Carbon and nitrogen isotope excursions in mid-Pleistocene sapropels from the Tyrrhenian Basin: Evidence for climate-induced increases in microbial primary production

The modern Mediterranean Sea is oligotrophic, yet its sediment record contains layers of organic-carbon-rich sapropels at 21 ky (precessional) spacing that imply periods of elevated paleoproductivity that approached the high productivities of modern upwelling systems. Resolution to this paradox is provided by lines of evidence suggesting that the mode of primary productivity changed from one dominated by algae to one during times of sapropel deposition in which photosynthetic bacteria were important. We have made a high-resolution comparison of the organic carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions of three sapropels and their background sediments in a 3-m sequence that corresponds to 1001 to 946 ka. Organic δ¹³C values systematically increase from − 26‰ to − 21‰ and δ¹⁵N values systematically decrease from 4‰ to < 0‰ as organic carbon mass accumulation rates increase in the sapropel layers. The increase in carbon isotope values mirrors the increases in primary productivity and associated organic matter export indicated by the increased mass accumulation rates. The decrease in nitrogen isotope values implies major contributions of nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria to the total marine productivity. The precessional minima with which sapropels coincide were times of wetter climate that stratified the surface Mediterranean Sea, increased delivery of soil-derived phosphorus, and evidently amplified microbial primary production. Our high-resolution study reveals several relatively rapid excursions into and out of the high-productivity mode that suggest that sapropel deposition was a climate-sensitive surface-driven phenomenon that was not accompanied by basin-wide stagnation.     

Carbon isotopic composition and lattice-bound carbonate of Peru-Chile margin phosphorites

New light-stable carbonate-carbon isotope and lattice-bound CO₂ data from Quaternary Peru-Chile margin phosphatic nodules, crusts and pelletal grains, and from associated dolomicritic concretions, are presented, which provide constraints on the timing and mechanisms of growth of these phases in organic carbon-rich sediments. Comparison of δ¹³C values from carbonate fluorapatite (CFA) nodules and pelletal grains (−4.8 to 0.0‰ and −2.9 to +1.0‰ PDB, respectively) with pore-water total dissolved δ¹³C values from these sediments suggests early authigenic CFA precipitation from pore waters within a few centimeters of the sediment-water interface in association with suboxic to perhaps anoxic microbial degradation of organic matter. In contrast, the dolomicritic cores of nodules recovered from about 12°S display both strongly negative to positive δ¹³C values (−10.8 to +6.1‰) characteristic of formation deeper in the sediments in association with methanogenic and perhaps sulfate reduction microbial processes.

The amount of structural carbonate in CFA suggests that carbonate substitution generally increases as δ¹³C in CFA decreases, a probable consequence of increasing carbonate and accompanying charge-balancing substitutions in the CFA lattice in response to increasing pore-water carbonate ion concentrations with depth below the sediment-water interface. In one buried upward-growing nodule, decreasing CFA δ¹³C and increasing structural CO₂ also correspond to decreasing CFA growth rates. These data suggest that in addition to other constraints such as pore-water phosphorus and fluoride availability, the lower limit of CFA precipitation in suboxic to anoxic sediments may be controlled by lattice poisoning due to excessive dissolved carbonate ion concentrations. In organic-rich Peru-Chile margin sediments this depth threshold appears to be at approximately 5–10 cm below the sediment-water interface where maximum CFA CO₂ contents of about 6 Wt.% occur; in less organic-rich settings, greater depths of precipitation of CFA may be anticipated. Below this relatively shallow depth of CFA precipitation on the Peru shelf, high pore-water alkalinity and associated elevated total dissolved carbon and carbonate ion concentration apparently favor the precipitation of authigenic carbonates.     

A contemporary sediment and organic carbon budget for the Kara Sea shelf (Siberia)

It has recently been realized that the Arctic undergoes drastic changes, probably resulting from global change induced processes. This acts on the cycling of matter and on biogenic elements in the Arctic Ocean having feedback mechanisms with the global climate, for example by interacting with atmospheric trace gas concentration. A contemporary budget for biogenic elements as well as suspended matter for the Arctic Ocean as a baseline for comparison with effects of further global change is, thus, needed. Available budgets are based on the late Holocene sedimentary record and are therefore quiet different from the present which has already been affected by the intense anthropogenic activity of the last centuries.

