Length‐mass models for some common New Zealand littoral‐benthic macroinvertebrates,with a note on within‐taxon variability in parameter values among published models

Regression models are developed and presented to predict dry mass (mg) from two linear dimensions (mm) for 17 benthic macroinvertebrate taxa common to littoral zones of New Zealand lakes. We also provide regression models to predict body length from head capsule width for the major insect taxa. Dry mass was best explained as a power function of all linear dimensions: M = aL _b .Parameters are presented in the log₁₀‐transformed linear form of this power function. Body length was a simple linear function of head capsule width for all insect taxa, hence parameters for these models are presented as untransformed values. We also provide family level models for the Chironomidae, and compare our chironomid body length‐mass model with other published Chrionomidae length‐mass models. There was a very high degree of variability in parameter values among published length‐mass models for the family Chironomidae (mean coefficient of variation for mass at length = 148%). We discuss the potential causes and implications of this variability.     

Hog Daddy and the Walls of Steel: Catch Shares and Ecosystem Change in the New England Groundfishery

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration implemented market-based fishery management in the New England groundfishery as catch shares, controlling aggregate harvests through tradable annual catch quotas allocated to fishing groups called sectors. Policy supporters assert that resulting markets raise conservation incentives. In compliance with the Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, species assessments permit catch shares to replace more spatially and temporally specific constraints on fishing gear, time, areas, and daily harvest limits. Qualitative evidence from field interviews and participant observation questions the efficacy of catch shares. Fishing industry members observe that increased presence of large trawl vessels in previously protected areas damages fish subpopulations and benthic habitat. Regulatory bioeconomic models fail to consider these lay observations. The consequent inability of quota markets to recognize the materiality of human–environment relationships at the spatiotemporal scales of fishing activity, and to internalize associated externalities, may have devastating consequences for the fishery.     

16 Ma以来南海北部海域古水温变化规律与机制

长期以来古海洋表层古水温研究的热点主要集中在第四纪,很少涉及到2.5 Ma之前。利用ODP 184航次1147和1148站位的获得的相关资料,并主要采用长链烯酮U37k)和底栖有孔虫氧同位素(δ18O)两种方法,计算海水氧同位素组成,然后,利用浮游有孔虫氧同位素法计算16 Ma以来的海水温度变化,探讨南海北部16 Ma以来的古海水温度变化机制。结果表明,南海北部水温总体趋势与全球气候发展相对应,在北半球冰盖形成时期,海水表层温度与代表高纬冰盖体积大小的底栖有孔虫δ18O几乎同步变化,反映出南海热带海区古气候变化的特殊性,为进一步研究低纬热带海区在全球古气候变化中的作用提供了新证据。     

Benthic diatoms and sulfide fluctuations: Upper basin of Pettaquamscutt River,Rhode Island

The purpose of this study was to determine if seasonal anoxia affects the community composition and abundance of benthic diatoms in an estuarine basin. Subtidal benthic diatoms were collected monthly at 1-m water depth intervals from 2 to 7 m in an estuarine basin of Pettaquamscutt River, Rhode Island, during 1981. Water samples were collected at the same depths to measure temperature, salinity, oxygen and sulfide levels. The basin became stratified above 7 m in June and the interface between oxic and anoxic waters remained at 5 or 5·5 m until December when it rose to above 4 m. Motile, biraphid diatoms dominated on the muddy sediments and live cell counts of these were insignificant below 5·5 m. At shallower depths, abundance was seasonally bimodal. In the spring, a peak began in April at 3 m (later in the season with increasing depth) and a smaller fall peak began in October at 4 and 5 m (later at shallower depths). Highest standing crop in August was at 5·5 m when 1% PAR (Photosynthetically Active Radiation) was at 4 m.The position of the interface between oxic and anoxic waters after stratification of the water column affected both abundance and species composition of benthic diatoms within 1·5 m above it. Navicula gregaria Donkin and N. ammophila Grunow dominated the spring and summer assemblages at all depths, but after September N. gregaria vanished from the basin below 3 m. In fall and winter, distinctly different populations were present at 4–5·5 m and at 2 m. The assemblage at 4 m and below consisted of sulfide-tolerant species of Navicula. Healthy populations of Navicula ammophila Grunow, N. pseudocrassirostris Hustedt, and N. peregrina (Ehrenberg) Kützing together reached 138 × 10³ cells cm^?2 at less than 1% light levels and up to 88 μM sulfide.     

Benthic nutrient regeneration in South Texas coastal waters

Because of the variable, unpredictable nature of many potential nutrient sources for coastal phytoplankton primary production needs in the north-western Gulf of Mexico, benthic regeneration was investigated as a more constant source of nutrients to this ecosystem. Water column ammonia profiles taken at several locations on the south Texas inner-shelf in the last seven years showed peak concentrations in bottom waters. Benthic chamber measurements verified the presence of ammonia fluxes at the mud-water interface in south Texas coastal waters. These fluxes were related to benthic faunal activity as measured by sediment metabolism. Laboratory experiments, designed to test the effect of benthic faunal removal on nutrient regeneration, suggested that the fauna play a role in regulating this process. How this regulation may occur is discussed. It was estimated that annual benthic regeneration rates can supply 69% of the nitrogen required to support phytoplankton primary production in these coastal waters.     

