Interannual variability in vertical export in the Ross Sea: Magnitude, composition, and environmental correlates

The vertical flux of particulate matter from the surface of the Ross Sea, Antarctica, has been suggested as being large, with substantial seasonal and spatial variations. We conducted a study in which vertical flux was quantified using sediment traps deployed at 200 m and compared to estimates calculated from one-dimensional budgets of nutrients (nitrogen and silicon). Estimates of flux were collected at two locations in the southern Ross Sea from late December to early February during four years: 2001-2002, 2003-2004, 2004-2005, and 2005-2006. Phytoplankton biomass and vertical flux varied substantially seasonally and spatially between the two sites, and among years. The greatest flux was observed in 2001-2002, with a short-term maximum organic carbon flux of 3.13 mmol m⁻² d⁻¹, and the summer mean organic carbon flux equal to 0.93 mmol m⁻² d⁻¹. In contrast, the mean carbon flux at the same site in 2003-2004 was over an order of magnitude less, averaging 0.19 mmol m⁻² d⁻¹, despite the fact that productivity in that year was substantially greater. In 2005-206 the contribution of fecal pellets to flux was smallest among all years, and the pellet contribution ranged from <1 to more than 50% of organic flux. As the moorings also had surface layer fluorometers, the relationship between surface biomass and sediment trap flux was compared. Temporal lags between surface fluorescence and flux at 200 m maxima in 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 ranged from two to six days; however, in 2005-2006 the temporal offset between biomass and flux was much longer, ranging from 11 to 27 days, suggesting that fecal pellet production appeared to increase the coupling between flux and surface production. Estimates of export from the upper 200 m based on one-dimensional nutrient budgets were greater than those recorded by the sediment traps. Nutrient budgets also indicated that siliceous production averaged ca. 40% of the total annual production. The variations observed in the flux of biogenic matter to depth in the Ross Sea are large, appear to reflect different forcing among years, and at present are not adequately understood. However, such variability needs to be both understood and represented in biogeochemical models to accurately assess and predict the effects of climate change on biogeochemical cycles.     

Analysis of photosynthetic picoeukaryote community structure along an extended Ellett Line transect in the northern North Atlantic reveals a dominance of novel prymnesiophyte and prasinophyte phylotypes

Photosynthetic picoeukaryotes (PPEs) of a size <3 ??m can contribute significantly to primary production. Here, PPE community structure was analysed along an extended Ellett Line transect, an area in the North Atlantic well studied by physical oceanographers but largely neglected in the field of microalgal ecology. Distribution patterns of specific PPE classes were determined using dot-blot hybridization analysis, while the taxonomic composition of specific PPE classes was revealed by phylogenetic analysis of plastid 16S rRNA gene sequences. In addition, we performed fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis of seawater samples collected along the transect to provide a PCR-independent survey of class level PPE distribution patterns. We found the PPE community was dominated by members of the Prymnesiophyceae, Prasinophyceae and Mamiellophyceae. Interestingly, phylogenetic analysis revealed several novel Prymnesiophyceae and Prasinophyceae phylotypes (with only 85-96% identity to neighbouring sequences) within lineages for which cultured counterparts are unknown.     

Seasonal variation in lysosomal destabilization in oysters,Crassostrea virginica

Lysosomal destabilization assays have been used as valuable biomarkers of pollutant exposures in a variety of bivalve and fish species. The responses of oysters, Crassostrea virginica, deployed at and native to various reference and degraded sites were evaluated for lysosomal destabilization during both summer and winter seasons. In both native and deployed oysters, lysosomal destabilization rates tended to be higher during the winter at both reference and polluted sites. There are at least two hypothetical explanations. Greater lysosomal destabilization rates may be related to physiological changes associated with mobilization of nutrient reserves during the winter and gametogenesis. However, lysosomal destabilization in deployed oysters was correlated with tissue metal concentrations. These data also support a second hypothesis that seasonal differences in physico-chemical factors (such as reduced levels of acid volatile sulfides) may increase the bioavailability of metals during the winter so that adverse effects are more pronounced.     

