Bacterioplankton growth and production at the Louisiana hydrocarbon seeps

The growth rate and potential production of bacterioplankton in cold hydrocarbon seeps located along the Louisiana coast were determined using a pulse-labeling technique. Surprisingly, community doubling times are on the order of 1.1 h, which compares to laboratory-grown cultures. We also found that there are differences in growth rates on relatively small geographic scales, suggesting the influence of site-specific geological features (e.g., gas hydrate mounds). Proceeding downslope to deeper waters, methane-oxidizing bacteria appeared to play a more significant role in community productivity. These preliminary experiments indicated, quite unexpectedly, that water column microbes are growing at a more rapid rate than in any other marine system so far studied and that methane may serve as a primary nutrient (carbon) source in these seep-associated microbial assemblages.     

Harpacticoida taxocen diversity in the silty-sandy littoral zone of Kandalaksha Bay of the White Sea

The fauna composition, ecological groups, and life forms of Harpacticoids of soft littoral grounds from 15 sites off the Karelian coast in Kandalaksha Bay of the White Sea were studied. Six types of harpacticoid taxocens with different sets of dominating species are described. On silty sands with clear signs of desalination, the Stenchelia palustris taxocen is common; medium-grained sands are characterized by the Heterolaophonte minuta, Paraleptastacus kliei — Huntemannia jadensis, and Amphiascoides nanus — Scottopsyllus minor taxocens; while on coarse sands, the Ameira parvula and Ameira scotti — Mesochra lilljeborgi taxocens have developed. The diversity of the taxocens is partly explained by the differences in the grain-size composition and salinity at different sites. In addition, groups of various taxocens dwelling on the same type of the sediments were found in different minor bights of the coastline.     

Interstitial water chemistry of villefranche bay sediments: Trace metal diagenesis

Pore water aliquots were taken with an in situ close interval sampler: the “Peeper”.We report here the pore water concentration profiles of TCO₂, SO₄, TH₂S, Ca and the trace metals Mn, Cu, Pb, Cd and Cr from sediments of a relatively polluted area, the Villefranche Bay, on the French Riviera (close to Nice).We investigated the major ion concentrations in order to establish geochemical mass balances of organic matter oxidation. ΔTCO₂/ΔSO₄ was <−2.0, reflecting the precipitation of calcite as confirmed by the calcium profile. Reduction of sulfate led to increasing sulfide concentrations with depth.Trace metal interstitial water concentrations decreased from 63 to 5 nM, 18 to 4 nM and 6.6 to less than 2 nM for Cu, Pb and Cr, respectively. Cd showed a different pattern with top and deep values of 0.7 nM and a minimum of 0.27 nM.Thermodynamic calculations were performed which suggest the potential formation of mineral phases such as sulfides.     

Dynamic response of the leg of a tension leg platform subjected to an axial, suddenly applied load at one end

This paper deals with the solution of the problem of the dynamic response of the leg of a tension leg platform subjected to an axial, suddenly applied load at one end, considering a highly simplified model but taking into account several complicating factors. The problem is solved by means of a non-harmonic Fourier expansion in terms of eigenfunctions obtained from a non-regular Sturm-Liouville system.     

On the vertical structure of temperature anomalies in the North Atlantic

The expansion of the temperature anomaly field in the North Atlantic is considered using natural orthogonal functions of depth. It is shown that the first few components of this expansion describe the field both at the surface and in the upper 1000 m layer accurately enough. The relation between the water temperature anomaly at some levels and the above components is estimated for various regions of the ocean.Translated by Mikhail M. Trufanov.     

On the nature of microshocks recorded by ocean bottom seismographs

The results of the study of short impulsive signals (microshocks) which constitute a specific type of noise on the records of ocean bottom seismographs are given. Various possible causes of their origin have been analysed. It is shown that the great majority of microshocks are produced by external causes: bottom displacements under an instrument at the deployment site and the mechanical action of marine organisms on OBSs. To cope with this kind of noise the use of parallel recording at two seismometers some distance apart is suggested.