Nummulitic banks in the upper Lutetian ‘Buil level’, Ainsa Basin,South Central Pyrenean Zone: the impact of internal waves

Nummulites, a particularly abundant and diverse genus of larger benthonic foraminifera, formed huge accumulations (banks) during the Eocene, which are often good hydrocarbon reservoirs, especially in North Africa. Despite their economical interest, these accumulations are not well‐understood and their origin is still under discussion. Reasons for this debate are the absence of living Nummulites accumulations and the high‐variability of facies, including the size, shape and extension of the banks, which reflect the array of processes controlling sediment production and accumulation. The nummulitic banks near Santa María de Buil, in the Ainsa Basin (South Pyrenean Foreland Basin) are composed of recurrent facies associations within mappable bed units bounded by physical surfaces. The depositional processes that produced the Nummulites deshayesi accumulations are interpreted considering the shape of the banks, the type of bounding surfaces, the distribution of sedimentary textures, Nummulites test shapes and the associated skeletal components within the banks. This integrative analysis indicates that nummulitic banks accumulated from mass flows, with very poor sediment sorting. Textural and compositional differences among banks suggest that globose Nummulites thrived in the shallower part of the mesophotic zone with abundant nummulithoclasts, whereas flat nummulitic forms thrived in deeper mesophotic, clay‐dominated settings. Interbedded with nummulitic banks, coral biostromes and coral mounds bearing Operculina, Discocyclina and Asterocyclina, represent in situ accumulation near the base of the photic zone. Internal waves (waves that propagate along the pycnocline) are thought to be the triggering mechanism for the density flows. Internal waves and induced bottom currents are sporadic but strong enough to bring sediments into suspension. In contrast to surface waves (both fair‐weather and storm), whose impact is strongest near the sea surface and decreases with bathymetry, the impact of internal waves is usually strongest in the mid‐shelf region and weaker in shallow water. This explains the compositional character of the nummulitic banks.     

A unified assessment of marine Mediterranean assemblages: a lesson from benthic hydroids

Hydroids are important components of the communities of rocky bottom shallow coastal areas. The hydrozoan fauna of the Mediterranean Sea is probably one of most investigated in the world, with lots of faunistic and biogeographical studies. However, quantitative studies using the same sampling methodology and controlled sampling effort have been restricted to areas in the Western and Central Mediterranean. We compared hydroid assemblages in four areas of the Mediterranean Sea, from the Gulf of Cádiz to the South Adriatic Sea, following the same sampling and quantification methodology. Our analysis showed the dominant Atlantic character of the assemblages of the Gulf of Cádiz and the South Alboran Sea because of the influence of the inflowing Atlantic waters. Conversely, the hydroid assemblages of the North Alboran Sea were more similar to the assemblages in the Ligurian and in the South Adriatic, and with a number of species ranking between the observed in these two Mediterranean zones. Fourteen species were identified as making the most significant contributions to characterizing the Mediterranean hydroid species pool from a quantitative point of view. These taxa include species previously named as typical components of the Mediterranean hydroid fauna as well as those only recently recorded in the region (Eudendrium moulouyensis) and invaders such as Clytia hummelincki.     

Lost in translation? Standardising the terminology used in marine invasion biology and updating South African alien species lists

Confusion between terms and ambiguities among definitions have long plagued the field of invasion biology. One result is disruption in flow of information from researchers to policy-makers and managers who rely on science to inform regulatory frameworks and management actions. We reviewed the South African marine biology literature to quantify the current usage of terminology describing marine invasions and found a variety of terms in use, few of which are defined when used. In response, we propose standard terminology that aligns with international practice. We then interpreted the Blackburn unified framework for biological invasions within the marine context and used this as a transparent way to apply the standardised terms to an updated list of marine alien species for the country. This resulted in the recognition of 36 alien and 53 invasive species within South Africa. Most notably, follow-up research is required to confirm the status of at least 11 listed species, the majority of which have been recorded only once, or not in the past 25 years. It is hoped that by standardising terminology, marine science in South Africa will better support authorities charged with managing the threat posed by marine alien species.     

海岸带研究中的点滴认识

人类对地球环境的影响已从罗马时期的局部影响步入了全球性的时代。一系列前所未有的全球环境问题,导致了地球系统科学的产生。面对全球变化,科学家提出了七大关键科学问题,其中之一就是:人类活动和土地利用的变化对于海岸带资源将会产生怎样的影响?未来气候变化和海平面变化将如何改变海岸带的生态系统,这是关系到人类生存和持续发展的大问题。于是IGBP提出了海岸带陆海相互作用研究的重大课题,是与其在地球系统科学中的地位和作用分不开的。     

Spatial patterns and environmental drivers of benthic infaunal community structure and ecosystem function on the New Zealand continental margin