We calculated a contemporary suspended matter and organic carbon budget for the Kara Sea utilizing the numerous available data from the recent literature as well as our own data from Russian-German SIRRO (Siberian River Run-off) expeditions. For calculation of the budgets we used a multi-box model to simplify the Kara Sea shelf and estuary system: input was assumed to comprise riverine and eolian input as well as coastal erosion, output was assumed to consist of sedimentation and export to the Arctic Ocean. Exchange with the adjacent seas was considered in our budget, and primary production as well as recycling of organic material was taken into account. According to our calculations, about 18.5 × 10⁶ t yr^− 1 of sediments and 0.37 × 10⁶ t yr^− 1 of organic carbon are buried in the estuaries, whereas 20.9 × 10⁶ t yr^− 1 sediment and 0.31 × 10⁶ t yr^− 1 organic carbon are buried on the shelf. Most sources and sinks of our organic carbon budget of the Kara Sea are in the same order of magnitude, making it a region very sensitive to further changes.     

Glacial–interglacial variations in Quaternary production of marine organic matter at DSDP Site 594, Chatham Rise, southeastern New Zealand margin

CaCO₃ and total organic carbon concentrations, organic matter C/N and carbon isotope ratios, and sediment accumulation rates in late Quaternary sediments from DSDP Site 594 provide information about glacial–interglacial variations in the delivery of organic matter to the Chatham Rise offshore of southeastern New Zealand. Low C/N ratios and nearly constant organic δ¹³C values of −23‰ indicate that marine production dominates organic matter supply in both glacial and interglacial times during oxygen isotope stages 1 through 6 (0–140 ka) and 17 through 19 (660–790 ka). Increased organic carbon mass accumulation rates in isotope stages 2, 4, 6, and 18 record enhanced marine productivity during glacial maxima. Excursions of organic δ¹³C values to ca. −29‰ in portions of isotope stage 2 suggest that the local concentration of dissolved CO₂ was occasionally elevated during the last glacial maximum, probably as a result of short periods of lowered sea-surface temperature. Dilution of carbonates by clastic continental sediment generally increases at this location during glacial maxima, but enhanced delivery of land-derived organic matter does not accompany the increased accumulation of clastic sediments.     

Uranium-series and AMS C studies of modern phosphatic pellets from Peru shelf muds

Recent sediments and separated phosphate pellets ( 125–500 μm in diameter) from the Peru shelf have been analyzed for uranium decay-series isotopes and ¹⁴C in order to determine age relationships and mineralization rates. Uranium-series ages of pellets separated from one box core are significantly higher than AMS radiocarbon ages determined for the same pellets. These differences appear to be a consequence of mixing of an older generation of pellets with ones which are more recently formed. Postdepositional adsorption of reactive elements such as thorium and protactinium onto pellet surfaces may also contribute to the observed discordancy with radiocarbon ages.

Sediment radiocarbon and ²¹⁰Pb sediment results, as well as some trends in the uranium-series data, suggest that high concentrations of phosphate pellets have accumulated in some Peru shelf sediments without extensive reworking. Individual pellets apparently form very quickly, on time scales of a few years. Estimated authigenic uptake rates of phosphorus into pellets ranges from 0.5 to 9.40 μmol-P cm^{− 2} yr^{− 1}, somewhat higher than rates measured for nodules from the same area. This is consistent with observations that pelletal morphologies predominate over nodular forms within ancient phosphorite deposits.     

Accumulation and biological mixing of Peru margin sediments

Rates of sediment accumulation and biological particle mixing in eight cores from the Peru shelf have been estimated by application of uranium-series disequilibrium techniques and radiocarbon dating. Activities of ²¹⁰Pb, ²²⁶Ra, ²³⁴Th and ²³⁸U have been determined in closely spaced intervals in each sediment core. Biological particle mixing coefficients were determined via a two-box advection-diffusion steady-state mixing model based on the distribution profiles of excess ²¹⁰Pb and, in some cases, excess ²³⁴Th activities.

