Enhanced Dissolved Organic Matter Recovery from Saltwater Samples with Electrodialysis

Complexities associated with dissolved organic matter (DOM) isolation from seawater have hampered compositional characterization of this key component of global carbon and nutrient cycles. DOM isolation efficiency by electrodialysis (ED) from salt-containing waters was optimized and evaluated on samples including coastal ocean seawater, open ocean seawater, artificial seawater from axenic cultures of marine phytoplankton, and artificial seawater samples containing standard compounds of different molecular sizes and charge. ED was performed with a system optimized for processing 2–10 L sample volumes. Additionally, the combination of ED and solid-phase extraction, using Bond Elut PPL exchange resin, was evaluated. Using only ED, the following DOC recoveries were achieved: coastal seawater, 71.3 ± 6.5 %; open ocean, 50.5 ± 3.1 %; phytoplankton cultures, 70.3 ± 12.5 %; glucose, 90.2 ± 2.1 %; EDTA, 67.5 ± 9.9 %; and vitamin B₁₂, 98.3 ± 1.6 %. With the combination of PPL and ED techniques, an average DOC recovery of 76.7 ± 2.6 % was obtained for coastal seawater, but this recovery was not statistically different from seawater recoveries using only ED. Comparison of C/N ratios and fluorescence excitation emission matrices taken at the beginning and end of the recovery process for coastal samples processed using only ED indicated that the final recovered material was representative of the DOM present in the original samples. Typical recoveries using combined PPL and ED exceed those of previous isolation methods.     

Using Hydroacoustics to Understand Fish Presence and Vertical Distribution in a Tidally Dynamic Region Targeted for Energy Extraction

The use of tidal currents by fishes for movements to and from onshore spawning, foraging, and nursery grounds is well documented. However, fishes’ use of the water column in tidal currents frequently exceeding 1.5 m?·?s^-1 is largely unknown. With growing interest in extracting energy from the tides, understanding animal use of these dynamic environments has become essential to determining environmental effects of tidal energy devices. To assess the effects of a tidal energy device on fishes, we used down-looking single-beam hydroacoustic technology to collect pre-deployment data on the presence and vertical distribution of fishes at a pilot project site and a control site in Cobscook Bay, ME. Twenty-four-hour stationary surveys were conducted in each season of 2010 and 2011. Relative fish density and vertical distribution were analyzed for variation with respect to site, year, month, and diel and tidal cycles. A seasonal pattern in fish density was apparent in both years at both sites, with maxima in spring and late fall. Fish density was generally highest near the sea floor. Diel changes in vertical distribution were frequently observed, but changes in distribution related to tidal cycle were inconsistent. Results from the project and control sites were very similar, demonstrating that the control site provides a reference for quantifying changes in fish density and vertical distribution related to the tidal device. This approach and baseline dataset will be used to compare hydroacoustic data collected at the project and control sites after device deployment.     

High-Resolution Characterization of a Chlorinated Solvent Impacted Aquifer Using a Passive Profiler

A direct-drive high-resolution passive profiler (HRPP) was developed to quantify and delineate concentrations of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs), geochemical indicators and CVOC-degrading microorganisms/genes, as well as to perform compound-specific stable isotope analysis (CSIA) of CVOCs and estimate interstitial velocity at <30-cm resolution. The profilers can be coupled together to provide a continuous sample interval and advanced to depths up to approximately 9 m below-ground surface (bgs) within saturated media where direct-push techniques are feasible. The HRPP was field tested in a previous dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) source zone at the former Naval Air Station in Alameda, CA. HRPP data sets were compared to the following traditional groundwater data sets: CVOC and anion concentrations in standard and multilevel monitoring well water samples, CVOC concentrations in soil core samples, qualitative contaminant profiles delineated with a membrane interface probe (MIP), microbial community and CSIA profiles from Bio-Traps® deployed in wells, groundwater velocity from passive flux meters (PFMs), lithologic profiles correlated with MIP electrical conductivity (EC), and velocity estimates based on permeability profiles measured with a Geoprobe hydraulic profiling tool (HPT). In some cases, the HRPP data were equivalent to traditional techniques and, in other cases, the HRPP data were more representative of local variability rather than bulk aquifer conditions. Overall the results support the use of the HRPP to provide high-resolution data on concentrations, velocity, and microbial activity in temporary direct-push deployments without well installation, providing a new tool to better assess source zones and contaminated groundwater plumes, even in low permeability media, and to increase the fidelity of site transport models.     

Dietary change of the rock lobster Jasus lalandii after an ‘invasive’ geographic shift: Effects of size,density and food availability

During the 1990s the rock lobster Jasus lalandii shifted its focus of distribution south-eastwards along the coast of South Africa, to establish a dense population in an area where it was previously rare. This coincided with a marked decrease in the sea urchin Parechinus angulosus, a preferred prey item of J. lalandii and a vital source of shelter for juveniles of the abalone Haliotis midae. The range expansion of lobsters has thus economic and ecological ripple effects. We determined the diets of small (50–65 mm carapace length) and large (>69 mm CL) rock lobsters from gut content analyses, and compared them between three ‘lobster invaded’ sites and three adjacent ‘non-invaded’ sites where densities are still low. At the non-invaded sites, diets were collectively heterogeneous but the dietary breadth of individual lobsters was narrow (in contradiction to generally accepted ecological theory), and the lobsters fed mainly on large, individual, mobile, high-energy prey such as sea urchins and large winkles. Conversely, at invaded sites where lobster densities were high, they consumed predominantly small, colonial or sessile low-energy prey such as sponges, barnacles and foliar algae, and the diet was significantly more uniform among individuals, but broader within individuals. This was a direct result of the contrasting benthic community structure of the two areas, and consequent prey availability – itself caused by differences in intensity of rock-lobster predation. Cannibalism was unexpectedly greater at non-invaded sites, possibly as a result of lobsters being larger there. The diet of small and large lobsters also differed significantly. Large rock lobsters predominantly consumed large individual prey such as lobsters, urchins and crabs, while small rock lobsters ate mainly colonial, sessile prey such as sponges and barnacles, and small prey such as tiny winkles and crustaceans. Dietary selectivity indices revealed that algae and sponges were negatively selected (avoided) in non-invaded areas but positively or neutrally selected in invaded areas. These dietary differences have important ramifications not only for the lobster populations but also for the structure and functioning of the radically different communities that have developed in invaded areas, reflecting a regime shift induced by lobster predation.     

Time-optimal path planning in dynamic flows using level set equations: theory and schemes

We develop an accurate partial differential equation-based methodology that predicts the time-optimal paths of autonomous vehicles navigating in any continuous, strong, and dynamic ocean currents, obviating the need for heuristics. The goal is to predict a sequence of steering directions so that vehicles can best utilize or avoid currents to minimize their travel time. Inspired by the level set method, we derive and demonstrate that a modified level set equation governs the time-optimal path in any continuous flow. We show that our algorithm is computationally efficient and apply it to a number of experiments. First, we validate our approach through a simple benchmark application in a Rankine vortex flow for which an analytical solution is available. Next, we apply our methodology to more complex, simulated flow fields such as unsteady double-gyre flows driven by wind stress and flows behind a circular island. These examples show that time-optimal paths for multiple vehicles can be planned even in the presence of complex flows in domains with obstacles. Finally, we present and support through illustrations several remarks that describe specific features of our methodology.