Occurrence of hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls in the brain of cetaceans stranded along the Japanese coast

Levels of hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls (OH-PCBs) and PCBs were measured in the brain of melon-headed whales (MW: Peponocephala electra), striped dolphins (SD: Stenella coeruleoalba) and finless porpoises (FP: Neophocaena phocaenoides) stranded along the Japanese coast during 2002-2003. Levels of OH-PCBs (including identified and unknown OH-P(5)CB, -H(6)CB, -H(7)CB and O(8)CB congeners) in the brain of MW, SD and FP were in the range of 20-290, 21-330 and 170-240pg/g wet wt., respectively. Observed OH-PCB levels were 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than PCBs in the same individuals. OH-PCBs/PCBs ratios in MW, SD and FP brain were lower than those in blood of humans and wildlife and in the brain of polar bears reported previously. OH-PCBs were also detected in maternal and fetal brain of SD (1 pair), suggesting transfer of OH-PCBs into the fetal brain of odontocete cetaceans. When fetus/dam concentration ratios of OH-PCB congeners detected in maternal and fetal brain were estimated, the values were higher than those of PCB congeners, implying that OH-PCBs in maternal blood could be more easily transferred into fetal brain via placenta than PCBs.     

Linking hypoxia to shrimp catch in the northern Gulf of Mexico

Wide spread and reoccurring hypoxia has been observed in the northern Gulf of Mexico since routine monitoring began in the 1980s. Although the potential ecological effects of hypoxia (habitat loss, mortalities) are well known, there is relatively little information linking hypoxia in the northern Gulf of Mexico to fisheries decline. Previous analyses have shown a negative relationship between hypoxic area and brown shrimp (Farfantepenaeus aztecus) catch for the Texas and Louisiana coasts combined from 1985 to 1997. Extending these analyses with data through 2004, we found that the correlation between hypoxic area and landings holds (r=-0.52), plus there was a significant negative relationship (r=-0.59) between hypoxia and shrimp landings for the Texas coast alone. We hypothesize that this pattern is not seen in the Louisiana fishery alone because of differences in fisheries practices (inshore vs. offshore) between Louisiana and Texas.     

Assessment of faecal contamination and the relationship between pathogens and faecal bacterial indicators in an estuarine environment (Seine, France)

The Seine estuary, one of the largest estuaries of the European northwest continental shelf, is subjected to numerous anthropogenic influences. Here we present an assessment of the microbial faecal contamination of the estuary water. The most vulnerable areas were defined on the basis of the fluxes of indicator organisms and the occurrence of Salmonella and Cryptosporidium sp. and Giardia sp. (oo)cysts. The microbial quality of the water changes from upstream to downstream: in the upstream area, contamination by faecal-indicator bacteria and Salmonella occurs during periods of high flow; in the urbanized area, mid-way between the uppermost areas of the estuary and its mouth, discharge from a wastewater treatment plant and a tributary degrade water quality; at the estuary mouth, the accumulation of microorganisms attached to particles in the maximum turbidity zone, particularly Clostridium perfringens spores and oocysts of Cryptosporidium, is accompanied by inputs of ThC and Escherichia coli from tributaries. In some areas, significant strong relations are observed between Salmonella, (oo)cysts of protozoan, and levels of faecal indicators.     

Adaptive underrelaxation of Picard iterations in ground water models

This methods note examines the use of adaptive underrelaxation of Picard iterations to accelerate the solution convergence for nonlinear ground water flow problems. Ground water problems are nonlinear when drains, phreatophytes, stream aquifer, and similar features are simulated. Typically, simple Picard iterations are used to address such nonlinear problems. Nevertheless, the convergence rate can be slow, or convergence cannot be obtained. However, convergence often can be accelerated using Picard iterations with adaptive underrelaxation, and convergence often can be obtained where it otherwise would not occur.     

Evaluating ground water-sea water interactions via resistivity and seepage meters

We investigated submarine ground water discharge and salt water-fresh water interactions at two locations along the shoreline of the Upper Gulf of Thailand to evaluate mechanisms of water and material transport into the coastal zone. Our data set illustrates the value of using a combined approach consisting of automatic seepage meters to monitor flow rates while assessing the conductivity (salinity) of the subterranean fluids via remote resistivity measurements. Negative correlations between electric conductivities of fluids measured directly inside seepage meter chambers and the remotely assessed resistivities of subsurface pore water show that such measurements may evaluate the spatial distribution of flow rates as well as the subterranean water quality in the coastal zone. Combined seepage and resistivity measurements may thus provide a more complete understanding of coastal ground water dynamics.     