The sedimentation rates estimated were in the order of a few millimeters/yr except for cores enriched in phosphatic components which displayed rates a few orders of magnitude slower. Bioturbation was significant in most cores studied with the exception of one core collected from within the middle of the oxygen-minimum zone. Estimated biological mixing coefficients were in the order of 10⁰–10¹ cm² yr⁻¹ for the surface mixed layer and 10⁻¹–10⁰ cm² yr⁻¹ for the layer below. Sediment slumping appears to have affected the ²¹⁰Pb distribution of two or three of our cores.     

Glacial deep-water properties in the west-equatorial Pacific: bathyal thermocline near a depth of 2000 m

The stable isotope stratigraphy of Planulina wüllerstorfi in three box cores from Ontong Java Plateau in the western equatorial Pacific shows that there existed a bathyal thermocline near the depth of 2000 m during glacial time. Waters below the boundary were colder by about 1°C, those above were about the same as now. The deep waters were slightly enriched and the upper waters depleted in nutrients, compared with present values. The differences in δ¹³C to the present (after correcting for the global change) are of the order of 0.1‰ more positive (above 2000 m) and 0.1‰ more negative (below), corresponding to changes in phosphate of the order of 0.1 μmol/kg (less phosphate above, and more below the boundary).     

Age of settlement and accumulation rate of submarine “coralligène” (−10 to −60 m) of the northwestern Mediterranean Sea; relation to Holocene rise in sea level

Morphological and chronological studies have been carried out on coralline algal buildups (“coralligène”) situated between 10 and 60 m depth near Marseilles, and in Corsica (France). Despite the presence of occasionally sizeable quantities of iron hydroxide, these constructions prove to be a reliable material for radiocarbon dating. Ages obtained using this method range from 640±120 yrs B.P. (Corsica, Scandola Natural Reserve, −15 m) to 7760±80 yrs B.P. (Marseilles, Grand Congloue, −52 m). Internal erosion surfaces within the buildups give evidence of discontinuous development. The accumulation rate of the coralligène constructions is very low (0.006–0.83 mm yr⁻¹ according to the depth and time period). The higher values (0.53–0.83 mm yr⁻¹) were recorded for the deeper constructions. They correspond to a period between 8000 and 6000 yrs B.P. After 6000 yrs B.P., the only appreciable accumulation rates (0.11–0.42 mm yr⁻¹) were recorded for constructions situated between 10 and 35 m depth, whereas the accumulation rates of deep coralligène (> 50 m) appear to be low or zero. The age of the large constructions (overhang: 80 cm in width) is positively correlated with depth (r = 0.95; p < 0.005). Their development occurred during the Flandrian transgression. The oldest structures, today situated at 50 to 60 m depth, started to develop when water depth was probably no greater than 10 to 15 m. Apart from in strongly shaded fissures on rocky coasts and areas subjected to heavy sedimentation, the main framework building algal species was initially Mesophyllum lichenoides (Ellis) Lemoine, a high tolerant species to light, hydrodynamic energy and temperature. With the rise in sea level, the coralligène structure gradually became available to other less tolerant algal species (Lithophyllum, Lithothamnion), and the crustforming population diversified. Because of the good preservation of coralligène structures, the reliability of radiocarbon dating and the correlation between the age and bathymetric position of the large coralligène structures (except in areas of heavy sedimentation and fissures in shallow rocky coasts), these buildups are considered to be of use as biological indicators of variations in sea level.     

Hardbottom development and significance to the sediment-starved west-central Florida inner continental shelf

Hardbottoms are sequence boundaries and condensed sections that offer clues for the interpretation of the incomplete record of Tertiary continental shelf evolution. Seaward of 5 km, 50% of the inner west-central Florida shelf seafloor is flat hardbottom. These lithified surfaces are punctuated by shorefacing, scarped hardbottoms that trend shore-parallel (330°–0°) and vary in relief (up to 4 m). Scarped hardbottoms are the only natural relief on the inner shelf and support a diverse benthic community, the activities of which erode the outcrops, producing undercuts in excess of 1 m. Outcropping hardbottom strata are comprised of distinct, phosphate-rich, mixed carbonate–siliciclastic lithofacies, that range in age from Miocene to Quaternary. Miocene units are dolomite-rich and mark the upper surface of the inner shelf bedrock (Hawthorn Group). Dolomite within these beds (silt-sized, cloudy centered rhombs) fall into two age groups, correlating with highstands at 15 and 5 Ma. This lithofacies is consistent with models that indicate an increased flux of organic matter – resulting from topographically induced upwelling – promoting dolomitization during early burial diagenesis in the sulfate-reduction zone. Quaternary units are calcite-rich and perched atop the shelf bedrock. Samples of these units record a complex diagenetic history and multiple sea-level fluctuations. Based on evidence of primary marine cementation, they are interpreted to be hardground (non-deposition) surfaces, forming as a function of sediment starvation and minimal sediment movement. Decreased highstand magnitude or duration may have resulted in the absence of a significant organic component to Quaternary hardbottoms, which, in turn, may prevent subsequent dolomitization. These outcrops are a potential source for sediments to the inner shelf, not only as habitat for biological sediment production, but also through their destruction. The undercut, shorefacing, scarped hardbottom morphology displayed by west-central Florida hardbottoms is indicative of bio-erosion. Preliminary studies indicate a potential mass of 0.04 kg m⁻² yr⁻¹ of siliciclastic sediment is released to the inner shelf.     

