Benthic nitrate biogeochemistry affected by tidal modulation of Submarine Groundwater Discharge (SGD) through a sandy beach face, Ria Formosa, Southwestern Iberia

To investigate both the role of tides on the timing and magnitude of Submarine Groundwater Discharge (SGD), and the effect on benthic nitrogen biogeochemistry of nitrate-enriched brackish water percolating upwards at the seepage face, we conducted a study of SGD rates measured simultaneously with seepage meters and mini-piezometers, combined with sets (n = 39) of high resolution in-situ porewater profiles describing NH₄⁺, NO₃⁻, Si(OH)₄ and salinity distribution with depth (0–20 cm). Sampling took place during two consecutive spring tidal cycles in four different months (November 2005, March, April and August 2006) at a backbarrier beach face in the Ria Formosa lagoon, southern Portugal. Our results show that the tide is one of the major agents controlling the timing and magnitude of SGD into the Ria Formosa. Intermittent pumping of brackish, nitrate-bearing water at the beach face through surface sediments changed both the magnitudes and depth distributions of porewater NH₄⁺ and NO₃⁻ concentrations. The most significant changes in nitrate and ammonium concentrations were observed in near-surface sediment horizons coinciding with increased fraction of N in benthic organic matter, as shown by the organic C:N ratio. On the basis of mass balance calculations executed on available benthic profiles, providing ratios of net Ammonium Production Rate (APR) to Nitrate Reduction Rate (NRR), coupled to stoichiometric calculations based on the composition of organic matter, potential pathways of nitrogen transformation were speculated upon. Although the seepage face occasionally contributes to reduce the groundwater-borne DIN loading of the lagoon, mass balance analysis suggests that a relatively high proportion of the SGD-borne nitrogen flowing into the lagoon may be enhanced by nitrification at the shallow (1–3 cm) subsurface and modulated by dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA).     

Application of an ecosystem model for the environmental assessment of the reclamation and mitigation plans for seagrass beds in Atsumi Bay

An ecosystem model was used to evaluate the effects of reclaiming seagrass beds and creating artificial shallows with seagrass beds to mitigate the effects of the reclamation. The applied model can simulate the pelagic and benthic ecosystems including seagrass beds and tidal flats. The objectives of this study were (a) to investigate the likelihood of cultivating and maintaining seagrass beds in artificial shallows (Part 1), and (b) to understand the effects of the reclamation of seagrass beds and the creation of artificial shallows on the water quality in the estuary (Part 2). In Part 1, first, the nutrient turnover rates due to both biochemical and physical processes in the natural seagrass beds where reclamation is proposed were analyzed. Biological processes rather than physical processes were the most significant driving forces of nutrient cycles in seagrass beds. Second, the effects of filter feeding benthic fauna (suspension feeders) in the seagrass beds were analyzed. The scenario with suspension feeders resulted in higher transparency of the water column (8.7% decrease in the light attenuation coefficient) and an increase in nutrient supply (24.9% increase in NH₄-N in the water column) contributing to the high specific growth rate of seagrass. Third, the specific growth rate of seagrass on the proposed artificial shallows was measured. The value on the artificial shallows set at a depth of datum line minus 0.8 m (D.L. − 0.8 m) was approximately the same as that of the natural seagrass beds. In Part 2, first, water quality in the estuary was compared among the scenarios with/without natural seagrass beds and artificial shallows. Then, the defined values of the water purification capability of (a) artificial shallows with/without seagrass beds, and (b) natural seagrass beds per unit area were evaluated. The reclamation of the natural seagrass beds resulted in a decrease of the removal of phytoplankton and detritus from the pelagic system (i.e. resulted in a loss in the purification rate). In contrast, the creation of artificial shallows resulted in an increase of the removal of phytoplankton and detritus from the pelagic system (i.e. resulted in a gain in the purification rate). Based on an annual average, approximately twice as much phytoplankton was removed from the artificial shallows at the depth D.L. − 0.8 m, than at the depth, D.L. − 1.5 m, and the artificial shallows with seagrass beds removed pelagic DIN and DIP at a rate 120% higher than that without seagrass beds.     

