Stable isotope composition of modern bryozoan skeletal carbonate from the Otago Shelf,New Zealand

The oxygen (δ¹⁸O) and carbon (δ¹³C) isotope ratios of 10 species of living Bryozoa collected from the Otago Shelf, New Zealand were analysed to assess the extent to which isotopic equilibrium (relative to inorganic equilibrium isotope fractionation) is attained during the precipitation of skeletal calcium carbonate. The data reveal that whereas eight species of Bryozoa synthesise skeletal carbonate in apparent oxygen isotope equilibrium with respect to environmental conditions, two species (Celleporina grandis and Hippomonavella flexuosa) yield δ¹⁸O_calcite values which indicate significant disequilibrium oxygen isotope fractionation during calcification. Sufficient data are available from one species (C. grandis) to demonstrate that disequilibrium is probably related to kinetic factors associated with diffusion‐controlled transport of HCO₃‐ to the site of calcite precipitation. Carbon isotope signatures indicate significant departures from inorganic isotope equilibrium in all but one bryozoan species (Hippomenella vellicata). Although greater uncertainties are associated with estimates of the isotopic composition of total dissolved inorganic carbon (δ¹³C_SDIC), the data suggest that two factors—kinetic fractionation and incorporation of respiratory CO₂—are important in controlling carbon isotope disequilibrium. Where bryozoan species exhibit evidence for disequilibrium in both oxygen and carbon isotope systems (C. grandis, H. flexuosa), it is likely that kinetic factors are primarily responsible for observed departures from carbon isotope equilibrium. In contrast, the probable explanation for those species which display evidence for carbon isotope disequilibrium only, is that skeletal carbonate is precipitated from a DIC pool modified by the incorporation of respiratory CO₂. Differences between the carbon isotope composition of skeletal elements from the same species and co‐existing species living in the same community suggests that significant variations may occur in the extent to which marine DIC and respiratory CO₂ are utilised during calcification. Additional studies of carbon pathways associated with calcification are required to assess the relative effects of kinetic, metabolic, and environmental factors on the carbon isotopic composition of bryozoan skeletal carbonate.     

氢和氧稳定同位素示踪湖泊蒸发的对比研究

氢氧稳定同位素被广泛用于水文循环过程的研究。本文观测了2015年太湖湖水H~2HO和H_2~(18)O组分,分析了它们的时空变化规律及其控制因子,探讨亚热带大型浅水湖泊的同位素富集机制;基于稳定同位素质量守恒法计算太湖蒸发量;评价了动力分馏学系数的传统湖泊算法与海洋算法的适用性;重点分析了H~2HO和H_2~(18)O示踪湖泊蒸发的效果,对比二者之间的差异。研究结果表明,在空间上,太湖湖水和河水的氢氧同位素在南部特别是东南部较为富集但在北部区域较为贫化,这主要是受水流方向的控制,东南部湖水经历的蒸发时间较长,因此湖水中同位素累积较多;在季节上,冬季湖水同位素较贫化、春夏季较富集。对于2015年太湖的年蒸发量,用氢同位素示踪的结果与观测值较一致,为880mm;氧同位素的示踪结果略低,为690mm。使用传统湖泊研究中对动力学分馏系数的取值,会导致蒸发被显著低估,而氧稳定同位素的示踪结果对动力学分馏系数的取值更为敏感,同时氢稳定同位素在同位素分馏过程中主要是平衡分馏效应占主导,因此H~2HO在动力学分馏系数的参数化方案中影响较小,在实际应用中更为稳定。本文的研究结果表明了稳定同位素水文学研究中使用合适的动力学分馏系数的重要性。     

Growth of the European abalone (Haliotis tuberculata L.) in situ: Seasonality and ageing using stable oxygen isotopes

The ormer, Haliotis tuberculata is the only European abalone species commercially exploited. The determination of growth and age in the wild is an important tool for fisheries and aquaculture management. However, the ageing technique used in the past in the field is unreliable. The stable oxygen isotope composition (¹⁸O/¹⁶O) of the shell depends on the temperature and oxygen isotope composition of the ambient sea water. The stable oxygen isotope technique, developed to study paleoclimatological changes in shellfish, was applied to three H. tuberculata specimens collected in north-west Brittany. For the specimens collected, the oxygen isotope ratios of the shell reflected the seasonal cycle in the temperature. From winter-to-winter cycles, estimates of the age and the annual growth increment, ranging from 13 to 55 mm per year were obtained. This study shows that stable oxygen isotopes can be a reliable tool for ageing and growth studies of this abalone species in the wild, and for validating other estimates.     