Dynamics of sedimentation in a tide-dominated backbarrier salt marsh, Norfolk, UK

Progressive burial of artificial markers over a 5-year period is used to determine the rate and pattern of vertical accretion within a large backbarrier salt marsh on the UK east coast. Over this period, annual accretion varies spatially from 1 to 8 mm yr⁻¹. The arithmetic mean rate for the whole marsh is 3.9 mm yr⁻¹. Spatial variability in accretion is a joint function of (1) elevation-dependent inundation frequency and (2) progressive sediment removal from water masses advected across channel margins. Accretion is, therefore, inadequately represented by simple averaging of point measurements. Numerical integration of the ‘accretion surface’ results in a spatial average rate of around 3 mm yr⁻¹, well below the arithmetic mean rate.

Short-term sediment trap deployments show that local and long-range meteorological effects, and remobilisation of sediment deposited within tidal creeks, often mask the expected link between tidal height and sedimentation rate. Retention of sediment on plant surfaces is minimal, with direct settling accounting for approximately 95% of total deposition.

Time-extrapolation of weekly sediment trap data, and comparison with the 5-year marker horizon burial, shows that processes associated with ordinary tides can account for long-term accretion over most of the marsh. However, the highest surfaces receive appreciable sediment input only during aperiodic storm events.     

Stable isotope evidence for a marine origin of ophicalcites from the north-central Apennines (Italy)

Carbon and oxygen isotope ratios of 59 samples of Mesozoic ophicalcites from the north-central Apennines were measured. Strontium content and isotope ratios were only determined for selected samples.

The data obtained (−4.1 ≤ δ ¹³C ≤ + 3.0; 16.5 ≤ δ ¹⁸O ≤ 30.1; 0.7076 ≤ ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ≤ 0.7086; 60 ≤ Sr ppm ≤ 1140) suggest that the carbonate cement of the Apennines ophicalcites had a marine origin.

The ¹⁸O/¹⁶O values of most of the carbonates studied, however, indicate that the rocks have interacted with hydrothermal fluids, dominantly represented by sea water. In particular, the rocks from the northern section of the Apennines apparently reequilibrated their δ ¹⁸O content at higher temperature than those from the central zone.

Strontium isotope ratios, close to the Cretaceous—Cenozoic ocean water values, are well in agreement with such a kind of sea water/ophicalcites interaction, even if the carbonate cement formed earlier during the Jurassic period.     

Carbon and oxygen isotope composition of foraminifera in two cores from the Bannock Basin area, eastern Mediterranean

Two cores from the Bannock Basin in the eastern Mediterranean have been analysed for δ¹⁸0 and the δ¹³C in planktonic foraminifera. One core (02-PC) was extracted from the anoxic brine, the other (08-GC) from a plateau east of the brine.

The absence of sapropelic muds in Core 08-GC from the two Holsteinian euxinic cycles, together with the presence of isotopic spikes, suggests that the plateau has risen during the last ca. 200,000 years by ca. 2.5 mm/yr.

The δ¹⁸0 amplitude of Globigerinoides ruber in eastern Mediterranean cores is only ca. 0.5%. larger than for this species in North Atlantic cores. This suggests that the surface oxygen isotopic composition of both bodies of water followed each other fairly closely during the Late Pleistocene, except during the stagnant phases.     

