Juvenile Winter Flounder (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudopleuronectes americanus</Emphasis>) and Summer Flounder (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Paralichthys dentatus</Emphasis>) Utilization of Southern New England Nurseries: Comparisons Among Estuarine,Tidal River,and Coastal Lagoon Shallow-Water Habitats

This study evaluated the relative importance of the Narragansett Bay estuary (RI and MA, USA), and associated tidal rivers and coastal lagoons, as nurseries for juvenile winter flounder, Pseudopleuronectes americanus, and summer flounder, Paralichthys dentatus. Winter flounder (WF) and summer flounder (SF) abundance and growth were measured from May to October (2009–2013) and served as indicators for the use and quality of shallow-water habitats (water depth <1.5–3.0 m). These bioindicators were then analyzed with respect to physiochemical conditions to determine the mechanisms underlying intraspecific habitat selection. WF and SF abundances were greatest in late May and June (maximum monthly mean?=?4.9 and 0.55 flounder/m² for WF and SF, respectively) and were significantly higher in the tidal rivers relative to the bay and lagoons. Habitat-related patterns in WF and SF abundance were primarily governed by their preferences for oligohaline (0.1–5 ppt) and mesohaline (6–18 ppt) waters, but also their respective avoidance of hypoxic conditions (<4 mg DO/L) and warm water temperatures (>25 °C). Flounder habitat usage was also positively related to sediment organic content, which may be due to these substrates having sufficiently high prey densities. WF growth rates (mean?=?0.25?±?0.14 mm/day) were negatively correlated with the abundance of conspecifics, whereas SF growth (mean?=?1.39?±?0.46 mm/day) was positively related to temperature and salinity. Also, contrary to expectations, flounder occupied habitats that offered no ostensible advantage in intraspecific growth rates. WF and SF exposed to low salinities in certain rivers likely experienced increased osmoregulatory costs, thereby reducing energy for somatic growth. Low-salinity habitats, however, may benefit flounder by providing refugia from predation or reduced competition with other estuarine fishes and macroinvertebrates. Examining WF and SF abundance and growth across each species’ broader geographic distribution revealed that southern New England habitats may constitute functionally significant nurseries. These results also indicated that juvenile SF have a geographic range extending further north than previously recognized.     

Habitat utilization by small flatfishes in a North Carolina estuary

Distribution and abundance of flatfish species (<150 mm standard length) were related to habitat characteristics in the Newport River and Back Sound estuaries in North Carolina. Salinity, turbidity, depth, distance from marsh edge, benthic composition, and grain size were used to describe the different shallow water habitats from April through October 1994. One Scophthalmidae, seven Paralichthyidae, one Achiridae, and one Cynoglossidae species were collected during the study including juvenileParalichthys albigutta (gulf flounder),P. dentatus (summer flounder), andP. lethostigma (southern flounder) along with multiple age classes ofCitharichthys spilopterus (bay whiff),Etropus crossotus (fringed flounder),Symphurus plagiusa (blackcheek tonguefish), andTrinetes maculatus (hogchoker). Incidental catches ofAncylopsetta quadrocellata (ocellated flounder),C. macrops (spotted whiff), andScopthalmus aquosus (windowpane) were also made. Flatfish distributions among habitats varied by species, size within species, and season. Regardless of season, the highest densities of flatfishes were found in the upper estuary. All habitats were used by one or more species and most species occurred at several habitats. Some species were significantly more abundant at specific habitat types. Ontogenetic shifts in habitat utilization were found for several species. High densities of smallP. lethostigma, C. spilopterus, S. plagiusa, andT. maculatus occurred in the upper estuary on muddy substrates. LargeP. dentatus, C. spilopterus, S. plagiusa, andT. maculatus utilized sand flats and channels in the lower estuary.     

