Determining the trophic guilds of fishes and macroinvertebrates in a seagrass food web

We established trophic guilds of macroinvertebrate and fish taxa using correspondence analysis and a hierarchical clustering strategy for a seagrass food web in winter in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. To create the diet matrix, we characterized the trophic linkages of macroinvertebrate and fish taxa present inHalodule wrightii seagrass habitat areas within the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge (Florida) using binary data, combining dietary links obtained from relevant literature for macroinvertebrates with stomach analysis of common fishes collected during January and February of 1994. Heirarchical average-linkage cluster analysis of the 73 taxa of fishes and macroinvertebrates in the diet matrix yielded 14 clusters with diet similarity ≥ 0.60. We then used correspondence analysis with three factors to jointly plot the coordinates of the consumers (identified by cluster membership) and of the 33 food sources. Correspondence analysis served as a visualization tool for assigning each taxon to one of eight trophic guilds: herbivores, detritivores, suspension feeders, omnivores, molluscivores, meiobenthos consumers, macrobenthos consumers and piscivores. These trophic groups, corss-classified with major taxonomic groups, were further used to develop consumer compartments in a network analysis model of carbon flow in this seagrass ecosystem. The method presented here should greatly improve the development of future network models of food webs by providing an objective procedure for aggregating trophic groups.     

Ductile Thrusting Recorded by the Garnet Isograd from Blueschist-Facies Metapelites of the Ile de Groix, Armorican Massif, France

Mineral assemblages in the blueschist-facies metapelites fromthe Ile de Groix (Armorican Massif, France) permit the distinctionof two main units. The Upper Unit is characterized by: (1) highmodal proportions of garnet; (2) larger grain size; (3) therarity of graphite-bearing layers; (4) a single, although composite,foliation S₁. A Lower Unit is defined by: (1) low modal proportionsof garnet; (2) smaller grain size; (3) an abundance of graphite-bearinglayers; (4) a pervasive crenulation cleavage S₂. In the UpperUnit, coexisting garnet and chloritoid are more magnesian andless manganiferous than in the Lower Unit. The differences inmodal proportions and chemistry of coexisting minerals reflectdifferent P–T conditions. The P–T history of theblueschist-facies metapelites is estimated using a simplifiedpetrogenetic grid in the NFMASH system and thermodynamic calculations,which suggest peak P–T conditions at about P = 16–18kbar, T = 450–500°C and P = 14–16 kbar, T =400–450°C in the Upper and Lower Units, respectively.Peak P–T conditions were followed by a nearly isothermaldecompression for both units at slightly different temperatures(of the order of 50°C). The contact between the two units,i.e. the garnet isograd, is interpreted as a greenschist-faciesductile thrust. Thrusting of the higher-grade unit, i.e. theUpper Unit, over the Lower Unit occurred after the high-pressureevent, i.e. during the exhumation of both units. The observedsuperposition of higher-grade rocks over lower-grade rocks arguesagainst models where the exhumation history is entirely controlledby crustal-scale vertical shortening (i.e. extension). KEY WORDS: Armorican Massif; blueschist facies; Ile de Groix; metapelites; P–T path; garnet isograd     

Late Quaternary primary tephras in Sacred Lake sediments, northeast Mount Kenya, Kenya

In this paper, a sequence of five Late Quaternary tephras occurring as discrete, well-preserved horizons in lake sediments on the northeastern flank of Mount Kenya are characterised and their ages determined by a combination of high-resolution indirect radiocarbon dating and direct dating. The grain size characteristics suggest that the tephras are of fairly local origin. These Na---K-rich alkali pyroclasts with a trachytic chemical composition have a highly correlated chemistry and mineralogy, suggesting that they were probably derived from the same genetic series and possibly erupted from a single source vent. Morphological differences are attributed to the peculiar characteristics of each eruption episode. The magma source was probably a small, highly differentiated magma chamber following the olivine basalt-trachyandesite-trachyte-phonolite series, which broadly reflects the Quaternary rock suite of Mount Kenya.     