西太平洋帕劳砗磲高分辨率氧同位素记录及其指示的气候环境变化

砗磲是海洋中最大的双壳类贝壳,其碳酸盐壳体通常具有年纹层和天纹层,是一种理想的高分辨率古气候研究载体.氧同位素是砗磲古气候研究中最常用的指标之一,但在将其应用于古气候重建之前,通常需要对其现代地球化学过程进行准确的校准.帕劳群岛位于西太平洋暖池西北边缘,其珊瑚礁盘具有丰富的砗磲壳体资源,为开展古气候研究提供了丰富的材料...     

High resolution oxygen isotope and grayscale records of a medieval fossil giant clam (Tridacna gigas) in the South China Sea：physiological and paleoclimatic implications

Mollusks are well known for their detailed recording of paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic changes in their carbonate shells. In this study, we constructed 18-year blue color intensity and oxygen isotope profiles of a 14 C dated(AD 990±40) fossil giant clam, Tridacna gigas, from Shidao Island, South China Sea. The δ18O profile of the T. gigas specimen displayed regular annual cycles and was probably controlled by seasonal variations of the climatic parameters. The blue color intensity profile showed good agreement with the δ18O series, and both had 18 clear annual cycles in accordance with the 18 visually identified annual growth bands. The annual shell growth rate determined from the blue color intensity and oxygen isotope profiles indicated that the annual shell increment of the Tridacna specimen was stable after the onset of sexual maturity. Spectral analysis of the δ18O and blue color intensity time series suggested that the El Nio–Southern Oscillation(ENSO) period observed in the instrumental temperature and precipitation records of the South China Sea during the past 50 years also existed in medieval times. Our results showed that fossil giant clams could provide a good archive of historical intra-seasonal to decadal climate variations.     

Paleoecological Relations of Foraminifera in a Desert-Enclosed Sea -The Gulf of Aqaba (Elat), Red Sea

Abstract. Planktonic and benthonic foraminifera live in the desert-enclosed, hypersaline and oligotrophic Gulf of Aqaba and northernmost Red Sea near the edge of their ecological tolerance. Marked changes in foraminiferal abundance patterns in the past, resulting from hydrological shifts related to global climatic fluctuations, facilitate a high-resolution ecostratigraphic subdivision of deep-sea records covering the last 150,000 years. Of particular significance are the foraminiferal plankton/benthos ratios, the presence/absence pattern of such species as Globigerinoides sacculifer , as well as the frequency variation of Globigerina bulloules-falconensis, Buliminacea, Miiiolacea and various "rotaliform" species. Paleoceanographic interpretation of the shifts in assemblage composition and of stable oxygen isotope data obtained on planktonic foraminifera and pteropods indicates that during glacial intervals - because of global cooling, lowered sea-level and reduced water exchange at the straits of Bab-el-Mandeb - the temperature of the upper waters fell by about 4–6 ^oC (to 15–17 ^oC), salinity rose by about 10%o to more than 50%₀ while residence time of the water became longer and the input/output ratio of nutrients became higher. As a consequence, fertility of the photic zone was higher, the organic content of the sediments increased and oxygen levels in the deep basin became reduced. Thus, sea level-oscillations and strait-dynamics played a major role in the foraminiferal paleoecology of the Red Sea.     

Clam community composition and prey shell size impacts moon snail (Gastropod: Naticidae) drilling frequencies in South Carolina,USA

