Carbon and nitrogen utilization in two species of Red Sea corals along a depth gradient: Insights from stable isotope analysis of total organic material and lipids

We examined the utilization of carbon and nitrogen in two common Red Sea coral species (Stylophora pistillata and Favia favus), differing in colony morphology and polyp size, along a depth gradient down to 60 m. We describe the changes in C/N ratios and in the stable isotope composition of carbon and nitrogen of coral’s tissue and algal symbionts. We also measured the carbon isotopic composition of the lipid fraction extracted from both coral tissue and algal symbionts in order to reveal the changes in the carbon source utilized by the host coral for lipid synthesis.The results show that for both species, δ¹³C decreases by 7–8‰ in animal tissue, algal symbionts and in the lipid fractions as depth increases. However, in contrast to previous reports, the difference between δ¹³C values of coral tissue and algal symbionts does not increase with depth. δ¹⁵N values of coral tissue and algal symbionts in both species do not correlate with depth suggesting that the heterotrophic capacity of these corals does not increase with depth. δ¹³C values of tissue lipids were depleted by an average of 3.5‰ compared to δ¹³C of the entire tissue at all depths. δ¹³C values of algal lipids were depleted by an average of 2‰ compared to δ¹³C of the entire zooxanthellae at all depths, indicating high efficiency of carbon recycling between the two symbiotic partners along the entire gradient. The depletion of lipids is attributed to the fractionation mechanism during lipid synthesis. In addition, for both species, δ¹³C values of algal lipids were enriched compared with δ¹³C of tissue lipids. In S. pistillata, the difference between δ¹³C values of tissue lipids and algal lipids increased linearly with depth, indicating a change in the sources of carbon utilized by the coral for lipid synthesis below 20 m from an autotrophic to a heterotrophic source. However, in F. favus, this average difference was 4 times larger compared to shallow S. pistillata and was constant along the entire depth gradient, suggesting that F. favus uses heterotrophically-acquired carbon for lipid synthesis regardless of depth. Overall, F. favus exhibited enriched δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values compared to S. pistillata along the entire gradient. We attribute these differences to both morphological differences (i.e. colony morphology, tissue thickness and polyp size) between the two species and to a higher heterotrophy/autotrophy ratio in F. favus at all depths. The C/N ratio in S. pistillata tissue decreased with increasing water depth whereas in F. favus it remained constant. This reflects a higher heterotrophic capacity in the large polyped F. favus, at all depths.     

Erosion of a cyclic saltmarsh in Morecambe Bay,North-West England

This paper presents results of investigations (1983–1992) into rates of change, morphology and processes occurring during the current erosional phase in a Morecambe Bay cyclic saltmarsh, in which it has narrowed from c. 1000 m (1975) to c. 150 m (1992). Monthly monitoring of marsh edge erosion and creek knickpoint retreat has revealed temporal and spatial variations. Highest frequency changes of low magnitude coincided with non-storm conditions and overmarsh tides above 5·80 m OD, which submerged the whole marsh. Less frequent changes of greater magnitude were associated with both overmarsh tides and strong onshore winds over 15 ms^?1, which generated high energy waves. The lowest frequency change of greatest magnitude occurred during an extreme onshore storm event and surge. Morphologically, during the erosional phase, a low angled landward slope was generated as erosion of the c. 0·5 m high active seaward cliff coincided with vertical accretion of 0·07 ma^?1 of relatively coarse sediment on the marsh surface immediately landward. Tidal hydrodynamics strongly influence the saltmarsh, which is confined to the upper 2·5 m of the macrotidal range (maximum c. 10·5 m). During overmarsh spring tides (maximum creek flood flow rate 0·13 ms^?1, up to bankfull level), flooding begins over lower landward creek banks before submerging the higher marsh edge. During ebb tides, water trapped by this higher edge can escape seaward only via the creeks (maximum ebb velocities 2·07 ms^?1 below bankfull level). Wave erosion also is limited to spring tides. Monthly mapping of the Kent Estuary channel pattern seaward of the saltmarsh showed that medium term higher erosion rates were related to the presence of a large channel, which lowered the adjacent creek base level and allowed larger waves to attack the marsh edge than when a sandbank flanked the marsh. Major River Kent channel shifts appear to initiate accretional or erosional phases of cyclic saltmarsh development.     

