Post-Miocene stratigraphy and depositional environments of valley-fill sequences at the mouth of Tampa Bay, Florida

Post-Miocene sea-level low stands allowed rivers and karst processes to incise the exposed carbonate platform along the Gulf Coast of Florida. Few Miocene to mid-Pleistocene deposits survived erosion along the present coast except within incised valleys. Since their formation, these valleys have been filled and incised multiple times in response to sea-level changes. The thick sedimentary sequences underlying the mouth of Tampa Bay have been recorded as a range of depositional environments and multiple sea-level incursions and excursions during pre-Holocene time and subsequent to the accumulation of the Miocene carbonate sequences. Sediment analysis of cores collected from a north–south transect across the mouth of Tampa Bay has enabled the identification of lithofacies, ranging from well-sorted, quartz sand to dense, fossiliferous, phosphatic grainstone. These facies were deposited in freshwater, estuarine, and shallow, open marine environments. As a result of channel development and migration within the paleovalley, and cut-and-fill associated with individual transgressions and regressions, correlation of the lithofacies does not extend across the entire transect. Fining-upward sequences truncated by tidal ravinement surfaces that extend throughout the paleovalley can, however, be identified. Age determinations based on 14-C analysis, amino-acid racemization, and strontium isotope analysis dating of numerous samples yield ages of Miocene, Pliocene, early Pleistocene, and late Pleistocene, as well as Holocene for sequences that accumulated and were preserved in this valley-fill complex. Numerous inconsistencies in the stratigraphic organization of the age determinations indicate that there are bad dates, considerable reworking of shells that were dated, or both. For this reason as well as the lack of detailed correlation among the three relatively complete cores, it is not possible to place these strata in a sequence stratigraphic framework.     

Effects of organic toxicants on the anoxic energy metabolism of the mussel Mytilus edulis

The anoxic rates of heat dissipation by mussels (Mytilus edulis) were enhanced after exposure to pentachlorophenol (PCP) and tributyltin (TBT), both known uncouplers of oxidative phosphorylation. The degree of metabolic activation under anoxia was dependent upon the amount of toxicant accumulated in the tissues, but the concentration-response relationship was different to that under aerobic conditions. Biochemical measurements indicated that the anaerobic metabolic pathways were significantly disturbed by PCP and TBT. There was a decline in succinate, an increase in the fumarate: succinate ratio, and an increase in the accumulation of lactate, indicating a shift from succinate to lactate anaerobic pathways. A consequence of organic toxicant exposure was a reduction in anoxic survival time of mussels.     

The importance of extratropical and tropical cyclones on the short-term evolution of barrier islands along the northern Gulf of Mexico, USA

Data are presented indicating the complexity and highly variable response of beaches to cold front passages along the northern Gulf of Mexico, in addition to the impacts of tropical cyclones and winter storms. Within the past decade, an increase in the frequency of tropical storms and hurricanes impacting the northern Gulf has dramatically altered the long-term equilibrium of a large portion of this coast. A time series of net sediment flux for subaerial and nearshore environments has been established for a section of this coast in Florida, and to a lesser extent, Mississippi. The data incorporate the morphological signature of six tropical storms/hurricanes and more than 200 frontal passages.

Data indicate that (1) barrier islands can conserve mass during catastrophic hurricanes (e.g., Hurricane Opal, a strong category 4 hurricane near landfall); (2) less severe hurricanes and tropical storms can promote rapid dune aggradation and can contribute sediment to the entire barrier system; (3) cold fronts play a critical role in the poststorm adjustment of the barrier by deflating the subaerial portion of the overwash terrace and eroding its marginal lobe along the bayside beach through locally generated, high frequency, steep waves; and (4) barrier systems along the northern Gulf do not necessarily enter an immediate poststorm recovery phase, although nested in sediment-rich nearshore environments. While high wave energy conditions associated with cold fronts play an integral role in the evolution and maintenance of barriers along the northern Gulf, these events are more effective in reworking sediment after the occurrence of extreme events such as hurricanes. This relationship is even more apparent during the clustering of tropical cyclones.

It is anticipated that these findings will have important implications for the longer term evolution of barrier systems in midlatitude, microtidal settings where the clustering of storms is apparent, and winter storms are significant in intensity and frequency along the coast.     

Detection of the water-soluble fraction of crude oil by the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus

The ability of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, to detect petroleum hydrocarbons was measured with behavioural techniques. When presented with a water-soluble fraction of Prudhoe Bay crude oil, blue crabs abruptly changed antennular orientation, began rhythmic beating of the maxillipedal flagellae, and increased antennular flicking rate. The threshold concentration at which 50% of the crabs detected the water-soluble fraction was 2 × 10^?6 mg/litre. The blue crab apparently can readily detect petroleum hydrocarbons at concentrations found in chronically polluted areas as well as oil spill situations.     

