Smectite formation in metalliferous sediments near the East Pacific Rise at 13°N

A 43 cm long E271 sediment core collected near the East Pacific Rise(EPR) at 13°N were studied to investigate the origin of smectite for understanding better the geochemical behavior of hydrothermal material after deposition.E271 sediments are typical metalliferous sediments. After removal of organic matter, carbonate, biogenic opal,and Fe-Mn oxide by a series of chemical procedures, clay minerals(2 μm) were investigated by X-ray diffraction,chemical analysis and Si isotope analysis. Due to the influence of seafloor hydrothermal activity and close to continent, the sources of clay minerals are complex. Illite, chlorite and kaolinite are suggested to be transported from either North or Central America by rivers or winds, but smectite is authigenic. It is enriched in iron, and its contents are highest in clay minerals. Data show that smectite is most likely formed by the reaction of hydrothermal Fe-oxyhydroxide with silica and seawater in metalliferous sediments. The Si that participates in this reaction may be derived from siliceous microfossils(diatoms or radiolarians), hydrothermal fluids, or detrital mineral phases. And their δ30 Si values are higher than those of authigenic smectites, which implies that a Si isotope fractionation occurs during the formation because of the selective absorption of light Si isotopes onto Feoxyhydroxides. Sm/Fe mass ratios(a proxy for overall REE/Fe ratio) in E271 clay minerals are lower than those in metalliferous sediments, as well as distal hydrothermal plume particles and terrigenous clay minerals. This result suggests that some REE are lost during the smectite formation, perhaps because their large ionic radii of REE scavenged by Fe-oxyhydroxides preclude substitution in either tetrahedral or octahedral lattice sites of this mineral structure, which decreases the value of metalliferous sediments as a potential resource for REE.     

危害我国红树林的团水虱的生物学特征

近些年来,团水虱(Sphaeroma spp.)在红树林生态系统中的持续爆发已成为天然和人工红树林遭受破坏的主要原因之一,在我国海南、广东和广西都有不同程度的发生.目前国内有关红树林湿地团水虱的生物学特征研究较少,而明确团水虱的生物学特征是研发其防控技术的重要依据.本研究通过文献查阅和实地调查,总结了团水虱危害中国红树林的现状,团水虱的种类、分布和生活史,以及繁殖和聚集的季节、繁殖方式、营养物质偏好等,以期为团水虱的防控提供理论和技术方面的支撑.     

Does sediment grain size affect diatom grazing by harpacticoid copepods?

Estuarine soft sediments support a diverse group of eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms though the role of the sediment per se for the functioning of these organisms remains largely unknown. The present study aimed to test the effect of sediment grain size on the grazing activities of harpacticoid copepods. In controlled experiments, two common intertidal harpacticoid species (Paramphiascella fulvofasciata and Nitokra spinipes) were each offered a mix of two benthic diatom species (Navicula phyllepta and Seminavis robusta) in different sedimentary conditions. Several microcosms were created using a variety of sediment types, including fine silt (<63 microm), coarser grained sands (125-250, 250-450, 100-300 microm), artificial 'sediments' of glass beads (250-500, 2000 microm) and even the absence of sediment was tested. The diatoms were enriched in the stable carbon (13)C to facilitate tracing in the harpacticoids. Both copepod species were able to graze on the diatoms with highest uptake when sediment was absent. In contrast, both harpacticoid species showed no uptake in silty conditions. In general, grazing was favoured when mean sediment grain size increased. The strong negative effect of fine grains on the grazer's efficiency can be explained by the resulting differences in the structure (and accessibility) of the diatom biofilm on the one hand and the mobility of the grazer on the other hand. In view of the subtle equilibrium between primary producers and grazers, these results might have important implications for the effect of siltation of tidal flats due to, e.g., human activities.     

Formation and stability of mixed Mg/Ca/phytate species in synthetic seawater media: Consequences on ligand speciation

The results of a potentiometric investigation (by ISE-H⁺, glass electrode) on the speciation of phytate ion (Phy¹²⁻) in an ionic medium simulating the major components (Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Cl⁻ and SO₄²⁻) of natural seawater, at different salinities and t = 25 °C, are reported. The work was particularly aimed at determining the possible formation of mixed Ca²⁺–Mg²⁺–phytate ion pairs, and to establish how including the formation of these mixed species would affect the speciation modeling in seawater media. After testing various speciation models, that considering the formation of the MgCaH₃Phy⁵⁻, MgCaH₄Phy⁴⁻, Mg₂CaH₃Phy³⁻ and Mg₂CaH₄Phy²⁻ species was accepted, and corresponding stability constants were determined at two salinities (S = 5, 10). A discussion is reported both on the choice of the experimental conditions and on the possibility to extend these results to those typical of real seawater. A detailed procedure is also described to demonstrate that the stability of these species is higher than that statistically predicted. As reported in literature, a parameter, namely log X, has been determined in order to quantify this extra stability for the formation of each mixed species at various salinities. For example, at S = 10, log X₁₁₃ = 2.67 and log X₁₁₄ = 1.37 for MgCaH₃Phy⁵⁻ and MgCaH₄Phy⁴⁻ (statistical value is log X_stat = 0.60), and log X₂₁₃ = 6.11 and log X₂₁₄ = 2.15 for Mg₂CaH₃Phy³⁻ and Mg₂CaH₄Phy²⁻ (log X_stat = 1.43), respectively. Results obtained also showed that the formation of these species may occur even in conditions of low salinity (i.e. low concentration of alkaline earth cations) and low pH (i.e., more protonated ligand).     