Habitat Use Patterns of Newly Settled Southern Flounder, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Paralichthys lethostigma</Emphasis>, in Aransas–Copano Bay,Texas

Southern flounder Paralichthys lethostigma populations have been declining in Texas during the past 25 years. Despite their economic importance, little is known about their juvenile habitat requirements. We examined habitat use patterns of newly settled southern flounder in three zones at varying distances from the Aransas Pass inlet in Aransas–Copano Bay by measuring densities using a beam trawl in replicate estuarine habitat types in each zone. Highest abundance occurred near the inlet in vegetated sandy areas and was lowest in nonvegetated muddy bottom in regions furthest from the inlet. We also examined a 25-year fisheries data set from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to evaluate long-term spatiotemporal recruitment patterns in Aransas–Copano Bay. These data showed generally low recruitment during the past 25 years with highest abundance near the inlets. Our results support the importance of vegetated habitat types, especially those near tidal passes, and suggest a long-term decline in recruitment densities of southern flounder.     

Link between convection and meridional gradient of sea surface temperature in the Bay of Bengal

We use daily satellite estimates of sea surface temperature (SST) and rainfall during 1998–2005 to show that onset of convection over the central Bay of Bengal (88–92°E, 14–18°N) during the core summer monsoon (mid-May to September) is linked to the meridional gradient of SST in the bay. The SST gradient was computed between two boxes in the northern (88–92°E, 18–22°N) and southern (82–88°E, 4–8°N) bay; the latter is the area of the cold tongue in the bay linked to the Summer Monsoon Current. Convection over central bay followed the SST difference between the northern and southern bay (ΔT) exceeding 0.75°C in 28 cases. There was no instance of ΔT exceeding this threshold without a burst in convection. There were, however, five instances of convection occurring without this SST gradient. Long rainfall events (events lasting more than a week) were associated with an SST event (ΔT ≥ 0.75°C); rainfall events tended to be short when not associated with an SST event. The SST gradient was important for the onset of convection, but not for its persistence: convection often persisted for several days even after the SST gradient weakened. The lag between ΔT exceeding 0.75°C and the onset of convection was 0–18 days, but the lag histogram peaked at one week. In 75% of the 28 cases, convection occurred within a week of ΔT exceeding the threshold of 0.75°C. The northern bay SST, T _N , contributed more to ΔT, but it was a weaker criterion for convection than the SST gradient. A sensitivity analysis showed that the corresponding threshold for T _N was 29°C. We hypothesise that the excess heating (∼1°C above the threshold for deep convection) required in the northern bay to trigger convection is because this excess in SST is what is required to establish the critical SST gradient.     

Community Oxygen and Nutrient Fluxes in Seagrass Beds of Florida Bay, USA

We used clear, acrylic chambers to measure in situ community oxygen and nutrient fluxes under day and night conditions in seagrass beds at five sites across Florida Bay five times between September 1997 and March 1999. Underlying sediments are biogenic carbonate with porosities of 0.7–0.9 and with low organic content (<1.6%). The seagrass communities always removed oxygen from the water column during the night and produced oxygen during daylight, and sampling date and site significantly affected both night and daytime oxygen fluxes. Net daily average fluxes of oxygen (?4.9 to 49 mmol m^?2 day^?1) ranged from net autotrophy to heterotrophy across the bay and during the 18-month sampling period. However, the Rabbit Key Basin site, located in the west-central bay and covered with a dense Thalassia testudinum bed, was always autotrophic with net average oxygen production ranging from 4.8 to 49 mmol m^?2 day^?1. In November 1998, three of the five sites were strongly heterotrophic and oxygen production was least at Rabbit, suggesting the possibility of hypoxic conditions in fall. Average ammonium (NH₄) concentrations in the water column varied widely across the bay, ranging from a mean of 6.9 μmol l^?1 at Calusa in the eastern bay to a mean of 0.6 μmol l^?1 at Rabbit Key for the period of study. However, average NH₄ fluxes by site and date (?240 to 110 μmol m^?2 h^?1) were not correlated with water column concentrations and did not vary in a consistent diel, seasonal, or spatial pattern. Concentrations of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) in the water column, averaged by site (15–25 μmol l^?1), were greater than mean NH₄ concentrations, and the range of day and night DON fluxes (?920 to 1,300 μmol m^?2 h^?1), averaged by site and date, was greater than the range of mean NH₄ fluxes. Average DON fluxes did not vary consistently from day to night, seasonally or spatially. Mean silicate fluxes ranged from ?590 to 860 μmol m^?2 h^?1 across all sites and dates, but mean net daily fluxes were less variable and most of the time contributed small amounts of silicate to the water column. Mean concentrations of filterable reactive phosphorus (FRP) in the water column across the bay were very low (0.021–0.075 μmol l^?1); but site average concentrations of dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) were higher (0.04–0.15 μmol l^?1) and showed a gradient of increasing concentration from east to west in the bay. A pronounced gradient in average surficial sediment total phosphorus (1.1–12 μmol g DW^?1) along an east-to-west gradient was not reflected in fluxes of phosphorus. FRP fluxes, averaged by site and date, were low (?5.2 to 52 μmol m^?2 h^?1), highly variable, and did not vary consistently from day to night or across season or location. Mean DOP fluxes varied over a smaller range (?8.7 to 7.4 μmol m^?2 h^?1), but also showed no consistent spatial or temporal patterns. These small DOP fluxes were in sharp contrast to the predominately organic phosphorus pool in surficial sediments (site means?=?0.66–7.4 μmol g DW^?1). Significant correlations of nutrient fluxes with parameters related to seagrass abundance suggest that the seagrass community may play a major role in nutrient recycling. Integrated means of net daily fluxes over the area of Florida Bay, though highly variable, suggest that seagrass communities might be a source of DOP and NH₄ to Florida Bay and might remove small amounts of FRP and potentially large amounts of DON from the waters of the bay.     