大嵛山附近海域游泳动物种类组成和资源现状及其变化分析

2006年1月～10月福建闽东大嵛山附近海域游泳动物调查研究结果表明,该海域的游泳动物有97种,其中鱼类51种（软骨鱼1种,硬骨鱼类50种）,隶属于9目24科42属;甲壳类42种,隶属于2目15科20属;头足类4种,隶属于3目3科3属.暖水性种类为33种,占鱼类总种数的64.7%;暖温性鱼类18种,占鱼类总种数的35.3%,未出现冷温性和冷水性鱼类.种类数的季节变化依次呈夏季〉冬季〉秋季〉春季.生物量的季节变化,依次呈夏季〉秋季〉春季〉冬季;而生物量尾数的季节变化,依次呈夏季〉春季〉秋季〉冬季.平均单位网次渔获生物量和密度分别为9.53kg/h和1 319 ind/h.生物量优势种和密度优势种分别为大黄鱼和中华管鞭虾.扫海面积法估算年平均现存资源量为57 370 ind/km^2和404.51kg/km^2.同时,本文对该海域游泳生物的资源结构现状与历史调查数据作了对比分析,并讨论了多样性结构与生物量的季节性变化规律.结果表明,该海域渔业资源有严重衰退的现象,多样性结构与生物量的季节性变化并不具有必然的一致性.     

Dynamics and relationships of Ca, Mg, Fe in litter, soil fauna and soil in Pinus koraiensis-broadleaf mixed forest

The Liangshui Natural Reserve in Heilongjiang Province of China was selected as the study area. The authors collected the samples of forest litter （Tilia amurensis, Fraxinus mandshurica, Pinus koraiensis, Acer mono, Betula costata, and mixed litter）, soil in humus horizon （0--5cm） and soil horizon （5-20cm）, and soil macrofauna （Oligochaeta, Geophiloporpha and Juliformia） from 2001 to 2002. The role of soil macrofauna in the material cycle was analyzed through comparing the macro-element contents among various parts of the subsystems and using enrichment index （El）. The results indicate that dynamic changes of various litters are very complicated. The contents of Fe in each kind of litter increase firstly, and then decrease in the study period. The changes of macro-element contents are greater in the broad-leaf litter than in the coniferous litter, and the mixed litter is in the middle level, but the differences among them are not significant. The contents of Mg and Fe in humus are higher than those in soil, but the contents of Ca in soil are higher than that in humus. The dynamic changes of macro-element contents in soil and soil fauna are not consistent with those in litter. The diplopod presented obvious enrichment of Ca and Mg （E1〉1）, but it does not significantly enrich Fe. Earthworm has a stronger enrichment ability of Fe than diplopod and scolopendra, but E1〈1. Soil fauna can make great influences on the material cycle of the subsystems.     

粤西海陵湾养殖区邻近海域大型底栖动物生态学特征

根据2014—2016年粤西海陵湾养殖区湾内和湾外邻近海域21°27′—21°38′N、111°42′—111°57′E 4个航次调查资料,对其大型底栖动物生态学特征进行了研究。结果表明,共鉴定大型底栖动物64种,春季种类最多为39种,秋季最低为17种。4季均以环节动物种类数最多,软体动物次之。不同季节间优势种有所差异,仅倍棘蛇尾Amphioplus sp.为周年优势种。春、夏、秋和冬季第一优势种分别为倍棘蛇尾、菲律宾蛤仔Ruditapes philippinarum、短吻铲荚螠Listriolobus brevirostris和平蛤蜊Mactra mera。平均丰度和生物量分别为213ind./m~2和15.4g/m~2,其中丰度以春季最高为248ind./m~2,夏季最低为167ind./m~2,而生物量则以秋季最高为28.0g/m~2,春季最低为2.4g/m~2;平面分布总体呈现湾外高于湾内的趋势。底栖动物Pielou均匀度和Shannon-Wiener多样性指数分别为0.95—1.00和1.56—4.07,其中时间分布规律明显,春季最高,秋季最低;空间上,两者无明显分布差异。群落结构时空差异显著,为沉积物类型、水深、底层无机氮和悬浮物以及捕食压力等因素共同影响的结果。     

Seep mounds on the Southern Vøring Plateau (offshore Norway)

