Physiological and behavioral responses of Bathynerita naticoidea (Gastropoda: Neritidae) and Methanoaricia dendrobranchiata (Polychaeta: Orbiniidae) to hypersaline conditions at a brine pool cold seep

Bathynerita naticoidea (Gastropoda: Neritidae) and Methanoaricia dendrobranchiata (Polychaeta: Orbiniidae) are two of the most abundant invertebrates associated with cold‐seep mussel beds in the Gulf of Mexico. At the methane seep known as Brine Pool NR‐1 (27 °43.415 N, 91 °16.756 W; 650 m depth), which is surrounded by a broad band of mussels (Bathymodiolus childressi), these species have distinctly different patterns of abundance, with the gastropod being found mostly at the outer edge of the mussel bed (average density in November 2003: 817 individuals·m⁻² in outer zone, 20·m⁻² in inner zone) and the polychaete being found almost exclusively near the inner edge (average density in November 2003: 3155 individuals·m⁻² in inner zone, 0·m⁻² in outer zone), adjacent to the brine pool itself. The salinity of the brine pool exceeds 120, so we hypothesized that M. dendrobranchiata should be more tolerant of high salinities than B. naticoidea. The opposite proved to be true. The gastropods were capable of withstanding salinities at least as high as 85, whereas the polychaetes died at salinities higher than 75. Both species were osmoconformers over the range of salinities (35–75) tested. Behavioral responses of B. naticoidea to salinities of 50, 60, and 70 were investigated in inverted vertical haloclines. Gastropods generally did not enter water of salinity greater than 60, but tolerated short periods at 60. Behavioral avoidance of brine should limit the vertical distribution of B. naticoidea in the inner zone to the top 2.5–5 cm of the mussel bed. Behavior is also a likely (though unproven) mechanism for controlling horizontal distribution of this species across the mussel bed. Methanoaricia dendrobranchiata can tolerate short excursions into the brine, but probably avoids hypersaline conditions by aggregating on the tops of the mussels.     

Hydrothermal Metalliferous Sediments and Waters Off the Lesser Antilles

Considerable metal enrichments have been found in hydrothermal fluids and metalliferous sediments off the central Lesser Antilles Volcanic Arc. The elements variably enriched in the fluids as a result of the hydrothermal activity are Fe, Mn, As, Si, B, Li and in the sediments, Fe, P, Mo, As, Sb, Hg, Cu and Pb. Variations in the concentrations of these elements in both fluids and sediments along the arc result from a number of factors, the most important of which is the stage that each island's volcano has reached in its eruptive cycle. Although hydrothermal mineralization on the sea floor off the islands is only low grade, phase separation in the hydrothermal fluids at depth could be leading to higher grade stockwork mineralization below the vent fields or the discharge of metal rich brines on the lower flanks of the volcanic islands.     

A literature review of the saturation state of seawater with respect to calcium carbonate and its possible significance for scale formation on OTEC heat exchangers

An investigation has been made of available data on the saturation state of seawater with respect to calcium carbonate and its possible significance for scale formation on Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) heat exchangers. Pertinent oceanographic data is lacking at or near potential OTEC sites for the calculation of the degree of saturation of seawater with respect to calcium carbonate. Consequently, only “extrapolated” saturation values can be used. These indicate that near surface seawater is probably supersaturated, with respect to the calcium carbonate phases calcite and aragonite, at all potential OTEC sites. The deep seawater that would be brought to the surface at the potential Atlantic Ocean sites is also likely to be supersaturated with respect to calcium carbonate. The deep seawater at the potential Pacific Ocean sites may be slightly undersaturated.The fact that OTEC heat exchangers will be operating in seawater, which is supersaturated with respect to calcium carbonate, means that if nucleation of calcite or aragonite occurs on the heat exchanger surfaces, significant growth rates of calcium carbonate scale may be expected. The potential for calcium carbonate nucleation is highest at cathodic metal surface locations, which are produced as the result of aluminum corrosion in seawater. Consequently, corrosion and scale formation may be closely related. What the possible effects of biofouling may be on this process are not known.     

Imposex still evident in eastern Australia 10 years after tributyltin restrictions

A survey of imposex in Thais orbita (Neogastropoda) along the New South Wales (NSW) coast, Australia, found imposex was still widespread 10 years after a partial ban on tributyltin (TBT) based antifouling paints. Transplant experiments also revealed that imposex was induced in T. orbita over a period of 9 weeks in Sydney Harbour, NSW. A comparison of the imposex data with that collected shortly after the introduction of restrictions on TBT revealed a general decline in imposex frequency occurring at open coast sites, an exception being the site at South West Rocks. Sites located within harbour/bay areas did not display a decline in imposex frequency but a decline in the severity of imposex was apparent. The observed decrease in imposex values in T. orbita may reflect a general decrease of butyltin contamination within the coastal environment. However, the persistence of contamination "hotspots" within harbours and bays remains a concern.     