Moon snail predation on clams is a common model system of predator–prey interactions. In this system, the predator bores through the shell of its prey, leaving a distinct and identifiable hole. Some paleoecological and behavioral research on moon snails suggests a trend in predation preference directed toward clams with small shells. Rarely, however, have studies tested relative drilling frequencies across species and size ranges in natural assemblages of clam communities. We examined the clam community composition at two beaches in South Carolina, USA, and we then tested moon snail predator preferences for (a) clam prey species and (b) whether their selection is related to prey shell size. We collected a total of 1,879 clam shells, identified each shell to species and recorded their anteroposterior length. The species composition of clams differed significantly between the two beaches; Anadara ovalis was dominant at both sites, but three of ten total species were only collected at one beach. Folly Beach had nearly a 60% higher the overall drilling frequency (34.6%) versus Edisto Beach (21.8%), and this may be linked to the differences in clam community compositions at the sites. For A. ovalis and Mulinia lateralis, shells with larger lengths have lower probabilities of being bored by a moon snail. Anadara brasiliana, which generally is a thinner‐shelled clam species, had the highest total drilling frequency (77.2%), and Noetia ponderosa, a thicker‐shelled clam, had a considerably lower drilling frequency (12.0%). We conclude that both community level factors (species composition) and population characteristics (shell size distributions) may influence the local drilling frequency by moon snails.     

Shell growth history of geoduck clam (Panopea abrupta) in Parry Passage, British Columbia, Canada: Temporal variation in annuli and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation

An assemblage of geoduck clam shells from the marine environment of coastal British Columbia was studied. Shells were cut and the widths of internal shell growth increments, annuli, were measured from the hinge plate. The largest shells showed more than one hundred annual increments. Shell growth exhibited juvenile maxima at ontogenetic ages 3–6 years. The growth maximum was followed by a distinct decline that continued until the death of each individual. Further, this ontogenetic growth trend was mathematically removed from the data in order to examine growth variations other than ageing. The longest growth records from the oldest shells were compared to monthly indices of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). It was found that the PDO exerts the strongest influence on the shell growth during the very start of the growing season, in February and March. We also detected increased magnitude of growth variations towards the end of the 20th century. Similar trends were apparent in the PDO record. Moreover, the shell specimen displaying the strongest trend of increasing variance had the strongest PDO-linked regional growth signal. Our results support the view that PDO exerts a governing influence on the biological and ecological system along Northeast Pacific coastal areas. Incorporation of geoduck shell growth increment analyses into multi-disciplinary studies dealing with palaeoceanography and archaeology is suggested as a promising future approach.     

缢蛏耐高盐性能及其与生长性状的相关性分析

缢蛏(Sinonovacula constricta)是我国重要的水产经济贝类,开展耐高盐新品种选育对平衡不同地区缢蛏良种养殖意义重大。本研究对不同家系缢蛏幼贝进行高盐胁迫,运用统计学方法和相关性分析探究了缢蛏耐高盐性能及其与生长性状的相关性。结果显示,缢蛏家系间壳长、壳高、壳宽和体质量表型值差异较大,体质量变异系数达15.53%。不同家系对高盐耐受性差异较大,家系间死亡率范围在0～100%。胁迫实验共持续9 d,各家系缢蛏首粒死亡时间在第1～9 d之间,而且死亡率较高的家系内缢蛏死亡时间离散程度较大,说明不同个体间高盐耐受性差异也较大。缢蛏开始出现大量死亡的时间主要在胁迫后第8 d,第9 d部分家系死亡率高于80%,说明缢蛏对高盐耐受存在一个阈值,超过该阈值会开始或大量死亡。皮尔逊和斯皮尔曼相关性分析显示,缢蛏存活时间和生长性状为正相关,其中存活时间与缢蛏壳长、体质量相关性均达到显著水平(P<0.05)。缢蛏存活率与体质量、生长速度均显著正相关(P<0.05)。整体而言,壳长较长和体质量较重的缢蛏个体耐高盐性能较强,在高盐环境中具有生长优势。本研究揭示了缢蛏的高盐耐受性及...     

南海3种小型砗磲的外壳形态差异分析

本研究对中国南海3种小型砗磲(Tridacnaspp.)[番红砗磲(Tridacnacrocea,包括2种外壳形态)、长砗磲(Tridacna maxima)和诺亚砗磲(Tridacna noae)]的外壳形态性状进行生物统计学差异分析。研究表明,4组砗磲外壳存在显著形态学差异。单因素方差分析发现9个外壳比例性状能够较好区分3种砗磲,且2种不同外壳形态的番红砗磲在壳宽/壳长、足丝孔宽/壳长、壳质量/壳长和左右壳厚比壳长存在显著性差异(P<0.05);在基于欧氏距离Ward法且指定聚类数k=4的条件下,4组砗磲层次聚类效果较好;主成分分析提取3个主成分建立散点图,累计主成分贡献率73.85%,各主成分贡献率依次为50.47%,13.78%和9.60%;线性判别分析得出3个判别函数,方差解释率依次为70.13%、20.97%和8.90%。3种多元统计方法从不同角度解释各组砗磲的外壳形态差异,结果均显示两组番红砗磲的外壳形态更为接近,同时长砗磲与诺亚砗磲的外壳形态较为接近。     