Sample preparation for analyzing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in sediment by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

A sample preparation technique was developed to isolate and separate two classes of combustion-produced pollutants: three- to six-ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/F), from sediment samples for interference-free analyses by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The method involves soxhlet extraction with methylene chloride, sulfur removal with activated copper powder, gel filtration chromatography with Sephadex LH-20, polarity separations of PAH and PCDD/F with prepacked silica gel solid-phase extraction columns, and isolation of PCDD/F from polychlorinated biphenyls with microalumina columns. Stringent procedural controls were established to achieve clean isolations and recoveries of 70% or better for each step in the method. The prepared sample extracts were analyzed by capillary GC and GC/MS. Electron impact ionization was used for PAH, and negative chemical ionization with methane as a reagent gas was used for PCDD/F. Reproducible results were obtained. The method is simple and has the advantage of conserving sample consumption since two classes of compounds can be analyzed from the same sample. This can be critical in sediment core analyses where sample size is usually limited.     

The use of a non-lethal tool for evaluating toxicological hazard of organochlorine contaminants in Mediterranean cetaceans: new data 10 years after the first paper published in MPB

In the Mediterranean Sea, top predators, and particularly cetacean odontocetes, accumulate high concentrations of organochlorine contaminants and toxic metals, incurring high toxicological risk. In this paper we investigate the use of the skin biopsies as a non-lethal tool for evaluating toxicological hazard of organochlorines in Mediterranean cetaceans, presenting new data 10 years after the paper published by Fossi and co-workers [Mar. Poll. Bull. 24 (9) (1992) 459] in which this new methodology was first presented. Some organochlorine compounds, now with worldwide distribution, are known as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Here the unexplored hypothesis that Mediterranean cetaceans are potentially at risk due to organochlorines with endocrine disrupting capacity is investigated. High concentrations of DDT metabolites and PCB congeners (known as EDCs) were found in the different Mediterranean species (Stenella coeruleoalba, Delphinus delphis, Tursiops truncatus and Balaenoptera physalus). In this paper we also propose benzo(a)pyrene monooxygenase (BPMO) activity in marine mammal skin biopsies (non-lethal biomarker) as a potential indicator of exposure to organochlorines, with special reference to the compounds with endocrine disrupting capacity. A statistically significant correlation was found between BPMO activity and organochlorine levels (DDTs, pp(')DDT, op(')DDT, PCBs and PCB99) in skin biopsies of males of B. physalus. Moreover a statistical correlation was also found between BPMO activity and DDT levels in skin biopsies of the endangered Mediterranean population of D. delphis. These results suggest that BPMO induction may be an early sign of exposure to organochlorine EDCs and can be used for periodic monitoring of Mediterranean marine mammal toxicological status.     

A comparison of the vegetation response to rainfall in the Sahel and East Africa,using normalized difference vegetation index from NOAA AVHRR

This article presents the results of a study of the relationship between rainfall and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in East Africa and the Sahel. Monthly data for the years 1982 to 1985 have been analyzed. We have evaluated NDVI-rainfall relationships by vegetation type, using the major formations described by White (1983). In the article, a comparison of the differential response of vegetation growth to rainfall in the two study regions is emphasized. The most important conclusions of our research are as follows:

1. The spatial patterns of annually-integrated NDVI closely reflect mean annual rainfall.
2. There is a good relationship between rainfall variations and NDVI on seasonal and interannual time scales for areas where mean annual rainfall ranges from approximately 200 to 1200 mm.
3. In most cases, NDVI is best correlated with the rainfall total for the concurrent plus two antecedent months; the correlation is better in the Sahel than in East Africa.
4. The ratios of NDVI to rainfall are considerably higher in East Africa than in the Sahel.
5. Mean annually-integrated NDVI is linearly related to mean annual rainfall in the Sahel. In East Africa the relationship is approximately log-linear; above some threshold value of rainfall, NDVI values level off and vary minimally with rainfall.

Two possible explanations of this last conclusion are suggested: above this threshold, rainfall is no longer the limiting factor in vegetation growth and/or NDVI is not a good indicator of vegetation growth. The latter is a likely possibility since NDVI directly reflects photosynthetic activity and becomes a poor indicator of biomass (i.e., growth) as high canopy densities are reached. The NDVI-rainfall relationship for East Africa is markedly similar to the relationship between NDVI and Leaf Area Index demonstrated by Sellers (1985) and Asrar et al. (1984).     