A hydrochemical study of the Hammam Righa geothermal waters in north-central Algeria

This study focuses on the hydrochemical characteristics of 47 water samples collected from thermal and cold springs that emerge from the Hammam Righa geothermal field, located in north-central Algeria. The aquifer that feeds these springs is mainly situated in the deeply fractured Jurassic limestone and dolomite of the Zaccar Mount. Measured discharge temperatures of the cold waters range from 16.0 to 26.5 °C and the hot waters from 32.1 to 68.2 °C. All waters exhibited a near-neutral pH of 6.0–7.6. The thermal waters had a high total dissolved solids (TDS) content of up to 2527 mg/l, while the TDS for cold waters was 659.0–852.0 mg/l. Chemical analyses suggest that two main types of water exist: hot waters in the upflow area of the Ca–Na–SO₄ type (Hammam Righa) and cold waters in the recharge zone of the Ca–Na–HCO₃ type (Zaccar Mount). Reservoir temperatures were estimated using silica geothermometers and fluid/mineral equilibria at 78, 92, and 95 °C for HR4, HR2, and HR1, respectively. Stable isotopic analyses of the δ¹⁸O and δD composition of the waters suggest that the thermal waters of Hammam Righa are of meteoric origin. We conclude that meteoric recharge infiltrates through the fractured dolomitic limestones of the Zaccar Mount and is conductively heated at a depth of 2.1–2.2 km. The hot waters then interact at depth with Triassic evaporites located in the hydrothermal conduit (fault), giving rise to the Ca–Na–SO₄ water type. As they ascend to the surface, the thermal waters mix with shallower Mg-rich groundwater, resulting in waters that plot in the immature water field in the Na–K–Mg diagram. The mixing trend between cold groundwaters from the recharge zone area (Zaccar Mount) and hot waters in the upflow area (Hammam Righa) is apparent via a chloride-enthalpy diagram that shows a mixing ratio of 22.6 < R < 29.2 %. We summarize these results with a geothermal conceptual model of the Hammam Righa geothermal field.     

Dynamics of pink shrimp (Farfantepenaeus duorarum) recruitment potential in relation to salinity and temperature in Florida Bay