Incorporating Māori values into land management decision tools

ABSTRACT

Environmental sustainability and the long-term wellbeing of Māori (the indigenous people of New Zealand) are interdependent and degradation of landscapes risks the progressive degradation of Māori wellbeing. The present study developed an analysis framework based on Ki Uta Ki Tai (holistic-mountains to the sea- management philosophy advocated by Ngāi Tahu) for exploring relationships between landcover and Māori values to enable predictions of cultural values through space and time. We used this framework to predict how two Māori values (Overall Health and Cultural Land Use) have been altered as a result of landcover change between 2001–2012 in three Canterbury catchments. The area of native vegetation declined while exotic pasture increased between 2001–2012, and there were corresponding declines in both cultural health scores. These results suggest that the change in landcover has reduced the ability of the landscape to support Māori values. This framework for assessing changes in Māori values with respect to changing environmental conditions may identify opportunities for Māori to better engage in land use management decisions.     

Subsurface lateral flow generation in aspen and conifer‐dominated hillslopes of a first order catchment in northern Utah

Mountain headwater catchments in the semi‐arid Intermountain West are important sources of surface water because these high elevations receive more precipitation than neighboring lowlands. This study examined subsurface runoff in two hillslopes, one aspen dominated, the other conifer dominated, adjacent to a first order stream in snow‐driven northern Utah. Snow accumulation, soil moisture, trenchflow and streamflow were examined in hillslopes and their adjacent stream. Snow water equivalents (SWEs) were greater under aspen stands compared to conifer, the difference increasing with higher annual precipitation. Semi‐variograms of shallow spatial soil moisture patterns and transects of continuous soil moisture showed no increase in soil moisture downslope, suggesting the absence of subsurface flow in shallow (～12 cm) soil layers of either vegetation type. However, a clear threshold relationship between soil moisture and streamflow indicated hillslope–stream connectivity, deeper within the soil profile. Subsurface flow was detected at ～50 cm depth, which was sustained for longer in the conifer hillslope. Soil profiles under the two vegetation types varied, with deep aspen soils having greater water storage capacity than shallow rocky conifer soils. Though SWEs were less under the conifers, the soil profile had less water storage capacity and produced more subsurface lateral flow during the spring snowmelt. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Cobble cam: grain‐size measurements of sand to boulder from digital photographs and autocorrelation analyses

A new application of the autocorrelation grain size analysis technique for mixed to coarse sediment settings has been investigated. Photographs of sand‐ to boulder‐sized sediment along the Elwha River delta beach were taken from approximately 1·2 m above the ground surface, and detailed grain size measurements were made from 32 of these sites for calibration and validation. Digital photographs were found to provide accurate estimates of the long and intermediate axes of the surface sediment (r² > 0·98), but poor estimates of the short axes (r² = 0·68), suggesting that these short axes were naturally oriented in the vertical dimension. The autocorrelation method was successfully applied resulting in total irreducible error of 14% over a range of mean grain sizes of 1 to 200 mm. Compared with reported edge and object‐detection results, it is noted that the autocorrelation method presented here has lower error and can be applied to a much broader range of mean grain sizes without altering the physical set‐up of the camera (～200‐fold versus ～6‐fold). The approach is considerably less sensitive to lighting conditions than object‐detection methods, although autocorrelation estimates do improve when measures are taken to shade sediments from direct sunlight. The effects of wet and dry conditions are also evaluated and discussed. The technique provides an estimate of grain size sorting from the easily calculated autocorrelation standard error, which is correlated with the graphical standard deviation at an r² of 0·69. The technique is transferable to other sites when calibrated with linear corrections based on photo‐based measurements, as shown by excellent grain‐size analysis results (r² = 0·97, irreducible error = 16%) from samples from the mixed grain size beaches of Kachemak Bay, Alaska. Thus, a method has been developed to measure mean grain size and sorting properties of coarse sediments. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Resolving the bulk δN values of ancient human and animal bone collagen via compound-specific nitrogen isotope analysis of constituent amino acids

