Lago Mare and the Messinian Salinity Crisis: Evidence from the Alboran Sea (S. Spain)

This paper provides a new environmental, sedimentological and stratigraphic context of the Lago Mare deposits from the North Alboran region and clarifies their chronologic location with respect to the Messinian Salinity Crisis. We present new micropalaeontological data (dinoflagellate cysts, calcareous nannoplankton, planktonic foraminifers), correlated with field observations and offshore seismic interpretations. We show that the Lago Mare event known in three onshore localities (Río Mendelín near Malaga, Zorreras near Sorbas, Gafares near Níjar) follows the marine reflooding of the Mediterranean Basin which ended the Messinian Salinity Crisis. Chronologically, these Lago Mare deposits last from the latest Messinian to the early Zanclean. In fact, the first influx of Paratethyan organisms is revealed by the dinoflagellate cyst record from near Malaga within a Gilbert-type fan delta overlying the Messinian Erosional Surface. Invading molluscs and/or ostracods may have persisted in lagoonal coastal areas more or less affected by discontinuous marine influxes (Sorbas and Níjar). The Malaga area is convenient for a palaeogeographic and sedimentary reconstruction which shows the prevalent forcing of sea-level changes during the time-interval 5.600–5.332 Ma at the difference of the usually solicited prevalent tectonics. The studied Lago Mare event is the third episode resulting in such a palaeobiological assemblage in the Mediterranean region and corresponds to the final two-way water exchange at high sea level between the Mediterranean and the former Paratethys. It documents the onset of the modern marine circulation in the Mediterranean after the reflooding ending the Messinian Salinity Crisis.     

Long-term nutrient variation trends and their potential impact on phytoplankton in the southern Yellow Sea,China

The concentration and composition of nutrients, such as N, P, and Si, respond to biogeochemical processes and in turn, impact the phytoplanktons’ community structure and primary production. In this study, historical data was systematically analyzed to identify long-term variations in nutrient trends, red tide frequency, phytoplankton community abundance, and dominant species succession in the southern Yellow Sea(SYS). Results showed that N/P concentration ratios dramatically increased as a funct...     

Evolution of sea‐surface conditions on the northwestern Greenland margin during the Holocene

Reconstructions of sea‐surface conditions during the Holocene were achieved on two sediment cores from the northwest Greenland margin (AMD14‐204) and Kane Basin (AMD14‐Kane2B) based on dinoflagellate cyst assemblages. On the northwest Greenland margin, sea‐surface conditions were cold with an extended sea ice cover prior to 7750 cal a bp associated with the end of the deglaciation. A major change occurred around ca. 7750 cal a bp with enhanced influence of warmer water from the West Greenland Current, and optimal sea‐surface conditions were observed around 6000 cal a bp . After 3350 cal a bp , results reflect the establishment of the modern assemblages. In the Kane Basin, sea‐surface conditions were not favourable for dinocyst productivity prior to 7880 cal a bp , as the basin was still largely covered by ice. The presence of warmer water is recorded between 7880 and 7200 cal a bp and the highest primary productivity between 5200 and 2100 cal a bp , but sea‐surface conditions remained cold with an extended sea ice cover throughout the Holocene. Overall, the results from this study revealed the strong influence of meltwater discharges and oceanic current variability on the sea‐surface conditions. Copyright © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Tracing the influence of sewage discharge on coastal bays of Southern Vancouver Island (BC,Canada) using sedimentary records of phytoplankton

