Effect of human activity on Lake Saroma (Japan) during the past 150 years: Evidence by variation of diatom assemblages

Diatom assemblages of the surface and in core sediment samples from Lake Saroma (Japan) were examined for the purpose of evaluating anthropogenic effect on the coastal environmental changes. Before the first inlet excavation, the lake's water quality and ecology were controlled by water exchange with the Okhotsk Sea as well as lake-level variation. However, large-scale ecological modification occurred, mainly due to artificial excavation and shellfish industrial farms. A distinct record of the succession of the dominant diatom taxa was preserved in core sediments. Low-oxygen water was prevalent in the lake in 1929, before the first inlet excavation. Immediately after the first inlet excavation, the low-oxygen water in the western basin of the lake began to disappear, in a trend that became increasing transparent, which has been attributed to an increasing rate of water exchange. However, the lacustrine environment of bottom sediments resumes deterioration 20 years after since the first artificial excavation: the resultant deposition of river-mouth materials into the deep basin caused eutrophication and environmental disturbance of the lake bottom. At the same time, the eutrophication of surface water became intensified with the onset of intense scallop culturing beginning in 1966. Increasing organic loads deposited onto the bottom layer in the form of excreta from the scallop nursery led to more oxygen deficiency and the elution of nitrogen and phosphorus from the sediment, which again brought about eutrophication of the surface layer. Such environmental change was reflected in a decrease of benthic diatom taxa and an increase of planktonic taxa, trends which have continued until today. Particularly, the numbers of diatom assemblage have been decreasing all over the lake during the last 10 years, which suggests that Lake Saroma's present-day deterioration and eutrophication will continue or become even worse.     

Food sources of the pearl oyster in coastal ecosystems of Japan: Evidence from diet and stable isotope analysis

We estimated the composition of two food sources for the cultured pearl oyster Pinctada fucata martensii using stable isotopes and stomach content analysis in the coastal areas of the Uwa Sea, Japan. The δ¹³C values of oysters (−17.5 to −16.8‰) were intermediate between that of particulate organic matter (POM, −20.2 to −19.1‰) and attached microalgae on pearl cages (−13.0‰). An isotope mixing model suggested that oysters were consuming 78% POM (mainly phytoplankton) and 22% attached microalgae. The attached microalgal composition of the stomach content showed a strong resemblance to the composition of that estimated through the isotope mixing model, suggesting preferential utilization of specific components is unlikely in this species. These results indicate that P. fucata martensii feed on a mixture of phytoplankton and attached microalgae, and that the attached microalgae on pearl cages can serve as an important additional food source.     

Modeling seasonal variations of ocean and sea ice circulation in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas： A model-data fusion study

A 3.8-kin Coupled Ice-Ocean Model （C1OM） was implemented to successfully reproduce many observed phenomena in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas, including the Bering-inflow-originated coastal current that splits into three branches： Alaska Coastal Water （ACW） , Central Channel, and Herald Valley branches. Other modeled phenomena include the Beaufort Slope Current （BSC） , the Beaufort Gyre, the East Siberian Current （ ESC）, mesoscale eddies, seasonal landfast ice, sea ice ridging, shear, and deformation. Many of these downscaling processes can only be captured by using a high-resolution CIOM, nested in a global climate model. The seasonal cycles for sea ice concentration, thickness, velocity, and other variables are well reproduced with Solid validation by satellite measurements. The seasonal cycles for upper ocean dynamics and thermodynamics are also well reproduced, which include the formation of the cold saline layer due to the injection of salt during sea ice formation, the BSC, and the subsurface upwelling in winter that brings up warm, even more saline Atlantic Water along the shelfbreak and shelf along the Beaufort coast.     