Identifying Accessory Mineral Saturation during Differentiation in Granitoid Magmas: an Integrated Approach

Numerical reconstructions of processes that may have operatedduring igneous petrogenesis often model the behaviour of importanttrace elements. The geochemistry of these trace elements maybe controlled by accessory mineral saturation and fractionation.Determination of the saturation point of accessory mineralsin granitoid rocks is ambiguous because assumptions about crystalmorphology and melt compositions do not always hold. An integratedapproach to identifying accessory mineral saturation involvingpetrography, whole-rock geochemical trends, saturation calculationsand mineral chemistry changes is demonstrated here for a compositionallyzoned pluton. Within and between whole-rock samples of the BoggyPlain zoned pluton, eastern Australia, the rare earth element(REE)-enriched accessory minerals zircon, apatite and titaniteexhibit compositional variations that are related to saturationin the bulk magma, localized saturation in intercumulus meltpools and fractionation of other mineral phases. Apatite isidentified as having been an early crystallizing phase overnearly the whole duration of magma cooling, with zircon (andallanite) only saturating in more felsic zones. Titanite andmonazite did not saturate in the bulk magma at any stage ofdifferentiation. Although some trace elements (P, Ca, Sc, Nb,Hf, Ta) in zircon exhibit compositional variation progressingfrom mafic to more felsic whole-rock samples, normalized REEpatterns and abundances (except Ce) do not vary with progressivedifferentiation. This is interpreted to be a result of limitationsto both simple ‘xenotime’ and complex xenotime-typecoupled substitutions. Our data indicate that zircon REE characteristicsare not as useful as those of other REE-rich accessory mineralsas a petrogenetic indicator. KEY WORDS: saturation; zircon; apatite; titanite; magma differentiation; trace elements; REE patterns     

Environmental impact of salmon net-pen culture on marine benthic communities in Maine: A case study

The environmental impacts of salmon net-pen aquaculture on the benthic environment were investigated at a commercial fish farm located in coastal Maine waters. This site has a sandy mud bottom and low current velocities, is subjected to episodic sediment resuspension, and way in production for 3 yr prior to this study: We examined both the increase in carbon flux to the benthos caused by the net-pen and the effects of the elevated flux on sediment biogeochemistry and the microbenthic communities. The experimental design involved the establishment of two study sites, an ambient site ca. 100 m from the net-pen and a treatment site around the pen. Sediment traps deployed 1 m above the sediment-water interface indicated that carbon flux to the benthos was increased 1-fold to 6-fold (to a maximum of 5 g m^?2d^?1) at the edge of the net-pen with little or no increase in carbon flux 10 m from the pen. Unlike carbon flux rates, sediment organic matter inventories showed a complex pattern of change over time. Mineral surface area, organic carbon and nitrogen, digestible protein, and sterol content were initially (April 1991) lower beneath the pen than in ambient sediments. During 1991 ambient sediment accumulated organic matter until July after which it decreased, to a low during November. In contrast, organic matter inventories of sediment beneath the pen remained low until July and then increased to a high during November. These latter gains were associated with the development of bacterial mats at the sediment-water interface. Beneath the pen, microbial and macrofaunal communities were shifted toward those commonly associated with organic enrichment but seasonal trends and storm-related resuspension events also significantly affected these sediment communities. When abundant, most epibenthic organisms were more numerous near the pen than in adjacent ambient areas. These results suggest that net-pen aquaculture can alter the benthic ecosystem in Maine Coastal waters but indicate that the effects are spatially limited.     

The environmental planning and management approach towards the development and management of the Osun natural spring project,Ibadan, Nigeria

There is a general shortage of potable water in Nigeria, partly through the lack of natural provision and partly because of rapid urban growth that has largely been unplanned. The paper describes the recent redevelopment of a public water facility in a run-down area of Ibadan which is part of the Sustainable Ibadan Project. Despite funding from national and international bodies, the development is strongly based at community level. The local inhabitants feel they have control over their own water supply through their representatives on the various planning and managing committees. This aims to reduce vandalism and to increase pride and involvement in the community. The project is a pilot for other projects around Ibadan, some of which have begun and others are being planned. This paper describes the administrative structures and management principles that have been employed. It forcefully advocates community-based planning and management which respects both the environment and the water-users, and involves a major “bottom-up” element. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Nd-Sr-Pb isotopic constraints on metal and fluid sources in W-Sb-Au mineralization at Woxi and Liaojiaping (Western Hunan,China)