Holocene Climate Optimum and Last Glacial Maximum in the Mediterranean: the marine oxygen isotope record

Reconstructions with comprehensive estimates of confidence intervals are presented of changes in the W–E stable oxygen isotope gradient in Mediterranean surface waters between the Holocene Climate Optimum and the Present, and between the Last Glacial Maximum and the Present. Rigorous statistical assessment is made of the significances of the mean geographic trends observed in these reconstructions. Firstly, it is concluded that any reconstruction should strictly be based on values obtained by analyses of one single foraminiferal species throughout the basin, as different species are found to respond with isotopic variations of different amplitudes to climatic/hydrographic change. This difference is tentatively related to differences between the habitats and seasons of growth of the various species. Secondly, a significant increase of roughly a factor 3 is found in the Mediterranean W–E oxygen isotope gradient during the Last Glacial Maximum, relative to the Present. This difference is almost entirely due to increased glacial values in the Levantine Sea, which are considered to be a result of a combination of increased evaporation rates and/or somewhat cooler than anticipated surface water conditions. Thirdly, an eastward increase of roughly half the present-day magnitude is found for the W–E oxygen isotope gradient during the Holocene Climate Optimum. Values in the Levantine Sea appear to have undergone up to 0.3‰ more depletion than those elsewhere in the eastern Mediterranean. However, no significant trends are found between the eastern and western parts of the Levantine Sea, nor between values near the Nile delta and those from elsewhere in the Levantine Sea. The Holocene Climate Optimum's eastward increase in the Mediterranean oxygen isotope gradient, although weaker than the Present, suggests that the Mediterranean continued to function as a concentration basin, albeit in a less vigorous way than today. Finally, simple mixing arguments are used to argue that inferred oxygen isotope ratios of surface waters may not be used as an indication of conservative property (e.g. salinity) distribution on geological timescales, but instead show amplitudes of response to climatic/hydrographic changes that likely are >2 times larger than the corresponding amplitudes of response for truly conservative properties.     

High-resolution isotopic records (δ 18O and δ 13C) and cathodoluminescence study of lucinid shells from methane seeps of the Eastern Mediterranean

We present high-resolution isotopic records and cathodoluminescence studies of recently dead and live bivalve specimens from cold seeps, in an attempt to reconstruct environmental conditions during organism growth, and thereby the possible variability of fluid-venting activity at the seafloor. Shells of the burrowing lucinid Myrtea aff. amorpha were collected at three localities near actively venting methane seeps in the Eastern Mediterranean deep sea, using the Nautile submersible during two French oceanographic cruises: from the Kazan mud volcano, in the vicinity of the Anaximander mounts (MEDINAUT cruise, 1998), and from the central pockmark province and the Amon mud volcano of the Nile deep-sea fan (NAUTINIL cruise, 2003). The oxygen and carbon isotope compositions of 18 shells from the various localities, and also from different sites at the same locality show a rather strong scatter (1.8 < δ ¹⁸O‰ < 3.4; −10.2 < δ ¹³C‰ < 2.2), and values lower than those expected for carbonate precipitated at equilibrium with present-day bottom waters. This means that warm methane-rich fluids were mixed with bottom seawater during precipitation of shell carbonates. We have tried to determine ontogenetic age of two shells by using cathodoluminescence as a sclerochronological proxy, because the direct counting of carbonate increments was not possible in these specimens. There is a relatively good correspondence between cathodoluminescence trends and oxygen isotope profiles that might support the link between manganese incorporation during growth and temperature. Eight specimens of lucinid shells were selected for high-resolution isotopic profiling. A few shells exhibit decreasing δ ¹⁸O and δ ¹³C values from the umbo to the actively growing ventral shell margin, which can be attributed to the commonly observed physiologically controlled deceleration of growth with increasing organism age, this metabolic effect corresponding to the increase of incorporation of respiratory CO₂. A few shells exhibit high-frequency δ ¹⁸O variations with an amplitude of about 1.5‰ that might be related to temperature variations controlled by fluid-venting activity. One shell from the pockmark province of the Nile deep-sea fan records a strong, sharp δ ¹³C decrease of about 9‰, and extending over a 5-mm interval in the shell that can be related to a major methane release event. Another shell from the Kazan mud volcano exhibits a progressive increase of δ ¹³C values from −10‰ to 0‰ with age, which might indicate decreasing methane flow throughout the organism’s life. This study has demonstrated that bivalve shells from deep-sea cold seeps represent good indicators of variability in seepage activity of methane-rich fluids, at various scales in both space and time. Although the precise chronology of the observed events was not established, because shell growth rate is not known in this case, this remains a priority for future studies in such environments.     