Progress is reported in relating upstream water management and freshwater flow to Florida Bay to a valuable commercial fishery for pink shrimp (Farfantepenaeus duorarum), which has major nursery grounds in Florida Bay. Changes in freshwater inflow are expected to affect salinity patterns in the bay, so the effect of salinity and temperature on the growth, survival, and subsequent recruitment and harvest of this ecologically and economically important species was examined with laboratory experiments and a simulation model. Experiments were conducted to determine the response of juvenile growth and survival to temperature (15°C to 33°C) and salinity (2‰ to 55‰), and results were used to refine an existing model. Results of these experiments indicated that juvenile pink shrimp have a broad salinity tolerance range at their optimal temperature, but the salinity tolerance range narrows with distance from the optimal temperature range, 20–30°C. Acclimation improved survival at extreme high salinity (55‰), but not at extremely low salinity (i.e., 5‰, 10‰). Growth rate increases with temperature until tolerance is exceeded beyond about 35°C. Growth is optimal in the mid-range of salinity (30‰) and decreases as salinity increases or decreases. Potential recruitment and harvests from regions of Florida bay were simulated based on local observed daily temperature and salinity. The simulations predict that potential harvests might differ among years, seasons, and regions of the bay solely on the basis of observed temperature and salinity. Regional differences in other characteristics, such as seagrass cover and tidal transport, may magnify regional differences in potential harvests. The model predicts higher catch rates in the September–December fishery, originating from the April and July settlement cohorts, than in the January–June fishery, originating from the October and January settlement cohorts. The observed density of juveniles in western Florida Bay during the same years simulated by the model was greater in the fall than the spring, supporting modeling results. The observed catch rate in the fishery, a rough index of abundance, was higher in the January–June fishery than the July–December fishery in most of the biological years from 1989–1990 through 1997–1998, contrary to modeling results and observed juvenile density in western Florida Bay.     

Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay: Physical and Chemical Evolution

Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay is a large (around 18,000 km²) and shallow (few meters deep) lagoon located east of the Caspian Sea. Its water surface was several meters to several dozens cm lower than in the Caspian Sea, so water flows from the Caspian Sea through a narrow strait into the bay, where it evaporates. Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay is one of the saltiest bodies of water in the world; its water salinity amounts to 270–300 g/l. Different kinds of salts available in this natural evaporative basin has been used commercially since at least the 1920s. In March 1980, in order to decelerate a continuous fall of the Caspian Sea level, which in 1977 was the lowest over the last 400 years (?29 m), the Kara-Bogaz-Gol Strait was dammed. In response to this human intervention, the bay had already dried up completely by November 1983. In 1992, the dam was destroyed, and Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay had been filling up with the Caspian Sea water at a rate of about 1.7 m/year up to 1996 as observed by the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite altimetry mission. Since then, Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay level evolution with characteristic seasonal and interannual oscillations has been similar to that of the Caspian Sea. Physical and chemical evolution of the bay in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries is traced in detail in the paper.     

Groundwater flow dynamics in the complex aquifer system of Gidabo River Basin (Ethiopian Rift): a multi-proxy approach

Hydrochemical and isotope data in conjunction with hydraulic head and spring discharge observations were used to characterize the regional groundwater flow dynamics and the role of the tectonic setting in the Gidabo River Basin, Ethiopian Rift. Both groundwater levels and hydrochemical and isotopic data indicate groundwater flow from the major recharge area in the highland and escarpment into deep rift floor aquifers, suggesting a deep regional flow system can be distinguished from the shallow local aquifers. The δ¹⁸O and δ²H values of deep thermal (≥30 °C) groundwater are depleted relative to the shallow (<60 m below ground level) groundwater in the rift floor. Based on the δ¹⁸O values, the thermal groundwater is found to be recharged in the highland around 2,600 m a.s.l. and on average mixed with a proportion of 30 % shallow groundwater. While most groundwater samples display diluted solutions, δ¹³C data of dissolved inorganic carbon reveal that locally the thermal groundwater near fault zones is loaded with mantle CO₂, which enhances silicate weathering and leads to anomalously high total dissolved solids (2,000–2,320 mg/l) and fluoride concentrations (6–15 mg/l) exceeding the recommended guideline value. The faults are generally found to act as complex conduit leaky barrier systems favoring vertical mixing processes. Normal faults dipping to the west appear to facilitate movement of groundwater into deeper aquifers and towards the rift floor, whereas those dipping to the east tend to act as leaky barriers perpendicular to the fault but enable preferential flow parallel to the fault plane.     