Stable nitrogen isotope analysis is a fundamental tool in assessing dietary preferences and trophic positions within contemporary and ancient ecosystems. In order to assess more fully the dietary contributions to human tissue isotope values, a greater understanding of the complex biochemical and physiological factors which underpin bulk collagen δ¹⁵N values is necessary. Determinations of δ¹⁵N values of the individual amino acids which constitute bone collagen are necessary to unravel these relationships, since different amino acids display different δ¹⁵N values according to their biosynthetic origins. A range of collagen isolates from archaeological faunal and human bone (n = 12 and 11, respectively), representing a spectrum of terrestrial and marine protein origins and diets, were selected from coastal and near-coastal sites at the south-western tip of Africa. The collagens were hydrolysed and δ¹⁵N values of their constituent amino acids determined as N-acetylmethyl esters (NACME) via gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS). The analytical approach employed accounts for 56% of bone collagen nitrogen. Reconstruction of bulk bone collagen δ¹⁵N values reveals a 2‰ offset from bulk collagen δ¹⁵N values which is attributable to the δ¹⁵N value of the amino acids which cannot currently be determined by GC-C-IRMS, notably arginine which comprises 53% of the nitrogen unaccounted for (23% of the total nitrogen). The δ¹⁵N values of individual amino acids provide insights into both the contributions of various amino acids to the bulk δ¹⁵N value of collagen and the factors influencing trophic position and the nitrogen source at the base of the food web. The similarity in the δ¹⁵N values of alanine, glutamate, proline and hydroxyproline reflects the common origin of their amino groups from glutamate. The depletion in the δ¹⁵N value of threonine with increasing trophic level indicates a fundamental difference between the biosynthetic pathway of threonine and the other amino acids. The δ¹⁵N value of phenylalanine does not change significantly with trophic level, reflecting its conservative nature as an essential amino acid, and thus represents the isotopic composition of the nitrogen at the base of the food web. Δ¹⁵N_Glu-Phe values in particular are shown to reflect trophic level nitrogen sources within a food web. In relation to the reconstruction of ancient human diet the contribution of marine and terrestrial protein are strongly reflected in Δ¹⁵N_Glu-Phe values. Differences in nitrogen metabolism are also shown to have an influence upon individual amino acid δ¹⁵N values with Δ¹⁵N_Glu-Phe values emphasising differences between the different physiological adaptations. The latter is demonstrated in tortoises, which can excrete nitrogen in the form of uric acid and urea and display negative Δ¹⁵N_Glu-Phe values whereas those for marine and terrestrial mammals are positive. The findings amplify the potential advantages of compound-specific nitrogen isotope analysis in the study of nitrogen flow within food webs and in the reconstruction of past human diets.     

Influence of Two Tropical Storms on the Residual Flow in a Subtropical Tidal Inlet

The mechanisms responsible for the modulation of laterally sheared non-tidal (residual) exchange flow in a subtropical inlet, with special emphasis on tropical storm influence, are studied using a combination of current velocity profiles and hydrographic and meteorological data. The mouth of the inlet, St. Augustine Inlet in northeast Florida, is characterized by a 15-m-deep channel flanked by shoals (<6 m deep). Residual flows across the inlet mouth were laterally sheared with inflow in the channel and outflow over the shoals. This pattern persisted during four separate semi-diurnal tidal cycle surveys effected over 3 years. During spring tides, residual exchange flows intensified relative to neap tides. Residual inflow in the channel only reversed immediately after tropical storms because of their extreme winds and major temporal changes in water level. After the residual flow reversed in the channel, along-channel baroclinicity drove gravitational circulation that persisted for 4.5 days and was enhanced by offshore winds. A depth-averaged along-basin momentum budget highlighted the importance of bottom friction to help balance the barotropic pressure gradient. The rest of the momentum budget was likely provided by advective terms. During and after tropical storms, accelerations from wind stress and baroclinic pressure gradients also became influential in the along-basin momentum budget.     

Social memory and resilience in New Orleans

A key concept in resilience studies is that human societies can learn from hazard events and use their accumulated social memory to better contend with future catastrophes. This article explores the deliberate referral to historical records complied after Hurricane Betsy in 1965 and how they were used to prepare for tropical storms at the time of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Despite proclamations that Louisiana would not repeat its mistakes, hazards planners seriously neglected the historical record.