Semisubmersible response to transient ice forces

The paper presents an analytical and experimental study on the transient response of semisubmersibles to bergybit impact and the strength of bergybit ice to high strain-rate loadings. Two approaches have been proposed for the solution of the semisubmersible-bergybit interaction problem, one using the energy approach and the other using the conventional structural dynamics approach with initial velocity conditions. In addition the local behaviour of the impacted regions have been analysed for deformation and failure. Numerical results have been given for local behaviour of an impacted column and global behaviour of semisubmersible-bergybit system. Experimental study has been reported on the impact strength of iceberg ice at strain rates of 10⁻³, 10⁻² and 10⁻¹; the indentation impact strength of ice is found to be 3–4 times the unaixial compressive strength, at the same strain rate.     

Distributions of dissolved and particulate biogenic thiols in the subartic Pacific Ocean

Dissolved and particulate concentrations of the biogenic thiols cysteine (Cys), arginine–cysteine (Arg–Cys), glutamine–cysteine (Gln–Cys), γ-glutamate–cysteine (γ-Glu–Cys) and glutathione (GSH) were measured in the subartic Pacific Ocean in the summer of 2003 using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with precolumn derivatization as reported in previous work. In this study, a preconcentration protocol for the derivatized thiols was utilized to extend detection limits of dissolved thiols to picomolar levels. The measured concentrations of particulate and dissolved thiols were uncoupled, with distinctive depth profiles and large differences in the particulate to dissolved ratios between individual compounds. Glutathione was the most abundant particulate thiol whereas the most abundant dissolved thiol was γ-Glu–Cys, with concentrations as high as 15 nM. Given the relatively small pool of intracellular γ-Glu–Cys and the very low dissolved concentrations of GSH, we hypothesize that glutathione released from cells is rapidly converted to the potentially degradation resistant γ-Glu–Cys outside the cell. The relatively high concentrations of other dissolved thiols compared to particulate concentrations implies both biological exudation and slow degradation rates. Some thiols appear to vary with changes in nutrient availability but this effect is difficult to decouple from changes in community structure inferred from pigment analyses. Dissolved thiol concentrations also exceed typical metal concentrations in the subartic Pacific, supporting previous arguments that they may be important in metal speciation.     

Effects of variable winds on biological productivity on continental shelves in coastal upwelling systems

The production and distribution of biological material in wind-driven coastal upwelling systems are of global importance, yet they remain poorly understood. Production is frequently presumed to be proportional to upwelling rate, yet high winds can lead to advective losses from continental shelves, where many species at higher trophic levels reside. An idealized mixed-layer conveyor (MLC) model of biological production from constant upwelling winds demonstrated previously that the amount of new production available to shelf species increased with upwelling at low winds, but declined at high winds [Botsford, L.W., Lawrence, C.A., Dever, E.P., Hastings, A., Largier, J., 2003. Wind strength and biological productivity in upwelling systems: an idealized study. Fisheries Oceanography 12, 245–259]. Here we analyze the response of this model to time-varying winds for parameter values and observed winds from the Wind Events and Shelf Transport (WEST) study region. We compare this response to the conventional view that the results of upwelling are proportional to upwelled volume. Most new production per volume upwelled available to shelf species occurs following rapid increases in shelf transit time due to decreases in wind (i.e. relaxations). However, on synoptic, event time-scales shelf production is positively correlated with upwelling rate. This is primarily due to the effect of synchronous periods of low values in these time series, paradoxically due to wind relaxations. On inter-annual time-scales, computing model production from wind forcing from 20 previous years shows that these synchronous periods of low values have little effect on correlations between upwelling and production. Comparison of model production from 20 years of wind data over a range of shelf widths shows that upwelling rate will predict biological production well only in locations where cross-shelf transit times are greater than the time required for phytoplankton or zooplankton production. For stronger mean winds (narrower shelves), annual production falls below the peak of constant wind prediction [Botsford et al., 2003. Wind strength and biological productivity in upwelling systems: an idealized study. Fisheries Oceanography 12, 245–259], then as winds increase further (shelves become narrower) production does not decline as steeply as the constant wind prediction.     

Analysis of seawater for dissolved cadmium, copper and lead: An intercomparison of voltammetric and atomic absorption methods

An intercomparison study of voltammetric and atomic absorption spectrometric methods for determining cadmium, lead and copper in seawater samples was conducted. The voltammetric approach utilizes differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry using a rotating, glassy carbon, mercury film electrode under conditions developed to minimize contamination sources and to enhance sensitivity for seawater matrices. The atomic absorption approach involves a concentration step using either an organic solvent extraction of metal dithiocarbamate chelates or a Chelex-100 column with detection by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Similar and consistent results were obtained using both methods for the three trace metals studied on a wide range of natural seawater samples. Both methods are comparable in sensitivity for cadmium and copper, however the voltammetric method is better suited for the analysis of lead in seawater because of its enhanced sensitivity and low blank. An advantage of the voltammetric approach is its amenability towards real-time shipboard analysis.