Carbon Dioxide and Methane Dynamics in Three Coastal Systems of Cadiz Bay (SW Spain)

The partial pressure of CO₂ (pCO₂) and concentration of dissolved CH₄ in surface waters have been studied in three coastal systems connected to Cadiz Bay (southwestern coast of Spain) over different time scales. The concentration of CH₄ varied from 1 to 4200 nmol kg^?1 (192.1 ± 463.6 nmol kg^?1) and the saturation percent from 19 to 159,577% (6645 ± 16,921%), and pCO₂ from 315 to 3240 μatm (841.9 ± 466.3 μatm), with saturation percent values varying between 72 and 981% (220 ± 133%). The seasonal variation of pCO₂ mainly depends on the temperature. On the contrary, the annual distribution of dissolved CH₄ is associated with the precipitation regime. In addition, pCO₂ and dissolved CH₄ showed spatial variation. pCO₂ increased toward the inner part of the systems, with the proximity to the discharge points from human activities. Dissolved CH₄ is influenced by both anthropogenic inputs and natural processes such as benthic supply and exchange with the adjacent salt marshes. pCO₂ and dissolved CH₄ also varied with the tides: The highest concentrations were measured during the ebb, which suggests that the systems export CO₂ and CH₄ to the Bay and adjacent Atlantic Ocean.     

Spatial and temporal variation in recent growth, overall growth, and mortality of juvenile weakfish (Cynoscion regalis) in Delaware Bay

We examined relative abundance of juvenile weakfish,Cynoscion regalis, collected during 1986 and 1987 and tested for spatial differences in growth and survival within Delaware Bay. Juvenile weakfish recruit to all areas of Delaware Bay, and two cohorts were present during each year of the study. Although catch per unit effort (CPUE) varied among areas within the bay, there was a general trend of higher CPUE at lower salinities; abundance quickly declined near the end of September in all areas of the bay. Estimated growth rates from otolith increment analysis of juvenile weakfish ranged from 0.69 mm d⁻¹ to 0.97 mm d⁻¹. Spatial and temporal patterns in recent growth rate followed a general pattern: highest in the middle bay, lowest in the upper bay, and intermediate in the lower bay. Mortality rates were usually lowest in the low salinity region of the middle and upper bay during both years. There was no difference in mortality between cohorts in the middle bay, while in the upper bay the later-spawned fish had lower mortality and in the lower bay the early-spawned fish had lower mortality. Analysis of spatial and temporal patterns in growth and mortality suggests that there is a seasonal trade-off between habitat usage and resource availability for juvenile weakfish. The function of oligohaline and mesohaline waters as optimal nursery areas (in terms of growth and survival) changes due to the seasonally dynamic physicochemical characteristics in Delaware Bay.     

Linking juvenile fish and their habitats: An example from Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island

We used two methods and existing field survey data to link juvenile fish and their habitats. The first method used seine survey data collected monthly from July to October 1988–1996 at fixed stations in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. Thirteen fish species making up 1% or more of the catch were analyzed by principal components analysis for two time periods: July–August and September–October. The stations were then plotted by their principal component scores to identify station groupings and habitat types. The second method used environmental data collected in July and August 1996 at the established survey stations in a principal components analysis. The stations and 13 most abundant species were plotted by principal components scores resulting from the environmental data. For the environmental data, the first two principal components explained 59% of the variance. The first principal component described the amount of energy shaping the habitat and was positively correlated with salinity, dissolved oxygen, current flow, and slope, and negatively correlated with silt. The second component was positively correlated with depth and silt, and negatively correlated with dissolved oxygen. The environmental data grouped the stations according to their distance from the ocean and three habitat types emerged. The uppermost station was a silty barren having low salinities and dissolved oxygen. Three other stations grouped together as low energy, protected habitats with sandy substrates. Lower bay stations had higher salinities, higher dissolved oxygen, higher flow rates, greater slopes, and larger size substrates, mostly cobble and gravel. Results from the fish data grouped the stations similarly. Combining results from both datasets revealed the uppermost station had the highest catches, most species, and greatest number of winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) juveniles. Plots of winter flounder catches with principal component scores from the environmental data indicated the winter flounder distribution in the bay has shrunk from baywide to mostly the upper estuary near their primary spawning grounds. Results illustrate the value of coupling historic fish survey data with environmental measurements for identifying previously undervalued habitats important to fish.     

