Biomarker-based Seawater Temperatures of Winter Sinking Particles and Core-top Sediment in the Ulleung Basin of the East Sea

Ocean Science Journal - This study evaluates the application of biomarkerbased temperature proxy data (alkenone with its resultant $$U_{37}^{K'}$$ index and glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether...     

Integration of the nuclease protection assay with sandwich hybridization (NPA-SH) for sensitive detection of Heterocapsa triquetra

Microalgae are photosynthetic microorganisms that function as primary producers in aquatic ecosystems. Some species of microalgae undergo rapid growth and cause harmful blooms in marine ecosystems. Heterocapsa triquetra is one of the most common bloom-forming species in estuarine and coastal waters worldwide. Although this species does not produce toxins, unlike some other Heterocapsa species, the high density of its blooms can cause significant ecological damage. We developed a H. triquetra species-specific nuclease protection assay sandwich hybridization(NPA-SH) probe that targets the large subunit of ribosomal RNA(LSU r RNA). We tested probe specificity and sensitivity with five other dinoflagellates that also cause red tides. Our assay detected H.triquetra at a concentration of 1.5×104 cells/m L, more sensitive than required for a red-tide guidance warning by the Korea Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries in 2015(3.0×104 cells/m L). We also used the NPA-SH assay to monitor H. triquetra in the Tongyeong region of the southern sea area of Korea during 2014. This method could detect H.triquetra cells within 3 h. Our assay is useful for monitoring H. triquetra under field conditions.     

The Interactive Effects of Elevated CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> and Ammonium Enrichment on the Physiological Performances of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Saccharina japonica</Emphasis> (Laminariales,Phaeophyta)

Environmental challenges such as ocean acidification and eutrophication influence the physiology of kelp species. We investigated their interactive effects on Saccharina japonica (Laminariales, Phaeophyta) under two pH conditions [Low, 7.50; High (control), 8.10] and three NH ₄ ⁺ concentrations (Low, 4; Medium, 60; High, 120 μM). The degree of variation of pH values in the culture medium and inhibition rate of photosynthetic oxygen evolution by acetazolamide were affected by pH treatments. Relative growth rates, carbon, nitrogen, and the C:N ratio in tissue samples were influenced by higher concentrations of NH ₄ ⁺ . Rates of photosynthetic oxygen evolution were enhanced under elevated CO₂ or NH ₄ ⁺ conditions, independently, but these two factors did not show an interactive effect. However, rates of NH ₄ ⁺ uptake were influenced by the interactive effect of increased CO₂ under elevated NH ₄ ⁺ treatment. Although ocean acidification and eutrophication states had an impact on physiological performance, chlorophyll fluorescence was not affected by those conditions. Our results indicated that the physiological reactions by this alga were influenced to some extent by a rise in the levels of CO₂ and NH ₄ ⁺ . Therefore, we expect that the biomass accumulation of S. japonica may well increase under future scenarios of ocean acidification and eutrophication.     

Sinking Particle Flux in the Subtropical Oligotrophic Northwestern Pacific from a Short-term Sediment Trap Experiment

Time-series sediment traps were deployed in the subtropical oligotrophic northwestern Pacific (SONP) at three depths from August to September 2015 to better understand vertical flux of sinking particles. Sinking particles were collected at 5-day intervals over the sediment trap deployment period. The average total mass flux at water depths of 400 m, 690 m, and 1,710 m was 9.1, 4.4, and 4.1 mg m^-2day^-1, respectively. CaCO₃ materials constituted 50 to 70% of sinking particles while in comparison particulate organic carbon (POC) constituted up to 20%. A synchronous variation of total mass flux was observed at the three depths, indicating that calcite-dominated particles sank from 400 to 1,710 m within a 5-day period. POC flux at these water depths was 2.4, 0.38, and 0.31 mg m^-2day^-1, respectively. Our results indicate low transfer efficiencies of 16% from 400 to 690 m and 13% for the 400 to 1,710 m depth range. The estimated transfer efficiencies were significantly lower than those observed at the K2 station in the northwest Pacific subarctic gyre, presumably because of a prevalence of pico-cyanobacteria in the SONP. Because cyanobacteria have a semi-permeable proteinaceous shell, they are more readily remineralized by bacteria than are siliceous phytoplankton in the northwest Pacific subarctic gyre. Continued surface water warming and expansion of the SONP will likely have a profound impact on ocean acidification in the northwest Pacific, possibly affecting the transfer efficiency of sinking POC to the deep-sea.     

Degradation of crude oil in a contaminated tidal flat area and the resilience of bacterial community

Crude oil spills, Hebei Spirit in South Korea, is considered as one of the worst environmental disasters of the region. Our understanding on activation of oil-degrading bacteria and resilience of microbial community in oil contaminated sites are limited due to scarcity of such event. In the present study, tidal flat sediment contaminated by the oil spill were investigated for duration of 13 months to identify temporal change in microbial community and functional genes responsible for PAH-degradation. The results showed predominance of previously known oil-degrading genera, such as Cycloclasticus, Alcanivorax, and Thalassolituus, displaying significant increase within first four months of the accident. The disturbance caused by the oil spill altered the microbial community and its functional structures, but they were almost restored to the original state after 13 months. Present study demonstrated high detoxification capacity of indigenous bacterial populations in the tidal flat sediments and its resilience of microbial community.     

中国之雷雨

第一章雷雨之定义成因及分类第一节雷雨之定义降雨而同时有雷电现象者,谓之雷雨。故有雨,纵甚急暴,但若无闪电及雷声者,不得谓之雷雨;反之,如沙漠旋风、森林大火、火山爆发等,只有雷电交作而无雨者,亦不得称曰雷雨。但雷电现象,并非雷雨之因,实为雷雨之果,此可由下列事实证明之。 (一)一定高度间之电位差,全球各处几皆相等,然雷雨之数目与     

ARD generation and corrosion potential of exposed roadside rockmass at Boeun and Mujoo,South Korea

Acid rock drainage (ARD) is a longstanding problem often associated with the resulting corrosion due to the acidity generated from sulfidic oxidation. To evaluate characteristics of ARD and corrosion, samples from the road side rock mass of Boeun and Mujoo were analysed using X-ray diffraction, acid/base accounting and Leaching tests. The results indicated that many samples had a pyritic origin and can be regarded as acid-generating rocks. The Leaching test showed that the average pH of the leachates of samples from both Boeun and Mujoo were moderately acidic, ranging from 3 to 4. Interestingly, as acidity increases from pH 4, the SO₄₋, Fe, Al and Mg concentrations increase abnormally. Samples from roadside slope of Mujoo showed high corrosive potential. Maximum sulfide oxidation rate of a sample taken from Mujoo was as high as 5,166 mg/kg/week.     

A study on the treatment of antifouling paint waste from shipyard

A study on the treatment of antifouling paint waste from shipyards, including sandblast waste and ship hull washing wastewater, was performed. The sandblast waste could be effectively detoxified by heat treatment, and the efficiency was affected by the temperature of the heating vessel and treatment time. The removal efficiency of total organotin compounds from the sandblast waste was over 99% at 1000 °C and treatment for 1 h. For the treatment of ship hull washing wastewater by the solvent extraction, ship diesel was a good solvent for the tributyltin (TBT) extraction, and the proper amount of solvent was about 10 mL for TBT extraction from 1 L of wastewater. The extraction efficiency of TBT was significantly affected by the agitation intensity. The TBT in the wash wastewater was rapidly extracted within 1 h. The level of the TBT residual in the wastewater extracted for 1 h was 2.8 μg L⁻¹, and this was further decreased to 0.8 after 5 h extraction.