Quaternary seismic stratigraphy of the North Sea Fan: glacially-fed gravity flow aprons, hemipelagic sediments, and large submarine slides

Approximately 1000 km of high resolution sleeve-gun array transects on the North Sea Fan, located at the mouth of the Norwegian Channel, reveal three dominant styles of sedimentation within a thick (> 900 m) Quaternary sediment wedge comprising numerous sequences. These are interpreted as: terrigenous hemipelagic sedimentation, large scale translational slides, and aprons of glaciogenic debris flow deposits contributing to considerable fan construction. Four large, buried translational slides involved sediment volumes upwards of 3000 km³ each and preceded the similarly dimensioned “first” Storegga Slide on the NE fan flank. Several thick (> 100 m) terrigenous hemipelagic deposits apparently represent long-lived (150–200 kyr) periods of sedimentation whose distribution indicates fan input via the Norwegian Channel. The upper sequences are each made upper sequences are each made up of one or several thick (> 100 m) aprons comprising stacked lensoid and/or lobate forms which range from 2 to 40 km in width and 15 to 60 m in thickness. They characterize debris flows attributed to periodic input from several phases of a Norwegian Channel ice stream reaching the shelf edge. Subsidence in the outer Norwegian Channel allowed preservation of several glaciation cycles represented by sheet erosion-bounded tills and progradational units. Much of the shelf/slope transition has been preserved, allowing a preliminary chronology of the fan sequences through correlation with borehole sediments in the Norwegian Channel. Debris flows, which signal the initial shelf-edge glaciation, are not recognized from the initial glaciation in the Channel (> 1.1 Myr) but are associated with a Middle Pleistocene and all following glacial erosion surfaces (GES) in the outer Norwegian Channel. This was followed by six further sequences, probably totalling over 13,000 km³ of sediment. At least four of these were shelf-edge ice-maximum events the last of which was Late Weichselian age (¹⁴C AMS). Considering earlier glaciation-related hemipelagic sedimentation, material since removed by the large slides, and extensive unmapped areas, total Quaternary fan sedimentation was in the vicinity of 20,000 km³.     

珠江口异养细菌时空分布特征及其调控机制

河口是海陆相互作用的重要地带, 往往呈现出独特的生物地球化学过程, 是研究碳循环过程的重要场所。在春季(2015年5月)、夏季(2015年8月)和冬季(2016年1月)分别对珠江口海域异养附生细菌和游离细菌时空分布及其各自高核酸(HNA)、低核酸(LNA)类群的相对贡献进行了调查研究, 并对其调控因子进行了相应探讨。结果表明, 珠江口异养细菌分布具有明显的时空差异。空间分布上, 珠江口异养细菌丰度自河口上游至下游呈递减趋势, 主要与上游污水输入以及珠江径流与高盐外海水在河口内的混合有关; 在雨季, 河口中下游盐度锋面区出现异养细菌丰度和叶绿素a质量浓度的高值区, 锋面区使营养物质停留时间增加, 促进浮游生物生长。垂直方向上, 表层异养细菌丰度略高于底层。时间尺度上, 异养细菌总丰度在春季最高(表层均值为2.94±1.23×10⁹个 •L^-1, 底层为2.81±1.50×10⁹个 •L^-1), 夏季次之(表层均值为2.32±0.43×10⁹个 •L^-1, 底层为1.90±0.50×10⁹个 •L^-1), 冬季最低(表层均值为1.06±0.33×10⁹个 •L^-1, 底层为9.76± 3.44×10⁸个 •L^-1)。珠江口海域异养细菌以附生细菌为主, 占异养细菌总丰度的16.56%~96.19%, 整体分布较稳定, 冬季最高(平均78.65%)、夏季(70.32%)与春季相近(68.17%)。附生细菌以代谢活跃的HNA类群为主, 游离细菌则主要以LNA类群为主, 代谢活性整体相对较低。     

Nature and composition of shore-zone sediments between Jeddah and Yanbu, eastern Red Sea