This paper presents Nd-Sr-Pb isotope data on scheelite, inclusion fluids and residues of gangue quartz, and sulfides from the W-Sb-Au ore deposits at Woxi and Liaojiaping (LJP) in the Xuefeng Uplift Belt (XUB), Western Hunan, China. Sm and Nd concentrations in scheelite from Woxi are much lower than in scheelite from LJP and can be distinguished by their high ¹⁴⁷Sm/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios of ~1.25 from the much lower ratios around 0.26 in scheelites from the LJP. Nd values (compared to values at 200 Ma, which is the average timing of granitoid emplacement during the Indosinian-Yanshanian periods in the XUB) are around –10 for the LJP and compare well with the range of –5 to –11 defined by the granitoids, whereas they are around –27 for scheelite from Woxi. This might indicate that REEs in the mineralizing fluids at LJP originated from granitoids that are concentrated along the southern border of the XUB, whereas in the case of Woxi, the original fluids might have been masked by REEs released during intense high-temperature wall rock alteration of unexposed Precambrian basement rocks at depth. Sr isotopes of scheelite from these two deposits show similar relations to host / nearby rocks, in that ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (T=200 Ma) ratios of ~0.721 for LJP scheelite agree with values ranging between 0.718 – 0.726 for granitoids, whereas these ratios are much higher (i.e. 0.745) for scheelite from Woxi and correspond to the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (T=200 Ma) ratio range of 0.743 – 0.749 for Precambrian host slates. Crushing experiments to release inclusion fluids from gangue quartz and sulfides deposited during later stages of ore deposition in both deposits failed to provide accurate and geologically meaningful two-point (fluid-residue) tie lines in Rb-Sr isochron diagrams. However, Sr released from fluid inclusions generally reveals lower initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios than the respective residues and shows affinities to ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (T=200 Ma) values of Indosinian-Yanshanian granitoids, both at Woxi and LJP. Pb stepwise leaching of scheelite and sulfides did not result in sufficient spreads in Pb isotope diagrams and therefore no information regarding exact mineralization ages in the two deposits could be deduced. Overall, ore Pb isotopes reveal upper crustal signatures and are compatible with Pb isotope signatures of the predominant Precambrian slates in the Woxi area. Steep trajectories through late stage quartz-sulfide mineralization in Pb isotope diagrams may hint at mixing scenarios involving Pb from the host rocks and a component with lower ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb ratios relative to ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb ratios, which cannot be linked to any known reservoir in the XUB mining district. Sr isotopes of four out of seven residual sulfide samples from Woxi plot along a paleomixing line at an age of 199 ± 8 Ma, supporting a mixing scenario for the fluids indicated by the Pb isotopes and pointing to a possible genetic relationship with the emplacement of Indosinian—Yanshanian granitoids. The budgets of REEs, Rb-Sr and Pb in the original fluids were severely affected by contamination of these elements apparently during intense wall rock alteration but, after sealing of the major pathways, the mineralizing fluids tend to have better preserved their original signatures. These attest a genetic relationship between the metallogeny in the XUB W-Sb-Au province and the emplacement of Indosinian-Yanshanian granitoids during Mesozoic intracontinental tectonic uplift and thrusting.Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at Editorial handling: B. Lehmann     

Nickel, Copper, Zinc and Cadmium Cycling with Manganese in Lake Vanda (Wright Valley, Antarctica)

Lake Vanda is a closed-basin, permanently ice-covered lake located in the Wright Valley of Antarctica. The lakes more important geochemical features include the fact that it is fed by a single glacial melt water stream for only 6–8weeks out of the year; that it has remained stratified for more than a millennium; and that, like other lakes in the region, it is remote from anthropogenic influence. These, together with the fact that it is among the least biologically productive lakes in the world, make it an ideal system for examining the transport, cycling and fate of trace metals in the aquatic environment. Like others before us, we view this lake as a natural geochemical laboratory, a flask in the desert. This paper presents the first set of closely spaced, vertical, profiles for dissolved and particulate Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn and Cd in the water column. Despite the absence of an outflow, metals in the fresh upper waters of the lake have extremely low concentrations, in the pico-molar to nano-molar range, and are partitioned largely into dissolved rather than particulate phases. Efficient metal scavenging by particles from these oxygen-rich waters is indicated. Significant increases in metal concentrations begin to appear at depth, between 57 and 60m, and these increases coincide with the onset of manganese oxide dissolution in oxic, but lower pH waters. Vertical profiles suggest that the entire suite of trace metals (Ni, Cu, Zn, and Cd) is being released from manganese oxide carrier phases. Thermodynamic analysis indicates that Mn3O4 (i.e., the mineral hausmannite) may be important in metal sequestration and recycling in the deeper waters of Lake Vanda. Manganese-reducing organisms reported by Bratina etal. (1998) are active in the zone of metal release and these could also contribute to the observed cycling.     