Animal-sediment relations in shallow water benthic communities

Ninety benthic samples were used to study animal-sediment relations in Tomales Bay, California. While most of the benthic species studied were found more often in a particular type of substrate, individuals of such species were occasionally found in other substrates. There is a striking tendency for species occurring outside of their characteristic environment to be associated with the most diverse assemblages of the foreign substrate. Species low in the order of succession are those species that are found more frequently on other substrates. These phenomena are explained in terms of environmental stability. The concepts involved suggest a means of predicting the sequence of faunal changes following the alteration of the substrate.     

A detailed magnetic study of the Reykjanes Ridge between 63°00′N and 63°40′N

Immediately southwest of Iceland, the Reykjanes Ridge consists of a series ofen échelon, elongate ridges superposed on an elevated, smooth plateau. We have interpreted a detailed magnetic study of the portion of the Reykjanes Ridge between 63°00N and 63°40N on the Icelandic insular shelf. Because the seafloor is very shallow in our survey area (100–500 m), the surface magnetic survey is equivalent to a high-sensitivity, nearbottom experiment using a deep-towed magnetometer. We have performed two-dimensional inversions of the magnetic data along profiles perpendicular to the volcanic ridges. The inversions, which yield the magnetization distribution responsible for the observed magnetic field, allow us to locate the zones of most recent volcanism and to measure spreading rates accurately. We estimate the average half spreading rate over the last 0.72 m.y. to have been 10 mm/yr within the survey area. The two-dimensional inversions allow us also to measure polarity transition widths, which provide an indirect measure of the width of the zone of crustal accretion. We find a mean transition width on the order of 4.5±1.6 km. The observed range of transition widths (2 to 8.4 km) and their mean value are characteristic of slow-spreading centers, where the locus of crustal accretion may be prone to lateral shifts depending on the availability of magmatic sources. These results suggest that, despite the unique volcanotectonic setting of the Reykjanes Ridge, the scale at which crustal accretion occurs along it may be similar to that at which it occurs along other slow-spreading centers. The polarity transition width measurements suggest a zone of crustal accretion 4–9 km wide. This value is consistent with the observed width of volcanic systems of the Reykjanes Peninsula. The magnetization amplitudes inferred from our inversions are in general agreement with NRM intensity values of dredge samples measured by De Boer (1975) and ourselves. Our thermomagnetic measurements do not support the hypothesis that the low amplitude of magnetic anomalies near Iceland is the result of a high oxidation state of the basalts. We suggest that the observed reduction in magnetic anomaly amplitude toward Iceland may be the result of an increase in the size of pillows and other igneous units.     

Marine geology in the environs of Bouvet Island and the South Atlantic triple juction

It is suggested that Bouvet Island is the surface manifestation of a mantle plume which has resulted in the creation of a chain of seamounts in the South Atlantic and a general shoaling of the region.The strike of two newly defined large fracture zones borth and south of the Bouvet Island pedestal have been utilized to determine a pole of rotation at 12.5°S, 12.5°W for the Africa-Antarctica motion. A pole at 75°S, 13°E has been calculated for the South America-Antarctica motion. At the triple junction the South America-Africa relative motion is 3.3 cm yr^-1 (whole rate) at 075°. The Africa-Antarctica motion is 1.7 cm yr^-1 at 065° and the South America-Antarctica motion is 1.6 cm yr^-1 at 085.     

Some responses of transplanted Mytilus edulis to metal-enriched sediments and sewage sludge

Approximately 25 % of the sewage sludge produced in the United Kingdom (about 10 million wet tonnes anually) is disposed of to British coastal waters at 15 sites. A series of tests is being evaluated in order to determine the effects of this practice in relation to the effects due to other polluting inputs, both natural and man-made, to the marine environment. The results presented here are for one site on the south-west coast of Britain. They indicate that the increased metal content of the tissue and the presence of sulphydryl-rich metal-binding proteins in the lysosomes of digestive cells in transplanted mussels can be correlated with exposure at sites overlying metal-rich sediments and to a lesser extent an area used for the disposal of sewage sludge containing metallic contaminants.     

Book reviews

THE IMPACT OF VOLCANIC HAZARDS AT RABAUL, PAPUA NEW GUINEA (Discussion Paper No. 33) by R. J. Blong and C. Aislabie. 17 × 25 cm, xiv and 207 pages. Institute of National Affairs: Port Morseby 1988 (ISBN 9980 77 086 4).

A PRACTICAL APPROACH TO SEDIMENTOLOGY by R. C. Lindholm. 15 × 23 cm, xviii and 279 pages. Allen & Unwin: London 1987 (ISBN 0 04 551132 2) $A45.00 (soft).

THE ATMOSPHERE AND WEATHER OF SOUTHERN AFRICA by R. A. Preston‐Whyte and P. D. Tyson. 18 × 24 cm, xiii and 375 pages. Oxford University Press: Cape Town 1988 (ISBN 0 19 570 514 9) R56.00 (hard); (ISBN 0 19 570 496 7) R39.14 (soft).

QUATERNARY PALEOCLIMATOLOGY: Methods of Paleoclimatic Reconstruction by R. S. Bradley. 15 × 23 cm, xvii and 472 pages. Allen & Unwin: Boston 1985 (ISBN 0 04 551067 9) $A69.95 (hard); (ISBN 0 04 551068 7) $A39.95 (soft).