桂林洞穴滴水对应CaCO3沉积物的稳定同位素特征与环境意义

桂林地区降水及茅茅头大岩滴水滴速和现代碳酸盐的碳氧同位素研究表明:(1)滴水沉积的δ18O达到了同位素沉积平衡,洞穴滴水的δ18O与同期降雨的δ18O值呈正相关关系;(2)在旱季和湿季交替时,滴水δ18O值滞后于降雨δ18O,受活塞效应的影响;(3)δ13C难以达到同位素沉积平衡,主要受滴水动力学影响;(4)同一洞穴不同滴水对环境的响应不同,如果洞穴顶板覆盖较厚,水分在土壤和岩层中滞留时间较长,滴水则反映受到平滑作用的降雨,反之则波动较大.     

Seasonal oxygen and carbon isotope variability in euthecosomatous pteropods from the Sargasso Sea

We examine seasonal variations in the stable carbon and oxygen isotopic composition of individual shells of the pteropods Limacina inflata and Styliola subula, collected from Oceanic Flux Program sediment traps (at 500 m depth) near Bermuda in the western Sargasso Sea. Calcification depths estimated from L. inflata δ¹⁸O vary between 200 and 650 m in late winter and spring, and between 50 and 250 m in late summer and fall. S. subula shows similar seasonal variability with calcification depths between 250 and 600 m in late winter and spring and 50–400 m in late summer and fall. These results suggest that both species calcify across a greater range of depths than indicated by previous geochemical studies. Furthermore, the data indicate that these species change their calcification depth in conjunction with changes in thermal stratification of the water column. Pteropod shell δ¹³C values vary inversely with δ¹³C_DIC but show a positive correlation with seawater [CO₃²⁻] and temperature after depth differences in δ¹³C_DIC are accounted for. We hypothesize that either the influence of temperature on metabolic CO₂ incorporation during shell growth and/or the influence of ambient [CO₃²⁻] on shell geochemistry can explain these relationships. Taken together, the individual shell δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C data suggest that shell calcification, and by inference the life cycle, of these pteropods is several months or less. Individual pteropod shell analyses have potential for contributing to our understanding of the environmental parameters that play a role in seasonal calcification depth shifts, as well as to our knowledge of past upper ocean thermal structure.     

基于GLM模型Logistic回归的菲律宾蛤仔地理群体判别

菲律宾蛤仔(Ruditapesphilippinarum)是重要的海洋经济贝类和海水养殖品种,具有较强的表型可塑性特点,不同地理群体之间存在表型差异。本研究根据实测数据建立了胶州湾与天鹅湖菲律宾蛤仔壳长(SL)与壳高(SH)、壳宽(SW)和活体重(W)的回归方程,定量分析了两个地理群体的形态学差异。由于其近似圆形的形态使得所能测量的外部指标较少,限制了传统形态测量学在其地理群体判别中的应用。本研究提出了将传统形态测量学和广义线性模型(GLM)相结合的方法,建立了判别菲律宾蛤仔地理群体的逻辑斯蒂(Logistic)回归方程。结果表明:菲律宾蛤仔的天鹅湖群体比胶州湾群体具有更高的SH/SL和SW/SL比值,壳形椭圆较圆且隆起程度高,"凸"形明显;基于GLM模型的Logistic回归能够快速准确地判别菲律宾蛤仔的地理群体归属,判别正确率高达94.23%。本研究为双壳类物种地理群体判别提供了新的分析方法和技术手段。     