The impact of sewage and stormwater effluents on phytoplankton is investigated by comparing organic-walled dinoflagellate cyst abundance and diversity from 38 surface sediment samples, flanking southern Vancouver Island. Site locations include those directly adjacent to wastewater outfall at Clover and Macaulay Points and Saanich Peninsula, as well as from a variety of near-shore environments with differing tidal flow influences. Excellently preserved dinoflagellate cyst assemblages have been recovered and 36 cyst taxa were identified. Local assemblages are characterized by a high relative proportion (average 56%) of cysts produced by heterotrophic dinoflagellates, which is typical for regions of high primary production. Relative proportional increases of cysts from heterotrophic species with particular increases of Polykrikos kofoidii/schwartzii and Dubridinium species, known to reflect areas affected by eutrophication, occur directly adjacent to all three sewage outfalls, as well as in the more stagnant waters of Esquimalt and Victoria Harbours and at the mouth of Cadboro Bay. Further effects of an anthropogenic effluent can be seen in the relatively higher concentrations of organic carbon and the diatom production proxy, biogenic opal. Results from this study clearly indicate a much larger impact zone than predicted by a sewage effluent plume model or trends found in monitored benthic biota and sediment chemistry that evidence primary outfall affects <800 m eastward of Macaulay Point and about 200 m eastward of the Clover Point. Enhanced production of cysts from potentially toxic Alexandrium species is also observed near locations of sewage outfalls.     

Criteria for aging and sexing New Zealand oystercatchers

Criteria based on external characters are presented for aging and sexing the three New Zealand species of oystercatcher, Haematopus ostralegus finschi Martens, 1897, H. unicolor Forster, 1844, and H. chathamensis Hartert, 1927. Four classes are discerned: juveniles have brown dorsal plumage, a brown iris and grey legs; second‐year birds have an orange‐red iris and pale pink legs; sub‐adults have a dull red iris and pink legs; adults have a scarlet iris and bright coral pink legs. The three species can be sexed by discriminant analysis of the sexually dimorphic characters bill length (x ₁), bill length:bill depth (x ₂) and bill length:bill width (x ₃). Linear functions and discriminating values for predicting sex are :

H. ostralegus finschi 0.46x ₁+3.15x ₂+2.94x ₃, 77.41;

H. unicolor 0.12x₁+6.52x₂+2.85x₃ , 58.05; and

H. chathamemis ‐0.93x ₁+1.50x ₂+7.48x ₃, ‐20.86.

Similarly, the sexes of immature H. ostralegus finschi can be predicted :

juveniles 0.73x₁+ 5.76x ₂ + 3.10 _x3 116.57;

second‐year birds 0.57x ₁+5.12x ₂+ 0.98x ₈, 84.84; and

sub‐adults 0.55x ₁+1.88x ₂+ 1.08x ₃, 65.90.’     

Dinoflagellate cyst stratigraphy and palaeoenvironment of the marginal marine Middle and Upper Miocene of the eastern Campine area,northern Belgium (southern North Sea Basin)

A stratigraphical and palaeoenvironmental analysis with organic‐walled palynomorphs of the Bolderberg and Diest formations provides new insights in the depositional history during Miocene times at the southern border of the North Sea Basin. The Neogene transgression invaded Belgium from a north–northwestern direction and fully marine sediments were deposited in the northern part of Belgium. The age and the palaeoenvironment of the deposits at the very border of the southern North Sea Basin remained till a few decades ago incomplete. The recovered dinoflagellate cysts, acritarchs and green algae from the Bolderberg Formation in the Wijshagen Borehole indicate a marginal marine depositional environment during late Burdigalian and Langhian times in the eastern Campine area, in contrast to the deeper marine conditions prevailing to the north–northwest. The relative dating of the Bolderberg Formation confirms that maximum flooding occurred during Langhian to early Serravallian times. Deposition apparently took place during the Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum, and ended when the climatic deterioration set in at around 14 Ma. A hiatus spanning ca. 2 Ma separates the Middle Miocene Bolderberg Formation from the Upper Miocene Diest Formation in the eastern Campine area at the border of the North Sea Basin. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A new method for processing clay-rich unconsolidated sediments for paleoecological investigations

A method is described for processing flocculated clay-rich sediments which avoids acetolysis and heavy liquid separation. Twin 80 (Merck index 1983) is used for deflocculation. Microsieves separate the recovered organisms according to size. Taxonomic identification and quantitative evaluation of the organisms can be performed in counting chambers or on permanent slides. Algae, cysts and exospores of dinoflagellates, pollen grains and zooplankton remains can be recovered.     

