processes in the chemocline of Mariager Fjord (Denmark)

Major electron donors (H₂S, NH₄⁺, Mn²⁺, Fe²⁺) and acceptors (O₂, NO₃⁻, Mn(IV), Fe(III)), process rates (³⁵SO₄²⁻ reduction, dark ¹⁴CO₂ fixation) and vertical fluxes were investigated to quantify the dominant biogeochemical processes at the chemocline of a shallow brackish fjord. Under steady-state conditions, the upward fluxes of reductants and downward fluxes of oxidants in the water column were balanced. However, changes in the hydrographical conditions caused a transient nonsteady-state at the chemocline and had a great impact on process rates and the distribution of chemical species. Maxima of S⁰ (17.8 μmol l⁻¹), thiosulfate (5.2 μmol l⁻¹) and sulfite (1.1 μmol l⁻¹) occurred at the chemocline, but were hardly detectable in the sulfidic deep water. The distribution of S⁰ suggested that the high concentration of S⁰ was (a) more likely due to a low turnover than a high formation rate and (b) was only transient, caused by chemocline perturbations. Kinetic calculations of chemical sulfide oxidation based on actual conditions in the chemocline revealed that under steady-state conditions with a narrow chemocline and low reactant concentrations, biological sulfide oxidation may account for more than 88% of the total sulfide oxidation. Under nonsteady-state conditions, where oxic and sulfidic water masses were recently mixed, resulting in an expanded chemocline, the proportion of chemical sulfide oxidation increased. The sulfide oxidation rate determined by incubation experiments was 0.216 μmol l⁻¹ min⁻¹, one of the highest reported for stratified basins and about 15 times faster than the initial rate for chemical oxidation. The conclusion of primarily biological sulfide oxidation was consistent with the observation of high rates of dark ¹⁴CO₂ fixation (10.4 mmol m⁻² day⁻¹) in the lower part of the chemocline. However, rates of dark ¹⁴CO₂ fixation were too high to be explained only by lithoautotrophic processes. CO₂ fixation by growing populations of heterotrophic microorganisms may have additionally contributed to the observed rates.     

Concentrations of suspended matter and particulate cadmium,copper, lead and zinc in the Indian sector of the antarctic ocean

The concentrations of suspended matter and particulate Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn were determined for 36 samples collected at 6 stations in the Antarctic Ocean during December, 1970 and January, 1971 using membrane filters. The concentration of suspended matter was determined gravimetrically and trace metal levels were determined using anodic stripping voltammetry. For waters deeper than 100 m the concentration of suspended matter was < 100 μg l^?1. Concentrations up to 542 μg l^?1 were recorded between surface and 100 m. Individual concentrations of the metals were scattered with depth. Average concentrations of particulate metals were: Cd, 3.5 ng l^?1; Cu, 100 ng l^?1; Pb, 35 ng l^?1; and Zn, 230 ng ;l^?1 These measurements represent non-steady state conditions of early Antarctic summer as the ice pack disintegrates and biological activity increases.     

Trace metals in the Göta river estuary

The concentrations of the trace metals Cd, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn in the Göta River estuary have been investigated. The following metal fractions have been determined: acid-leachable, dissolved, labile and particulate.The estuary represents a salt wedge type estuary and is situated in a densely populated region of Sweden. The metal concentrations found for the dissolved fraction is in the range of what can be considered as background levels for freshwater. It is difficult to evaluate any estuarine processes other than conservative mixing for Cd, Cu, Ni and Zn. The dissolved levels in the freshwater end member are Cd, 9–25 ngl^?1; Cu, 1·1–1·4 μgl^?1; Fe, 20–75 μg l^?1: Ni, 0·7–0·9 μg l^?1: Pb 0·09–0·2 μg l^?1; and Zn, 6–7 μg l^?1:The results from the acid-leachable fraction show that at high suspended load the particles sediment in the river mouth. The trace metal levels in this fraction are subject to large variations.     

Thermal constraints on the respiration and excretion rates of krill,Euphausia hanseni and Nematoscelis megalops,in the northern Benguela upwelling system off Namibia

Rates of respiration and ammonia excretion of Euphausia hanseni and Nematoscelis megalops were determined experimentally at four temperatures representative of conditions encountered by these euphausiid species in the northern Benguela upwelling environment. The respiration rate increased from 7.7 µmol O₂ h^?1 g_ww ^?1 at 5 °C to 18.1 µmol O₂ h^?1 g_ww ^?1 at 20 °C in E. hanseni and from 7.0 µmol O₂ h^?1 g_ww ^?1 (5 °C) to 23.4 µmol O₂ h^?1 g_ww ^?1 (20 °C) in N. megalops. The impact of temperature on oxygen uptake of the two species differed significantly. Nematoscelis megalops showed thermal adaptations to temperatures between 5 °C and 10 °C (Q₁₀ = 1.9) and metabolic constraint was evident at higher temperatures (Q₁₀ = 2.6). In contrast, E. hanseni showed adaptations to temperatures of 10–20 °C (Q₁₀ = 1.5) and experienced metabolic depression below 10 °C (Q₁₀ = 2.6). Proteins were predominantly metabolised by E. hanseni in contrast to lipids by N. megalops. Carbon demand of N. megalops between 5 and 15 °C was lower than in E. hanseni versus equal food requirements at 20 °C. It is concluded that the two species display different physiological adaptations, based on their respective temperature adaptations, which are mirrored in their differential vertical positioning in the water column.