Dissolved sulfides in the oxic water column of San Francisco Bay,California

Trace contaminants enter major estuaries such as San Francisco Bay from a variety of point and nonpoint sources and may then be repartitioned between solid and aqueous phases or altered in chemical speciation. Chemical speciation affects the bioavailability of metals as well as organic ligands to planktonic and benthic organisms, and the partitioning of these solutes between phases. Our previous, work in south San Francisco Bay indicated that sulfide complexation with metals may be of particular importance because of the thermodynamic stability of these complexes. Although the water column of the bay is consistently well-oxygenated and typically unstratified with respect to dissolved oxygen, the kinetics of sulfide oxidation could exert at least transient controls on metal speciation. Our initial data on dissolved sulfides in the main channel of both the northern and southern components of the bay consistently indicate submicromolar concenrations (from <1 nM to 162 nM), as one would expect in an oxidizing environment. However, chemical speciation calculations over the range of observed sulfide concentrations indicate that these trace concentrations in the bay water column can markedly affect chemical speciation of ecologically significant trace metals such as cadmium, copper, and zinc.     

Controls on the genesis of a high-fluoride thermal spring: Innot Hot Springs,north Queensland *

This study reports on the source, evolution, reactions and environmental impacts of F-rich thermal water at Innot Hot Springs, north Queensland. Thermal water of the Innot Hot Springs has a surface temperature of 71°C, alkaline pH (8.1), low dissolved oxygen (0.61 mg/L) and low total dissolved solids (652 mg/L). The main chemical composition is Na – Cl, with F concentrations (16 mg/L) being comparatively high. Concentrations of alkali and alkali-earth metals (Cs, Li, Rb, Sr) are elevated, while those of other trace elements (Ag, Al, As, Ba, Be, Cr, Cu, Ga, Mn, Mo, U, Zn) are significantly less. Hydrochemical and stable isotope data of hot spring water show that the fluid is meteoric in origin and has undergone significant water – granite interaction. Common geothermometers suggest temperatures of water – rock interaction at depth in the 119 – 158°C range (corresponding to a depth of <3.9 – 5.2 km). Solubility modelling of the thermal fluid demonstrates that the evolution of F concentrations in spring waters at the discharge site can be accounted for by fluid – rock interaction of a H₂O – NaCl solution with fluorite – calcite-bearing granite assemblages between 150 and 200°C and subsequent granite-buffered cooling. Modelling also indicates that the F concentration in the hydrothermal system is largely controlled by interactions with fluorite, with less evidence for the significant involvement of F-topaz. Speciation calculations demonstrate that F speciation in the fluid is dominated by F^? (99.4%), followed by minor CaF⁺ (0.5%) and NaF_(aq) (0.1%), and traces of other F complexes. Thus, the F-rich Innot Hot Springs result from meteoric water circulating through fluorite-bearing granitic rocks and are the surface expression of a low-temperature, non-volcanic geothermal system. Discharge of the hot spring water occurs into an ephemeral stream located in a seasonally wet – dry tropical climate. As a result, the F content of local surface waters is distinctly elevated (max. 18 mg/L) during the dry season, making them unsuitable for stock water supplies.     

Measurement of seasonal variability of hydro-environmental characteristics of Kuwait Bay

To fill in the large existing data gap, this study presents results of a comprehensive data set from Kuwait Bay (KB), showing the horizontal and vertical distribution of its prominent hydrodynamic variables (i.e., water temperature, seawater salinity, seawater density) and water quality variables (i.e., chlorophyll-a concentration, turbidity, dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration, DO saturation, apparent oxygen utilization, photosynthetic active radiation). Field measurements were carried out between 11 September 2014 and 17 August 2015 covering number of monitoring stations in the entire bay. The results revealed significant seasonal variations and apparent three-dimensional features of the measured variables exemplifying the necessity of not considering the bay as a well-mixed water body in the future oceanographic studies anytime of the year. However, well-mixed conditions (with the Brunt-Vaisala frequency of about 0.0002 s^?1) were existent only in the winter. Bay’s water column began stratifying in late spring, and these were significantly intensified (with the Brunt-Vaisala frequency of about 0.0008 s^?1) during the summer and early autumn. The stratification, together with the increase oxygen demand for decomposition processes and decrease in DO solubility in summer, led to the formation of a lower DO water mass (daytime DO concentration <4.2 mg l^?1) at the lower layers. Results also suggested that the water of the KB is more transparent (indicated by lower turbidity) compared to the adjacent sea water. Measurement of light intensity along the water column indicated that the light extincts rapidly (i.e., the light reduced to approximately 10 % of the surface values at water depth of 2–6 m) in KB and many times absent at the water near the seabed. This study also suggested that the KB can be classified at a year-round negative, hypersaline, inverse, and hyperpycnal estuary.     