Biomass and estimated productivity of the benthic macrofauna in the New York Bight: A stressed coastal area

Waste disposal in the apex of the New York Bight has resulted in the contamination of sediments by toxic chemicals and some alteration to the community composition of the benthic macrofauna. The significance of these alterations to other communities in the area, e.g. its fishery resources, has not been clearly demonstrated. This paper presents data on an extensive survey of the macrofauna biomass, that many fish and lobster feed on, in the waste disposal impacted areas of the apex, using samples from both 1973 and 1980–1982. Variable mean production to biomass (P:B) ratios were used to estimate secondary production from the biomass of each major taxon. The macrofaunal biomass (wet wt.) of most of the apex area impacted by waste disposal was relatively high, with a mean biomass of 127 g m^?2 for 1973 and 344 g m^?2 for 1980–1982. Estimated secondary production was also high, being 201 Kcal m^?2 year^?1 in 1973 and 383 Kcal m^?2 year^?1 in 1980–1982. These values suggest there has been no inhibition of at least biomass, as the values were similar to or greater than values found in other areas of the Bight with similar bathymetric characteristics.     

An assessment model for the fate and environmental effects of offshore drilling mud discharges

The benthic boundary layer transport (bblt) model was developed to assess potential impact zones from drilling mud discharges from offshore oil and gas drilling. The model focuses on the drift, dispersion and concentration levels of the suspended fraction of the drilling mud fines in the benthic boundary layer with the assumption of a spatially homogeneous environment. The current version of the model includes a wave boundary layer, a breakup module for drilling mud flocs, a dose–response module for scallops, and a graphical user interface (GUI). The GUI was written in Java which makes the code largely platform independent. Simulations of suspended barite concentration near Sable Island on the Scotian Shelf during drilling in the fall of 1999 reproduce the very low concentrations (generally less than 1 μg L⁻¹) observed during the Environmental Effects Monitoring program. However, the simulations also exhibited concentrations in excess of the no-effects concentration for scallops (100 μg L⁻¹) prior to the sampling program. The model estimates that the potential impact on scallops in the vicinity of the drilling is a few days of lost growth over scales of a few kilometers.     

Living (Stained) Benthic Foraminifera and their Response to the Seasonal Hydrographic Cycle, Periodic Hypoxia and to Primary Production in Havstens Fjord on the Swedish West Coast

Havstens Fjord on the Swedish west coast is a silled fjord that is characterized by strong stratification and stagnant bottom-water with periodically occurring hypoxic (0–2 ml l⁻¹) or anoxic (≤0 ml l⁻¹) conditions. Renewal of Havstens Fjord's deep-water occurs every year, mostly during winter or spring. The aim of this study was to discover how living benthic Foraminifera respond to hydrographic variations, periodic oxygen deficiency and variations in primary production. A long series of monthly hydrographic measurements combined with sediment sampling were performed from August 1993 to December 1994. Sampling was carried out at four different sites along a depth transect (12, 20, 30 and 40 m). Monthly values of chlorophyll a from the water surface down to 15 m were obtained. With increasing water depth, the foraminiferal fauna changed from a low diverse brackish fauna, through a diverse and abundant fauna, to a low diversity and sparse fauna characterized by species tolerant of oxygen depletion. At the deepest site (40 m) Elphidium magellanicum and Stainforthia fusiformis survived five months of anoxic or near anoxic conditions. At 30 m the periodic hypoxic conditions were severe enough to prevent a rich benthic macrofauna establishing, but there was enough oxygen for an abundant and diverse foraminiferal fauna to thrive. Under oxic conditions, freshly sedimented phytoplankton seem to be an important food source for the Foraminifera.     

Experiments on the resuspension of estuarine sediments containing benthic diatoms

A laboratory system was used to test the effect of water flow on the resuspension of mud and sand sediments and, specifically, benthic diatoms from the Ems estuary, The Netherlands. Current velocities generated by two rotating cylinders in a cylindrical tank were determined by a small float and a laser Doppler velocimeter. At low angular velocities, the amount of suspended matter increased linearly with angular velocity and the float current velocity. However, at higher angular velocities, the increase in current velocity was less because of the strong turbulence: concomitantly, the current velocity boundary layer (δ) became thinner and the suspended matter concentration increased rapidly. The dominant diatom species from the sandy sediment were suspended in two distinct groups, one of which consisted of the species Navicula aequorea, Navicula salinicola, Ophephora martyi and Opephora pacifica, and was more exclusively bound to sand grains than the other. The benthic diatom species inhabiting the silty sediment did not show this difference. The most important shortcoming in the experiments was the inability to determine the radial and vertical velocity components. This precluded reliable calculations of the shear stress. The data presented emphasize the importance of finding a method to determine the shear stress under experiments and field conditions so that direct comparisons can be made. Despite this it is assumed that, just as under the experimental conditions discussed, under natural conditions in shallow waters resuspension starts at current velocities as low as ca. 10 cm s⁻¹.