冲绳海槽表层沉积物中浮游有孔虫壳体的氧同位素分布特征及其影响因素

选择冲绳海槽的3个剖面A、B、C上的现代表层沉积物样品，对浮游有孔虫Globigerinoides ruber、Glo-bigerinoides sacculifer和Neogloboquadrina dutertrei进行了氧同位素分析，结果表明，几乎所有样品从G.ruber到G.sacculifer到N.dutertrei其氧同位素值均由轻变重，表明3种有孔虫其生活水层依次由浅到深，进一步证实了这3个种的生态生活习性在冲绳海槽区域与开放大洋同样一致，在槽穿海槽的A、C两个剖面上，G.ruber和N.dutertrei的氧同位素有相似的变化，从西向东氧内闰素值依次由轻变重，然后又变轻，表明剖面西侧站位有孔虫壳体氧同位素因受冲淡水影响较强而变轻，而在东侧站位受高温黑潮的影响氧同位素同样有变轻的趋势，沿海槽轴向展布的剖面B上的氧同位素变化主要受冲淡水的影响，表层水体在剖面中部和南端冲淡水影响相对较大，而次表层水只在剖面南端受冲淡水影响相对较强，剖面A、C上的N.dutertrei和G.ruber的氧同位素差值有着相反的变化趋势，在剖面A上，氧同位素差值从近陆端向近岛弧端逐渐由小变大，而在剖面C上，则逐渐由大变小，上述变化可能表明了磁部区域黑潮支流对表层水体的影响要大于次表层水体，而在南部海槽区域，黑潮暖流对次表层水体有相对较强的影响。     

Community structure and nutrition of deep methane-seep macrobenthos from the North Pacific (Aleutian) Margin and the Gulf of Mexico (Florida Escarpment)

Methane seeps occur at depths extending to over 7000 m along the world's continental margins, but there is little information about the infaunal communities inhabiting sediments of seeps deeper than 3000 m. Biological sampling was carried out off Unimak Island (3200–3300 m) and Kodiak Island (4500 m) on the Aleutian margin, Pacific Ocean and along the Florida Escarpment (3300 m) in the Gulf of Mexico to investigate the community structure and nutrition of macrofauna at these sites. We addressed whether there are characteristic infaunal communities common to the deep‐water seeps or to the specific habitats (clam beds, pogonophoran fields, and microbial mats) studied here, and ask how these differ from background communities or from shallow‐seep settings sampled previously. We also investigated, using stable isotopic signatures, the utilization of chemosynthetically fixed and methane‐derived organic matter by macrofauna from different regions and habitats. Within seep sites, macrofaunal densities were the greatest in the Florida microbial mats (20,961 ± 11,618 ind·m⁻²), the lowest in the Florida pogonophoran fields (926 ± 132 ind·m⁻²), and intermediate in the Unimak and Kodiak seep habitats. Seep macrofaunal densities differed from those in nearby non‐seep sediments only in Florida mat habitats, where a single, abundant species of hesionid polychaete comprised 70% of the macrofauna. Annelids were the dominant taxon (>60%) at all sites and habitats except in Florida background sediments (33%) and Unimak pogonophoran fields (27%). Macrofaunal diversity (H′) was lower at the Florida than the Alaska seeps, with a trend toward reduced richness in clam bed relative to pogonophoran field or non‐seep sediments. Community composition differences between seep and non‐seep sediments were evident in each region except for the Unimak margin, but pogonophoran and clam bed macrofaunal communities did not differ from one another in Alaska. Seep δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N signatures were lighter for seep than non‐seep macrofauna in all regions, indicating use of chemosynthetically derived carbon. The lightest δ¹³C values (average of species’ means) were observed at the Florida escarpment (−42.8‰). We estimated that on average animal tissues had up to 55% methane‐derived carbon in Florida mats, 31–44% in Florida clam beds and Kodiak clam beds and pogonophoran fields, and 9–23% in Unimak seep habitats. However, some taxa such as hesionid and capitellid polychaetes exhibited tremendous intraspecific δ¹³C variation (>30‰) between patch types. Overall we found few characteristic communities or features common to the three deep‐water seeps (>3000 m), but common properties across habitats (mat, clam bed, pogonophorans), independent of location or water depth. In general, macrofaunal densities were lower (except at Florida microbial mats), community structure was similar, and reliance on chemosynthesis was greater than observed in shallower seeps off California and Oregon.     