Habitat Affects Survival of Translocated Bay Scallops, Argopecten irradians concentricus (Say 1822), in Lower Chesapeake Bay

Bay scallop (Argopecten irradians) populations existed in Chesapeake Bay until 1933, when they declined dramatically due to a loss of seagrass habitat. Since then, there have been no documented populations within the Bay. However, some anecdotal observations of live bay scallops within the lower Bay suggest that restoration of the bay scallop is feasible. We therefore tested whether translocated adults of the southern bay scallop, Argopecten irradians concentricus, could survive during the reproductive season in vegetated and unvegetated habitats of the Lynnhaven River sub-estuary of lower Chesapeake Bay in the absence of predation. Manipulative field experiments evaluated survival of translocated, caged adult scallops in eelgrass Zostera marina, macroalgae Gracilaria spp., oyster shell, and rubble plots at three locations. After a 3-week experimental period, scallop survival was high in vegetated habitats, ranging from 98% in their preferred habitat, Z. marina, to 90% in Gracilaria spp. Survival in Z. marina was significantly higher than that in rubble (76%) and oyster shell (78%). These findings indicate that reproductive individuals can survive in vegetated habitats of lower Chesapeake Bay when protected from predators and that establishment of bay scallop populations within Chesapeake Bay may be viable.     

Relationship between Hypoxia and Macrobenthic Production in Chesapeake Bay

Human development has degraded Chesapeake Bay's health, resulting in an increase in the extent and severity of hypoxia (≤2 mg O₂ l^-1). The Bay's hypoxic zones have an adverse effect on both community structure and secondary production of macrobenthos. From 1996 to 2004, the effect of hypoxia on macrobenthic production was assessed in Chesapeake Bay and its three main tributaries (Potomac, Rappahannock, and York Rivers). Each year, in the summer (late July???early September), 25 random samples of the benthic macrofauna were collected from each system, and macrobenthic production in the polyhaline and mesohaline regions was estimated using Edgar's allometric equation. Fluctuations in macrobenthic production were significantly correlated with dissolved oxygen. Macrobenthic production was 90 % lower during hypoxia relative to normoxia. As a result, there was a biomass loss of ~7,320–13,200 metric tons C over an area of 7,720 km², which is estimated to equate to a 20 % to 35 % displacement of the Bay's macrobenthic productivity during the summer. While higher consumers may benefit from easy access to stressed prey in some areas, the large spatial and temporal extent of seasonal hypoxia limits higher trophic level transfer, via the inhibition of macrobenthic production. Such a massive loss of macrobenthic production would be detrimental to the overall health of the Bay, as it comes at a time when epibenthic and demersal predators have high-energy demands.     

Identification of Winter Flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) Estuarine Spawning Habitat and Factors Influencing Egg and Larval Distributions

