Implications from a field study regarding the relationship between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and glutathione S-transferase activity in mussels

An aluminium smelter on the west coast of Scotland discharges an aqueous effluent containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at the head of Loch Leven. The loch also supports two mussel (Mytilus edulis) farms. Data are presented on burdens of PAHs in the soft tissues of mussels and the effect of these contaminants on glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity in mussel hepatopancreas. GST activity is shown to be correlated with total PAH burden and also with the concentrations of certain individual PAHs. These field data show that high molecular weight PAHs are closely correlated to GST activity, whereas low molecular weight PAHs are not. This suggests that 5- and 6-ring PAHs have a more pronounced role than 2- to 4-ring compounds in inducing GST activity in mussels from Loch Leven. It is proposed that it may be more appropriate to link GST activity with 5- and 6-ring compounds only, rather than with the total PAH burden.     

Images of the seabed in the Faroe-Shetland Channel from commercial 3D seismic data

A large number of 3D deep seismic surveys in the Faroe-Shetland Channel gives continuous coverage over most of the region. These surveys were designed primarily to image depths in excess of 4 km, use low frequency sources and are recorded at low temporal sample rates. However, commercial 3D data can generate highly detailed images of the seabed due to the high spatial sample rate, typically 12.5 m. This is particularly true in waters below 200 m. Despite geophysical artefacts, the images reveal that there are a number of sedimentary processes at work adjacent to and within this channel. On the West Shetland Shelf, iceberg scouring and moraines reflect the impact of glaciation. On the West Shetland slope there is clear evidence for down-slope processes, such as debris flows, linear erosion channels, basal fans and (one case) slope failure. Along-slope processes are also active as indicated by the presence of sediment waves and contourite mounds. On the floor of the basin, polygonal cracking can be observed. The most spectacular feature appears to be the Judd Deeps, a system of cliffs approximately 200 m high and 40 km across. Traditionally, seabed investigation has been performed using high-resolution surveys. This study shows that deep exploration data can also provide useful images of the seafloor.     

A modelling study of ecosystem dynamics and nutrient cycling in the Humber plume, UK

The European Regional Seas Ecosystem Model (ERSEM) has been coupled with a two-dimensional depth-averaged transport model of the Humber plume region and run to simulate 1988–1989. Simulations of the spatial and temporal variations in chlorophyll-a, nitrate, phosphate and suspended particulate matter distributions in winter, spring and summer show how the development of the spring bloom and subsequent maintenance of primary production is controlled by the physicochemical environment of the plume zone. Results are also shown for two stations, one characterised by the high nutrient and suspended matter concentrations of the plume and the other by the relatively low nutrient and sediment concentrations of the offshore waters. The modelled net primary production at the plume site was 105 g C m⁻² a⁻¹ and 127 g C m⁻² a⁻¹ offshore. Primary production was controlled by light limitation between October and March and by the availability of nutrients during the rest of the year. The phytoplankton nutrient demand is met by in-situ recycling processes during the summer. The likely effect of increasing and decreasing anthropogenic riverine inputs of nitrate and phosphate upon ecosystem function was also investigated. Modelling experiments indicate that increasing the nitrogen to silicate ratio in freshwater inputs increased the production of non-siliceous phytoplankton in the plume. The results of this model have been used to calculate the annual and quarterly mass balances describing the usage of inorganic nitrogen, phosphate and silicate within the plume zone for the period of the NERC North Sea survey (September 1988 to October 1989). The modelled Humber plume retains 3.9% of the freshwater dissolved inorganic nitrogen, 2.2% of the freshwater phosphate and 1.3% of the freshwater silicate input over the simulated seasonal cycle. The remainder is transported into the southern North Sea in either dissolved or particulate form. The reliability of these results is discussed.     

Seasonally Hypersaline Estuaries in Mediterranean-climate Regions

Data collected in three Californian estuaries indicate that hypersaline conditions exist during the dry summers typical of a Mediterranean climate. The generalised seasonal and longitudinal hydrographic structures are described and explained. It is argued that this seasonal hypersalinity is common and that it represents a major class of estuaries. The observed accumulation of salt indicates surprisingly long residence times in small basins which have free exchange with the ocean. This semi-isolation of the inner basin leads to a large build-up or severe depletion of nutrients, pollutants and plankton in these systems. Of concern are the trends to increase pollutant loading in the same systems that are experiencing an increase in residence times owing to freshwater extraction in the watershed.     

Dynamics of a moored barge under regular and random waves

Developments in the study of wave forces and construction techniques in deep water by the offshore oil industry have increased the use of marine terminals at deep water locations. A thorough understanding of moored ship dynamics when subjected to waves, wind and current combined with the use of flexible mooring lines would help to design berthing terminals for exposed areas. In this paper, the three dimensional problem of wave interactions with a barge moored to a single point is dealt with, based on the finite element method. The effect of flexibility of the mooring line and the point of mooring on the response of the barge as well as the mooring line tension is investigated. The paper compares the numerical results with model tests carried out on a barge moored to a fixed support under regular and random waves in head sea. The effect of stiffness of the mooring line on the barge response for different mooring points is discussed, which would be useful for the designers. The effect of viscous damping is also considered. The analytical results are in good agreement with the experimental results in both regular and random waves.     

A unified, polynomial approach for the approximate solution of thermoelastic problems in rectangular plates

The present paper, of a tutorial nature, solves two different thermoelastic problems using a unified approach: (a) thermoelastic stresses and deflections in thin, rectangular plates with edges elastically restrained against rotation when small-deflection theory is used and stress resultants in the middle plane of the plates are neglected; and (b) thermoelastic plane stress situations in rectangular plates with stress-free edges subjected to a two-dimensional temperature distribution.The first problem is attacked using polynomial coordinate functions which identically satisfy the governing boundary conditions, and the Ritz method is used to determine the plate response. When the flexibility coefficients approach zero (clamped edge conditions) the calculated results practically coincide with the exact solution for the test case treated in this paper. On the other hand this degenerate solution turns out to be a very convenient approximation for obtaining a solution to Airy's problem described in the second place and which is also solved in a straightforward manner using a variational approach.     

Sensitivity to stress of the estuarine bivalve Macoma balthica from areas between the Netherlands and its southern limits (Gironde)

Variation in the sensitivity to stress of Macoma balthica was measured in several French and Dutch estuaries. For adult and juvenile Macoma balthica exposed to copper under conditions of starvation, differences in mortality rate, condition, glycogen, burrowing rate and copper content were assessed. No significant differences were observed between adults and juveniles; the influence of treatment and origin was always evident. Animals from the most southern estuaries, Loire and Gironde, near to the species's southern limit of distribution, showed, in the field, the strongest deviations for the ecophysiological traits measured, and were in the experiments the most sensitive to stress.