The shore-zone sediments between Jeddah and Yanbu, west coast of Saudi Arabia, are composed mostly of skeletal carbonate sands. The nearshore sediments containing benthic foraminifera, algal fragments and molluscs are multimodal, the mean grain size varying between 0.76 and 2.35 ø. The beach sediments, except samples dominated by cerithid gastropods in some localities, are relatively finer than the nearshore sediments. Although the beaches to a great extent comprise sand-sized material, fine lime muds and coarse clastic gravels occur in certain areas. The dune sediments comprising mostly algal grains and ooids are very fine with 50 percent of the material in the 0.25–0.18 mm size grade. Except a general northward decrease in mean grain size, regional trends in the textural parameters of the sediments between Jeddah and Yanbu are not quite apparent. Lateral variations in the textural characteristics suggest a landward migration of the sediments in the shore zone under the influence of northerly and northwesterly winds. The carbon and oxygen (δ ¹³C + 4.80 to 4.84‰ PDB) (δ ¹³O − 0.04 to + 0.53‰ PDB) isotopic ratios of the lime muds occurring in certain shallow margins in the shore-zone, which are much higher than those of the green algae, indicate that the fine carbonates are at least in part inorganic in origin.

Like the shallow-water carbonates in tropical seas, aragonite and high Mg-calcite are the dominant carbonate minerals in the shore-zone sediments. There is a landward increase in aragonite contents caused by the landward migration of fine material from the nearshore. The dominant clay mineral in the nearshore sediments is kaolinite with subordinate swelling chlorite and little illite. Kaolinite is contributed by the coastal regions under the sub-tropical humid climate. Swelling chlorite is considered to have been formed in the nearshore by mechanical mixture of chlorite and montmorillonite derived from the metamorphic and igneous terrains of the Tertiary mountains bordering the coastal plain.     

北部湾养殖牡蛎体内异养细菌数量及其耐药性研究

为了探究北部湾养殖区域香港牡蛎(Crassostrea hongkongensis)体内的异养细菌和弧菌数量及其耐药概况变化, 对不同养殖场牡蛎体内的异养细菌进行分离培养, 并统计其数量, 通过药敏纸片扩散等方法研究了细菌的耐药状况。结果显示: 牡蛎在高死亡率养殖环境中体内的异养细菌[(8.6±0.4)×10⁶CFU·g^-1]和弧菌[(9.5±0.4)×10⁵CFU·g^-1]数量较高, 在中死亡率环境中体内的异养细菌[(6.9±0.2)×10⁶CFU·g^-1]和弧菌[(4.5±0.6)×10⁵CFU·g^-1]数量次之, 在低死亡率养殖环境中体内的异养细菌[(3.3±0.1)×10⁶CFU·g^-1]和弧菌[(2.5±0.6)×10⁵CFU·g^-1]数量最低。耐药细菌主要为革兰氏阴性菌, 对β-内酰胺类(青霉素)、糖肽类(万古霉素)的耐药率较高, 对四环素类(四环素、多西环素)的耐药率次之, 对氨基糖苷类(链霉素、庆大霉素、妥布霉素、新霉素)、大环内酯类(红霉素)、喹诺酮类(诺氟沙星、环丙沙星、氧氟沙星、恩诺沙星)的耐药率较低。在高死亡率环境中牡蛎体内的多重耐药菌占79.7%, 其耐药谱型(48种)较广; 在中度死亡率环境中牡蛎体内的多重耐药菌占66.2%, 其耐药谱型为30种; 在低死亡率环境中牡蛎体内的多重耐药菌占58.4%, 其耐药谱型为17种。本文探究了牡蛎死亡率与其体内异养细菌数量和细菌耐药性的关系, 结果显示牡蛎在高死亡率环境中体内的耐药细菌数量多、耐药谱型较广, 低死亡率环境中牡蛎体内的耐药细菌数量较少, 异养细菌数量与牡蛎死亡率呈正相关关系, 两者相关系数为0.996。     