Slab behaviour and its surface expression: new insights from gravity modelling in the SE-Carpathians

We use lithosphere-scale gravity models to calculate gravity anomalies resulting from oceanic subduction, continental collision, slab steepening, delamination, and break-off. Local isostasy was assumed for determining vertical movements caused by mass changes related to these tectonic processes. Our results show that subduction is accompanied by basin subsidence on the upper plate caused by the heavy lithospheric root of the subducting slab. The basin evolution goes parallel with the slab evolution and shows considerable modifications when the processes at depth change (slab steepening, delamination, break-off). Characteristic gravity anomaly curves were acquired for the different tectonic scenarios. These curves together with other data (e.g. basin evolution on the upper and the lower plate) were used for the reconstruction of the tectonic evolution of the SE-Carpathians which includes Tertiary subduction and collision followed by slab steepening and delamination.     

Neotectonic deformation in the transition zone between the Dead Sea Transform and the East Anatolian Fault Zone, Southern Turkey: a palaeomagnetic study of the Karasu Rift Volcanism

In southern Turkey ongoing differential impingement of Arabia into the weak Anatolian collisional collage resulting from subduction of the Neotethyan Ocean has produced one of the most complex crustal interactions along the Alpine–Himalayan Orogen. Several major transforms with disputed motions, including the northward extension of the Dead Sea Fault Zone (DSFZ), meet in this region. To evaluate neotectonic motion on the Amanos and East Hatay fault zones considered to be northward extensions of the DSFZ, the palaeomagnetism of volcanic fields in the Karasu Rift between these faults has been studied. Remanence carriers are low-Ti magnetites and all except 5 of 51 basalt lavas have normal polarity. Morphological, polarity and K–Ar evidence show that rift formation occurred largely during the Brunhes chron with volcanism concentrated at 0.66–0.35 Ma and a subsidiary episode at 0.25–0.05. Forty-four units of normal polarity yield a mean of D/I=8.8°/54.7° with inclination identical to the present-day field and declination rotated clockwise by 8.8±4.0°. Within the 15-km-wide Hassa sector of the Karasu Rift, the volcanic activity is concentrated between the Amanos and East Hatay faults, both with left lateral motions, which have rotated blocks bounded by NW–SE cross faults in a clockwise sense as the Arabian Block has moved northwestwards. An average lava age of 0.5 Ma yields a minimum cumulative slip rate on the system bounding faults of 0.46 cm/year according with the rate deduced from the Africa–Arabia Euler vector and reduced rates of slip on the southern extension of the DSFZ during Plio-Quaternary times. Estimates deduced from offsets of dated lavas flows and morphological features on the Amanos Fault Zone [Tectonophysics 344 (2002) 207] are lower (0.09–0.18 cm/year) probably because they are limited to surface fault breaks and do not embrace the seismogenic crust.Results of this study suggest that most strike slip on the DSFZ is taken up by the Amanos–East Hatay–Afrin fault array in southern Turkey. Comparable estimates of Quaternary slip rate are identified on other faults meeting at an unstable FFF junction (DSFZ, East Anatolian Fault Zone, Karatas Fault Zone). A deceleration in slip rate across the DSFZ and its northward continuation during Plio-Quaternary times correlates with reorganization of the tectonic regime during the last 1–3 Ma including tectonic escape within Anatolia, establishment of the North and East Anatolian Fault Zones bounding the Anatolian collage in mid–late Pliocene times, a contemporaneous transition from transpression to transtension and concentration of all basaltic magmatism in this region within the last 1 Ma.