Sulfur Isotopes in the Upper Part of the Black Sea Anoxic Zone

New data are reported on the sulfur isotope composition and concentration of sulfide and sulfate in the upper part of the Black Sea anoxic zone as a function of the potential water density. The observations were performed at a station with the coordinates 44.489° N and 37.869° E three times a week every two days. A local negative deficiency in sulfate concentration up to 1.7% related to the sulfate reduction processes was recorded. This anomaly in sulfate concentration was short-lived and did not affect the sulfur isotope composition. In the upper part of the anaerobic zone, the δ³⁴S(SO₄) value varied from 21.2 to 21.5‰, which could have occurred from mixing of water masses from the oxic zone (21.1‰) and the Bottom Convective Layer (23.0 ± 0.2‰). The sulfur isotope composition of sulfide ranged from ?40.8% at a depth of 250 m to ?39.4‰ at the upper boundary of the anoxic zone with a H₂S content of only 2.7 μM. Two models (mass balance and fractionation of sulfur isotopes using the Rayleigh equation) are considered to explain the differences in δ³⁴S(H₂S) values observed.     

西太平洋卡罗琳海域沉积速率:来自3种测年方法的限定

为了更好地认识西太平洋暖池区北部卡罗琳海域沉积速率的变化,利用放射性碳测试（14C）、氧同位素及古地磁方法对采自西太平洋卡罗琳地区一根长217 cm的柱状样开展了综合年代学分析。14C数据获取了样品上部44.3 ka BP以来的年代数据,在此基础上利用氧同位素及古地磁相对强度数据建立了该柱125 cm至表层的年代框架,对应为MIS4期（约8万年）以来的沉积。进一步分析发现本柱在126～127 cm处存在明显沉积间断,虽然该处已超出14C测年范围,但古地磁测试结果表明该柱位于布容正极性时期,同时古地磁强度与氧同位素的变化关系为沉积间断以下年代数据获取提供了可信的证据,表明该阶段对应距今13万年至18万年时期。本柱沉积速率在沉积间断前后均较为一致,为1～2 cm/ka。同时对比不同方法获取的沉积速率之间差异后,发现个别层位可能由于较高的有孔虫破壳率,导致14C值存在较大偏差。     

Shell growth and oxygen isotopes in the topshell Osilinus turbinatus: resolving past inshore sea surface temperatures

Shells of the rocky shore intertidal gastropod Osilinus turbinatus (von Born), often abundant in archaeological deposits in the Mediterranean region, are a potential source of data on palaeotemperature, palaeoseasonality and archaeological seasonality. To evaluate this species as a climate archive, investigations of annual patterns of shell growth and of monthly variations in oxygen isotopes in shell carbonates were made on different populations in NW Sicily. Mark-recapture experiments at San Vito lo Capo and Mazzaforno show that O. turbinatus grows almost continuously throughout the year but at different rates in different seasons. Around 75% of the yearly shell growth occurs in the autumn and winter. On average, larger/older shells produce narrower annual growth increments than smaller/younger ones. Conspicuous growth lines in larger/older shells show that growth stops during the hottest part of the summer. Oxygen isotope analyses on monthly collected shells of O. turbinatus from three shores (Cala Grande, Monte Cofano and Mazzaforno) show that the isotope values record temperature variations through the year. In all the datasets, surface seawater temperatures (SSTs) calculated from δ¹⁸O_SHELL mostly underestimate measured SSTs, offsets being generally greater in summer. Minimum annual offsets range from 0.0°C to 0.7°C and maximum annual offsets from 3.1°C to 8.7°C. δ¹⁸O_SHELL values fail to record temperatures higher than 25°C. Careful selection of shells to be analysed can reduce offsets between δ¹⁸O_SHELL temperature estimates and measured SSTs for many parts of the year, except the hottest. Allowing for this, shells of O. turbinatus offer good potential as climate archives and for archaeological studies of seasonal patterns of human foraging for shellfish.