Multidisciplinary study of seep-related structures on Southern Vøring Plateau has been performed during several UNESCO/IOC TTR cruises on R/V Professor Logachev. High-resolution sidescan sonar and subbottom profiler data suggest that most of the studied fluid discharge structures have a positive relief at their central part surrounded by depression. Our data shows that the present day fluid activity is concentrated on the top of these “seep mounds”. Number of high hydrocarbon (HC) gas saturated sediment cores and 5 cores with gas hydrate presence have been recovered from these structures. δ¹³C of methane (between −68 and −94.6‰ VPDB) and dry composition of the gas points to its biogenic origin. The sulfate depletion generally occurs within the upper 30–200 cm bsf and usually coincides with an increase of methane concentration. Pore water δ¹⁸O ranges from 0.29 to 1.14‰ showing an overall gradual increase from bottom water values (δ¹⁸O ∼ 0.35‰). Although no obvious evidence of fluid seepage was observed during the TV surveys, coring data revealed a broad distribution of living Pogonophora and bacterial colonies on sea bottom inside seep structures. These evidences point to ongoing fluid activity (continuous seepage of methane) through these structures. From other side, considerable number and variety of chemosynthetic macro fauna with complete absence of living species suggest that present day level of fluid activity is significantly lower than it was in past. Dead and subfossil fauna recovered from various seep sites consist of solemyid (Acharax sp.), thyasirid and vesicomyid (cf. Calyptogena sp.) bivalves belonging to chemosymbiotic families. Significant variations in δ¹³C (−31.6‰ to −59.2‰) and δ¹⁸O (0.42‰ and 6.4‰) of methane-derived carbonates collected from these structures most probably related to changes in gas composition and bottom water temperature between periods of their precipitation. This led us to ideas that: (1) seep activity on the Southern Vøring Plateau was started with large input of the deep thermogenic gas and gradually decries in time with increasing of biogenic constituent; (2) authigenic carbonate precipitation started at the near normal deep sea environments with bottom water temperature around +5 °C and continues with gradual cooling up to negative temperatures recording at present time.     

Age Assignment of the Lycoptera- bearing Bed

In the Yanliao area, the occurrence of the Nestoria-Keratestheria fauna and the Eoparacypris- Luanpingella-Darwinula assemblage in the Dabeigou Formation s.s., a Rb-Sr isochron age of 145.2 Ma for the Baiqi Formation and a complete stratigraphic sequence-all this proves that the Lycoptera-bearing bed overlies the Upper Jurassic. The Jehol fauna comprises the primitive Trigonioidids fauna, Eosestheria fauna, Lycoptera fauna et al., and their own laws of evolution expound that they belong to Cretaceous faunas. The associations of Eosestheria with Yanjiestheria, Lycoptera with Eosestheria, and Kuntulunia with Yanjiestheria as well as the occurrence of early angiosperms and sporo - pollen in the Fuxin Formation and its equivalents also demonstrate that the Lycoptera-bearing, bed should be assigned to the Cretaceous. The confirmation of the existence of Aucellina in the Jixi Group and the correlation of Trigonioidids and Cypridids with those in the equivalent strata of Japan and Western Europe have also been     

Palaeozoic and early Mesozoic fish faunas of the Japanese Islands

Abstract In recent years, many fish teeth and scales have been found from the Palaeozoic and Mesozoic age strata of the Japanese Islands. This study is a compilation of the Japanese fish record from the Palaeozoic and early Mesozoic age deposits. Based on the published and unpublished data, the fossil fishes from the Palaeozoic and Early Mesozoic of Japan can be classified into 27 genera and 33 species, that is, one species of Devonian placoderms, 19 species of Permian to Jurassic elasmobranchs, three species of Permian cochliodonts, seven species of Carboniferous to Permian petalodonts, and three species of Triassic to Jurassic osteichthyans.     

Application of AMD to the Determination of Cropprotection Agents in Drinking Water. Part III: Solid Phase Extraction and Affecting Factors Anwendung der AMD-Technik zur Bestimmung von Pflanzenbehandlungsmittel-Wirkstoffen im Trinkwasser. Teil III: Festphasenextraktion und ihre Einflußfaktoren

The more sensitive an analysis method the more care must be given to sample preparation. Solid phase extraction (SPE) onto RP 18 phases has established itself as a general purification and enrichment technique for trace components in aqueous samples. Various factors may thereby influence the recovery rate. For example, the ratio amount of sorbent and sample volume should be taken into account to avoid breakthrough of the investigated substance. Extracting phenylurea herbicides from drinking water, the ratio should be 1 g RP 18 sorbent per 1 L water sample. Concerning the flow rate for the fungicides procymidone, vinclozolin, and iprodione, the recovery rate decreases using higher flow rates than 3 or 6 mL/min. In the case of phenylurea herbicides, a flow rate of 10 or 14 mL/min showed best results. Even the coefficient of variation is below ± 5% at these flow rates. Furthermore, the company dependence should be considered because the recovery rate might differ by up to 40% using the nominally identical material. The same applies to the batch dependence of quality from the same company. The concentration of the eluate must also be monitored and carried out with great care to avoid decreasing the recovery rate. Considering these factors of influence, SPE is a very useful tool in sample preparation, particularly if an automated system is used.