Correlation of Barremian-Aptian (mid-Cretaceous) dinoflagellate cyst assemblages between the Tethyan and Austral realms

Quantified organic-walled dinoflagellate cyst (dinocyst) assemblages are presented for two sedimentary successions deposited in neritic environments of the Tethys Ocean during the Barremian and Aptian in an attempt to reconcile established dinocyst biostratigraphic schemes for Tethyan and Austral regions. One section is at Angles, southeast France (the Barremian stratotype section); the other is at Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 263, off northwest Australia. We also construct a carbon isotope record for Site 263 using bulk organic carbon.Both sections contain abundant, well-preserved dinocyst assemblages. These are diverse, with 89 taxa identified at Angles and 103 taxa identified at Site 263. Of these, more than 93% are cosmopolitan. When combined with other work at Angles and Site 263, we found that nine dinocysts have their first occurrence (FO) or last occurrence (LO) at both locations. These dinocyst events are, in alphabetical order: LO of Cassiculosphaeridia magna, FO of Criboperidinium? tenuiceras, LO of Kleithriasphaeridium fasciatum, LO of Muderongia staurota, FO of Odontochitina operculata, LO of Phoberocysta neocomica, FO of Prolixosphaeridium parvispinum, FO of Pseudoceratium retusum var. securigerum, and FO of Tehamadinium sousense. Although these events support a Barremian–Aptian age for both sections, their stratigraphic order is not the same in the sections. The δ¹³C_org record at Site 263 displays a characteristic series of changes that have also been recorded in other carbon isotope curves spanning the Late Barremian–Early Aptian. Such independent dating (along with ammonite zones at Angles) suggests that three of the nine dinocyst events are approximately isochronous at Angles and Site 263: the LO of K. fasciatum in the mid Barremian, the FO of P. retusum var. securigerum and the FO of C.? tenuiceras in the earliest Aptian; the other six dinocyst events are diachronous. Dinocyst assemblages at Site 263 can be loosely placed within existing Australian zonation schemes, providing much-needed calibration. Our data suggest that the Muderongia testudinaria Zone ends in sediments of mid Barremian age, the succeeding Muderongia australis Zone extends into the Early Aptian, and the younger Odontochitina operculata Zone begins in Early Aptian deposits. The boundary between the M. australis and O. operculata zones, and the Ovoidinium cinctum (as Ascodinium) Subzone, positioned at the top of the M. australis Zone when present, could not be recognized incontrovertibly. Interestingly, however, this horizon broadly correlates with the onset and extent of the Selli Event, a time of major biogeochemical change.     

中国沿海寄生性病原血卵涡鞭虫(Hematodinium sp.)的遗传多样性研究

血卵涡鞭虫是一类感染海洋甲壳类动物的寄生性甲藻。本研究通过对我国山东、浙江和广东三地的血卵涡鞭虫群体进行r DNA基因(包括5.8S,ITS1和ITS2)的测序和遗传分析,研究了我国沿海养殖蟹类中血卵涡鞭虫群体的遗传多样性以及与美国和欧洲群体的亲缘关系。结果表明,流行于我国沿海地区养殖蟹类中的血卵涡鞭虫群体存在一定的遗传多态性,共发现14个单倍型,其中单倍型ST041a在各个群体中均有出现,且发生频率较高;而三个地理群体之间无明显遗传差异,侵染不同宿主(三疣梭子蟹和拟穴青蟹)的株系间也无显著遗传差异。另外,我国的上述群体在遗传上是不同于国际上其他地区的独立分支,属于Hematodinium perezi基因型Ⅱ;其亲缘关系与美国兰蟹中的株系较近(遗传距离D=0.027),而与欧洲冷水株系稍远(D=0.236)。本研究肯定了血卵涡鞕虫是一类"泛宿主"型病原生物,即在同一地区可侵染不同的甲壳类宿主。我国沿海地区的蟹类养殖应避免不同种类间的混养,以及不同地区间的引种交换,以防止血卵涡鞕虫流行病的进一步扩散。