Iron deficiency in micro-sized diatoms in the Oyashio region of the Western subarctic Pacific during spring

In order to detect iron (Fe) stress in micro-sized (20–200 μm) diatoms in the Oyashio region, western subarctic Pacific during spring, immunological ferredoxin/flavodoxin assays were applied to samples collected from the surface layer in May 2005. Concomitantly, the community composition of the micro-sized phytoplankton and hydrographic conditions, including dissolved Fe and macronutrient concentrations, were also examined. Chlorophyll (Chl) a concentrations were <2 mg m⁻³ at all sampling stations, except at a station where the Chl a level was 9.0 mg m⁻³ and a micro-sized diatom bloom occurred. A high abundance of ferredoxin in micro-sized diatoms was detected only at a rather near-shore station where dissolved Fe and macronutrient concentrations were higher, indicating that the micro-sized diatoms did not suffer from iron deficiency. On the other hand, flavodoxin in micro-sized diatoms was often observed at the other stations, including the bloom station, where macronutrients were replete but dissolved Fe concentration was low (0.31 nM). A significant amount of chlorophyllide a, a degradation product of Chl a, was also observed at the bloom station, suggesting a decline of the diatom bloom. The micro-sized phytoplankton species at all the stations were mainly composed of the diatoms Thalassiosira, Chaetoceros, and Fragilariopsis spp. Our study indicates that micro-sized diatoms were stressed by Fe bioavailability during the spring season in the Oyashio region     

Ecology and restoration techniques for Sargassum beds in the Seto Inland Sea,Japan

Due to the reduction and degradation of coastal areas in Japan by land reclamation and anthropogenic perturbations, from the point of view of conservation of the coastal environment, the restoration of Sargassum beds is essential. Between 1978 and 1991, 6400 ha of seagrass and seaweed beds have been lost along the Japanese coast, of which Sargassum beds were 22%. New techniques for Sargassum bed restoration are summarized based on three coastal engineering techniques. (1) Construction of shallow and gentle sloping bottom substrata have been shown to be effective for the reestablishment of 'management-free seagrass and Sargassum beds' on developed coasts. (2) Seeding or transplanting using artificial substratum for extension of nursery and fishing grounds around natural Sargassum beds. (3) Periodic transplanting of Sargassum plants using artificially produced seedlings is effective to produce niches to allow faunal re-colonization in severely polluted and sparsely vegetated area. However, prior to implementation, the suitability and limitations of these three techniques requires to be ascertained for effective Sargassum bed restoration.     

Impacts of global warming on hydrological cycles in the Asian monsoon region

The hydrologic changes and the impact of these changes constitute a fundamental global-warmingrelated concern. Faced with threats to human life and natural ecosystems, such as droughts, floods, and soil erosion, water resource planners must increasingly make future risk assessments. Though hydrological predictions associated with the global climate change are already being performed, mainly through the use of GCMs, coarse spatial resolutions and uncertain physical processes limit the representation of terrestrial water/energy interactions and the variability in such systems as the Asian monsoon. Despite numerous studies, the regional responses of hydrologic changes resulting from climate change remains inconclusive. In this paper, an attempt at dynamical downsealing of future hydrologic projection under global climate change in Asia is addressed. The authors conducted present and future Asian regional climate simulations which were nested in the results of Atmospheric General Circulation Model （AGCM） experiments. The regional climate model could capture the general simulated features of the AGCM. Also, some regional phenomena such as orographic precipitation, which did not appear in the outcome of the AGCM simulation, were successfully produced. Under global warming, the increase of water vapor associated with the warmed air temperature was projected. It was projected to bring more abundant water vapor to the southern portions of India and the Bay of Bengal, and to enhance precipitation especially over the mountainous regions, the western part of India and the southern edge of the Tibetan Plateau. As a result of the changes in the synoptic flow patterns and precipitation under global warming, the increases of annual mean precipitation and surface runoff were projected in many regions of Asia. However, both the positive and negative changes of seasonal surface runoff were projected in some regions which will increase the flood risk and cause a mismatch between water demand and water availability in the agricul     