基于水淘选分级的长江口及邻近海域表层沉积物中磷的形态分布和迁移转化

磷是一种重要的生源要素,在河口、边缘海的初级生产中发挥重要作用,了解沉积物中磷的形态分布和迁移转化有助于深入了解该区域生态系统动力学。于2013年3月在长江口及邻近海域采集了表层沉积物样品,利用水淘选方法对沉积物进行了分级,并采用化学连续提取法分析了未分级和分级沉积物样品中的6种磷形态含量:可交换态磷、活性有机磷、铁结合态磷、自生磷灰石磷、碎屑磷和难分解有机磷,讨论了该区域沉积物中磷的形态分布、选择性输运过程和迁移转化。沉积物中总磷含量在14.0~18.4 μmol/g,其中碎屑磷是其主要成分,占54.5%,其次是有机磷和难分解有机磷,分别占到15.1%和13.1%。不同粒级沉积物中磷形态含量不同,可交换态磷、活性有机磷、铁结合态磷、自生磷灰石磷和难分解有机磷随粒级增加含量逐渐降低,而碎屑磷主要集中在粗粒级（大于32 μm）沉积物中。基于各粒级磷形态的质量分布,发现小于32 μm粒级的沉积物中各磷形态含量从长江口向浙闽沿岸逐渐增加,向外海方向逐渐减小,而大于32 μm沉积物的变化趋势与此相反,体现了不同形态磷的选择性输运。随粒径增大,总有机碳对有机磷比值（TOC/Or-P）先降低后升高,在大粒级沉积物中,TOC/Or-P比值较高主要是因为陆源有机碳贡献较高,而在小粒级沉积物中,主要是由于有机磷的迁移和转化更为活跃,体现了细颗粒物中有机磷相对有机碳的优先分解。本研究表明,从分级的角度可以对河口、边缘海的磷循环有一个更全面的认识。     

琼州海峡海口站近岸风暴增水概率风险分析

基于海口站1976~1997年逐时潮位和逐日最大风速资料,利用阿基米德Copula函数构建海口年最大增水与相应日期最大风速的联合概率分布模型。结果表明:1)广义极值分布可作为海口站年最大增水和相应日期最大风速的边缘分布。两个序列之间存在强正相关关系,G-H Copula函数更适用于作为海口站年最大增水和相应日期的最大风速联合概率分布的连接函数。2)两变量联合作用的同频率增水高度设计值与增水的单变量边缘分布设计值之间的相对差值约为7.5%。3)条件概率1(P(Y≥y|X≥x))中同频率的年最大增水和相应风速的遭遇概率介于78.2%~80.9%,条件概率2(P(Y≥y|X≤x))中同频率的年最大增水和相应风速两者的遭遇概率小于4.8%。     

Different cardiac response to copper in limpets from metal polluted and clean shores of Hong Kong

The gastropod limpet, Cellana grata, is common on moderately exposed to exposed Hong Kong rocky shores. On the basis of the existing literature on trace metal contamination in Hong Kong, four sites were identified, representative of highly polluted (Aberdeen and Lei Yue Mun) and clean (Cape d'Aguilar and Clear Water Bay) conditions. Limpets from the two polluted sites showed similar, but significantly higher body concentrations of copper than limpets from the two clean sites, which were also similar. Non-invasive measurements of cardiac activity of limpets from the four sites showed between site differences in baseline heart rates under standard seawater, irrespective of pollution level. When acutely exposed to water borne copper (2 h, 0.5+/-0.06 SD ppm), however, limpets from clean sites showed a significantly higher increase in inter-beating time (bradycardia) than those from polluted sites. These results highlight the potential use of cardiac activity to assess the exposure of natural populations of limpets to trace metal pollution.     

Application of wavelet transform analysis to landslide generated waves

The aim of this paper is to illustrate the results of a preliminary study on aerial landslide-generated waves, which has been mainly intended to establish a method for analyzing water surface records. Some simple physical experiments, reproducing the Scott Russell's wave generator, were carried out in a small two-dimensional wave flume; the Wavelet Transform (WT) is applied to analyze wave measurements and it is shown that useful information can be obtained by means of this technique. The celerity of impulsively generated waves, reflection by an overflow structure and seiching phenomena of the flume are studied. A discussion of the results along with some remarks about ongoing research is also given.     

Seabed Morphology and Pollution Along the Bagnoli Coast (Naples, Italy): a Hypothesis for Environmental Restoration

Abstract. The interaction of coastal and submarine morphology with the hydrodynamic regimes exerts a control on coastal dynamic processes, conditioning the dispersion of sediments and potential pollutants existing in the area. Thus, the study of such parameters is useful in order to define environmental threats. Within the submerged sector of the Bagnoli coast and particularly in the southern part of the investigated area, there are sediment groups composed of very fine sands located in low-energy zones due to wave refraction and diffraction; they can also be found on the sea bottom and on the man-made structures typical of this zone. These areas show high pollutant levels of N, P, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn, Cd, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated bi-phenyls (PCBs). The northern area, a place of high-energy hydrodynamic processes, also shows high concentration levels of pollutants due to the presence of secondary cell circulation.
Morphological research and analysis of textural characteristics of bottom sediments along the Bagnoli coast allowed the actual processes and their evolution in space and time to be defined. It has also been possible to correlate such processes to the seabed morphology system, the wave formations which affect the coast, the complex system of sediment transport, as well as to the man-made interventions in the area. The results of recent chemical analyses of beach sediments and bottom sediments off the Bagnoli coast were also incorporated. They prove the presence of heavy metals, PAHs and PCBs in high and sometimes very high concentrations. Finally, based on the results of research and analyses, a hypothesis for an intervention for environmental restoration has been formulated in order to renaturalise the coast through dredging and treatment of the sand, both on the seabed and on the emerged beach.