PROCESSES IN PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY by R. D. Thompson, A. M. Mannion, C. W. Mitchell, M. Parry and J. R. Townsend. 24 × 19 cm, xii and 380 pages. Longman: London 1986 (ISBN 0 582 30136) $A44.95.

PERSPECTIVES ON A DYNAMIC EARTH by T. R. Paton. 16 × 24 cm, 142 pages. Allen & Unwin: London 1986 (ISBN 0 04 55 0043 6) $A23.95 (soft).

LAND DEGRADATION AND SOCIETY edited by P. Blaikie and H. Brookfield. 15 × 23 cm. xxiv and 296 pages. Methuen: London 1987 (ISBN 0 416 40150 3) $A32.95 (soft).

THE PENGUIN DICTIONARY OF HUMAN GEOGRAPHY by B. Goodall. 13 × 20 cm, 509 pages. Penguin: Harmondsworth 1987 (ISBN 0 14 051095 8) $A19.95 (soft).

MAKING SENSE OF DEVELOPMENT: An Introduction to Classical and Contemporary Theories of Development and Their Application to South‐east Asia by P. W. Preston. 14 × 22 cm, xxi and 318 pages. Routledge & Kegan Paul: London 1986 (ISBN 0 7102 0813 8) $A87.95 (hard).

THE DEMOGRAPHIC DIMENSION IN INDONESIAN DEVELOPMENT by G. J. Hugo, T. H. Hull, V. J. Hull and G. W. Jones. 16 × 25 cm, xxv and 417 pages. Oxford University Press: Singapore 1987 (ISBN 0 19 582699 X) $A49.95 (hard).

GLOBAL ISSUES AND OUTLOOK IN PULP AND PAPER edited by G. F. Schreuder, 18 × 26 cm, ix and 302 pages. University of Washington Press: Seattle 1988 (ISBN 0 295 96642 4) $US40.00 (hard).

AN HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY OF MODERN AUSTRALIA: The Restive Fringe (Cambridge Studies in Historical Geography No. 11) by J. M. Powell. 16 × 33 cm, xx and 400 pages. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge 1988 (ISBN 0 521 25619 4) $A39.95 (hard).

HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY: Progress and Prospect edited by M. Pacione. 14 × 22 cm, 306 pages. Croom Helm: London 1987 (ISBN 0 7099 40467) $A27.50 (hard).

THE ROLE OF THEORY IN URBAN PLANNING: A Study of Metropolitan Planning in Perth, Western Australia (Geowest No. 24) by O. Yiftachel. 21 × 29 cm, 102 pages. Department of Geography, University of Western Australia: Nedlands 1987 (ISBN 0 86422 063 4).

SYDNEY INTO ITS THIRD CENTURY: Metropolitan Strategy for the Sydney Region by NSW Department of Environment and Planning. 21 × 29 cm, 72 pages. NSW department of Environment and Planning: Sydney 1988 (ISBN 0 7305 4312 9).

BUS SERVICES IN WESTERN SYDNEY: Private Bus Operators and Government Transport Departments (Monograph Series No. 3) by P. Tranter. 21 × 29 cm, v and 98 pages. Department of Geography and Oceanography, University College, Australian Defence Force Academy: Campbell, ACT 1988 (ISBN 0 7317 0036 8).

AGEING IN VICTORIA: An Electronic Social Atlas by A. L. Howe, P. Newton and P. Sharwood. 30 × 21 cm, 105 pages. National Research Institute for Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Mt. Royal Hospital and University of Melbourne: Melbourne 1987 (ISBN 0 958326 6 2) $A10.00 (soft).

READINGS IN AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHY: Proceedings of the 21st Institute of Australian Geographers’ Conference, Perth 10–18 May 1986, edited by A. Conacher. 21 × 29 cm, vi and 493 pages. Institute of Australian Geographers (WA Branch) and Department of Geography, University of Western Australia: Perth 1987 (ISBN 0 909678 30 B) $A25.00 (soft).

GEOGRAPHY RESEARCH PROJECTS: A Senior Student's Handbook by H. Binden and H. Williams. 18 × 26 cm, 149 pages. Edward Arnold Australia: Caulfield East 1988 (ISBN 0 7131 8311 X) $A 14.95 (soft).

OUR AMERICAN LAND: 1987 Yearbook of Agriculture, ix and 323 pages. US Government Printing Office, Washington, DC: 1987 $US9.50.

THE ENCYCLOPAEDIC DICTIONARY OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY edited by A. Goudie et al. 17 × 24 cm, xvi and 528 pages. Basil Black‐well: Oxford 1988 (ISBN 0 631 15581 3) $A34.95 (soft).

THE CONSERVATION OF ECOSYSTEMS AND SPECIES by Gareth E. Jones, 14 × 22 cm, 277 pages. Croom Helm: London 1987 (ISBN 0 7099 1463 6) $A87.95 (hard).

SO CAME THEY SOUTH by R. Clancy and A. Richardson. 35 × 35 cm, 176 pages. Shakespeare Head: Sydney 1988 (ISBN 0 7302 0864 8) $A34.95.