To investigate regional drivers of spatial patterns in macro- and meio-faunal community structure (abundance, biomass and taxonomic diversity) and ecosystem function (sediment community oxygen consumption [SCOC]), we sampled two regions in close proximity on New Zealand's continental margin—the Chatham Rise and the Challenger Plateau. Sites (n = 15) were selected in water depths ranging from 266–1212 m to generate a gradient in sedimentary properties and, in particular, surface pelagic productivity. Both macro- and meio-fauna abundance and biomass was 2–3.5 times higher on the Chatham Rise than on the Challenger Plateau, reflecting regional differences in pelagic primary production. We also found significant inter- and intra-regional differences in macro-fauna taxonomic diversity with two distinctive site groupings in each region. Univariate and multivariate measures of macro-fauna community attributes were most strongly correlated with sediment photosynthetic pigment (explaining 24%–59% of the variation). Sediment pigment content was as equally important in explaining meio-fauna community structure (36%–7%). Unlike community structure, SCOC was most strongly correlated with depth (44%), most likely reflecting temperature effects on benthic metabolism. Our results highlight the importance of a benthic labile food supply in structuring infaunal communities on continental margins and emphasise a tight coupling between pelagic and benthic habitats.     

Comparative Analysis of Stability—Genetic Diversity in Seagrass (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Posidonia oceanica</Emphasis>) Meadows Yields Unexpected Results

The diversity–stability relationship is the subject of a long-standing debate in ecology, but the genetic component of diversity has seldom been explored. In this study, we analyzed the interplay between genetic diversity and demographic responses to environmental pressures. This analysis included 30 meadows formed by the Mediterranean endemic seagrass, Posidonia oceanica, showing a wide range of population dynamics ranging from a near equilibrium state to steep decline due to strong environmental pressures close to aquaculture installations. Our results show that sedimentation rates are much better predictors of mortality than clonal or genetic components. An unexpected positive trend was observed between genotypic diversity and mortality, along with a negative relationship between allelic richness and net population growth. Yet such trends disappeared when excluding the most extreme cases of disturbance and mortality, suggesting the occurrence of a threshold below which no relationship exists. These results contrast with the positive relationship between genotypic diversity and resistance or resilience observed in previous manipulative experiments on seagrass. We discuss the reasons for this discrepancy, including the difficulties in designing experiments reflecting the complexity of natural meadows.     

北阿尔金巴什考供盆地南缘花岗杂岩体特征及锆石SHRIMP定年

北阿尔金巴什考供盆地南缘花岗杂岩体呈近东西向分布,长约49公里,出露面积约90平方公里,与围岩之间为明显的侵入接触关系,接触界线为不规则的渡状、锯齿状。围岩为前寒武纪砂岩、片岩、泥岩及凝灰质砂岩。该杂岩体主要由巨斑花岗岩、红色花岗岩、灰白色似斑状花岗岩和粉红色似斑状花岗岩组成。杂岩体的主元素含量变化不大,SiO2为65．14％- 75．66％,全碱含量为7．49-8．96％,K2O／Na2O比值为1．12-2．68,岩石的里特曼指数平均为2．34,CIPW标准矿物计算均出现刚玉(AC)(平均为1．78),说明岩石铝过饱和;杂岩体的稀土总量变化于89．44×10-6-335．28×10-6之间,不同岩石类型均有负铕异常,且从巨斑花岗岩→灰白色似斑状花岗岩→红色似斑状花岗岩→红色花岗岩,负铕异常越来越明显,表现在Eu／ Eu+值由0．65→0．51→0．48→0．30。在微量元素蛛网图上,所有样品的微量元素丰度均高于原始地幔值,并具有相似的配分模式,即在Ba、Nb、Sr、P、Ti处呈明显的低谷,显示出S型花岗岩的特征。锆石SHRIMP U-Pb定年得出,巨斑花岗岩、红色中细粒花岗岩、灰白色和粉红色似斑状花岗岩的年龄分别为474．3±6．8Ma、446．6±5．2Ma、434．5±3．8Ma和431．1±3．8Ma。结合区域地质特征,我们认为,该杂岩体形成于同碰撞-碰撞后的构造环境。     

接触交代夕卡岩型矿床中石榴子石和辉石成分特点及其与矿化的关系

本文对中国十四个接触交代钙夕卡岩矿床和钙-镁夕卡岩矿床中的三百多个样品的石榴子石和辉石成分进行了电子探针分析。不同矿床类型的石榴子石和辉石成分代表着钙夕卡岩矿床的十个矿种(Fe、Fe-Cu、Pb-Zn、W、Sn、Sn-Mo-Bi-W、、W-Bi-Cu-Mo、Cu-Zn、Cu-Sn、W-Zn-Cu)和钙-镁夕卡岩矿床的三个矿种(Fe-Cu、Mo、Pb-Zn)。石榴子石和辉石成分变化范围大,大多数石榴子石是含锰铝榴石+铁铝榴石+镁铝榴石小于15％(摩尔百分数)的钙铝榴石-钙铁榴石固溶体;大多数辉石是含小于5％的锰钙辉石的透辉石-钙铁辉石固溶体。有些Pb-Zn钙-镁夕卡岩矿床中的辉石显示出Mn含量有所增加。只有Sn和W钙夕卡岩矿床及Pb-Zn钙-镁夕卡岩矿床含(Sps+Alm+Pyr)总量大于15％的石榴子石。石榴子石和辉石成分与夕卡岩矿床金属矿化类型之间有某些联系。