A long-term (2002–2011), spatially robust, ichthyoplankton sampling program conducted in the New York/New Jersey Harbor produced 3,033 epibenthic samples from which the relationships between winter flounder egg and larval distributions and environmental parameters were examined. Variations in water temperature, sediment characteristics, and tidal phase were all significantly associated with egg distributions. Inferences about spawning habitats were based on the presence of early-stage eggs (ES1 and ES2). In the Lower Bay (LB), these habitats were primarily non-channel and characterized by more sandy substrates, averaging 96.5 % sand, 2.3 % silt/clay, 0.2 % total organic carbon (TOC), and shallower water (average depths of 5.3 m) compared to LB non-channel stations without ES1 and ES2 eggs (50.2 % sand, 42.0 % silt/clay, 2.1 % TOC, and 7.9 m depths). Occurrences of all stages of eggs in channels were associated with strong tides and severe cold winter water temperatures. These conditions increase the probability of egg transport from shallow spawning sites through increased vertical mixing (strong tides) and delayed development that prolongs the risk of displacement (cold temperatures). Yolk-sac (YS) and Stage-2 larvae were smaller in 2010 when spring water temperatures were highest. Overall, YS larval size decreased with warmer winters (cumulative degree-days for the month preceding peak YS larval collections, r ²?=?0.82, p?<?0.05). In all years, YS larvae collected in LB were smaller and Stage-3 larvae collected in channels were larger and possibly older than those from non-channel habitat. Because estuarine winter flounder populations are highly localized, adverse effects experienced during egg and larval stages are likely to propagate resulting in detrimental consequences for the year class in the natal estuary.     

Environmental impacts of heavy metals (Co, Cu, Pb, Zn) in surficial sediments of estuary in Daliao River and Yingkou Bay (northeast China): concentration level and chemical fraction

Heavy metal pollution in the surficial sediments derived from the estuary in Daliao River and Yingkou Bay is investigated to assess environmental quality, pollution level, bioavailability and toxicity. The ranges of Pb, Co, Zn and Cu concentrations in the surficial sediments are: 16.57–39.18, 3.61–16.02, 16.53–39.18, 2.77–43.80 mg/kg. Results of the geoaccumulation index (I _geo) show that the pollution levels of four metals are in the “unpolluted” class except for Pb in 15 sampling sites. The pollution level of the study area assessed by pollution load index (PLI) shows that except for the moderately polluted region of sites 1, 2, 3, 8, 12 and 13, other sites belong to unpolluted state. The sequence of pollution extent of different heavy metals is: Pb > Zn > Co > Cu. At all sampling sites, the grades of potential ecological risk of Co, Cu, Pb and Zn are “light”. The order of potential ecological risk is: Pb > Co > Cu > Zn. Sequential extraction of the metals indicates that the states of Pb, Cu, Co and Zn in the sediment are relatively stable at most sites of the estuary in Daliao River and Yingkou Bay, which means that there is a low source of pollution arriving in this area. While only at several sites, Co, Pb and Zn are labile, which are considered as anthropogenically originated.     

Silver in San Francisco Bay estuarine waters

Spatial gradients of silver concentrations in the surface waters of San Francisco Bay reveal substantial anthropogenic perturbations of the biogeochemical cycle of the element throughout the estuarine system. The most pronounced perturbations are in the south bay, where dissolved (<0.45 μm) silver concentrations are as high as 250 pM. This is more than one order-of-magnitude above baseline concentrations in the northern reach of the estuary (6 pM) and approximately two orders-of-magnitude above natural concentrations in adjacent coastal waters (3 pM). The excess silver is primarily attributed to wastewater discharges of industrial silver to the estuary on the order of 20 kg d^?1. The contamination is most evident in the south bay, where wastewater discharges of silver are on the order of 10 kg d^?1 and natural freshwater discharges are relatively insignificant. The limited amount of freshwater flushing in the south bay was exacerbated by persistent drought conditions during the study period. This extended the hydraulic residence time in the south bay (≥160 d), and revealed the apparent seasonal benthic fluxes of silver from anthropogenically contaminated sediments. These were conservatively estimated to average ≈16 nmol m^?2 d^?1 in the south bay, which is sufficient to replace all of the dissolved silver in the south bay within 22 d. Benthic fluxes of silver throughout the estuary were estimated to average ≈11 nmol m^?2 d^?1, with an annual input of approximately 540 kg yr^?1 of silver to the system. This dwarfs the annual fluvial input of silver during the study period (12 kg yr^?1) and is equivalent to approximately 10% of the annual anthropogenic input of silver to the estuary (3,700–7,200 kg yr^?1). It is further speculated that benthic fluxes of silver may be greater than or equal to waste water fluxes of silver during periods of intense diagenic remobilization. However, all inputs of dissolved silver to the estuary are efficiently sorbed by suspended particulates, as evidenced by the relatively constant conditional distribution coefficient for silver throughout the estuary (K_d≈10⁵).