Geomorphology and vegetation drive hydrochemistry changes in two Northeast Greenland streams

Climate change is causing drastic landscape changes in the Arctic, but how these changes modify stream biogeochemistry is not clear yet. We examined how catchment properties influence stream nitrogen (N) and dissolved organic carbon concentrations (DOC) in a high-Arctic environment. We sampled two contrasting headwater streams (10–15 stations over 4.8 and 6.8 km, respectively) in Northeast Greenland (74°N). We characterized the geomorphology (i.e., bedrock, solifluction and alluvial types) and the vegetation (i.e., barren, fell field, grassland and tundra types) cover of each subcatchment area draining into each sampling station and collected water samples for hydrochemistry characterization. The two sampled streams differed in geomorphology and vegetation cover in the catchment. Aucellaelv catchment was mostly covered by a ‘bedrock’ geomorphology (71%) and ‘fellfield’ vegetation (51%), whereas Kæerelv was mostly covered by ‘alluvial’ geomorphology (65%) and ‘grassland’ and ‘tundra’ vegetation (42% and 41% respectively). Hydrochemistry also differed between the two study streams, with higher concentrations of inorganic N forms in Aucellaelv and lower DOC concentrations, compared to Kærelv. The results from the linear mixed model selection showed that vegetation and geomorphology had contrasting effects on stream hydrochemistry. Subcatchments with higher solifluction sheets and limited vegetation had higher nitrate concentrations but lower DOC concentrations. Interestingly, we also found high variability on the production and removal of nitrate across subcatchments. These results indicate landscape controls to nutrient and organic matter exports via flow paths, soil organic matter stocks and nutrient retention via terrestrial vegetation. Moreover, the results suggest that climate change induced alterations to vegetation cover and soil physical disturbance in high-Arctic catchments will affect stream hydrochemistry, with potential effects in stream productivity, trophic relations as well as change of solute export to downstream coastal areas.     

Marine geology of the Medriff Corridor, Mediterranean Ridge

Abstract Thirty-one piston and/or gravity cores not exceeding 10 m in length were raised in selected areas of a 300 km-long transect (Medriff Corridor) crossing the Mediterranean Ridge, an accretionary complex subject to continent/continent collision, containing an important evaporitic body (Messinian evaporites), in order to ground-truth the geological make-up. Core location, very accurate with reference to a complex bottom configuration, was preceded by swathe mapping, seismic profiling and side-scan sonar investigations. Most sediment cores have a pelagic facies, with biogenic marls as dominant lithology, and sapropels and tephras as minor, isochronous lithologies. A combination of isochronous lithologies and calcareous plankton biochronology permits high resolution stratigraphic correlations. Pelagic facies sediments are Middle Pleistocene to Holocene in age. Two cores associated with mounds located along thrusts contain a matrix-supported mud breccia of deep provenance, Burdigalian-Langhian in age, similar to that characteristic of the Mediterranean Ridge diapiric belt (Cita et al. 1995 ). Three new brine-filled anoxic basins (Urania, l'Atalante and Discovery) were discovered. The brines originated from submarine dissolution of Messinian evaporites and are different in the various basins. The sedimentary record strongly differs from basin to basin. These brine lakes are very young (35 000 years or less). A drastic change in sedimentation rate recorded in the Discovery Basin suggests that basin collapse was sudden and followed by progressive development of basin anoxia. Some cores were analyzed with a prototype multisensor for P-wave velocity, magnetic susceptibility and density. Sapropels show up as abrupt decreases in P-wave velocity and density, and tephra as sudden increases in magnetic susceptibility. Mud breccia displays P-wave velocities greater than pelagic marls, with peaks related to lithic clasts. Anoxic sediments have high P-wave velocities; peaks are associated with gypsum crystals.     

Holderness coast erosion and the significance of ords

A sample ord, a low section of beach characteristic of the Holderness coast, is examined as it moved southwards between 1977 and 1983 and its significant role in coast erosion is demonstrated. The reduction in beach level at the cliff foot by up to 3.9 m enabled most HWN tides to reach it, as compared with only some HWS tides along the inter-ord beach, and the volume of till eroded from the cliffs increased by eight times to an annual mean of 72m³m^?1. The Holderness tills are shown to be composed of 31 per cent sand and coarser sediment which is the sediment range of the beaches. Where an ord is sited the massive injection of beach sediment goes to form the ord's most prominent constructional feature, the lower beach ridge which extends southwards from the centre of the ord. Analysis of 12 months' observer wave data collected at Withernsea in 1969/70 indicates that a net southward sand movement of 144 000 m³ occurred. Comparison of this rate with beach sediment input rates along the whole coast backed by till cliffs suggests a sediment deficit at the northern end and a surplus towards the southern end. This conclusion is supported by an overall increase in beach sediment volume southwards from Barmston. Within this longshore sediment transport system, the ords migrate southwards from their point of origin in the Barmston-Skipsea area, without losing their identity until reaching the tip of Spurn Head.