Quaternary Volcanic-Related Acid Hydrothermal Alteration in the Ugusu Silica Stone Deposit, Western Izu Peninsula, Central Japan: Geology and Alteration

Acid alteration areas accompanying Quaternary volcanoes are widespread in the western Izu Peninsula, central Japan. The Ugusu alteration area is the largest among them and is mined for “silica stone” at the silica body in the core of the alteration area. Silica zone defined by previous studies is subdivided into highly leached brecciated silica zone and residual silica zone, which extend along a NNW‐SSE–NNE‐SSW direction of fractures/faults. Fe‐rich, alunite, advanced argillic alteration, and intermediate argillic alteration zones occur toward the outside surrounding the two silica zones. The ascent of acid hydrothermal fluid would be responsible for the silica zones and surrounding alteration zones at an earlier stage, while the hydrothermal brecciation and silica veins were caused by a limited supply of silica‐saturated fluids at later stages. Based on the available mineral stability relations and fluid inclusion thermometries, the formation temperatures are estimated to be: >300°C for the residual silica zone; >290°C for the diaspore association in the advanced argillic alteration zone; and <260°C for the kaolinite association in the intermediate argillic alteration zone. The later stage quartz druses have been formed at 200–260°C. The Ugusu–Fukata acid hydrothermal systems were active at 1.5–1.2 Ma, which were temporally related to the Tanaba Andesite volcanism. Hydrothermal system at the Seikoshi gold–silver deposit survived until 0.7 Ma after the volcanism. In the western half of the Izu Peninsula, subduction of the Philippine Sea plate underneath the Suruga Trough caused nearly N–S‐trending maximum horizontal compressive stress (σ_Hmax) and the resultant formation of similarly trending alteration areas and Au‐Ag vein‐type deposits in the Ugusu‐Toi‐Seikoshi area. From a practical viewpoint, at the Ugusu silica stone deposit, the fracture‐controlled vertical morphology of the silica body provides an important guide for exploration. Because the alteration zones occur both in the lower and upper sides of the silica bodies, it is important to make sure to which side the alteration zones correspond.     

Production of the Blood Pressure Lowing Peptides from Brown Alga ( Undaria pinnatifida )

1 IntroductionIncreased blood pressure appears to be one of theprimary risk factors of circulatory organ diseases suchas encepharo-apoplexy, encepharo-infarction and cardi-ac infraction. Angiotensin-I-converting enzyme (ACE)plays an important role in the rennin-angiotensin sys-tem by regulating blood pressure. Antihypertensivedrugs such as captopril and enalapril are potent ACEinhibitors (Ondetti et al., 1977). Recently, severalinhibitory peptides derived from food proteins havebeen isolat…     

Effects of non‐uniform traction and specimen height in the direct shear test on stress and deformation in a rock fracture

In the direct shear test (DST), an internal moment is distributed within the rock specimen by non‐coaxial shear loads applied to the specimen, which cause non‐uniform distributions of both the traction on the loading planes and the stress and deformation in the specimen. To examine the validity of the DST for a rock fracture and to clarify the effect of specimen height, both the stress and deformation in a fracture in the DST were analyzed for specimens with three different heights using a three‐dimensional finite element method with quadratic joint elements for a fracture model. The constitutive law of the fracture considers the dependence of the non‐linear behavior of closure on shear displacement and that of shear stiffness on normal stress and was implemented in simulation code to give a conceptional fracture with uniform mechanical properties to extract only the effect of non‐uniform traction on the stress and deformation in the fracture. The results showed that both normal and shear stresses are concentrated near the end edges of the fracture, and these stress concentrations decrease with a decrease in the specimen height according to the magnitude of the moment produced by the non‐coaxial shear loads. Furthermore, although closure is greater near the end edges of the fracture, where normal stress is concentrated, this concentration of closure is not so significant within the range of this study because of the non‐linear behavior of closure, that is, closure does not significantly increase with an increase in normal stress at large normal stresses. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.