The distribution of shallow water juvenile fishes in an urban estuary: The effects of manmade structures in the lower Hudson River

The objective of this study was to determine what effect, if any, large pile-supported platforms (piers) have on the habitat distribution and abundance of juvenile fishes. Trapping techniques were used in 1993 and 1994 under piers, in pile fields, and in open-water habitat types in shallow areas (<5 m) in the lower Hudson River estuary (40°44′N, 70°01′W). Nearly 1500 fishes, mostly juveniles, representing 24 species were collected in 1865 trap-days from May through October in the 2-yr study. The presence of relatively large numbers of young-of-the-year (YOY) fish during both years lends support to the idea that shallow areas in the lower Hudson River estuary currently function as nursery habitats for a variety of fishes. Two seasonal assemblages were apparent, but their composition varied somewhat between years.Microgadus tomcod andPseudopleuronectes americanus YOY dominated an early summer assemblage (May–July) while large numbers of YOYMorone saxatilis were collected as part of a late summer assemblage (August–September). The effects of habitat type on fish assemblage structure were significant during both years. Fish abundance and species richness were typically low under piers; YOY fishes were rare andAnguilla rostrata accounted for a large proportion of the total catch. In contrast, YOY fishes dominated collections at pile field and open-water stations, where abundance and species richness were high. These results indicate that habitat quality under the platforms of large piers (>20,000 m²) is probably poor for YOY fishes when compared with nearby pile field and open-water habitat types.     

Benthic metabolism and nutrient cycling in Boston Harbor, Massachusetts

To gain insight into the importance of the benthos in carbon and nutrient budgets of Boston Harbor and surrounding bays, we measured sediment-water exchanges of oxygen, total carbon dioxide (DIC), nitrogen (ammonium, nitrate+nitrite, urea, N₂O), silicate, and phosphorus at several stations in different sedimentary environments just prior to and subsequent to cessation of sewage sludge disposal in the harbor. The ratio of the average annual DIC release to O₂ uptake at three primary stations ranged from 0.84 to 1.99. Annual average DIC:DIN flux ratios were consistently greater than predicted from the Redfield ratio, suggesting substantial losses of mineralized N. The pattern was less clear for P: some stations showed evidence that the sediments were a sink for P while others appeared to be a net source to the water column over the study period. In general, temporal and spatial patterns of respiration, nutrient fluxes, and flux ratios were not consistently related to measures of sediment oxidation-reduction status such as Eh or dissolved sulfide. Sediments from Boston Harbor metabolize a relatively high percentage (46%) of the organic matter inputs from phytoplankton production and allochthonous inputs when compared to most estuarine systems. Nutrient regeneration from the benthos is equivalent to 40% of the N, 29% of the P, and more than 60% of the Si demand of the phytoplankton. However, the role of the benthos in supporting primary production at the present time may be minor as nutrient inputs from sewage and other sources exceed benthic fluxes of N and P by 10-fold and Si by 4-fold. Our estimates of denitrification from DIC:DIN fluxes suggests that about 45% of the N mineralized in the sediments is denitrified, which accounts for about 17% of the N inputs from land.     

Water uptake by two river red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) clones in a discharge site plantation in the Western Australian wheatbelt

The heat-pulse technique was used to estimate year-long water uptake in a discharge zone plantation of 9-year-old clonal Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. near Wubin, Western Australia. Water uptake matched rainfall closely during weter months but exceeded rainfall as the dry season progressed. Average annual water uptake (1148 mm) exceeded rainfall (432 mm) by about 2.7 fold and approached 56% of pan evaporation for the area. The data suggest that at least 37% (i.e. (1/2.7) × 100) of the lower catchment discharge zone should be planted to prevent the rise of groundwater.

Water uptake varied with soil environment, season and genotype. Upslope trees used more water than did downslope trees. Water uptake was higher in E. camaldulensis clone M80 than in clone M66 until late spring. The difference reversed as summer progressed. Both clones, however, have the potential to dry out the landscape when potential evapotranspiration exceeds rainfall. This variation in water uptake within the species indicates the potential for manipulating plantation uptake by matching tree characteristics to site characteristics.

Controlled experiments on the heat-pulse technique indicated accuracy errors of approximately 10%. This, combined with the ability to obtain long-term, continuous data and the superior logistics of use of the heat-pulse technique, suggests that results obtained by it would be much more reliable than those achieved by the ventilated chamber technique.     

Mechanism of the olivine-spinel transformation in Co2SiO4

An experiment conducted in a 2000-ton uniaxial split-sphere apparatus (USSA-2000) utilizes large sample volume and a substantial temperature gradient to synthesize intergrowths of the olivine and spinel polymorphs of Co₂SiO₄. The olivine starting material consists of a finegrained fraction (<20μm) which records the stable polymorphs along the length of the sample plus large olivine grains (100–500 μm) which help decipher the mechanism of the phase transformation. At conditions near equilibrium, the olivine-spinel transformation in the large grains occurs by inward growth of a few large single crystals of spinel nucleated on the surfaces of the olivine. The overall rate of transformation is governed by the mobility of the interphase boundary, whose morphology is crystallographically controlled by the spinel. No renucleation of spinel is observed in the host olivine crystal, even in the region immediately adjacent to the olivine/spinel interface; analysis of this region with transmission electron microscopy reveals an extremely high density of dislocations induced by plastic flow accommodating the volume change associated with the phase transformation.     

La végétation macrophytique d'un lac hautement eutrophe du Plateau suisse: Le Baldegger See

The study of the qualitative and quantitative distribution of the Baldeggersee macrophytic vegetation is undertaken in 1980 with the help of colour aerial photographies and verification on the field. The comparison with old data allows then a short survey of the macrophytic evolution in relation to the eutrophication.      

Reliability of structures subjected to differential fault slip

This paper presents a method for determining the probabilities of fault displacement at specific locations on a fault of finite length. The method is further extended to include a procedure for estimating the maximum strain, stress and axial tensile force in a pipe crossing a fault. With this procedure, estimates are also obtained for the curved lengths of the pipe. The feasibility of the method is demonstrated through a specific example. For that purpose an X-60 pipe crossing the San Andreas fault in Northern California is used. The procedure is particularly useful in risk consistent design and can be readily extended to structures other than underground pipes.     

Plutonium oxidation state distributions in the Pacific Ocean during 1980–1981

The concentration of plutonium and its oxidation state distribution have been measured as a function of depth at three locations in the North Pacific Ocean. Concentration profiles were similar to those observed in the same area during 1974 with primary maxima at depths of a few hundred meters below the surface and secondary maxima near the bottom. Oxidation state distribution profiles were similar at the three locations with plutonium about equally divided between the reduced and oxidized forms except near the bottom. There the oxidized form was more abundant and comprised ～ 90% of the total plutonium. No major change in oxidation state occurred at the depths of the shallow concentration maxima suggesting that their formation and persistence were not dependent upon a redox change. The concentration maxima near the bottom coincided with the enhanced abundance of the poorly sorbed oxidized form suggesting that they resulted from the loss of oxidized plutonium from the sediments.