A report card and quality indicators for the Seine estuary: from scientific approach to operational tool

The scientific teams from the interdisciplinary Seine-Aval (SA) research program and the SA's operational pole, GIPSA (Groupement d'Intérêt Public Seine-Aval) have worked together to create a report card designed to help the Estuary Council (Conseil de l'Estuaire) revitalize its original functions: maintaining functional links between the various estuarine ecosystems, comprehending and managing the estuary's natural habitats and biological populations, and monitoring and improving the physical-chemical quality of the estuarine waters. The report card will be able to synthesize the information obtained from several system performance variables and available operational indicators. This approach, intended to guide the estuary managers, is the oeuvre of several scientific teams; it is particularly important in the context of the Water Framework Directive because it facilitates the elaboration of a group of relevant indicators, which can then be used as operational tools. A report card will provide decision-makers (e.g., political authorities; national, regional and local institutions and industries) with the key indicators for evaluating the system and predicting changes in terms of selected objectives, such as the preservation and restoration of the estuary's environmental functionalities. The final objective of the research is to choose among the available indicators to approximate potential ecological risks. Integrating the socio-economical data will perhaps lead to setting risk acceptability thresholds for the different uses of the Seine estuary. In the end, collaboration between the scientists, the managers, and the GIPSA operational pole will be essential to produce a viable report card about the environmental status of the Seine estuary. To illustrate the research now under way, this article presents the results for three actions undertaken, concerning: (i) physical indicators (i.e., an inventory of the estuary first as a whole, and then section by section); (ii) benthic indicators (i.e., seven indices which show a moderate EcoQ for the lower part of the estuary); and (iii) a eutrophication indicator (i.e., an indicator for coastal eutrophication potential (ICEP), which helps to limit the nutrient fluxes (N or P) that exceed the silica flux delivered by the Seine network, based on the Redfield ratios for algal propagation).     

汶川—芦山地震之间地震空区及邻区的微震时空分布特征及指示意义

在龙门山西南段,汶川和芦山两次地震之间地震空区产生的物理机制及其未来的地震活动性仍然是亟需进一步研究的问题。现有研究结果也无法完全解释地震空区挤压应变/应力的调节模式。我们使用Match and Locate方法获取了2015年5月至12月时段内空区及邻区的详细的背景地震目录,完备性震级为M_c=0.2,微震的时空分布特征凸显了小震级事件的丛集(簇)特征。在深度域上,微震在空区两端的优势深度存在明显差异,南端深于北端,表明空区作为汶川和芦山两次地震破裂的转换带。我们的微震探测结果表明空区存在明显的微震"亏空",否定了其通过微地震释放累积应力的调节模式。我们发现该区域内,不同震级范围内的背景地震活动性都与降雨变化率存在明显的反相关关系。在夏、秋季节,地震活动性极值滞后于降水极值1～2个月,库仑模型计算表明增强的地震活动性很可能被浅地表含水量的减少所触发,季节性降水在一定程度上调节了背景地震活动性。相较于震级大于3.0的背景地震,背景微震对降水的变化具有更敏感的响应,这可能由其更短的起始周期所致。     

内核地震波速各向异性的成因

地球内核是轴对称各向异性的,其对称轴与地球的极轴之间有１１°左右的夹角,本 文根据地球内核相对于外部地球有差异转动这一观测结果,利用晶体生长理论,对内核地震波 速度各向异性的成因进行了探讨．当从熔融状态结晶时,晶体的生长速度与晶体和熔融态之 间相对运动的线速度成正比涸此当固态内核在液态外核中生长时,沿赤道方向的生长速度比 两极方向快．在万有引力场的作用下内核始终保持近似球形,生长速度较快的赤道附近的物 质会向两极区域流动,形成轴对称的流变场。这一轴对称的流变场伴随着轴对称的应力场,使 得构成地球内核的ｈｃｐ型铁晶体的ｃ轴沿着内核自转轴的方向排列,导致观测到的地球内核地 震波速度各向异性。作为推论,内核相对于外部地球可能同时存在着进动和章动。     

Hazardous and Noxious Substances (HNS) in the marine environment: prioritizing HNS that pose major risk in a European context

Increases in the maritime transportation of Hazardous and Noxious Substances (HNS), alongside the need for an effective response to HNS spills have led environmental managers and the scientific community to focus attention on HNS spill preparedness and responsiveness. In the context of the ARCOPOL project, a weight-of-evidence approach was developed aimed at prioritizing HNS that pose major environmental risks to European waters. This approach takes into consideration the occurrence probability of HNS spills in European Atlantic waters and the severity of exposure associated with their physico-chemical properties and toxicity to marine organisms. Additionally, a screening analysis of the toxicological information available for the prioritization of HNS was performed. Here we discuss the need for a prioritization methodology to select HNS that are likely to cause severe marine environmental effects as an essential step towards the establishment of a more effective preparedness and response to HNS incidents.