Sedimentary pellets as an ice-cover proxy in a High Arctic ice-covered lake

Sediment aggregates (“sedimentary pellets”) within the sedimentary record of Lake A (83°00′ N, 75°30′ W), Ellesmere Island, Canada, are used to construct a 1000 year proxy record of ice-cover extent and dynamics on this perennially ice-covered, High Arctic lake. These pellets are interpreted to form during fall or early winter when littoral sediment adheres to ice forming around the lake’s periphery or during summer through the development of anchor ice. The sediment likely collects in ice interstices and is concentrated in the upper ice layers through summer surface ice melt and winter basal ice growth. The pellets remain frozen in the ice until a summer or series of summers with reduced ice cover allows for their deposition across the lake basin. Sedimentary pellet frequency within multiple sediment cores is used to develop a chronology of ice-cover fluctuations. This proxy ice-cover record is largely corroborated by a record of unusual sedimentation in Lake A involving iron-rich, dark-orange to red laminae overlying more diffuse laminae with a lighter hue. This sediment sequence is hypothesized to represent years with reduced ice cover through increased chemocline ventilation and iron deposition. During the past millennium, the most notable period of inferred reduced ice cover is ca. 1891 AD to present. Another period of ice cover mobility is suggested ca. 1582–1774 AD, while persistent ice cover is inferred during the 1800s and prior to 1582 AD. The proxy ice-cover record corresponds well with most regional melt-season proxy temperature and paleoecological records, especially during the 1800s and 1900s.

Zooplankton Feeding Ecology: Contents of Fecal Pellets of the Copepod Anomalocera ornata from Continental Shelf and Slope Waters of the Gulf of Mexico

Abstract. The diet of the copepod Anomalocera ornata was examined by comparing contents of fecal pellets produced on natural diets with assemblages of available phytoplankton. Samples were collected in continental shelf and slope waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico. A wide size and taxonomic array of phytoplankters was ingested, and remains of phytoplankton taxa in fecal pellets reflected the composition of phytoplankton assemblages in the water. Absence of crustacean remains in fecal pellets suggests that A. ornata feeds primarily as an opportunistic grazer.     

Zooplankton Feeding Ecology: Contents of Fecal Pellets of the Copepods Acartia tonsa and Labidocera aestiva from Continental Shelf Waters Near the Mouth of the Mississippi River

Abstract. Feeding habits of adult female Acartia tonsa and Labidocera aestiva and L. aestiva CV copepodites were examined by comparing fecal pellet contents and available phytoplankton. Samples were collected from eight stations in the northern Gulf of Mexico near the mouth of the Mississippi River. Fecal pellets of both copepods contained remains of a wide variety of chain-forming and solitary phytoplankters of various sizes, as well as remains of other crustaceans. Contents of fecal pellets generally mirrored the composition and relative abundance of fluctuating assemblages of available natural phytoplankton. Both species fed upon a wide size range of cells, from solitary centric diatoms of 2–8 um diameter up to large solitary centrics of 33–53 urn diameter. Both copepods also ingested the elongate solitary pennate diatom Thalassiothrix sp. (264–330 urn long) and chain-forming diatoms such as Skeletonema costatum. Remains of large or chain-forming diatoms and crustaceans were more dominant in fecal pellets of L. aestiva. This suggests that L. aestiva is primarily a raptorial feeder, grasping larger particles while A. tonsa is a more typical suspension feeder. Both copepods are opportunistic omnivores, however, and there is considerable overlap in their diets.     

Persistent organic pollutants carried by synthetic polymers in the ocean environment

Thermoplastic resin pellets are melted and formed into an enormous number of inexpensive consumer goods, many of which are discarded after a relatively short period of use, dropped haphazardly onto watersheds and then make their way to the ocean where some get ingested by marine life. In 2003 and 2004 pre-production thermoplastic resin pellets and post-consumer plastic fragments were collected and analyzed for contamination for persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Samples were taken from the North Pacific Gyre, and selected sites in California, Hawaii, and from Guadalupe Island, Mexico. The total concentration of PCBs ranged from 27 to 980 ng/g; DDTs from 22 to 7100 ng/g and PAHs from 39 to 1200 ng/g, and aliphatic hydrocarbons from 1.1 to 8600 microg/g. Analytical methods were developed to extract, concentrate and identify POPs that may have accumulated on plastic fragments and plastic pellets. The results of this study confirm that plastic debris is a trap for POPs.     

