Long-term patterns in the diets of Japanese temperate bassLateolabrax japonicus larvae and juveniles in Chikugo estuarine nursery ground in Ariake Bay, Japan

Larval and juvenile Japanese temperate bass (Lateolabrax japonicus) samples were collected from a wide range of spatial gradients (covering a distance of approximately 30 km) in Chikugo estuary, Ariake Bay, Japan over a period of 8 yr (1997–2004) in order to observe changes in diet. Gut contents were studied by separating, identifying, counting, and estimating the dry weight of prey organisms. Copepod samples were collected during each cruise to observe the numerical composition, abundance, and biomass in the estuary. Considerable spatial and temporal variations were observed in copepod distributions in ambient water and the diets of the fish. Two distinctly different copepod assemblages were identified in the estuary: One in the upper estuarine turbidity maximum (ETM), dominated by a single speciesSinocalanus sinensis and the other in the lower estuary consisting of a multispecies assemblage, dominated byOithona davisae, Acartia omorii, Paracalanus parvus, andCalanus sinicus. The gut content composition of the fish in the upper estuary was dominated byS. sinensis, while in the lower estuary, it consisted ofP. parvus, O. davisae, andA. omorii. Within the size group analyzed (13.0–27.0 mm SL), the smaller individuals were found to feed on a mixed diet composed of smaller prey. The diets gradually shifted to bigger prey composed predominantly ofS. sinensis for larger size groups. Greater proportions of empty guts were recorded in the smaller individuals and dropped with increasing fish size. Higher dry biomass of copepods in the environment, as well as higher dry weights of gut contents, were recorded in the upper estuary, indicating that the upper estuarine ETM areas are important nursery grounds for the early life stages of the Japanese temperate bass. The early life stages of the Japanese temperate bass are adapted to use the upstream nursery grounds and ascending to the nursery areas to useS. sinensis is one of the key survival strategies of the Japanese temperate bass in the Chikugo estuary.     

Behavior of uranium in two estuaries of the southeastern United States

Soluble uranium concentrations in the Ogeechee and Savannah Rivers are 0.046 ± 0.005 and 0.026 ± 0.01 μg/l, respectively. Particulate concentrations are approximately similar in the Ogeechee River but are about four times the soluble concentration in the Savannah River. River end-member ²³⁴U/²³⁸U ratios range from 1.04 ± 0.04 to 1.08 ± 0.12. Observations suggest that uranium is removed from estuarine waters at low salinities during low discharge.     

Cyclotron side-band emissions from ring-current electrons

VLF-emissions with subharmonic cyclotron frequency from magnetospheric electrons have been detected by the S³-A satellite (Explorer 45) whose orbit is close to the magnetic equatorial plane where the wave-particle interaction is most efficient. These emissions are observed during the main phase of a geomagnetic storm in the nightside of the magnetosphere outside of the plasmasphere around L = 3–5. The emissions consist essentially of two frequency regimes, one below the equatorial electron gyro-frequency, , and the other above . The emissions below are whistler mode and there is a sharp band of “missing emissions” along . The emissions above are electrostatic mode and the frequency ranges up to . It is concluded that these emissions are generated by the enhanced relativity low energy (1–5 keV) ring current electrons, penetrating into the nightside magnetosphere during the main phase of a magneto storm. Although the high energy (50–350 keV) electrons showed remarkable changes of pitch angle distribution, their associations with VLF-emissions are not so significant as those of low energy electrons.     

Neoproterozoic Deformation at a Boundary Zone Between the Nellore-Khammam Schist Belt and Pakhal Basin, SE India: Strain Analysis of Deformed Pebbles

In the Kinnerasani area in southeastern India, the terrain boundary between the Archean Nellore-Khammam Schist Belt and the Proterozoic Pakhal Supergroup overlying the Dharwar-Bastar cratons can be observed. We analyzed the mesoscopic and microscopic structural features of the highly deformed pebbles in the basal conglomerate bed of the Pakhal Supergroup that occurs at the terrain boundary. The results of the analysis of the pebbles suggest that: 1) deformation of pebbles resulted from ductile deformation during peak metamorphism 2) the mode of strain is plane strain to constrictive and maximum elongation located to be vertical and 3) the apparent stretch of the pebbles is up to 300%.In the Nellore-Khammam Schist Belt, quartz grains constituting the quartz layer of the feldspathized gneiss folded by the last-phase deformation also show vertical maximum stretching in constrictive strain. This observation suggests that the deformational features, at least the mode of strain, during the last-phase deformation is comparable to the deformation forming elongated pebbles of the Pakhal conglomerate. The last-phase deformation structures of the Nellore-Khammam Schist Belt are well observed near the terrain boundary. This indicates that the Pakhal deformation overprinted the rocks of the Nellore-Khammam Schist Belt near the boundary, and that their tectonic juxtaposition occurred during or before this deformation period. Because the Pakhal deformation took place during or soon after the peak metamorphism of the Pakhal Supergroup, which is known to be 1000 Ma, and the last metamorphism of the Nellore-Khammam Schist Belt in the Khammam area were reported to be 1100 Ma. The tectonic juxtaposition between the Pakhal Supergroup and Nellore-Khammam Schist Belt was around 10001100 Ma.     

Hydrogen sulfide and organic carbon at the sediment–water interface in coastal brackish Lake Nakaumi, SW Japan

The relationship among H₂S, total organic carbon (TOC), total sulfur (TS) and total nitrogen contents of surface sediments (0–1 cm) was examined to quantify the relationship between H₂S concentrations and TOC content at the sediment water interface in a coastal brackish lake, Nakaumi, southwest Japan. In this lake, bottom water becomes anoxic during summer due to a strong halocline. Lake water has ample dissolved SO₄ ^2? and the surface sediments are rich in planktic organic matter (C/N 7–9), which is highly reactive in terms of sulfate reduction. In this setting the amount of TOC should be a critical factor regulating the activity of sulfate reduction and H₂S production. In portions of the lake where sediment TOC content is less than 3.5 %, H₂S was very low or absent in both bottom and pore waters. However, in areas with TOC >3.5 %, H₂S was correlated with TOC content (pore water H₂S (ppm) = 13.9 × TOC (%) ? 52.1, correlation coefficient: 0.72). H₂S was also present in areas with sediment TS above 1.2 % (present as iron sulfide), which suggests that iron sulfide formation is tied to the amount of TOC. Based on this relationship, H₂S production has progressively increased after the initiation of land reclamation projects in Lake Nakaumi, as the area of sapropel sediments has significantly increased. This TOC–H₂S relationship at sediment–water interface might be used to infer H₂S production in brackish–lagoonal systems similar to Lake Nakaumi, with readily available SO₄ ^2? and reactive organic matter.