2020年冬季大亚湾西南海域主要渔业生物碳氮稳定同位素研究

为了解大亚湾西南海域食物网的营养结构特征, 本研究于2020年1月份使用底拖网采集了该海域的渔业生物, 并分析了35种主要渔业生物的碳氮稳定同位素值。根据δ¹³C和δ¹⁵N值, 计算出该海域食物网6种营养结构的生态指标和主要渔业生物的营养级, 并绘制了连续营养谱。本次调查渔业生物主要为鱼类和虾蟹类, 鱼类的δ¹³C和δ¹⁵N值范围分别为-17.63‰ ~ -14.85‰和12.92‰~15.46‰, 平均值分别为-16.47‰和13.80‰; 虾蟹类的δ¹³C和δ¹⁵N值范围分别为-17.67‰ ~ -15.51‰和11.05‰~12.62‰, 平均值分别为-16.30‰和11.85‰。根据δ¹⁵N值, 用相加模型(trophic position by the additive model, TPA)和缩比模型(trophic position by the scaled model, TPS)分别计算了主要渔业生物的营养级, 结果显示两个模型计算的结果无显著性差异(P>0.1), 呈现鱼类平均营养级>虾蟹类的趋势。本研究发现大亚湾西南海域食物网初始食物来源较为单一, 存在食物链营养层级较少和长度不足, 食物网营养级多样性较低和营养结构冗余程度高的现象。与30多年前相比, 大亚湾近年高营养级生物量减少, 食物网结构由复杂趋向简单化, 生态系统稳定性较差。本研究结果不仅为了解大亚湾食物网结构组成提供了基础资料, 也为保护大亚湾渔业资源, 维持生态系统结构的稳定性提供参考依据。     

Control of pelagic sediment distribution by internal waves of tidal period: Possible interpretation of data from the southern East Pacific Rise

Sediment depositional patterns were observed on acoustic-reflection profiles at 36 and 42°S across the East Pacific Rise, near 100°W longitude. The sediment thickness as a function of distance from the crest shows a remarkable linearity on the east side of the rise, where the bottom topography is unusually subdued. The rate of sedimentation is 3.8 m/m.y at 42°S and 7.2 m/m.y. at 36°S. Disturbance to the even sedimentation appears to be correlated with topographic features more than 300 m high, and may therefore be associated with the interference between the barotropic tides and the topography. The group velocity of internal waves of semi-daily period is 15 cm sec⁻¹ in this area for a vertical wave number of 300 m⁻¹, and the characteristic slopes at 9° to the horizontal. The waves travel faster than the flow velocity of the tides and at an angle less than the slopes associated with the larger topographic features. Therefore a typical tidal velocity of 3 cm sec⁻¹ can be magnified substantially before the particle velocity approaches the group velocity and breaking occurs. Less magnification is possible near smaller topography because the group velocity is proportional to wavelength for internal waves of constant period. The tidal flow is magnified most near the boundary where the internal waves are reflected, and the higher velocities should cause settling sediment particles to remain in suspension locally. Thick boundary layers caused by breaking and mixing can shield the smaller-scale topography from the tidal motion.     

南海北部冷泉区深水珊瑚的发现及其特征

冷水珊瑚也称为深水珊瑚, 在生物多样性、生态资源和科研价值等方面具有重要意义。文章对采自南海北部冷泉区的冷水珊瑚骨骼碎屑进行测定, 鉴定出冷水珊瑚2个种(Crispatotrochus sp.1和Crispatotrochus sp.2), 以及4个属[Balanophyllia (Balanophyllia)、Balanophyllia (Eupsammia)、Lochmaeotrochus和Enallopsammia]。测定的冷水珊瑚的δ¹³C为-7.36‰~-1.15‰, δ¹⁸O为-1.38‰~3.67‰, 与全球冷水珊瑚碳氧同位素组成相似, 但明显不同于南海暖水珊瑚、冷泉碳酸盐岩及低温热液成因碳酸盐岩的碳氧同位素组成。     

Development of a foraminifera-based transfer function in the Basque marshes, N. Spain: Implications for sea-level studies in the Bay of Biscay

In order to reconstruct former sea level we have developed a foraminifera-based transfer function using three models based on a modern dataset of 59 samples and 23 species obtained from four Basque marshes in Northern Spain. The relationship between observed and foraminifera-predicted elevation illustrated the strong performance of the transfer function (r²_jack ranges from 0.74 to 0.81). These results indicated that precise reconstructions of former sea levels are possible (error ranges from 0.11 to 0.19 m). The transfer function was used to calibrate the foraminiferal assemblages collected from a 50 cm salt marsh core. We placed the foraminifera-based reconstructions into a temporal framework using ¹³⁷Cs, Pb concentrations, and ²¹⁰Pb-derived sediment accumulation rates. The resulting relative sea-level curve is in good agreement with regional tide-gauge data. Both instrumental data and microfossil records suggest a rate of relative sea-level rise of approximately 2 mm yr^− 1 for the 20th century.