Relation between semen quality and rangeland diets of mixed-breed male goats

The impact of range plant toxins on the reproductive performance of female cattle is economically important to the livestock industry. Nevertheless, there is little information on the significance of toxicosis from range plants on semen quality in domestic ruminants. A total of 18 adult mixed-breed bucks under range conditions were used to evaluate the effect of diet composition (microhistological analysis of fecal samples) on some semen characteristics, and blood and fecal components in April and August. Forages in the buck diets were grouped into 2 classes: low or high levels of each plant in the buck diets. Bucks with higher proportion of Acacia greggii, Flourensia cernua and Lindleya mespiloides in their diets yielded 23–50% less (p<0.05) semen than bucks with low proportion of these shrubs in their diet. Sperm motility was reduced by 3–8 percent units (p<0.05) by high levels of five rangeland shrubs in the buck diets. Bucks consuming high levels of Acacia greggii showed significantly lower percentages of normal sperm (92±10 vs. 96±3; p<0.05) than bucks with low intake of this forage. High proportions of Rhus virens and Solanum elaeagnifolium in the buck diet increased the percentage of normal sperm (5 units, p<0.05) when compared to bucks with low utilization of these forages. Increased intake of Acacia greggii, Dalea bicolor, Opuntia rastrera, Larrea tridentata and Cowania plicata reduced percentage of live sperm by 5 units (p<0.05). Blood metabolites analysis showed that increased levels of Acacia greggii and Parthenium incanum were related to better nutritional status of bucks. Zn (−), Cu (−) and glucose (+) were significant predictors of semen volume (r²=0.30). Cu (−) and cholesterol (−) accounted for 37% of the variation in percentage of normal sperms. Forty-four percent of the variation in secondary abnormalities was accounted by Zn (+) and cholesterol (+), whereas fecal N, serum total proteins and creatinine positively affected percentage of live sperms (r²=0.37). These results indicate that semen quality and metabolic profiles of grazing bucks were sensitive to the ingestion of some Chihuahuan desert forages.     

Isolation and characterization of Aeromonas species from an eutrophic tropical estuary

Isolation and characterization of Aeromonas species were undertaken in the Ebrié lagoon (Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire) over a one year period. Overall 63% of 501 water samples were identified as positive for Aeromonas spp. A. sobria, A. hydrophila and A. caviae represent respectively 49.20%, 20.63% and 30.15% of the positive samples. Thirty nine of the positive samples were recovered from surface water samples; while 24 bottom water samples were positive for Aeromonas. Aeromonas species are most frequently (82.53) present in the Ebrié lagoon urban area during the rainy and flood seasons when the salinity is low and below 10‰. A lower isolation frequency is noticed during the dry season when water salinity is over 10‰. Finally, a higher isolation frequency occurred in samples with highest counts of Escherichia coli.     

膨润土颗粒混合物的堆积性质与水-力特性研究进展

膨润土颗粒混合物是高放废物深地质处置库中的一种缓冲/回填材料,掌握其堆积性质与水-力特性是开展处置库安全性能评估的关键基础。本文全面回顾和总结了近年来国内外学者对膨润土颗粒混合物的堆积性质、持水特性、结构特征、渗透特性、胀缩特性及本构模型等方面的研究进展与取得的成果,展望了几个值得进一步研究的问题。结果表明,颗粒混合物的堆积性质与粒径级配密切相关;湿化过程中,颗粒混合物由初始松散结构逐渐转变为胶结融合结构,孔隙结构逐渐趋于均一化,并伴随着颗粒破碎和错动,进而影响其水-力特性。考虑到处置库实际运营环境的复杂性,颗粒混合物的原位填充技术以及多场(热-水-力-化)耦合条件下颗粒混合物的水-力特性是今后值得深入研究的方向。     

畜禽养殖粪污水中N、P等含量的研究及对环境影响的分析

根据不同畜禽养殖污水产生系数与污染物平均浓度,计算出不同畜禽养殖粪污中COD、TN和TP的含量。并对畜禽养殖业产生的污染物对环境可能产生的污染影响进行分析。进一步说明畜禽粪污必须要妥善处理,否则会对环境造成危害,尤其是对水环境的影响将是巨大的。     

Occurrence, distribution and characteristics of beached plastic production pellets on the island of Malta (central Mediterranean)

The distribution, abundance and chemical characteristics of plastic production pellets on beaches of the island of Malta have been determined. Pellets were observed at all locations visited and were generally most abundant (>1000 m⁻² at the surface) on the backshores of beaches with a westerly aspect. Most pellets were disc-shaped or flattened cylinders and could be categorised as white, yellow, amber or brown. The polymeric matrix of all pellets analysed by infrared spectroscopy was polyethylene and the degree of yellowing or darkening was associated with an increase in the carbonyl index, hence extent of photo-oxidation or aging. Qualitatively, pellets are similar to those reported for other regions of the Mediterranean in surveys spanning three decades, suggesting that they are a general and persistent characteristic of the region.     

Evaluation of microbiological water quality in the Pettaquamscutt River (Rhode Island, USA) using chemical, molecular and culture-dependent methods

We evaluated microbiological water quality in the Pettaquamscutt River (Rhode Island, USA), an estuarine river. Fecal coliform (FC) and enterococci (FE) bacteria, presence of Bifidobacterium adolescentis DNA (indicating human fecal contamination), and optical brightener (OB) fluorescence (associated with laundry detergents) were determined for 14 stations from May to September 2010. Six stations had high counts of FE and FC, and the presence of B. adolescentis DNA and high OB fluorescence indicated human fecal contamination - four had septic systems as likely sources of contamination; the others were in sewered areas. The ability of FC and FE to indicate human fecal contamination was assessed against a positive B. adolescentis test. FC and FE had false positive rates of 25% and 17%, respectively, and false negatives of 44% for FC and 63% for FE. Inclusion of molecular and chemical indicators should improve tracking of human fecal contamination sources in the river.